The Point of the Exercise

 

And Abraham approached and said, "Will You even destroy the righteous with the wicked?”                                   Genesis 18:23

            Thus Abraham commenced his attempt to save the residents of Sodom and the remaining towns of the plains.

            Tiferet Shlomo notes that Abraham’s attempts to defend the residents bore no fruit whatsoever, and wonders why the incident is included in the Torah. In his words:

What comes from (the Torah) informing us of this, since it accomplished nothing, and even after Abraham’s intervention, the towns were destroyed?

            We can add that apparently Abraham was aware that he would be unable to find the requisite number of righteous people to save Sodom, as Tzror haMor notes. This fact too raises astonishment at the incident’s inclusion in the Torah.

            In truth, the incident is not intended to teach us about the Sodomites and their neighbors, but about Abraham.

            Boldly and with audacity, Abraham declares to God: ”Far be it (ḥalila) from You!” Abraham told God “You cannot do this!”

            Noah was born ten generations before Abraham. Noah heard God’s words when the Creator announced to him "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth has become full of robbery because of them, and behold I am destroying them from the earth” [Genesis 6:13] and appointed him to be the founder of the new world which will arise after the flood. When God instructed Noah to build an ark, Noah “Did according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.” [ibid.22] It seems that the possibility of arguing with God and attempting to save at least some of mankind never occurred to Noah.

            In contrast to Noah, Abraham understood that God’s very existence, as it were mandates rules that He must follow. Therefore, Abraham did not hesitate to address God with the strong words ”Far be it (ḥalila) from You!,” which Breishit Rabba understands to mean You cannot desecrate Your own name (Ḥilul haShem, the same root word as ḥalila). Abraham understood that God, Who is “A faithful God, without injustice” cannot “destroy the righteous with the wicked.” Therefore, Abraham is ready to speak stridently [Rashi on our verse] to God.

            Noah believed in God, but Abraham took belief in God a quantum leap forward, understanding that God must act in accordance with His own traits.

            Ultimately, the “exercise” of Abraham’s negotiations with God on behalf of the towns of the plains was not for the benefit of the residents of those towns, but for Abraham’s benefit and to educate us, Abraham’s spiritual descendants.