Abraham’s Prayer on Behalf of Sodom

Leviticus Rabbah 10:1

5th–7th Century

You love justice and hate wickedness (Psalm 45:8, NJPS). R. Judan in the name of R. Azariah applied this verse to Abraham our father at the time when he beseeched [God] for mercy on behalf of the Sodomites. He said before Him, “Master of the universe! You have sworn that you will never [again] bring a flood upon the earth, as it is written: For…

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In Genesis 18, Abraham argues with God in defense of the people of Sodom, whom God intends to destroy; Abraham says that it would be inconsistent with God’s justice to kill the righteous along with the wicked. In Leviticus Rabbah’s retelling, Abraham cites God’s promise to Noah never again to bring a flood over the earth and accuses God of using a loophole to evade the promise in seeking to destroy by fire rather than water.

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