Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/153

 Sodom and Gomorrah

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that truer justice, which is ever tempered by love and mercy and forgiveness, and that He had punished, as in the story of the flood, only at last, when He saw that the people had become completely and hopelessly wicked and deaf to all thoughts of correction and repentance. Nevertheless Abraham had not pleaded entirely in vain. For this very pleading had proved again his fitness for God's service. Even the wicked inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah were still his brothers, and his heart was still filled with love and compassion for them. After revealing God's purpose to Abraham, the angels went on, slowly and reluctantly, towards Sodom. So great was God's sorrow at the thought of destroying His children, even though they were wicked, and so eager His hope that at the last moment ten, perhaps, might repent, and thus justify His sparing the city, that the angels' journey, which ordinarily would have required but a short time, took many hours. Thus, the good rabbis taught, the feet of God's messengers hasten on errands of mercy and blessing, but on errands of punishment and sorrow they lag. The angels reached Sodom just at dusk. But they did not destroy the city immediately. God would give the people one more chance to obtain forgiveness. So the angels determined to pass the night in the city, to see what the people would do. However, not a citizen of Sodom offered them hospitality, but only Lot, himself a stranger, and therefore

danger because of the Sodomites' habitual

in constant

ment of strangers. In happened to allow Lot

fact,

to

we do

remain

learned the lesson of hospitality

not in

know

just

their midst.

from Abraham.

how

treat-

they

Lot had

And

in

almost the same words as Abraham, he urged the strangers to

become

his guests.

Thus good example and

helpful influ-

was in marked contrast to that of the Sodomites, for they tried to work their evil desires upon the strangers and even threatence

always

beget

righteousness.

Lot's

conduct