"And the two angels came to Sodom"

224. "And the two angels came to Sodom at evening..." (Beresheet 19:1). Rabbi Yosi said, Come and behold, it is written: "And Hashem went His way, as soon as He had left speaking to Abraham..." (Beresheet 18:33). As the Shechinah had departed from Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place, then "the two angels came to Sodom at evening..." There were only two angels because one had departed with the Shechinah.

225. As Lot saw them, he ran after them. Why? He invited everyone who came to his city into his house and offered them food and drink. If so, then how come the people of his own town did not kill him, as they did his daughter?

226. For what reason was she killed? The daughter of Lot offered a piece of bread to a poor man. As soon as the townspeople found out, they covered her with honey and put her on the roof until she was stung to death by bees.

227. AND HE REPLIES, Because it was at night, Lot thought that the townspeople would not see him. Nevertheless, as soon as they entered his house, the townspeople gathered and surrounded the house.

228. Rabbi Yitzchak asks, Why did Lot run after the angels? As it is written, "And Lot seeing them rose up to meet them..." Either Rabbi Chizkiyah or Rabbi Yesa responded that he saw the image of Abraham among them, and the other said that he saw the Shechinah resting upon them. AND HE DREW AN ANALOGY. It is written here, "And Lot seeing them rose up to meet them," and elsewhere, "and when he saw them he ran to meet them from the tent door..." (Beresheet 18:2). So, just as he saw the Shechinah there, he saw the Shechinah here as well.

229. This is the reason why "Lot seeing them run to meet them...And he said, 'Behold now, my lords (Heb. adonai),'" spelled with Aleph, Dalet, Nun and Yud, THAT IS, THE NAME OF THE SHECHINAH. IN OUR SCRIPTURES IT IS NOT WRITTEN, 'AND HE RAN TO MEET THEM,' BUT RATHER, "ROSE UP TO MEET THEM." ACCORDING TO THE ZOHAR, THE WORDS "ROSE TO MEET THEM" MEAN THAT HE ROSE UP AND RAN TO MEET THEM. OTHERWISE, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN, 'HE ROSE UP BEFORE THEM.' The verse continues, "Turn in, I pray you." HE ASKS, WHY IS IT WRITTEN, "Turn in, I pray you," when it should have been written, 'draw near, I pray you?' What is MEANT BY "turn in?" AND HE RESPONDS, He did not want them to enter the house in the regular way, so his townspeople would not see them. This is why HE SAID, "Turn in, I pray you."

230. Rabbi Chizkiyah began the discussion by saying, IT IS WRITTEN, "For He looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven" (Iyov 28:24). How important it is for all human beings to observe the works of the Holy One, blessed be He, and to study Torah day and night. He who studies the Torah is glorified by the Holy One, blessed be He, on high and down below, because the Torah is the Tree of Life for all those who occupy themselves in it. It grants them life in this world and offers them life in the World to Come.

231. Come and behold, IT IS WRITTEN, "For He looks to the end of the earth" in order to supply them with food and provide for their needs. THE "EARTH" IS MALCHUT; "ENDS OF THE EARTH" REFERS TO ALL THAT ISSUES FROM HER, because it is He who takes care of Her always. As it is written, "The eyes of Hashem your Elohim are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year" (Devarim 11:12).

232. It is written of this earth, NAMELY MALCHUT, "She brings her food from afar" (Mishlei 31:14). And then, "She" provides the beasts of the fields, WHICH ARE THE ANGELS OF THE WORLDS BRIYAH, YETZIRAH, AND ASIYAH, with food and sustenance, as it is written, "She rises also while it is yet night, and gives meat to her household and a portion to her maidens" (Ibid. 15).

233. This is why IT IS WRITTEN, "For He looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven," ALLUDING to all the people in the world, in order to supply them with food and provisions, each and every one according to his needs, as it is written, "You open your hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing" (Tehilim 145:16).

234. There is another explanation OF THE VERSE, "For He looks to the ends of the earth," which IS THAT He observes the makings of man and watches closely over what people are doing in the world. He "sees under the whole heaven," which means that He watches and keeps an eye on each and every person.

235. Come and behold, as a result of the Holy One, blessed be He seeing the actions of Sodom and Gomorrah, He sent forth those angels to destroy Sodom. It is written, "and Lot seeing..." WHICH MEANS THAT he was "seeing" the Shechinah. AND HE ASKS, "But who can possibly see the Shechinah?" AND HE REPLIES, He saw a light shining and rising high above their heads. And then he said, "Behold now, Adonai (Eng. 'my Master')," spelled with Aleph and Dalet WHICH IS THE NAME OF THE SHECHINAH. Thus, for the sake of the Shechinah, NAMELY that certain illumination that shone UPON THEIR HEADS, he said, "turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house..."

236. The verse continues, "And sleep and wash your feet..." but Abraham did not do so. Rather, he said at first, "Wash your feet," and only later, "And I will fetch a morsel of bread." Lot, however, said, "Turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night," and then, "and wash your feet, and you may rise up early, and go your ways." And this was to prevent other people from knowing about them. IF OTHER PEOPLE HAPPENED TO KNOW ABOUT THEM AND APPROACHED THEM, THEY COULD CLAIM THAT THEY HAD JUST ARRIVED A SHORT WHILE AGO, AS THEY HAD NOT EVEN WASHED THEIR FEET FROM THE DUST OF THE JOURNEY.

237. "And they said, 'No, but we will abide in the street all night," because that was the practice in these cities - GUESTS SLEPT IN THE STREET BECAUSE no person invited them to his house. This is why they said, "We will abide in the street." And then it is written, "And he pressed upon them greatly" (Beresheet 19:3).

238. Come and behold, when the Holy One, blessed be He, executes Judgment on the world, one messenger performs it. But now, DURING THE OVERTHROW OF SODOM, we see two messengers, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "AND TWO ANGELS CAME TO SODOM." Is not one angel sufficient? AND HE REPLIES, "There indeed was only one; the scriptures mentions two because one came to save Lot, while the other came to overthrow the city and destroy the land. Therefore, there was only one assigned TO OVERTHROW SODOM.