(10) Lot looked about him and saw how well watered was the whole plain of the Jordan, all of it—this was before GOD had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—all the way to Zoar, like the garden of GOD, like the land of Egypt. (11) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they parted from each other; (12) Abram remained in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the Plain, pitching his tents near Sodom. (13) Now the inhabitants of Sodom were very wicked sinners against GOD.

(16) The agents [האנשים/ha'anashim/the men] set out from there and looked down toward Sodom, Abraham walking with them to see them off. (17) Now GOD had said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, (18) since Abraham is to become a great and populous nation and all the nations of the earth are to bless themselves by him? (19) For I have singled him out [ידעתיו/ye'da`tiv/I know him], that [למען/lema`an] he may instruct his children and his posterity to keep the way of GOD by doing what is just and right, in order that [למען/lema`an] GOD may bring about for Abraham what has been promised him.”

(2) למען אשר יצוה . [DR: Because he instructs his children regarding Me, to guard my ways.]. If, however, you explain it as the Targum, “I know “of” him that he will instruct his sons etc.”, then the word למען [le-ma`an/because] does not fit into the sense.

(3) יצוה HE INSTRUCTS — This form of the verb (the imperfect) expresses frequentative action, as (Job 1.5) "This is what Job always used to do" (יַעֲשֶׂה) [DR: so NJPS].

(4) למען הביא IN ORDER THAT [THE LORD] MAY BRING — [DR:] Thus he instructs his children saying “Keep the way of the Lord in order that the Lord may bring upon Abraham etc.” Since it does not say here ‘‘upon the house of Abraham”, but upon Abraham himself, we may infer that he who trains up a righteous son is as though he never dies (Genesis Rabbah 49:4).

(2) The way of the Lord: And what is His way? To do what is just and right. For He desires these [things]. And everything that the sages called traits, Scripture calls ways. So one who does kindness, justice and righteousness is called one who walks in His ways, who guards His ways.

And one who contemplates His traits — to comprehend their truth and to know them, how He behaves with His creatures, whether for discipline or kindness, towards a nation or a man alike [alluding to Job 34:29] — is called one who knows God, in all of Scripture. And he is the one who finds favor in the eyes of the Lord. And it is as Moses said, let me please know Your ways in order that I will find favor (Exodus 33:13). And it is stated about Josiah, "did your father not, etc. do judgment and justice [...] was not this to know Me," says the Lord (Jeremiah 22:15-16).

It is clear from this that there is not so much of a need for the investigation of wonders about His Unity and truth, as much as the observance of His ways. For only the observance of His ways by one who knows them is called knowing the Lord.

(22) The agents went on from there to Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before GOD. (23) Abraham came forward and said, “Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty? (24) What if there should be fifty innocent within the city; will You then wipe out the place and not forgive it for the sake of the innocent fifty who are in it? (25) Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” (26) And GOD answered, “If I find within the city of Sodom fifty innocent ones, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.”

(1) חלילה לך FAR BE IT FROM THEE — It is a profanation (חולין) of Yourself. People will say, “That is what He usually busies Himself with: He destroys every one, righteous and wicked alike” —and thus did You indeed do to the generation of the Flood and to that of the dispersal of nations (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayera 8).

(1) Roam the streets of Jerusalem, Search its squares, Look about and take note: You will not find anyone engaged; There is no one who acts justly, Who seeks integrity—That I should pardon her.

(1) [WITHIN THE CITY.] That is, who publicly revere My name. Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, And see now, and know, And seek in the broad places thereof, If ye can find a man, If there be any that doeth justly, and seeketh truth; And I will pardon her (Jer. 5:1) is similar.

(20) Then GOD said, “The outrage of Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave! (21) I will go down to see whether they have acted altogether according to the outcry that has reached Me; if not, I will take note.”

(46) Your [=Jerusalem's] elder sister was Samaria, who lived with her daughters to the north of you; your younger sister was Sodom, who lived with her daughters to the south of you. (47) Did you not walk in their ways and practice their abominations? Why, you were almost more corrupt than they in all your ways. (48) As I live—declares the Sovereign GOD—your sister Sodom and her daughters did not do what you and your daughters did. (49) Only this was the sin of your sister Sodom: arrogance! She and her daughters had plenty of bread and untroubled tranquility; yet she did not support the poor and the needy. (50) In their haughtiness, they committed abomination before Me; and so I removed them, as you saw.

(2) הכצעקתה WHETHER ACCORDING TO THE CRY OF IT (literally, of her) — i.e. the cry of the country (מדינה which is feminine).

(3) הבאה אלי עשו WHETHER THEY HAVE DONE [ACCORDING TO THE CRY OF IT] WHICH IS COME UNTO ME —

...

Our Teachers explained the word הכצעקתה “the cry of her”, to refer to the cry of a certain girl whom they put to death in an unnatural manner because she had given food to a poor man, as is explained in the chapter Chelek (Sanhedrin 109b).

(3)

...The people of Sodom became haughty in front of the Place only due to the goodness He showered upon them, as it says: "A land from which bread had issued forth — its place was overturned, as if (consumed by) fire. A place of sapphire were its stones, and dusts of gold were there. (And now it is) a path unknown (i.e., unfrequented) by brigands, and unseen by the falcon's eye, untrodden by the haughty (beasts) and not crossed by the lion (Job 28:5-8).

The people of Sodom [said]: "Since food comes out of our land, and silver and gold, and precious stones and pearls [all come] from our land, we have no need that other people will come to us to diminish [our valuables]. Let us rise and prevent the wayfarers to enter our cities [banot]!"

The Holy One of Blessing said to them: "I gave goodness to you, and you seek to forget the wayfarers from your cities?! I will forget the wayfarers in your midst [beinechem] and I will forget you from the world!" What does it say? "He breaks open a shaft away from where men sojourn; they are forgotten of the foot that pass by; they hang afar from men, they swing to and fro." (Job 28:4) and "The tents of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure, in whatsoever God brings into their hand." (Job 12:6) and so it says "As I live—declares the Lord GOD—your sister Sodom and her daughters did not do what you and your daughters did. Only this was the sin of your sister Sodom: arrogance! She and her daughters had plenty of bread"(Ezekiel 16:48-49).

(10) There are four types of character in human beings:

One that says: “mine is mine, and yours is yours”: this is a commonplace type; and some say this is the measure of Sodom.

[One that says:] “mine is yours and yours is mine”: is an unlearned person (am haaretz);

[One that says:] “mine is yours and yours is yours” is a pious person.

[One that says:] “mine is mine, and yours is mine” is a wicked person.

(8) Rabbi Jehudah said: They made a proclamation in Sodom (saying): Everyone who strengthens the hand of the poor or the needy with a loaf of bread shall be burnt by fire. Peleṭith, daughter of Lot, was wedded to one of the magnates of Sodom. She saw a certain very poor man in the street of the city, and her soul was grieved on his account, as it is said, "Was not my soul grieved for the needy?" (Job 30:25). What did she do? Every day when she went out to draw water she put in her bucket all sorts of provisions from her home, and she fed that poor man. The men of Sodom said: How does this poor man live? When they ascertained the facts, they brought her forth to be burnt with fire.

She said: Sovereign of all worlds ! Maintain my right and my cause (at the hands of) the men of Sodom. And her cry ascended before the Throne of Glory. In that hour the Holy One, blessed be He, said: "I will now descend, and I will see" (Gen. 18:21) whether the men of Sodom have done according to the cry of this young woman, I will turn her foundations upwards, and the surface thereof shall be turned downwards, as it is said, "I will now descend, and I will see whether they have done altogether according to her cry, which is come unto me" (ibid.). "According to their cry" is not written here (in the text), only "According to her cry."

(4) They had not yet lain down, when the townsmen, the men of Sodom—young and old, the whole entire body—gathered about the house. (5) And they shouted to Lot and said to him, “Where are the ones who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may be intimate with them.”

(9) But they said, “Stand back! The fellow,” they said, “came here as an alien, and already he acts the ruler! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” And they pressed hard against the man—against Lot—and moved forward to break the door.

“He [=Lot] was intensely persistent towards them [=the angels], and they turned aside to him, and entered his house. He prepared a feast for them; he baked unleavened bread, and they ate” (Genesis 19:3).
...[“He baked unleavened bread [matzot].”] Rabbi Yitzḥak said: A great quarrel [matzut] arose over the salt. He said to her [his wife]: ‘Give these guests a little salt.’ She said to him: ‘Do you seek to promulgate this despicable and evil custom here, as well?’

(1) ויאמרו גש הלאה AND THEY SAID, STEP BACK —

...They really meant to say to Lot: “You intercede for these strangers; how dare you!” In reply to what he had said to them regarding his daughters they answered: “Get out of the way” — a somewhat gentle expression — whilst with regard to his advocacy for the strangers they retorted, האחד בא לגור THIS MAN CAME TO SOJOURN — You are the only strange man amongst us, for you have come to sojourn here, וישפוט שפוט and you make yourself a Reprover of us!

(1) The two angels arrived in Sodom in the evening, as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to greet them and, bowing low with his face to the ground, (2) he said, “Please, my lords, turn aside to your servant’s house to spend the night, and bathe your feet; then you may be on your way early.” But they said, “No, we will spend the night in the square.” (3) But he urged them strongly, so they turned his way and entered his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

(4) They had not yet lain down, when the townsmen, the men of Sodom—young and old, the whole entire body—gathered about the house. (5) And they shouted to Lot and said to him, “Where are the ones who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may be intimate with them.” (6) So Lot went out to them to the entrance, shut the door behind him, (7) and said, “I beg you, my friends, do not commit such a wrong. (8) Look, I have two daughters who have not known a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you please; but do not do anything to the others, since they have come under the shelter of my roof.”

(12) Then the agents said to Lot, “Whom else have you here? In-laws, your sons and daughters [themselves]—anyone else that you have in the city—bring them out of the place. (13) For we are about to destroy this place; because the outcry against them before GOD has become so great that GOD has sent us to destroy it.” (14) So Lot went out and spoke to his in-laws who had married his daughters, and said, “Up, get out of this place, for GOD is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law as one who jests (metzachek - compare "Yitzchak"). (15) As dawn broke, the angels urged Lot on, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two remaining daughters, lest you be swept away because of the iniquity of the city.” (16) Still he delayed. So the agents seized his hand, and the hands of his wife and his two daughters—in GOD’s mercy on him—and brought him out and left him outside the city.

(3) The Midrashic explanation of עוד YET is: since they have perpetrated so disgraceful an act, can you yet be so bold (more literally, “can you yet open your mouth”) to speak in defence of them? — for the whole night through he had been talking in favor of them.

To obtain this explanation you must read: עוד מי לך פֶּה Have you yet a mouth! (instead of פֹּה here) (Genesis Rabbah 50:5).

(1) ויתמהמה BUT HE LINGERED in order to save his property.