Value systems differ from society to society, but we all agree that murder of
innocent people is unconscionable. Why is it wrong to take a life at whim? Why
are we against killing for sport? Well, that's a ridiculous question, isn't it?
Anyone who doesn't already know the answer is either a fool or an incurable
criminal.
We all cringe at collective punishment. To punish the innocent alongside the
guilty is what we consider cruel and unusual; our very souls are repulsed by
such things. We intrinsically echo Abraham's cry, "It is a sacrilege to slay
the righteous alongside the wicked."1
Yet when we consider who Abraham was and whom he was talking to, we find it
difficult to believe that he could speak this way. Abraham wasn't talking to a
despotic demagogue or to a nachalnik in a Soviet gulag. He was talking to G-d!
Man of Faith
Abraham was a man of exemplary faith; he followed G-d's every directive with
unerring loyalty. If G-d requested it, Abraham believed it was just. He sent
away his concubine, circumcised himself at an old age and was prepared to
sacrifice his only son, all at G-d's instruction. Abraham trusted implicitly
that anything G-d wants must be good.
Yet, when G-d informed Abraham that Sodom and Gomorrah would be destroyed, he
was appalled. Notwithstanding his incredible faith, he demanded of G-d,
"Would you slay the righteous alongside the wicked? Will the judge of all the
earth not do justice?" Here is Abraham, a man of implicit faith, accusing
G-d of injustice and possibly even murder!2
Separating Light from Dark
On the first day of creation, G-d "distinguished between light and
darkness."3 The Midrash interprets the words "light" and
"darkness" as a metaphor for the righteous and the wicked. On the first day of
creation, G-d separated the righteous from the wicked.4
What is the purpose of this separation?
In a novel interpretation by chassidic master Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz of
Frankfurt (1730-1805), it is explained that this separation is reserved for those unique
moments when the majority of humanity has turned wicked. When the righteous are
in the majority, the opposite is true: the righteous and the wicked are joined.
When the righteous are in the majority, G-d permits the wicked few to be
absorbed into the majority and thus the wicked are spared. But, the very rule of
majority that absolves the wicked when they are in the minority also condemns
the righteous when they are in the minority.
It was for this possibility that G-d separated the light from the darkness,
or the righteous from the wicked. On those rare occasions when this separation
is activated it effectively suspends the rule of majority and the righteous are
thus judged on their own merit.
If the law of majority were not reversed on such occasions, the entire human
race would perish. The law that was intended as an instrument of compassion
would have become an instrument of cruelty. Concerned for the survival of
humanity, G-d provided for the suspension of this law on the very first day of
creation.5
Back To Abraham
This insight lends new perspective to Abraham's words. When Abraham heard
that the entire population of Sodom would die, he assumed that the righteous
were to be punished along with the wicked by majority rule. Since this was not a
judgment of humanity, but of Sodom, he assumed that G-d had permitted the rule
of majority to stand.
He pleaded with G-d to view the judgment of Sodom in global terms. "Shall
the judge -- of the entire earth -- not do justice?" he cried. Is it not true
that when you judge the entire earth you waive the majority rule and do justice
to the righteous on their own merit?6
Abraham was not accusing G-d of injustice; he was making a legal argument.
The judgment of an entire city, argued Abraham, should be akin to the judgment
of the entire human race, and the rule of majority should be suspended.
A Personal Application in our Own Lives
G-d actually agreed with Abraham's assertion and assured him that the
righteous people of Sodom would not be slain; the fact of the matter was there
were no righteous people in Sodom. As G-d said to Abraham, "Had I discovered
even ten righteous men in all Sodom, I would have spared the entire city."7
This teaches us an important lesson. We often judge ourselves in the court of
our own opinion. We know our weaknesses and often let them drive our perception
of ourselves. We think to ourselves: if I am so limited and weak, I must be a
failure.
The human psyche is filled with glitches. We suffer from all kinds of
spiritual and emotional maladies. We are jealous, insecure, arrogant and
narcissistic. We are indulgent, greedy, dishonest and impatient. The list goes
on and on. We all know our shortcomings.
When the reflective glare of an honest measuring-stick becomes unforgiving,
Abraham's plea challenges us with astounding relevance.
When the entire earth is judged, the righteous are not punished on account of
the wicked; they are judged by their own merit. In a similar vein, when we judge
our entire persona we ought not dismiss our redeeming factors just because they
are scarce.
Furthermore, if the righteous were slain on account of the wicked, humanity
would become extinct. When we dismiss our strengths on account of our weaknesses
we assure our own failure and slowly extinguish our spirit.
After the flood, one righteous family rebuilt the human race. Highlighting
our strengths and allowing our redeeming qualities to thrive will help us redeem
ourselves.
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