Torah Study > Chapter 6: Truth and Peace > Text 1

What did God plan to do? Was it just or not?

How did Abraham respond? Why?

What was so remarkable about Abraham’s response? Was there any
danger in it? Why do you think Abraham challenged God?

You may choose to share with participants a commentary recorded in the
Zohar, a 13th-century mystical text, in which these remarkable character
traits of Abraham are illuminated by contrasting him with the figure of
Noah. Noah is informed of God’s plan to carry out a much greater act of
destruction, but does not protest. Instead he silently follows God’s instructtions
to save himself and his family while the entire world is destroyed.

Said Rabbi Yehudah: Do we have any other ancestor as compassionate
as Abraham?… Regarding Noah it is written: “And God said to Noah,
‘The end of all flesh is come before me… and I will destroy them from
the earth. So make for yourself an ark.’” Noah was silent, and said
nothing, and did not beg for mercy on behalf of the rest of the world.
But it is not so with Abraham. As soon as the Holy One told him [of
the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorah], it is immediately
written that “Abraham drew close to God”

Zohar, cited in Nechama Leibowitz, Studies in Bereshit, 181

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If you were in a position of being able to speak out and challenge
an authority figure, would you do it? Imagine that you are in a class
in which the teacher continually picks on a classmate of yours, even
ridiculing that person in public. You, on the other hand, have avoided
this teacher’s wrath. Could you imagine yourself challenging the
teacher?

Abraham speaking out on behalf of the people of Sodom and
Gomorah is in great contrast with his silence several chapters later
when commanded to slay his son Isaac. Do you think it is sometimes
easier to speak out on behalf of those far away than those who are
close to you? Why?

Had Abraham succeeded in finding ten righteous people to save the
city, he would have also saved many more people who were not
innocent. Can you think of a scenario where you would speak out
for a principle even though the beneficiaries of your advocacy were
people you would not want to help?

Is Abraham a realistic role model for you and your friends?

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