Primary textDaf 106b (דַּף ק״ו ע״ב)

Daf 106b (דַּף ק״ו ע״ב)

And the two angels came to Sedom in the evening… (וַיָּבֹאוּ שְׁנֵי הַמַּלְאָכִים סְדֹמָה בָּעֶרֶב וְגו׳). Rabbi Yose said: Come and see what is written above (אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי: תָּא חֲזֵי מַה כְּתִיב לְעֵילָא): And Hashem went, as He finished speaking to Avraham (וַיֵּלֶךְ יְיָ כַּאֲשֶׁר כִּלָּה לְדַבֵּר אֶל אַבְרָהָם). For once the Shekhinta departed from Avraham (דְּהָא כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְּפְרַשׁ שְׁכִינְתָּא מֵאַבְרָהָם), and Avraham returned to his place (וְאַבְרָהָם תָּב לְאַתְרֵיהּ), then came the two angels to Sedom in the evening (כְּדֵין: וַיָּבֹאוּ שְׁנֵי הַמַּלְאָכִים סְדֹמָה בָּעֶרֶב). For one [of the three] ascended with the Shekhinta (דְּהָא חַד אִסְתַּלַּק בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא), and the remaining two stayed behind (וְאִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ אִנּוּן תְּרֵין).

Since Lot saw them (כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא לוֹט לוֹן), he ran after them (רָהַט בַּתְרַיְיהוּ). Why? (מַאי טַעְמָא), For all those who used to arrive (וְכִי כָּל אִנּוּן דַּהֲווּ אַתְיָין), he would bring them into his house (אִיהוּ אָעִיל לוֹן לְבֵיתֵיהּ), and give them to eat and drink (וְיָהִיב לוֹן לְמֵיכַל וּלְמִשְׁתֵּי). And the people of the city (וּבְנֵי מָתָא), why did they not kill him? (הֵיךְ לָא קָטְלִין לֵיהּ), for they judged his daughter (דְּהָא לִבְרַתֵּיהּ עֲבְדוּ דִּינָא). And what was that? (וּמַאי הוּא), That the daughter of Lot (דִּבְרַתֵּיהּ דְּלוֹט), gave a piece of bread (יְהֲבַת פִּתָּא דְּנַהֲמָא) to a poor person (לְחַד עַנְיָא). They found out about it (יָדְעוּ בָּהּ), they smeared her with honey (שָׁפוּהָ דּוּבְשָׁא), and placed her on the rooftop (וְאוֹתְבוּהָ בְּרֵישׁ אִיגְרָא), until the bees consumed her (עַד דְּאֲכְלוּהָ צִרְעֵי). Rather, because it was night (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דַּהֲוָה בְּלֵילְיָא), he thought the people of the city would not notice him (חָשִׁיב דְּלָא יִסְתַּכְּלוּן לֵיהּ בְּנֵי מָתָא). And even so (וְעִם כָּל דָּא), once they entered the house (כֵּיוָן דַּאֲעָלוּ לְבֵיתָא), all of them gathered and surrounded the house (אִתְכְּנָשׁוּ כֻּלְּהוּ וְאַסְחָרוּ לְבֵיתָא).

Rabbi Yitzchak said (אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק): Why did Lot run after them? (אַמַּאי רָהַט לוֹט אַבַּתְרַיְיהוּ), Rather, because it is written (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב): “And Lot saw, and he ran to meet them” (וַיַּרְא לוֹט וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם). Rabbi Chizkiyah and Rabbi Yisa (רַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה וְרַבִּי יֵיסָא): One said (חַד אָמַר), he saw the image of Avraham with them (דִּיוּקְנָא דְּאַבְרָהָם חָמָא עִמְהוֹן), and one said (וְחַד אָמַר), the Shekhinta came upon them (שְׁכִינְתָּא אַתְיָא עֲלַיְיהוּ). It is written here (כְּתִיב הָכָא): “And Lot saw and ran to meet them” (וַיַּרְא לוֹט וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם), and it is written there (וּכְתִיב הָתָם): “And he ran to meet them from the entrance of the tent” (וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם מִפֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל). Just as there he saw the Shekhinta (מַה לְהַלָּן חָמָא שְׁכִינְתָּא), so here too he saw the Shekhinta (אוּף הָכָא חָמָא שְׁכִינְתָּא).

“And Lot saw and ran to meet them and said: Please, my lords” (וַיַּרְא לוֹט וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה נָּא אֲדֹנַי), with the letters Alef-Dalet-Nun-Yod (בָּאָלֶ״ף דָּלֶ״ת נוּ״ן יוּ״ד). “Turn aside now…” (סוּרוּ נָּא) - he should have said “Come near now” (גְּשׁוּ נָּא מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). What is “turn aside now”? (מַאי סוּרוּ נָּא), Rather, to turn them around the back of the house (אֶלָּא לְאַהֲדָרָא לוֹן סַחֲרָנֵיהּ דְּבֵיתָא), so the people of the city would not see them (בְּגִין דְּלָא יֶחֱמוּן לוֹן בְּנֵי מָתָא), and that they not enter through the direct path to the house (וְלָא יֵעֲלוּן בְּאוֹרַח מֵישָׁר לְבֵיתָא). And for this reason: “Turn aside now” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ סוּרוּ נָּא).