Daf 111a (דַּף קי״א ע״א)

Rabbi Shim‘on said (רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר): did He not know-that Kudsha Berikh Hu was destined to raise from her King David and Shlomo and all the other kings, and the King Mashiach? (לָא יְדַע דְּזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאוֹקְמָא מִינָהּ דָּוִד מַלְכָּא וּשְׁלֹמֹה וְכָל שְׁאָר מַלְכִין וּמַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא). Furthermore: “and in her arising” (וּבְקוּמָהּ), as it is written in Ruth (Ruth 3:14): “And she rose before a man could recognize his fellow…” (דִּכְתִיב: וַתָּקָם בְּטֶרֶם יַכִּיר אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ וְגו׳). And on that day she truly had a rising (וּבְהַהוּא יוֹמָא הֲוָה לָהּ קִימָה וַדַּאי), Boaz joined with her to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance (אִתְחַבַּר עִמָּהּ בֹּעַז לְהָקִים שֵׁם הַמֵּת עַל נַחֲלָתוֹ), and from her were raised all those kings and all the exaltedness of Yisrael (וְאִתָּקַם מִנָּהּ כָּל הַנֵּי מַלְכִין וְכָל עִלּוּיָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). “And he did not know in her lying”-as it is written: “and she lay at his feet until morning” (וְלא יָדַע בְּשִׁכְבָהּ דִּכְתִיב: וַתִּשְׁכַּב מַרְגְּלוֹתָיו עַד הַבֹּקֶר) (Ruth 3:14). And “in her arising” is written: “And she rose before a man could recognize…” (וּבְקוּמָהּ דִּכְתִיב: וַתָּקָם בְּטֶרֶם יַכִּיר אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ וְגו׳). Therefore “And she rose” has a Vav with nikkud (בְּגִין כָּךְ: וּבְקוּמָהּ נְקוּד וא״ו).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי) the humility of Avraham-for even at first, when Kudsha Berikh Hu came to execute judgment on Sedom (עִנְוְתָנוּתָא דְאַבְרָהָם: דְּהָא אֲפִילּוּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא, כַּד בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶעְבַּד דִּינָא בִּסְדוֹם), he did not ask mercy for Lot (לָא בָעָא מִנֵּיהּ רַחֲמֵי עַל לוֹט). Afterwards, as it is written: “And he looked, and behold, smoke went up from the land like the smoke of a furnace” (וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה עָלָה קִיטֹר הָאָרֶץ כְּקִיטֹר הַכִּבְשָׁן) (Bereshit 19:28), still he did not seek for Lot, nor did he say anything to Kudsha Berikh Hu concerning him (לָא תָבַע עֲלֵיהּ דְּלוֹט, וְלָא אָמַר עֲלֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּלוּם). And even so, Kudsha Berikh Hu did not say anything to him (אוּף הָכִי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא אָמַר לֵיהּ מִידִי), so that Avraham should not think that Kudsha Berikh Hu diminished from his merit in any way (בְּגִין דְּלָא יַחֲשֹׂב אַבְרָהָם דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גָּרַע מִזְכוּתֵיהּ כְּלוּם). And if you should say that Avraham did not regard Lot in his heart at all (וְאִי תֵימָא דְּאַבְרָהָם לָא הֲוָה חָשִׁיב לֵיהּ לְלוֹט בְּלִבֵּיהּ כְּלוּם), behold, he gave over his soul to go and wage war with five mighty kings (הָא מָסַר נַפְשֵׁיהּ לְמֵיהַךְ לְאַגָּחָא קְרָבָא בַּחֲמִשָּׁה מְלָכִין תַּקִּיפִין), as it is said: “And Avram heard that his brother was taken captive…” (כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: וַיִּשְׁמַע אַבְרָם כִּי נִשְׁבָּה אָחִיו) (Bereshit 14:14). And it is written: “And he divided against them by night…” (וּכְתִיב: וַיֵּחָלֵק עֲלֵיהֶם לַיְלָה), and it is written: “And he brought back all the possessions, and also Lot his brother and his possessions…” (וּכְתִיב: וַיָּשֶׁב אֵת כָּל הָרְכֻשׁ וְגַם אֶת לוֹט אָחִיו וּרְכֻשׁוֹ הֵשִׁיב וְגו׳). But because of the love with which he loved Kudsha Berikh Hu (אֲבָל בִּרְחִימוּתָא דִרְחִים לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and because he saw the deeds of Lot were not proper as they should be (וְחָמָא עוֹבָדוֹי דְּלוֹט דְּלָא כַשְׁרָן כְּדְקָא יְאוּת), Avraham did not want Kudsha Berikh Hu to relinquish anything of His own on account of him (לָא בָעָא אַבְרָהָם דִּבְגִינֵיהּ יִשְׁבּוֹק קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּלוּם מִדִּילֵיהּ). And therefore he did not ask mercy for him, not at the beginning and not at the end (וּבְגִינֵי כָךְ לָא תָבַע עֲלֵיהּ רַחֲמֵי לָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא וְלָא בְסוֹפָא).