זוהר, וירא ט״וZohar, Vayera 15

Segment 1א׳

וַיִּגַשׁ אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמַר הַאַף תִּסְפֶּה צַדִּיק עִם רָשָׁע. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה מַאן חָמָא אַבָּא דְּרַחְמָנוּתָא כְּאַבְרָהָם. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּנֹחַ כְּתִיב וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים לְנֹחַ קֵץ כָּל בָּשָׂר בָּא לְפָנַי וְגו' עֲשֵׂה לְךָ תֵּבַת עֲצֵי גֹפֶר. וְאִשְׁתִּיק וְלָא אָמַר לֵיהּ מִידִי. וְלָא בָעָא רַחֲמֵי. אֲבָל אַבְרָהָם בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאָמַר לֵיה קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, זַעֲקַת סְדוֹם וַעֲמוֹרָה כִּי רָבָּה וְגו'. אֵרַדָה נָא וְאֶרְאֶה וְגו'. מִיָּד כְּתִיב וַיִּגַּשׁ אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמַר הַאַף תִּסְפֶּה צַדִּיק עִם רָשָׁע.

AND ABRAHAM DREW NEAR, AND SAID: WILT THOU INDEED SWEEP AWAY THE RIGHTEOUS WITH THE WICKED? R. Judah said: ‘Was there ever seen such a merciful father as Abraham? Observe that in regard to Noah it is written, “And God said to Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me… Make thee an ark of gopher wood” (Gen. 6, 13-14), but Noah remained silent: he said nothing, nor did he beseech for mercy (for his fellow-men). Abraham, on the contrary, as soon as the Holy One made announcement to him, “Verily, the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great,… I will go down and see, etc.”, immediately “drew near, and said: Wilt Thou indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?”

Segment 2ב׳

אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, אוּף אַבְרָהָם לָא עָבַד שְׁלִימוּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. נֹחַ לָא עֲבִיד מִידִי, לָא הַאי וְלָא הַאי. אַבְרָהָם תָּבַע דִּינָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת דְּלָא יְמוּת זַכָּאָה עִם חַיָּיבָא. וְשָׁארֵי מֵחֲמִשִּׁים עַד עֲשָׂרָה, עָבַד וְלָא אַשְׁלִים, דְּלָא בָּעָא רַחֲמֵי בֵּין כָּךְ וּבֵין כָּךְ, דְּאָמַר אַבְרָהָם לָא בָּעִינָא לְמִתְבַּע אֲגַר עוֹבָדוֹי.

Said R. Eleazar: ‘Even Abraham’s action is not beyond cavil. He was, indeed, better than Noah, who did nothing, whereas he pleaded earnestly for the righteous that they should not perish with the guilty, beginning his plea with the number of fifty righteous and descending to ten; then, however, he stopped, without completing his prayer for mercy for all, saying, as it were, “I do not wish to draw upon the recompense due to me for my good deeds.”

Segment 3ג׳

אֲבָל מַאן עָבַד שְׁלִימוּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, דָּא משֶׁה. דְּכֵיוָן דְּאָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא (שמות ל״ב:ח׳) סָרוּ מַהֵר מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ וְגו'. עָשׂוּ לָהֶם עֵגֶל מַסֵּכָה וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לוֹ. מִיָּד מַה כְּתִיב וַיְחַל משֶׁה אֶת פְּנֵי יְיָ אֱלהָיו וְגו'. עַד דְּאָמַר וְעַתָּה אִם תִּשָּׂא חַטָּאתָם וְאִם אַיִן מְחֵנִי נָא מִסִּפְרְךָ אֲשֶׁר כָּתָבְתָּ. וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּכֻלְהוּ חָטוּ, לָא זָז מִתַּמָּן עַד דְּאָמַר לֵיהּ סָלַחְתִּי כִּדְבָרֶךָ.

The perfect example is given by Moses, who as soon as the Holy One said to him, “they have turned aside quickly out of the way… they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it” (Ex. 32, 8), straightaway “besought the Lord his God, etc.” (Ibid. 11), concluding with the words “and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written” (Ibid. 32). And although the whole people had sinned, he did not stir from his place until God said: “I have pardoned according to thy word.”