Targum Americana - Bereshit / Genesis: The Bible Understood by Yirmi (Irwin) Tyler - HTML preview

BERESHIT / GENESIS – VAYERA

18-1 ~ God (in His nature as Source of Mercy) appeared to Avraham in the Plains of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent in the hottest part of the day. 18-2 ~ But when Avraham raised his eyes he noticed three strangers standing a short distance from him. True to his mission, he immediately ran toward them, bowed down deeply to them and greeted them.

18-3 ~ He said to one of them, “Sir, please favor me by stopping here for a short time before continuing on your journey. 18-4 ~ Let me bring you some water to wash your feet. Rest under the tree. 18-5 ~ I will get some bread for you so you can refresh yourselves. Then you can continue on your way. You are already at my door so come and accept my invitation.” “All right”, they replied, “we will accept your kindness.”

18-6 ~ Avraham rushed to Sarah’s tent and said, “Hurry! Three measures of the finest flour! Knead it and make rolls.”

18-7 ~ Avraham ran to the cattle and chose a fine, tender calf. He gave it to a young man who rushed to prepare it. 18-8 ~ Avraham fetched some soft curd cheese and milk and the calf that he had ordered prepared and placed it before his guests. He stood close by as they ate under the tree.

18-9 ~ “They asked him. “Where is your wife Sarah?” “Here in the tent”, he replied.

18-10 ~ One of the men said to him, “I will return to you this time next year, and at that time Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was on the other side of the entrance of the tent and heard them.

18-11 ~ Now, Avraham and Sarah were already well on in years, and Sarah was no longer able to conceive. 18-12 ~ She laughed to herself, saying, “My old body is worn out. Shall I now regain my youth? And my husband, too, is old.”

18-13 ~ Then God said to Avraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really have a child when I am so old?’ 18-14 ~ Avraham, is anything too difficult for God? At the designated time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”

18-15 ~ Sarah became frightened and she spoke out in denial, “I did not laugh.” But Avraham said, “In truth you did laugh.”

18-16 ~ The three men now arose and gazed at Sodom. Avraham went to them to accompany them as they resumed their journey.

18-17 ~ Then God said, “Shall I hide from Avraham what I am going to do? 18-18 ~ Avraham is about to become a great and mighty nation, and through him all the nations of the world will be blessed. 18-19 ~ I have attended to him especially so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep God’s way, doing so by taking on acts of charity as a duty and by always acting justly. God will then bring about for Avraham everything that He had promised him.”

18-20 ~ God then said, “There is a great crying out to Me coming from Sodom, and the sins of Sodom are so great. 18-21 ~ I will descend and observe if, indeed, the Sodomites are doing such as it seems by the outcry that is reaching Me. I will see whether it is so or not so.”

18-22 ~ While Avraham was still standing before God, the three men turned from where they were and headed toward Sodom.

18-23 ~ He drew nearer to the appearance of God and said, “Will You actually destroy the innocent along with the guilty? 18-24 ~ Were You to find fifty innocent people in the city, would You still destroy it, and not spare the city for the sake of the fifty good people inside it?

18-25 ~ “It would be a sacrilege for anyone to believe that You would act so – to kill the innocent with the guilty, letting the righteous and the wicked suffer the same fate. Oh, yes! That would be a terrible sacrilege. How could the Judge of the entire world act so unjustly?”

18-26 ~ God said, “If I find fifty innocent people in Sodom, I will spare the entire area for their sake.”

18-27 ~ Avraham spoke up and said, “I know that I have spoken brazenly before my Lord, for I am but dust and ashes! 18-28 ~ Even so, suppose there are but forty-five innocent? Will you destroy the entire city for a lack of only five?” “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there,” replied God. 18-29 ~ Avraham spoke up once again and said, “Suppose there are but forty in the city?” “I will not act against the city for the sake of the forty,” answered God.

18-30 ~ Let my Lord not be