parshaמפרשי הפרשה

אבן עזרא — והנה שלשה אנשים

Chazal (cited by Rashi) reasoned that each of the three angels visiting Avraham had exactly one mission — one to announce Sarah's birth, one to destroy Sedom, one to heal Avraham (then save Lot) — based on "אין מלאך אחד עושה שתי שליחויות."

והנה פה טענה על האומר כי האחד הלך להציל את לוט, כי הנה שניהם דברו אליו. ועוד כי משחיתים אנחנו, גם האחד שדבר לוט אחר כן עמו, שאמר לו ותגדל חסדך הוא אמר, כי לא אוכל לעשות דבר.

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אבן עזרא

Ibn Ezra on Genesis 18:2

Q — Chazal (cited by Rashi) reasoned that each of the three angels visiting Avraham had exactly one mission — one to announce Sarah's birth, one to destroy Sedom, one to heal Avraham (then save Lot) — based on "אין מלאך אחד עושה שתי שליחויות."

A — Ibn Ezra brings three textual objections that overturn this principle: (1) the instruction to Lot to gather his family is given by BOTH angels — "ויאמרו האנשים אל לוט" — not just the rescuing one; (2) the destruction is described as the mission of both — "כי משחיתים אנחנו את המקום הזה... וישלחנו ה' לשחתה"; (3) the same angel who tells Lot "כי לא אוכל לעשות דבר עד באך שמה" (i.e., the destroyer) is the one Lot pleads with about Tzo'ar — meaning destroyer and savior are one angel. Conclusion, explicitly against Chazal: "מלאך אחד עושה שתי שליחויות ושני מלאכים עושים שליחות אחת." Ibn Ezra opens the piece by citing Chazal's principle and then in chapter 19 demolishes it textually.

והנה פה טענה על האומר כי האחד הלך להציל את לוט, כי הנה שניהם דברו אליו. ועוד כי משחיתים אנחנו, גם האחד שדבר לוט אחר כן עמו, שאמר לו ותגדל חסדך הוא אמר, כי לא אוכל לעשות דבר.

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