Vayeira 18:25 · unit 1

Parashas Vayeira · Passuk 18:25

The Complete Passuk

חָלִ֨לָה לְּךָ֜ מֵעֲשֹׂ֤ת כַּדָּבָר֙ הַזֶּ֔ה לְהָמִ֥ית צַדִּ֖יק עִם־רָשָׁ֑ע וְהָיָ֤ה כַצַּדִּיק֙ כָּרָשָׁ֔ע חָלִ֣לָה לָּ֔ךְ הֲשֹׁפֵט֙ כׇּל־הָאָ֔רֶץ לֹ֥א יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

Far be it from You to do such a thing—to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked! Far be it from You! Shall the Judge of all the earth not do justice?

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Avodah Zarah 4a.

TT lemma: חלילה לך.

Sefaria — Avodah Zarah 4a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
חָלִלָה לְּךָ. דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא, מַאי דִּכְתִיב חָלִלָה לְּךָ מֵעֲשֹׂת כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה לְהָמִית צַדִּיק עִם רָשָׁע? אָמַר אַבְרָהָם לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, חֻלִּין הוּא לְךָ מֵעֲשֹׂת כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה לְהָמִית צַדִּיק עִם רָשָׁע.

English: “Far be it from You.” Rabbi Abba bar Kahana expounded: What is the meaning of “Far be it from You to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked”? Avraham said before the Holy One, blessed be He: “Master of the Universe, it is profane (chullin) for You to do such a thing—to put the righteous to death with the wicked.”

On the daf / in context: The word “chalilah” is read as “chullin”—it would be a profanation of the Divine Name for the Judge of all the earth to treat righteous and wicked alike.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. A word-play converts the plea into a charge of potential desecration.

What Is Learned

Avraham argued that it would be a profanation for Hashem to destroy the righteous together with the wicked; the Judge of all the earth must do justice.