Vayeira 19:22 · EXTRA

Supplementary classical material; Torah Temimah lists no citation under this passuk.

The Complete Passuk

מַהֵר֙ הִמָּלֵ֣ט שָׁ֔מָּה כִּ֣י לֹ֤א אוּכַל֙ לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת דָּבָ֔ר עַד־בֹּאֲךָ֖ שָׁ֑מָּה עַל־כֵּ֛ן קָרָ֥א שֵׁם־הָעִ֖יר צוֹֽעַר׃

“Hurry, escape there, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Tzo’ar.

Source Citation

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text

כִּי לֹא אוּכַל לַעֲשׂוֹת. זֶה עָנְשָׁן שֶׁל מַלְאָכִים עַל שֶׁאָמְרוּ כִּי מַשְׁחִיתִים אֲנַחְנוּ, וְתָלוּ הַדָּבָר בְּעַצְמָן; לְפִיכָךְ לֹא זָזוּ מִשָּׁם עַד שֶׁהֻזְקְקוּ לוֹמַר שֶׁאֵין הַדָּבָר בִּרְשׁוּתָן. לְשׁוֹן יָחִיד — מִכָּאן אַתָּה לָמֵד שֶׁהָאֶחָד הוֹפֵךְ וְהָאֶחָד מַצִּיל.

English: “For I can do nothing.” This is the angels’ punishment for having said “we are destroying,” attributing the act to themselves; therefore they could not leave until forced to admit that the matter was not in their power. The singular form teaches that one overturns and one rescues.

On the daf / in context: Angels who claimed independent power must retract; destruction and rescue are separate missions, and the city’s name Tzo’ar recalls its “smallness.”

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Rashi) — not a formal named middah of the 13. Singular language and the angels’ earlier claim are both read for theological precision.

What Is Learned

Even messengers of destruction cannot act until the righteous are safe; power belongs to Hashem alone, and agents who claim it must publicly correct themselves.