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ויאמרו האנשים אל לוט עד מי לך פה חתן ובניך ובנתיך וכל אשר לך בעיר הוצא מן המקום׃
Arcana Coelestia #2388
2388. Hast thou yet anyone here? Son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whomsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of the place. That this signifies that all who are in the good of charity, and that all things belonging thereto, would be saved, and also those who are in the truth of faith, provided they would recede from evil, is evident from the signification of “sons-in-law,” of “sons,” of “daughters,” of “city,” and of “place,” concerning which in what follows.
[2] As regards those being saved who are in the truth of faith, provided they recede from evil, the case is this. The truths of faith are the very receiving vessels of good (n. 1900, 2063, 2261, 2269); and they receive good insofar as the man recedes from evil; for good continually flows in from the Lord, and it is the evil of life that hinders its being received in the truths which are with man in his memory or knowledge. Therefore insofar as a man recedes from evil, so far good enters and applies itself to his truths; and then the truth of faith with him becomes the good of faith. A man may indeed know truth, may also confess it under the incitement of some worldly cause, may even be persuaded that it is true; and yet this truth does not live so long as he is in a life of evil. For such a man is like a tree on which there are leaves, but no fruit; and His truth is like light in which there is no heat, such as there is in the time of winter when nothing grows. But when there is heat in it, the light then becomes such as there is in the time of spring, when all things grow. In the Word truth is compared to light and is called “light,” but heat is compared to love, and is also called spiritual heat. In the other life also truth manifests itself by light, and good by heat; but truth without good by cold light, and truth with good by light similar to that of spring. This shows what the truth of faith is without the good of charity. Hence it is that the sons-in-law and the sons, by whom such truths are signified, were not saved; but only Lot with His daughters.
[3] As it is here said that those also who are in the truth of faith are saved, provided they recede from evil, be it known that these are they who profess faith and think nothing about charity for the reason that they have been so instructed, and do not know what charity is (supposing that it consists merely in the giving of our own to others, and in pitying everybody), and who also do not know what the neighbor is toward whom charity is to be exercised (for they suppose that the neighbor is almost everybody, without distinction), and yet who live in the life of charity toward the neighbor, because in the life of good. It does these persons no harm to profess faith along with all the rest, for in their faith there is charity, since this means all the good of life in general and in particular. What therefore charity is, and what the neighbor, will of the Lord’s Divine mercy be told in what follows.
Genesis 18
1
Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
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He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,
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and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don't go away from your servant.
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Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
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I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant." They said, "Very well, do as you have said."
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Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly prepare three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes."
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Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it.
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He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.
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They asked him, "Where is Sarah, your wife?" He said, "See, in the tent."
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He said, "I will certainly return to you when the season comes round. Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.
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Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.
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Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"
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Yahweh said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?'
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Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Sarah will have a son."
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Then Sarah denied, saying, "I didn't laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."
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The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.
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Yahweh said, "Will I hide from Abraham what I do,
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since Abraham has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?
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For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him."
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Yahweh said, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,
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I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know."
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The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh.
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Abraham drew near, and said, "Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?
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What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it?
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Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn't the Judge of all the earth do right?"
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Yahweh said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake."
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Abraham answered, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes.
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What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?" He said, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there."
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He spoke to him yet again, and said, "What if there are forty found there?" He said, "I will not do it for the forty's sake."
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He said, "Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?" He said, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."
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He said, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?" He said, "I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake."
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He said, "Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?" He said, "I will not destroy it for the ten's sake."
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Yahweh went his way, as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
