Chasidut for Bava Metzia 172:21
מאי שנא לגבי אברהם דכתיב (בראשית יח, ה) כן תעשה כאשר דברת ומאי שנא לגבי לוט דכתיב
But is it not written, <i>And there came the two angels to Sodom at even</i>?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XIX, 1. ');"><sup>38</sup></span> — Michael accompanied him to rescue Lot. [The Writ] supports this too, for it is written, <i>And</i> he <i>overthrew those cities</i>,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 25. ');"><sup>39</sup></span> not, and <i>they</i> overthrew: this proves it. Why is it written in the case of Abraham, [<i>And they said</i>,] <i>So do, as thou hast said</i>;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XVIII, 5: they immediately accepted the invitation. ');"><sup>40</sup></span> whereas of Lot it is written,
Kedushat Levi
The Talmud Eyruvin 53 relates that when Rabbi Yossi bar Avion wished to say something that only people familiar with him would understand, he would say: ”עשו לי שור במשפט בטור מסכן;“ he deliberately used some Hebrew words, שור, במשפט, which have a different meaning in Aramaic. Similarly, the word חרדל used by our sages for the seasoning Avraham provided for his guests is really a translation of the words הר דל, “a low hill.” In short, the Rabbi making excuses for the errors committed by the Jewish people, referred to the evil urge as an almost insurmountable obstacle, a tall mountain, whereas the urge to do good given to every human being, appeared like a low hill, so that it is not surprising that many Jews many times found it difficult to climb over the tall mountain in order to avoid sinning. When the sages spoke of the “seasoning” Avraham served his guests, this is merely a euphemism for saying that he tried to provide his guests with merits by the type of food served that would make it relatively easy to overcome the temptations offered by the evil urge. When the angels would reflect on this, they in turn, in the future, would tone down their accusations against sinful Jews, having realized through their visit on earth how difficult it is to fight these temptations.