Parashat Vayera includes Avraham's valiant effort to annul the divine decree of annihilation against the wicked city of Sedom. The Torah describes Avraham's intervention with the word, "vayigash," literally, "he approached" (18:23). Rashi there notes the various connotations of this word. One usage of the word appears in the parasha that opens with, and derives its name from, this word - Parashat Vayigash. There, as Rashi observes, "vayigash" implies an attempt at appeasement, as it depicts Yehuda's attempt to save Binyamin from Egyptian captivity. Interestingly, however, in his commentary to that portion in Parashat Vayigash, Rashi describes Yehuda as fiercely threatening the Egyptian viceroy; the "appeasement" in this instance took the form of bitter confrontation. This image relates, appropriately enough, to a second usage of the word, in Shemuel II 10, where the word refers to warfare. This apparent association of the term "vayigash" with aggressiveness calls upon us to take a closer look at its usage in our context. How may we uphold this understanding of the word in the context of Avraham's appeal on behalf of Sedom? Additionally, Rashi notes yet a third meaning of "vayigash": prayer. Rashi concludes that Avraham here engages in all three definitions of the word "vayigash": appeasement, war, and prayer. How does this word accommodate both "prayer" and an aggressive, militant operation?
One explanation given focuses upon the delicate balance Avraham must find in his effort to spare Sedom. On the one hand, he works now as their defender, trying to find some basis for an acquittal, or at least a pardon. On the other hand, as the leading champion of the ideals of loving kindness and compassion, he can only look upon the corrupt society of Sedom with utter contempt and disdain. The values of Sedom directly oppose Avraham's entire campaign in Canaan, which sought to steer the population in the direction of proper conduct among people. As he attempts to invoke divine mercy on behalf of the sinners, Avraham does two things: he sincerely begs for a pardon, seeking a presence of righteous residents in the city on whose account God may spare the city, and, secondly, he "wages war" against the corrupt society. In other words, even as Avraham pleads on Sedom's behalf, he retains his relentless commitment to fight against everything the city represents. His petition to God did not undermine for a moment Avraham's fierce campaign to destroy the culture that Sedom had introduced and come to embody.
This explanation may help us find the proper approach towards those who seek to undermine Torah values. Like Avraham, we must genuinely concern ourselves with their welfare and pray on their behalf. However, this benevolent attitude towards the perpetrators of evil must never translate into benevolence towards evil itself. Although we must extend good-will towards our ideological opponents, we must also continue to fight on behalf of the ideology they seek to destroy.