207. Rabbi Elazar said that the verses sometimes refer to individuals and sometimes refer to the entire community. FOR THE INDIVIDUAL IT CHANGES ACCORDING TO THE TIMES. FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, HOWEVER, HE ALWAYS DISPLAYS MERCY, EVEN WHEN HE SITS IN JUDGMENT. Here it applies to one place, while there it applies to the whole world, TO WHICH HE ALWAYS SHOWS MERCY AND NEVER CHANGES. This is why He blessed Abraham AT THE TIME WHEN JUDGMENT WAS EXECUTED ON SODOM. Abraham is considered as the whole world, because it is written, "These are the generations of the heaven and the earth when they were created (Heb. Behibar'am)" (Beresheet 2:4) and we have learned THAT BEHIBAR'AM CONTAINS THE LETTERS OF BeAbraham ('with Abraham'). THEREFORE, HE WAS CONSIDERED AS THE WHOLE WORLD.