God said to Abraham, “Verily, the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great”, as much as to say: I have taken note of their behaviour towards their fellow-men, which causes all men to avoid setting foot in Sodom and Gomorrah. So it is written: “The stream made a chasm for strangers, so they are forgotten of the foot that passeth by; they are the poorest of men, they move away” (Job. 28, 4). The stream divided to swallow up any stranger who ventured to enter Sodom; for if anyone was detected offering food or drink to a stranger, the people of the town would cast him into the deepest part of the river, as well as the recipient.
Hence, “they are forgotten of the foot”, i.e. men avoided it and never put foot into it; and as for those who happened to enter it-“they are the poorest of men, they move away”, i.e. as no food or drink was given to them, their bodies became so emaciated that they scarcely looked any more like human beings, and hence “they moved away”, i.e. people passed it by on one side. Even the birds of heaven avoided it, as it is written, “that path no bird of prey knoweth” (Ibid. 7). A universal outcry therefore went up against Sodom and Gomorrah and all the other towns that behaved like them.
This is explained as follows. From the side underneath the Hail-Stone vapours ascend to the shoulder (of the Divine Throne), where they gather themselves into one drop, and then descend into the chasm of the great abyss. There five become merged into one. When the voices of all of them are clear they unite into one.
Then a voice ascends from below and mingles with them, and the combined cry keeps on ascending and clamouring for justice, until at last the Holy One appears to investigate the accusation.
Hence R. Simeon says that the “it” here refers to the sentence of judgement, which demands execution day by day. This conforms with the tradition that for many years the sentence of judgement continued to demand reparation for the sale of Joseph by his brethren. Hence here also her cry went up for justice, and therefore it is written, “according to the cry of her”.
תָּא חֲזֵי, אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַבְרָהָם זַעֲקַת סְדוֹם וַעֲמוֹרָה כִּי רָבָּה, דְּהָא סְלִיקַת קֳדָמַי מַה דְּאִנּוּן עָבְדִין לְכָל עָלְמָא, דְּכָל עָלְמָא מָנְעֵי רַגְלַיְיהוּ דְּלָא לְמֵיעַל בִּסְדוֹם וַעֲמוֹרָה דִּכְתִיב, (איוב כ״ח:ד׳) פָּרַץ נַחַל מֵעִם גָּר הַנִּשְׁכָּחִים מִנִּי רָגֶל דַּלּוּ מֵאֱנוֹשׁ נָעוּ. פָּרַץ נַחַל מֵעִם גָּר, פִּרְצָה הֲוָה פָּרִיץ נַחַל לְאִנּוּן בְּנֵי עָלְמָא דְּעָאלוּ לְתַמָּן. דְּכֻלְהוּ דְּחָמָאן לְמַאן דְּהֲווּ יַהֲבֵי לְמֵיכַל וּלְמִשְׁתֵּי לְבַר נָשׁ אָחֳרָא, שַׁדְיָין לֵיהּ (בנוקבי דנקרי) בְּעוּמְקָא דְּנַהֲרָא, וְאִיהוּ דְּנָטִיל לֵיהּ הָכִי נָמֵי.
God said to Abraham, “Verily, the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great”, as much as to say: I have taken note of their behaviour towards their fellow-men, which causes all men to avoid setting foot in Sodom and Gomorrah. So it is written: “The stream made a chasm for strangers, so they are forgotten of the foot that passeth by; they are the poorest of men, they move away” (Job. 28, 4). The stream divided to swallow up any stranger who ventured to enter Sodom; for if anyone was detected offering food or drink to a stranger, the people of the town would cast him into the deepest part of the river, as well as the recipient.
וְעַל דָּא כֻּלְהוּ בְּנֵי עָלְמָא הֲווּ נִשְׁכָּחִים מִנִּי רָגֶל. דְּמָנְעֵי רַגְלַיְיהוּ דְּלָא לְמֵיעַל תַּמָּן. וּמַאן דְּעָאל, דַּלּוּ מֵאֱנוֹשׁ נָעוּ, דְּהֲווּ דָּלֵי גוּפָא בְּכַפְנָא לָא הֲווּ יַהֲבֵי לֵיהּ לְמֵיכַל וּלְמִשְׁתֵּי וְאִשְׁתַּנֵּי דִּיוּקְנֵיהּ מִשְּׁאָר בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, דִּכְתִיב דַּלּוּ מֵאֱנוֹשׁ, נָעוּ. כְּתִיב הָכָא נָעוּ. וּכְתִיב הָתָם (משלי ה׳:ו׳) נָעוּ מַעְגְּלוֹתֶיהָ. הָכִי נָמֵי הֲווּ סָטָאן מַעֲגָלִין וְאָרְחִין דְּלָא לְמֵיעַל תַּמָּן. וְאֲפִילּוּ עוֹפֵי שְׁמַיָא הֲווּ מָנְעֵי לְמֵיעַל תַּמָּן דִּכְתִיב, (איוב כ״ח:ז׳) נְתִיב לֹא יְדָעוֹ עַיִט וְגו'. וּבְגִינֵי כָךְ כֻּלֵּי עָלְמָא הֲווּ צָוְוחִין עַל סְדוֹם וְעַל עֲמוֹרָה וְעַל כֻּלְהוּ קַרְתֵּי. דְּכֻלְהוּ כְּגַוְונָא חָדָא הֲווּ.
Hence, “they are forgotten of the foot”, i.e. men avoided it and never put foot into it; and as for those who happened to enter it-“they are the poorest of men, they move away”, i.e. as no food or drink was given to them, their bodies became so emaciated that they scarcely looked any more like human beings, and hence “they moved away”, i.e. people passed it by on one side. Even the birds of heaven avoided it, as it is written, “that path no bird of prey knoweth” (Ibid. 7). A universal outcry therefore went up against Sodom and Gomorrah and all the other towns that behaved like them.
זַעֲקַת סְדוֹם וַעֲמוֹרָה כִּי רָבָּה. אָמַר לֵיהּ אַבְרָהָם. אַמַּאי. אָמַר לֵיהּ וְחַטָּאתָם כִּי כָבְדָה מְאֹד. בְּגִינֵי כָךְ אֵרְדָה נָא וְאֶרְאֶה, הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ. הַכְּצַעֲקָתָם מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, דְּהָא כְּתִיב זַעֲקַת סְדוֹם וַעֲמוֹרָה וּתְרֵי קַרְתֵּי הֲווּ, אַמַּאי הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ. אֶלָּא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ.
It is written here: “According to the cry of it.” Why not of them, since two cities are mentioned here?
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּסִטְרָא דְּתוּתֵי קָלָא דְּבַרְדָּא סָלְקִין קוּטְרֵי כֻּלְהוּ בְּכַתְּפָא מִתְכַּנְשֵׁי בְּחַד טִיף וְעָאלִין בְּגוֹ נוּקְבֵי דִּתְהוֹמָא רַבָּא, אִתְעֲבִידוּ חָמֵשׁ בְּחַד. חַד אִיהוּ כַּד (צלילן קלין) אִיכָּא צְלִילִין קָלִין דְּכֻלְהוּ אִתְעֲבִידוּ חַד. קָלָא דְּסָלִיק מִתַּתָּא עָאל בֵּינַיְיהוּ וְאִתְמַשְׁכוּ כְּחַד.
This is explained as follows. From the side underneath the Hail-Stone vapours ascend to the shoulder (of the Divine Throne), where they gather themselves into one drop, and then descend into the chasm of the great abyss. There five become merged into one. When the voices of all of them are clear they unite into one.
וְהַהוּא קָלָא סָלְקָא וְנַחֲתָא תָּבְעָא דִינָא לְאִתְמַשְׁכָא לְתַתָּא. כַּד הַאי קָלָא סָלְקָא לְמִתְבַּע דִּינָא כְּדֵין אִתְגְּלִי לְאַשְׁגָחָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּדִינָא.
Then a voice ascends from below and mingles with them, and the combined cry keeps on ascending and clamouring for justice, until at last the Holy One appears to investigate the accusation.
אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ. מַאן הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ, דָּא גְּזֵרַת דִּינָא דְּתָבְעָא דִינָא כָּל יוֹמָא. דְּהָכִי תָּנִינָן כַּמָּה שְׁנִין קָיְימָא גְּזֵרַת דִּינָא וְתָבְעָא מִקַּמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל דְּזַבִּינוּ אֲחוּי דְיוֹסֵף לְיוֹסֵף. בְּגִין דִּגְזֵרַת דִּינָא צָוְוחַת עַל דִּינָא, וְעַל דָּא הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ, הַבָּאָה אֵלַי.
Hence R. Simeon says that the “it” here refers to the sentence of judgement, which demands execution day by day. This conforms with the tradition that for many years the sentence of judgement continued to demand reparation for the sale of Joseph by his brethren. Hence here also her cry went up for justice, and therefore it is written, “according to the cry of her”.
מַאי (קז א) הַבָּאָה אֵלַי. דָּא הוּא רָזָא כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (אסתר ב׳:י״ד) בָּעֶרֶב הִיא בָאָה וּבַבֹּקֶר הִיא שָׁבָה. וְדָא הוּא הַבָּאָה אֵלַי תָּדִיר. כְּגַוְונָא דָא קֵץ כָּל בָּשָׂר בָּא לְפָנַי וְהָא אִתְּמָר. עָשׂוּ כָּלָה הָא אִתְּמָר:
The word which follows, habbaah (which is come), really means “which is coming”, i.e. coming continually.