BUT HIS WIFE LOOKED BACK FROM BEHIND HIM. We should have expected “from behind her״. It means, however, “From behind the Shekinah”. R. Jose said that it means “from behind Lot”, as the destroying angel followed him. How, it may be asked, could he follow him, seeing that he had sent him away? The fact is that the angel kept behind Lot, destroying on the way, but he did not touch any spot till Lot had passed it.
Hence he said, “look not behind thee”, implying “for behind thee I am doing my work of destruction”. But his wife looked back from behind him, thus turning her face to the destroying angel, and she became a pillar of salt; for as long as the destroying angel does not see the face of a man he does not harm him; but as soon as Lot’s wife turned her face to look at him she became a pillar of salt.’
וַתַּבֵּט אִשְׁתּוֹ מֵאַחֲרָיו, מֵאַחֲרֶיהָ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, אֶלָּא מִבָּתַר שְׁכִינְתָּא. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר מִבַּתְרִיהּ דְּלוֹט, דִּמְחַבְּלָא אָזִיל אֲבַתְרֵיהּ, וְכִי אֲבַתְרִיהּ אָזִיל, וְהָא הוּא שַׁדַּר לֵיהּ, אֶלָּא בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּהֲוָה אָזִיל לוֹט אִתְעַכַּב מְחַבְּלָא לְחַבָּלָא, וְכָל אֲתַר דְּאָזִיל כְּבָר וְשָׁבִיק לַאֲחוֹרֵיהּ הֲוָה מְהַפֵּךְ לֵיהּ מְחַבְּלָא.
BUT HIS WIFE LOOKED BACK FROM BEHIND HIM. We should have expected “from behind her״. It means, however, “From behind the Shekinah”. R. Jose said that it means “from behind Lot”, as the destroying angel followed him. How, it may be asked, could he follow him, seeing that he had sent him away? The fact is that the angel kept behind Lot, destroying on the way, but he did not touch any spot till Lot had passed it.
וּבְגִין כָּךְ אָמַר לֵיהּ אַל תַּבֵּט אַחֲרֶיךָ דְּהָא אֲנָא אֲחַבֵּל בַּתְרָךְ, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב וַתַּבֵּט אִשְׁתּוֹ מֵאַחֲרָיו וְחֲמַת מְחַבְּלָא. כְּדֵין וַתְּהִי נְצִיב מֶלַח. דְּהָא בְּכָל זִמְנָא דִּמְחַבְּלָא לָא חָמֵי אַנְפּוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ (נ"א אחמי אנפי לכר נש) לָא מְחַבִּיל לֵיהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְּתֵיהּ אֲהַדְּרַת אַנְפָּהָא לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא אֲבַתְרִיהּ מִיָּד וַתְּהִי נִצָּב מֶלַח.
Hence he said, “look not behind thee”, implying “for behind thee I am doing my work of destruction”. But his wife looked back from behind him, thus turning her face to the destroying angel, and she became a pillar of salt; for as long as the destroying angel does not see the face of a man he does not harm him; but as soon as Lot’s wife turned her face to look at him she became a pillar of salt.’