Sodom
Posted by Abe Mezrich on October 26, 2007 | Tags: Bereshit, Vayera, Sefer Bereshit
God punishes the twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous.
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Angels disguised as men come to Sodom. The men of the city…both young and old, all the people from every quarter, surround the house where the angels stay, so as to rape them.
And they attempt do evil against Lot, who houses the angels.
All the people of that city are wicked.
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Because all the people of that city are wicked, the cry of Sodom cannot be the cry of the weak and innocent who are hurt by the wicked and strong.
The cry of Sodom must be something else.
The cry of Sodom must be the cry of the wicked themselves, as they are hurt by one another.
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Yet the cry of Sodom has gone up to God—that is why He sends punishment.
This is to say that God hears the cry of the people of Sodom even as they are wicked.
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God hears the cry of the people of Sodom, because he hears the cry of all people who are crying. Even in Sodom.
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Abe MezrichJoined: October 11, 2007 Abe Mezrich is a new-York based writer and lecturer, and the author of a weekly dvar Torah. Contact him at amezrich@gmail.com. Divrei Torah (12) |
