Vayera וירא

My Musing
The punishment and annihilation of Sodom and Amora form the backdrop to most discussions of Divine punishment and retribution. The midrash, while not invoking the actual clause, is almost explicitly invoking the idea of measure for measure, midah keneged midah, in terms of meting out the punishment for Sodom. The midrash explains that the sin culture of Sodom was all encompassing, hence the punishment had to be all encompassing.

מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת וירא סימן ז
(בראשית יח:יז) "וַידֹוָד אָמָר הַמְכַסֶּה אֲנִי מֵאַבְרָהָם אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה"

And the LORD said: 'Shall I hide from Abraham that which I am doing;

זה שאמר הכתוב (איוב כ:כג-כד) "יְהִי לְמַלֵּא בִטְנוֹ יְשַׁלַּח בּוֹ חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ וְיַמְטֵר עָלֵימוֹ בִּלְחוּמוֹ. [יִבְרַח, מִנֵּשֶׁק בַּרְזֶל; תַּחְלְפֵהוּ, קֶשֶׁת נְחוּשָׁה ]"

It shall be for the filling of his belly; He shall cast the fierceness of His wrath upon him, and shall cause it to rain upon him into his flesh. [If he flee from the iron weapon, the bow of brass shall strike him through]

פורעניות שבאת על הסדומים היתה למלאות כריסן, לפי שמלאו כריסן מן העבירות ומן החמס ומן הגזל. לפיכך אף הפורעניות שבאת עליהן מלא כריסן. שנאמר, "יְשַׁלַּח בּוֹ [בָּםתהלים עח:מט] חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ".
אמר רבי מאיר, 'במטר שבסדום הכתוב מדבר. דכתיב, "וְיַמְטֵר עָלֵימוֹ בִּלְחוּמוֹ" וכתיב (בראשית יט:כד) "וַידֹוָד הִמְטִיר עַל סְדֹם וְעַל עֲמֹרָה גָּפְרִית וָאֵשׁ מֵאֵת יְדֹוָד מִן הַשָּׁמָיִם"

The calamities that befell the residents of Sodom were a full belly, because they had filled their bellies from their sins, and from their violence and from their thievery. Therefore even the calamities that befell them were in their belly. As it says, “He shall cast the fierceness of His wrath upon him” Said Rabbi Meir, regarding the rain of Sodom the scripture is relating as it is written, “cause it to rain upon him into his flesh “ and it is written, “ And the Lord caused tor ain down on Sodom and Amora, ash and fire from the Lord from the heavens”

מהו "בִּלְחוּמוֹ"? על המלחמות שהיו נלחמים עם הקדוש ברוך הוא. שנאמר, (בראשית יג:יג) "וְאַנְשֵׁי סְדֹם רָעִים וְחַטָּאִים לַידֹוָד
מְאֹד": "רָעִים" זה לזה, "וְחַטָּאִים" בגלוי עריות, "לַידֹוָד" בחרופין וגידופין ובעבודת כוכבים ומזלות, "מְאֹד" בשפיכות דמים.

What is “into his flesh (lichumo)”?
Due to the wars (milchamot) that they fought against the Holy One blessed be He. As it says, “Now the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners against the LORD exceedingly.” “Wicked” – to each other, “and sinners”- in sexual immorality, “against the Lord” in their blasphemy and idolatry, “exceedingly” – with bloodshed.

אמר רבי יהודה בר רבי שלום בשם רבי יהודה בר רבי סימון, 'בשעה שבא אמרפל וחביריו להלחם עם הסדומים על ידי ששבו את לוט, שמע אברהם ויצא עליהם למלחמה והרג את המלכים. ברחו, שנאמר, (בראשית יד:טו) "וַיֵּחָלֵק עֲלֵיהֶם לַיְלָה הוּא וַעֲבָדָיו וַיַּכֵּם וַיִּרְדְּפֵם עַד חוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר מִשְּׂמֹאל לְדַמָּשֶׂק" וכתיב, (בראשית יד:י) "וְעֵמֶק הַשִּׂדִּים בֶּאֱרֹת בֶּאֱרֹת חֵמָר וַיָּנֻסוּ מֶלֶךְ סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה וַיִּפְּלוּ שָׁמָּה וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִים הֶרָה נָּסוּ"

Said Rabbi Yehudah bar Rabbi Shalom, in the name of Rabbi Yehudah bar Rabbi Simon, ‘at the moment when Amraphel and his minions came to do battle with the Sodomites, because they had taken Lot captive, Abrham heard and went out to war and killed their kigs. They fled, as it says, “And he divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.” And it is written, “Now the vale of Siddim was full of slime pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell there, and they that remained fled to the mountain.”

התחיל אברהם מהרהר לומר המלכים באין להלחם על הסדומים, והמלכים נופלין. ואלו ברחו שנאמר, "וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִים הֶרָה נָּסוּ" אלו לא היו כשרין לא היו בורחין. אמר ליה הקדוש ברוך הוא, 'אלו "יִבְרַח, מִנֵּשֶׁק בַּרְזֶל; תַּחְלְפֵהוּ, קֶשֶׁת נְחוּשָׁה".

Abraham began to question in his heart saying, ‘the kings came to do battle on the Sodmites, and the kings fell. And they ran, as it says, “and they that remained fled to the mountain.” If they were proper they would not have to flee. Said to him, the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘These are “If he flee from the iron weapon, the bow of brass shall strike him through”

(איוב כ: כה-כו) "שָׁלַף וַיֵּצֵא מִגֵּוָה וּבָרָק מִמְּרֹרָתוֹ יַהֲלֹךְ עָלָיו אֵמִים. כָּל חֹשֶׁךְ טָמוּן לִצְפּוּנָיו תְּאָכְלֵהוּ אֵשׁ לֹא נֻפָּח יֵרַע שָׂרִיד בְּאָהֳלוֹ"
כל החשך הזה היכן היה טמון? לצפונה של סדום, שהיתה בימינה של ירושלים. שנאמר, (יחזקאל טז:מו) "וַאֲחוֹתֵךְ הַגְּדוֹלָה שֹׁמְרוֹן הִיא וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת עַל שְׂמֹאולֵךְ וַאֲחוֹתֵךְ הַקְּטַנָּה מִמֵּךְ הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת מִימִינֵךְ סְדֹם וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ"

“He draweth it forth, and it cometh out of his body; yea, the glittering point cometh out of his gall; terrors are upon him. All darkness is laid up for his treasures; a fire not blown by man shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tent.”
All this darkness where was it stored? North of Sodom, which is to the east of Jerusalem. As it says, “And thine elder sister is Samaria, that dwelleth at thy left hand, she and her daughters; and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.

מהו "יֵרַע שָׂרִיד בְּאָהֳלוֹ" שאפילו שריד שנשתייר משם רע רעה הרעה. "יֵרַע שָׂרִיד בְּאָהֳלוֹ" איזה? זה אשתו של לוט שנאמר, (בראשית יט:כו) "וַתַּבֵּט אִשְׁתּוֹ מֵאַחֲרָיו וַתְּהִי נְצִיב מֶלַח"

What is the meaning of “it shall go ill with him that is left in his tent.” That even the refugee that remained was evil and wicked. “it shall go ill with him that is left in his tent.” Which? This is the wife of Lot as it says “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.”