"I will go down now, and see"

Synopsis

The literal Torah story states that the Creator came down to see the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah before they were destroyed. Kabbalistically, these stories signify the energy of the Creator shifting from the frequency of mercy into one of judgment. The Creator Himself, however, never stands in judgment of us. It is our own actions that determine which frequency of energy we draw down upon ourselves. The analogy of electrical energy helps convey the Zohar's principle. We can utilize electrical energy to light and power entire cities, or we can place our finger in a wall socket and electrocute ourselves. The nature of the energy never changes. Only our connection to it is different. We are given free will to choose whether we will relate to the energy in a beneficial or self-destructive way.

Relevance

We generate an awareness of the consequences attached to all our actions, along with the understanding that the Creator is not at fault for the hardships we endure in life. By knowing that all our actions influence the amount of Light we receive, we are inspired to seize control over how we interact with the World and, in turn, how the World interacts with us.

Abraham Angels Zohar

201. "I will go down, and see whether they have done (Heb. asu) altogether according to the cry of it, which has come to me... (Beresheet 18:21) HE ASKS, To whom did He, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, say, "YOU SHOULD DESTROY," BECAUSE THE ZOHAR EXPLAINS THIS VERSE AS IF ASU WAS IN THE IMPERATIVE MODE, THEREBY SAYING 'DESTROY!' If you say THAT HE ADDRESSED these angels by saying, 'DESTROY,' who has ever seen the like, that He spoke with ABRAHAM while commanding THE ANGELS? Rather, He addressed Abraham, saying, "DESTROY," because all those places were under his supervision. Another explanation IS THAT HE ADDRESSED those angels SAYING, "DESTROY."

201. אֵרְדָה נָא וְאֶרְאֶה הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ הַבָּאָה אֵלַי עָשׂוּ כָּלָה. לְמַאן קָאֲמַר. אִי תֵימָא לְאִינוּן מַלְאָכִין, מַאן חָמָא מַלֵּיל עִם דָּא, וּפַקֵּיד לְדָא. אֶלָּא, לְאַבְרָהָם קָאֲמַר, דְּבִרְשׁוּתֵיהּ קָיְימִין אִינוּן אַתְרֵי. דָּבָר אֲחֵר, לְאִינוּן מַלְאָכִין.

Abraham Angels Judgment Shechinah

202. AND HE ASKS, If He addressed Abraham, SAYING, "DESTROY (ASU)," why IS IT WRITTEN IN THE PLURAL instead of the singular, namely, "destroy (aseh)." AND HE RESPONDS, HE SAID THIS BECAUSE HE ADDRESSED BOTH Abraham and the Shechinah that had never left him. THIS IS WHY HE SAID, "DESTROY (ASU)." HE THEN SAID THAT WE NEED TO CLARIFY what we said about His address to the angels, SAYING, "DESTROY." FOR IT LOOKS AS IF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, TALKED TO ABRAHAM WHILE COMMANDING THE ANGELS. AND HE EXPLAINED, THIS IS SO, because THE ANGELS stood by waiting to execute Judgment. And this is why HE SAID "Destroy" in the plural.

202. מַה דְּאִתְּמָר לְאַבְרָהָם, מַה טַעֲמָא עָשׂוּ, עָשָׂה מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי עָשׂוּ, אֶלָּא דָּא אַבְרָהָם, וּשְׁכִינְתָּא לָא אַעֲדֵי מִנֵּיהּ. מַה דְּאִתְּמָר לַמַּלְאָכִין, בְּגִין דַּהֲווֹ זְמִינִין תַּמָּן, וַהֲווֹ מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין לְמֶעְבַּד דִּינָא, וְעַל דָּא עָשׂוּ.

Aramaic Grades Judgment Mercy Sodom and Amorah (Gomorrah)

203. דָּבָר אֲחֵר עָשׂוּ, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ עֲבָדוּ. וְכִי לָא הֲוָה יָדַע קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּאִיהוּ אֲמַר אֵרְדָה נָא וְאֶרְאֶה, וְהָא כֹּלָּא אִתְגְּלֵי קַמֵּיהּ. אֶלָּא, אֵרְדָה נָא מִדַּרְגָּא דְּרַחֲמֵי, לְדַרְגָּא דְדִינָא, וְהַיְינוּ יְרִידָה. וְאֶרְאֶה: רְאִיָּיה דָּא הִיא לְאַשְׁגָּחָא עֲלֵיהוֹן, בְּמַאן דִּינָא יָדִין לוֹן.

Abraham Evil

204. אַשְׁכְּחָן רְאִיָּיה לְטַב, וְאַשְׁכְּחָן רְאִיָּיה לְבִישׁ. רְאִיָּיה לְטַב: דִּכְתִיב וַיַּרְא אֱלֹֹקִים אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּדַע. רְאִיָּיה לְבִישׁ: דִּכְתִיב אֵרְדָה נָא וְאֶרְאֶה. לְאַשְׁגָּחָא עֲלַיְיהוּ בְּדִינָא, וְעַל דָּא אֲמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הַמְכַסֶּה אֲנִי מֵאַבְרָהָם.