"Whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it"

Synopsis

The negativity and spiritual darkness that enveloped the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah was so intense that outsiders refused to step foot within the city boundaries. The wisdom being distilled concerns a self-awareness of the dark side of our own nature. When we associate with negative people, we inevitably fall into their negative sphere of influence, because our own negative side ignites and ultimately dominates us, leading us down a path of darkness. We are to avoid negative people out of concern for our own dark side. This kind of inner reflection and self-awareness is a prerequisite for spiritual development.

Relevance

Perhaps the greatest deception the angel Satan ever devised was convincing the rational mind that he doesn't really exist. This artful deception extends to the dark side of our own nature. An awareness of our own negative character traits begins to emerge in our consciousness so that we can uproot them and transform our nature. This self-recognition further helps to protect us from external negative influences.

Abraham Food Foreigner Job Rivers Sodom and Amorah (Gomorrah) Water

211. Come and behold, The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham, "the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great," because their conduct towards other people has reached Me. As a result of this conduct, the whole world avoids setting foot in Sodom and Gomorrah. Thus, it is written, "He breaks open a water course in place far from inhabitants, forgotten by foot travelers; they are dried up, they are gone away from men" (Iyov 28:4). "He breaks open a water course in place far from inhabitants" MEANS THAT "the water course," WHICH ALLUDES TO SODOM, "breaks open" for all the inhabitants of the world who entered there. Because if any of them saw somebody give food or drink to a stranger, they cast him into the deep river, along with the person who received the food and drink.

211. תָּא חֲזֵי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַבְרָהָם, זַעֲקַת סְדוֹם וַעֲמוֹרָה כִּי רָבָּה, דְּהָא סְלֵיקַת קֳדָמַי, מַה דְּאִינוּן עָבְדִין לְכָל עָלְמָא, דְּכָל עָלְמָא מָנְעֵי רַגְלַיְיהוּ דְּלָא לְמֵיעַל בִּסְדוֹם וַעֲמוֹרָה. דִּכְתִיב פָּרַץ נַחַל מֵעִם גָּר הַנִּשְׁכָּחִים מִנִּי רָגֶל דַּלּוּ מֵאֱנוֹשׁ נָעוּ. פָּרַץ נַחַל מֵעִם גָּר: פִּרְצָה הֲוָה פָּרִיץ נַחַל, לְאִינוּן בְּנֵי עָלְמָא דְּעָאלוּ לְתַמָּן, דְּכָלְהוּ, דְּחָמָאן לְמַאן דַּהֲווֹ יַהֲבֵי, לְמֵיכַל וּלְמִשְׁתֵּי לְבַר נָשׁ אָחֳרָא, שַׁדְיָין לֵיהּ בְּעוֹמְקָא דְּנַהֲרָא, וְאִיהוּ דְּנָטֵיל לֵיהּ הָכֵי נָמֵי.

Birds Job Sodom and Amorah (Gomorrah) Strength

212. This is why all people of the world were "forgotten by foot travelers," that is, they avoided setting foot in there. And whoever did enter, "they are dried up, they are gone away," WHICH MEANS THAT they dried the STRENGTH OF THEIR bodies with hunger by not giving them anything to eat or to drink. As a result, they no longer looked like human beings, as it is written, "They are dried up, they are gone away" (Iyov 28:4). Here, it is written, "They are gone away," and elsewhere it is written, "her paths wander" (Mishlei 5:6). IN BOTH VERSES, IT MEANS THAT "HER PATHS WANDER" AND CANNOT BE FOUND. "THEY ARE GONE" MEANS THAT they avoided the routes of convoys and other paths in order not to enter there. Even the birds in the sky stopped themselves from entering there, as it is written, "There is a path which no bird of prey knows..." (Iyov 28:7). And because of all this, the entire world cried out against Sodom and Gomorrah and against all the cities, which were considered all the same.

212. וְעַל דָּא כָּלְהוֹ בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, הֲווֹ נִשְׁכָּחִים מִנִּי רָגֶל, דְּמָנְעֵי רַגְלַיְיהוּ לָא לְמֵיעַל תַּמָּן, וּמַאן דְּעָאל, דַּלּוּ מֵאֱנוֹשׁ נָעוּ, דַּהֲווֹ דָּלֵי גוּפָא בְּכַפְנָא, לָא הֲווֹ יַהֲבֵי לֵיהּ לְמֵיכַל וּלְמִשְׁתֵּי, וְאִשְׁתַּנֵּי דְּיוֹקְנֵיהּ מִשְּׁאָר בְּנֵי עָלְמָא דִּכְתִיב דַּלּוּ מֵאֱנוֹשׁ נָעוּ. כְּתִיב הָכָא נָעוּ. וּכְתִיב הָתָם נָעוּ מַעְגְּלוֹתֶיהָ. הָכֵי נָמֵי הֲווֹ סָטָאן מַעֲגָלִין וְאוֹרְחִין, דְּלָא לְמֵיעַל תַּמָּן. וַאֲפִילּוּ עוֹפֵי שְׁמַיָא הֲווֹ מָנְעֵי לְמֵיעַל תַּמָּן, דִּכְתִיב נְתִיב לֹא יָדְעוּ עַיִט וגו'. וּבְגִינֵי כָּךְ, כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא הֲווֹ צָוְוחִין עַל סְדוֹם וְעַל עֲמוֹרָה, וְעַל כָּלְהוֹ קַרְתֵּי, דְּכָלְהוֹ כְּגַוְונָא חָדָא הֲווֹ.

Abraham Sin Sodom and Amorah (Gomorrah)

213. "The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great," Abraham asks the Holy One, blessed be He, Why? He answers, "Because their sin is very grievous." And this is why "I will go down now, and see whether...according to the cry of it." AND HE SAID, It should have been said, 'according to the cry of them,' because it is written, "the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah." Thus, there were two cities. If so, why does it say, "the cry of it," IN THE SINGULAR? AND HE ANSWERED, "This has already been clarified."

213. זַעֲקַת סְדוֹם וַעֲמוֹרָה כִּי רָבָּה, אָמַר לוֹ אַבְרָהָם, אַמַּאי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ, וְחַטָּאתָם כִּי כָבְדָה מְאֹד. בְּגִינֵי כָּךְ, אֵרְדָה נָא וְאֶרְאֶה הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ. הַכְּצַעֲקָתָם מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, דְּהָא כְתִיב זַעֲקַת סְדוֹם וַעֲמוֹרָה, וּתְרֵי קַרְתֵּי הֲווֹ, אַמַּאי הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ. אֶלָּא הָא אֹקְמוּהָ.

Abyss Voice

214. תָּא חֲזֵי בְּסִטְרָא דְּתוּתֵי קָלָא דְּבַרְדָּא, סָלְקִין קוּטְרֵי, כָּלְהוֹ בְּכַתְּפָא. מִתְכַּנְשֵׁי בְּחַד טִיף, וְעָאלִין בְּגוֹ נוּקְבֵי דִּתְהוֹמָא רַבָּא אִתְעֲבִידוּ חָמֵשׁ בְּחַד. חַד אִיהוּ כַּד אִיכָּא צְלִילִין, קָלִין, דְּכָלְהוֹ אִתְעֲבִידוּ חַד. קָלָא דְּסָלֵיק מִתַּתָּא, עָאל בֵּינַיְיהוּ, וְאִתְמַשְׁכוּ כְּחַד.

Judgment Voice

Joseph Judgment Year

216. Rabbi Shimon then said, IT IS WRITTEN, "According to the cry of it." To whom does this cry belong? AND HE REPLIES, This is the decree of Judgment that demands justice every day. SO THE PHRASE, "THE CRY OF IT," REFERS TO IT (judgment). As we have learned, for many years the Decree of Judgment demanded from the Holy One, blessed be He, THE PENALTY FOR what the brothers of Joseph had done when they sold him. The Decree of Judgment cried out aloud for justice TO BE REVEALED. This is why IT IS WRITTEN, "According to the cry of it, which has come to me." IT REFERS TO THE CRY OF THE DECREE OF JUDGMENT.

216. אֲמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ. מַאן הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ, דָּא גְּזֵרַת דִּינָא, דְּתָבְעָא דִינָא כָּל יוֹמָא. דְּהָכֵי תָּנִינָן כַּמָּה שְׁנִין קָיְימָא גְּזֵרַת דִּינָא, וְתָבְעָא מִקַּמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, עַל דְּזַבִּינוּ אֲחוֹי דְיוֹסֵף לְיוֹסֵף. בְּגִין דִּגְזֵרַת דִּינָא, צָוְוחַת עַל דִּינָא, וְעַל דָּא, הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ הַבָּאָה אֵלַי.

Flesh Morning

217. AND HE ASKS, What is MEANT BY THE PHRASE, "Which has come to me?" AND HE RESPONDS, There is a secret here. As you may read, "In the evening she would return (lit. 'comes'), and in the morning she would return..." (Ester 2:14). The words "which has come to me" are written in the present tense to indicate a repeated action. Similarly the verse, "The End of all Flesh has come before me" (Beresheet 5:13) is also written in the present tense. The phrase "then destroy" has already been explained.