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.

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.

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."

214. Come and behold, from the side underneath the sound of hailstones, all the tangles of the shoulder rise and are gathered into one drop, which then enters the holes of the great abyss, where five become one. When their voices are clear, they unite as one. Then, a voice from below enters among them and becomes one with them.

215. For that voice goes up and down, demanding that Judgment be drawn down. So when this voice rises to demand justice, the Holy One, blessed be He, reveals Himself to ensure justice is done.

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.

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.