God, the best maker of all marriages

 

1.     Textploration-  our story-  Jacob after the angel

a.      Who from the Torah is appearing in your comic strip?  And which commentator?

b.      What is the question you or the commentator are asking?

c.      What is the answer you or the commentator have?

d.      How many panels will your strip have?

e.      What will be in each panel?

Looking up, Jacob saw Esau coming, with a retinue of four hundred. He divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maids,  

putting the maids and their children first, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.  

He himself went on ahead and bowed low to the ground seven times until he was near his brother.

וַיָּ֨רׇץ עֵשָׂ֤ו לִקְרָאתוֹ֙ וַֽיְחַבְּקֵ֔הוּ וַיִּפֹּ֥ל עַל־צַוָּארָ֖ו וַׄיִּׄשָּׁׄקֵ֑ׄהׄוּׄ וַיִּבְכּֽוּ׃

Esau ran to greet him. He embraced him and, falling on his neck, he kissed him; and they wept. 

 

Beraysheet: Ch. 23--Chayei Sara

Now Sara’s life was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years,

[these were] the years of Sara’s life. 

Sara died in Arba-Town—that is Hevron, in the land of Canaan.
Avraham did lament for Sara and wept over her.

 

When Avraham arose from the presence of his dead,
he spoke to the Sons of Het, saying:

“I am a sojourner settled among you;
give me [title to] a burial holding among you,
so that I may bury my dead one from before me.”

 

The Sons of Het answered Avraham and said to him:

Hear us, my lord!
You are one exalted by God in our midst—
in any of the choicest of our burial-sites you may bury your dead;
no man among us will deny you his burial-site for burying your dead!

Avraham proceeded to bow low to the People of the Land, to the Sons of Het,  and spoke with them, saying:
If it be then according to your wish
that I bury my dead from my presence,
hear me and petition  for me to Efron son of Tzohar,  that he may give me [title to] the cave of Makhpela, that is his, that is at the edge of his field;
for the full silver-worth let him give me [title] in your midst for a burial holding.

Now Efron had a seat amidst the Sons of Het, and Efron the Hittite answered Avraham in the ears of the Sons of Het,  of all who had entry to the council-gate of his city,
saying:

Not so, my lord, hear me!
The field I give to you,
and the cave that is therein, to you I give it;
before the eyes of the Sons of My People I give it to you—
bury your dead!

Avraham bowed before the People of the Land and spoke to Efron in the hearing of the People of the Land, saying:
But if you yourself would only hear me out!
I will give the silver-payment for the field;
accept it from me,
so that I may bury my dead there.

Efron answered Avraham, saying to him:

My lord—hear me!
[A piece of] land worth four hundred silver weight,
what is that between me and you?
So your dead, go bury!

Avraham hearkened to Efron:
Avraham weighed out to Efron the silver-worth
of which he had spoken in the hearing of the Sons of Het—
four hundred silver weight at the going merchants’ rate.

Thus was established the field of Efron, that is in Makhpela, that faces Mamre,
the field as well as the cave that is in it, and the trees that were in all the field, that were in all their territory round about,  for Avraham as an acquisition,
before the eyes of the Sons of Het, of all who had entry to the council-gate of his city.

Afterward Avraham buried Sara his wife  in the cave of the field of Makhpela, facing Mamre [that is Hevron], in the land of Canaan.  Thus was established the field as well as the cave that is in it for Avraham as a burial holding, from the Sons of Het.

  AFTER – Ch. 25

Now these are the days [and] years of the life of Avraham, which he lived: a hundred years and seventy years and five years;   then he died.

Avraham died at a good ripe-age, old and satisfied [in days],

and was gathered to his kinspeople.

Yitzhak and Yishmael his sons buried him, in the cave of Makhpela, in the field of Efron son of Tzohar the Hittite, that faces Mamre,

the field that Avraham had acquired from the Sons of Cheyt.

There were buried Avraham and Sara his wife.

 Now it was after Avraham’s death, that God blessed Yitzhak his son.

And Yitzhak settled by the Be’er Lechai Ro’i/Well of the Living-One Who Sees.

 

1.    Which is Judaism’s ideal burial?

a)   Burial under a tree to better return to nature

b)  Burial in the salt flats of Dead Sea (Hence the name of the sea)

c)   Burial in a grave in or close to Jerusalem

d)  Scattering of ashes after cremation over the Jordan River

e)   Burial of ashes in space via rocket launch

 

2 . Why does a Rabbi need to be present at a Jewish funeral?

a)   To say “El Malei Rachamim,” a prayer in memory of the person who passed

b)  To say “Tziduk Hadin” a prayer about judgement and God

c)   To sprinkle holy water on the coffin

d)  To shovel the first shovel of earth into the grave

e)   Dude, You don’t need a rabbi present, just a Jew who knows the service

 

3.    What are the traditional components of a Coffin for jewish burial?

a)   Wood. 

b)  Wood and cloth.

c)   Wood,  cloth,  and copper or silver for the Jewish star on top.

d)  Wood, cloth, and as much iron or steel as possible.

e)   Wood lined with special anti-fungal plastic and cloth is now standard.

 

But in Israel, often just a tallit is all you need to bury someone.

 

4.   What do we *not* do at a Jewish funeral?

a.   Place flowers on the casket

b.   Offer food to the memory of the dead

c.    Say Psalms

d.   Tell stories

e.    Put water from Israel into the grave

f.     Put soil from Israel into the grave

g.   Study Torah

h.   Put anything into the grave

i.     Tell jokes

j.     Read the will

k.   Share a toast

 

5.   Upon returning from a cemetery, what does Jewish practice say one should do before entering a home?

a)   Rub one’s hands with salt

b)  Wash one’s hands

c)   Take off one’s shoes and leave them outside

d)  Wash one’s feet

e)   Say Shema Yisrael and V’ahavtah

 

 

6.   How many days does Shiva last in our time?

a)   Shiva is only a day long.

b)  2 days.  People have to get to work.

c)   Three days.

d)  Six days. A week would be too much.

e)   Shiva is seven days. Like the Hebrew number for seven, dude.

 

7.   What  should people not do at a shiva house?

a.   Tell jokes

b.   Laugh

c.    Pray

d.   Ring the doorbell

e.    Mentioned the departed.  Totally tactless, dude.

 

 

8.   What are some of the things Jews mourning a loved one do not do, even when shiva is done, but mourning continues for a month or year?

a.   Wearing leather shoes

b.   Drinking Wine

c.    Experience live music

d.   Going to Synagogue

e.    Go to a movie in a theater. Too pubic, dude.

 

 

9) What is the memorial prayer we say only for a parent, sibing, spouse or child on the anniversary of their death?

         a) Ein Kemocha

b) Kadish Yatom

c) Kadish Shalem

d) Etz Chaim Hee

e) Mi Kamocha

 

 

10)  But I want to say kaddish for my beloved and dear great Aunt Schmutzie, my mom’s father’s sister’s best friends’ roommate’s cousin’s dog walker!

a) You need permission from your rabbi.

b) You can if your rabbi gives you a document written  in Hebrew called  a kodashim.

c)  It’s allowed if you are not Orthodox.

d) You have to learn a special version of Mourners Kadish since you are not her child,  called Kaddish Le’itchadetah.

e) Dude! You can learn Torah and give tzedakah in her memory instead.

 

 https://www.sefaria.org/Siddur_Ashkenaz%2C_Kaddish%2C_Kaddish_achar_HaKevura.1?lang=he

 CHAPTER 24:42-67 

Eliezer’s Oath/Rivkah’s Journey

Now Avraham was old, advanced in days,  and Adonai had blessed Avraham in everything.

Avraham said to his servant, the elder of his household, who ruled over all that was his:
“Please put your hand under my thigh!  I want you to swear by Adonai, the God of Heaven and the God of Earth,  that you will not take a wife for my son from the women of the Canaanites, among whom I am settled;   rather, you are to go to my land and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son, for Yitzhak.”

The servant said to him:
“Perhaps the woman will not be willing to go after me to this land;  may I then bring your son back there,  back to the land from which you once went out?”

Avraham said to him:
“Take you care that you do not ever bring my son back there!  Adonai, the God of Heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from my kindred,  who spoke to me, who swore to me, saying:  I give this land to your offspring—  God will send God’s  messenger on before you,  so that you take a wife for my son from there.   Now if the woman is not willing to go after you,  you will be clear from this sworn-oath of mine;  only: You are not to bring my son back there!”

The servant put his hand under the thigh of Avraham his lord,  and swore to him [an oath] about this matter.

----------------------------------------------------------------
“Let us call the girl and ask [for an answer from] her own mouth.”

They called Rivka and said to her:
“Will you go with this man? ‘
She said:
“I will go.”

So they sent off Rivka their sister with her nurse, and Avraham’s servant with his men,  and they gave Rivka farewell-blessing and said to her:
“Our sister, may you become thousandfold myriads!
May your descendants conquer the gate of their enemies! “

Rivka and her maids arose, they mounted the camels and went after the man.
And the servant took Rivka and went off.

Now Yitzhak had gone out from where you come to Be’er Lehai Ro’i/the Well of the Living-One Seeing-Me, for he had settled in the Negev.

And Yitzhak went out to meditate in the field around the setting of the sun
He lifted up his eyes and saw: here, camels coming!

And Rivka lifted up her eyes and saw Yitzhak;

she got down from the camel and said to the servant:
“Who is that man over there that is walking in the field to meet us?”
The servant said: “That is my lord.”
So she took a veil and covered herself.

And the servant recounted to Yitzhak all the things that he had done.

Yitzhak brought her into the tent of Sara his mother;
he took Rivka and she became his wife, and he loved her.
Thus was Yitzhak comforted after (the death of) his mother.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Midrash- Beraysheet Rabba, 68:4)

 

A Roman Matron (a woman of wealth) asked Rabbi Yossi ben Halafta, “In how many days did your God create the world?” “In six,” he answered. “And since then,” she asked, “what has your God been doing?”  “Matching couples for marriage,” responded R. Yossi.

“That’s it?!” she said dismissively. “Even I can do that. I have many slaves, both male and female. In no time at all, I can match them for marriage.” To which R. Yossi countered, “Though this may be an easy thing for you to do, for God it is as difficult as splitting the Sea of Reeds.”

At this, she went home. The next day the aristocrat lined up a thousand male and a thousand female slaves and paired them off before nightfall. The morning after, her estate resembled a battlefield. One slave had his head bashed in, another had lost an eye, while a third hobbled because of a broken leg. No one seemed to want his or her assigned mate. Quickly, she summoned R. Yossi and acknowledged: “Your God is unique and your Torah is true, pleasing and praiseworthy. You spoke wisely.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matchmaker, matchmaker!

a.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PbgHko34Tg

at 2:52 s

b.    https://www.jta.org/2023/05/02/culture/in-jewish-matchmaking-a-diverse-set-of-jews-experience-orthodox-dating-practices

 

What's yellow, then red, then blue, then used to wipe out an evil city?

 

 rambam

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/maimonides-rambam/

 

ramban

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/nahmanides-ramban/

 

ralbag

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gersonides

 

Kimchi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Kimhi

 

sadya gaon

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/saadiah-gaon/

 

rashi

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/who-was-rashi/

 

sampson raphael hirsch

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/samson-raphael-hirsch-the-father-of-neo-orthodoxy/

 

Or Hahchayim

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaim_ibn_Attar

 

Seforno

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obadiah_ben_Jacob_Sforno

 

 

nechama leibovitz

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/nehama-leibowitz-the-paradigm-of-a-torah-teacher/

 

Dr. Aviva Zornberg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avivah_Gottlieb_Zornberg

 

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Sacks,_Baron_Sacks

 

ABRAHAM REMINDS GOD TO BE  RIGHTEOUS FOR THE RIGHTEOUS

When the three men [Abraham had been hosting] got ready to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked part of the way with them. Adonai spoke inwardly, “Should I tell Abraham what I am going to do, since his family will become a great and powerful nation that will be a blessing to all the other nations on earth? I have chosen him to teach his family to obey me forever and to do what is right and fair. If they do, I will give Abraham many descendants, just as I promised.” So Adonai said, “Abraham, I have heard such an outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, that their evil is so heavy! Now I am going down to see for Myself they are acting like that outcry, and I will know if not.”

 

The men turned and started toward Sodom. But Adonai stayed with Abraham. And Abraham asked him, “Adonai, when you destroy the evil people, are you also going to destroy those who are good? What if there are fifty righteous people in it? You surely wouldn't wipe out the city and not forgive it if there are fifty righteous people there. You are the judge of all the earth, and you do what is right!”  Adonai replied, “If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I will save the city to keep them from being killed.”

Abraham answered, “I am nothing more than the dust of the earth. Please forgive me, Adonai, for daring to speak to you like this. But suppose there are only forty-five righteous  people in Sodom. Would you still wipe out the whole city?”

“If I find forty-five Tzadikim,” Adonai replied, “I won't destroy the city.”-

“Suppose there are just forty righteous people?” Abraham asked. “Even for them,” Adonai replied, “I won't destroy the city.”  Abraham said, “Please don't be angry, Adonai, if I ask you what you will do if there are only thirty righteous  people in the city.” “If I find thirty,” God replied, “I still won't destroy it.” Then Abraham said, “I don't have any right to ask you, Adonai, but what would you do if you find only twenty?” “Because of them, I won't destroy the city,” was Adonai's answer.

Finally, Abraham said, “Please don't get angry, God, if I speak just once more. Suppose you find only ten righteous people there.” “For the sake of ten righteous  people,” Adonai told him, “I still won't destroy the city.” After speaking with Abraham, God ascended, and Abraham went back to his home.

 

 

 

1)     This quiz is mostly on Sulfur.  That’s chemistry, not Torah portion. Has Mar Hirsch gone and lost his mind this time?

a)    Yes, he’s flipped his lid. Popped his cork.  Pringled his brainpan.

b)    Maybe he’s  whiffed his wuffle,  it’s hard to tell.  Maybe not.

c)     Obviously he has finally Zippled his zongle. 

d)    It don’t think so, he may just be joking.

e)     I think he’s up to something, dude.

 

2)    How common is sulfur in the universe (by mass)?

a)    Incredibly rare, as it needs water to form.

b)    Rare, but not exceedingly so.

c)     Common-  like tenth most common element.

d)    Super common, right after Hydrogen and Helium.

e)     Sulfur is the single most common element in the universe. Stars are made of sulfur, dude. 

 

3)    What color is solid Sulfur?

a)    Periwinkle.

b)    Canary Yellow

c)     Royal Blue

d)    A deep crimson.

e)     Don’t be fooled,  dude, sulfur is a transparent gas.

 

4)    How common is sulfur in the earth’s crust?

a)    Incredibly common, with all the water on earth

b)    Really common, like 5^th most common element in the crust.

c)     Common,  like tenth most common element, like in the rest of the universe

d)    Rare,  like platinum or something.

e)     Sulfur is the single most rare element in the universe. It’s millions of dollars an ounce, dude.

 

5)    Sulfur melts at what temperature Celcius?

a)    32 degrees.

b)    100 degrees

c)     115 degrees

d)    200 degrees

e)     1,875.23 degrees.

 

6)    What color is molten sulfur?

a)    Periwinkle.

b)    Canary Yellow

c)     Royal Blue

d)    A deep Crimson.

e)     Don’t be fooled,  dude, sulfur never melts, it just burns. 

 

7)    What does it mean if a meteor ends in an Airburst?

a)    It means it was never visible to the human eye

b)    It means the meteor burst up before hitting the ground

c)     It means the meteor bursts up before entering the atmosphere

d)    It means that the meteor made a glittery streak across the sky.

e)     It means the Jewish space lasers have failed.

 

8)    What color is sulfur when it burns?

a)    Periwinkle.

b)    Canary Yellow

c)     Royal Blue

d)    A deep Crimson.

e)     Dude, sulfur doesn’t burn, it explodes.  

 

9)    What famous sushi roll is named for the water sprites featured in Harry Potter?  (nothing to do with sulfur)

a)    Tekka Maki

b)    Hoso maki

c)     Futomaki

d)    Kappa Maki

e)     Hirschen Maki

 

10) Burning sulfur produces SO2,  Sulfur dioxide.  What happens when that reacts with water?

a)    It makes nothing. SO2 does not react with water.

b)    It releases its oxygen back into nature.

c)     It makes carbon disulfide, which is inert and doesn’t do much.

d)    It makes  Hydrogen Sulfide, which stinks so bad it is what you smell in natural gas.

e)     It makes sulfuric acid, dude!  Acid Rain! Lung Damage!  Evil stuff, dude!

 

11)  What the heck does this have to do with the Parsha? Take a guess.

 

 

https://www.timesofisrael.com/evidence-of-sodom-meteor-blast-cause-of-biblical-destruction-say-scientists/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2018/12/04/new-science-suggests-biblical-city-of-sodom-was-smote-by-an-exploding-meteor/?sh=32714b345c67

and here’s my favorite: Sodom and Gomorrah: Fires Created by Ignition of Combustible Gases by Earthquake-Impelled Thermobaric-Hydrothermal Explosions

https://www.longdom.org/open-access/sodom-and-gomorrah-fires-created-by-ignition-of-combustible-gases-byearthquakeimpelled-thermobarichydrothermal-explosions-2329-6755-1000202.pdf

 

 

 

 

THE FALL OF SODOM AND ITS SUBURBS:  BERAYSHEET 19

Two of the angels who visited Abraham and Sarah traveled on to Sodom.  Loht, Avrom’s nephew, is the only one in the town who offers them shelter overnight.  When the rest of the town finds out there are travelers in town, they come to assault the travelers and Loht, but they are driven back by the Sanveirim of the angels. And then…

The two angels said to Loht, “Adonai has heard many terrible things about the people of Sodom, and so has sent us here to destroy the city. Take your family and leave. Take every relative you have in the city, as well as the men your daughters are going to marry.” Loht went to the men who were engaged to his daughters and said, “Hurry up and get out of here! Adonai is going to destroy this city.” But they thought he was joking, and they laughed at him.

 

Early the next morning the two angels tried to make Loht hurry and leave. They said, “Take your wife and your two daughters and get away from here as fast as you can! If you don't, every one of you will be killed when Adonai destroys the city.” Loht ֓hesitated instead of leaving. But Adonai wanted to save him, so the angels took Loht, his wife, and his two daughters by the hand and led them out of the city. When they were outside, one of the angels said, “Run for your lives! Don't even stop to look back. And don't stop in the valley! Run to the hills, only there will you be safe.”

The sun was coming up as Loht reached the suburb of Zoar,  and Adonai sent burning sulfur down like rain on Sodom and Gomorrah. God destroyed those cities and everyone who lived in them, as well as their land and the trees and grass that grew there. On the way, Loht's wife stopped to look back and became like a pillar of salt.

That same morning Abraham got up and went to the place where he had stood and spoken with Adonai. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and saw smoke rising from all over the land—it was like a flaming furnace. But it was that when God destroyed the cities of the valley where Loht lived, he remembered his promise to Abraham and saved Loht from the terrible destruction.

 

 

 

THE PEOPLE OF SODOM AND THEIR LAWS

  Mishnah, Avot 5:13

אַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת בָּאָדָם. הָאוֹמֵר שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלָּךְ, זוֹ מִדָּה בֵינוֹנִית. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, זוֹ מִדַּת סְדוֹם. שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלְּךָ וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלִּי, עַם הָאָרֶץ. שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלְּךָ וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלָּךְ, חָסִיד. שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלִּי, רָשָׁע:

There are four temperaments among people: the one who says "what is mine is mine, and what is yours is yours" -- that's an [average] temperament. And there are some who say that is the temperament of Sodom. [A second type is one who says] "what is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine" -- [that's an] am ha'aretz . "What is mine is yours, and what is yours is yours" -- [that's a] pious person. "What is yours is mine, and what is mine is mine" -- [that's a] wicked person. 

Pirke d’Rabbi Eliezer (Midrash)  25

Rabbi Zeira said: “The people of Sodom were the wealthiest people in the world since they were from the richest and best soil of the world and all of their early needs could be derived from it, as it says: “its dust contains gold dust” (Job 28:6). When a person wanted to go out and get for himself vegetables, he would say to his servant, “get for me an issar worth of veggies.” The servant would go and harvest the greens and find gold in the soik, as it says: “its dust contains gold dust.” And silver would come out of it, as it is written: “There is a mine for silver.” (Job 28:1) Precious stones and jewels would come out of it: “Its rocks are a source of sapphire.” (verse 6)….  

 

Rabbi Joshua ben Korha said: Yet they were never concerned with the honor of their Creator and so provide food for guests and strangers;  rather they would cut of the branches of fruit trees above the fruit so as not to provide benefit to birds of the heavens: “No bird of prey knows the path of it.” (Job 28:7)

 

 

 

BAVLI  SANHEDRIN 109b

A) There were four judges in Sodom:   Shak’rai (The Liar) , Sha’kurai (The Lying Liar), Zay’yafi (The Forger), and Matzle-Dina (The Perverter of Justice).

·       If one cut off the ear of his fellow’s donkey, they would order, “Give the donkey to him [the attacker] to make the ear grow back.”

·       If one wounded his fellow they would say to him [the victim], “Give him a fee for making you bleed.”

·       He who crossed over with the ferry had to pay four zuzim, while he who crossed through the water on his own had to pay eight.

·       If one put out rows of bricks out for sale every person came and took one, saying, “I only took one.”  If one spread out garlic or onions [to dry them], every person came and took one, saying, “I only took one.”

 

B) On one occasion, a certain cloth merchant happened to come there. Said they to him, “Give us four zuzim [for the use of the ferry].” But, protested he, “I crossed through the water!” “If so,” said they, “you must give eight zuzim for passing through the water.” He refused to give it, so they beat him severely. He went before the judge, who told the merchant “Give them a fee for bleeding you and eight zuzim for crossing through the water.” 

 

Now Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, happened to be there and had also been beaten. When he went before the judge, the judge said, “Give them a fee for making you bleed.” Thereupon Eliezer took a stone and struck the judge. “What is this?!” the Judge exclaimed. Eliezer replied, “The fee that you now owe me for bloodletting,  give to this man [who attacked me], and my money will remain just as it is.”

 

 C) Now, they had beds upon which travelers slept. If he [the guest] was too long, they shortened him [by lopping off his feet]; if too short, they stretched him out. Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, happened to be there. Said they to him, “Why not get up [off the ground where you are resting] and sleep on this bed!” He replied, “Oh, what a shame! I have vowed since the day of my mother’s death not to sleep in a bed.”

 

 

 

B’REYSHEET  18:20-21

 (כ) וַיֹּאמֶר יְקֹוָק זַעֲקַת סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה כִּי רָבָּה וְחַטָּאתָם כִּי כָבְדָה מְאֹד:

(כא) אֵרֲדָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ הַבָּאָה אֵלַי עָשׂוּ כָּלָה וְאִם לֹא אֵדָעָה:

20 And the LORD said: ‘Verily, the cry ( זעקת ) of Sodom and Gomorrah is great ( רבה ), and, verily, their sin is exceeding grievous. 21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it ( הכצעקתה ), which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know.’ 22

B’REYSHEET RABBAH 49:6--  I WILL GO DOWN NOW (XVIII, 21).  Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai taught: This is one of the ten descents mentioned in the Torah. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them the opportunity of repenting. For it says, “I will go down now, and see whether they have done according to the cry of it, then it is an end –“ they must be completely destroyed; and if not, I -will know, i.e. I will teach them that the Attribute of Justice exists in the world.  Rabbi Levi said: “God said ‘Even if I wished to keep silent, justice for a certain young woman (ribah) does not permit Me to keep silent.’  

For it once happened that two girls in Sodom went down to draw water from a well. One said to the other, ‘Why are you so pale?’  ‘We have no more food left and are ready to die,’ replied the second. What did the first girl  do? She filled her pitcher with flour and they exchanged [their pitchers], each taking the other’s. When they [the Sodomites] discovered this, they took and burnt her alive for violating the law: “what is yours is yours”. Said the Holy One, blessed be He: ‘Even if I desired to be silent, justice for that young girl does not permit Me to keep silent. Hence it does not say, whether they have done according to their cry [namely, the cry of the Sodomites]; but ACCORDING TO HER CRY ‘- the cry of that maidenha.