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.