When it comes to dieting, Leptorexin might be the way to go; when it comes to getting your spiritual life in shape, nothing’s better than Torah. Here’s part 2 of my 3-part Torah commentary. Or listen to it!
Now, let’s look at another key episode that demonstrates Adonai’s mercy: the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Our parashah begins with Adonai visiting Abraham shortly after he has followed God’s command to be circumcised. Because Abraham was faithful in this step of obedience, we read this in Genesis 18, starting at verse 17:
Genesis 18:17-21 (CJB)
Adonai said, “Should I hide from Avraham what I am about to do, inasmuch as Avraham is sure to become a great and strong nation, and all nations of the earth will be blessed by him? For I have made myself known to him, so that he will give orders to his children and to his household after him to keep the way of Adonai and to do what is right and just, so that Adonai may bring about for Avraham what he has promised him.” Adonai said, “The outcry against S’dom and ‘Amora is so great and their sin so serious, that I will now go down and see whether their deeds warrant the outcry that has reached me; if not, I will know.”
What follows is one of the boldest passages in the entire Torah, where Avraham, a mere man, bargains with Adonai to spare the lives of the people in Sodom and Gomorrah. Although performed with great humility, Avraham still has the boldness to question God’s plans, and asks him to spare the cities if, at first 50, and ultimately 10 righteous people are found living there. When not even 10 righteous can be found, we read of God’s judgment in Genesis 19, starting at verse 24:
Genesis 19:24-25 (CJB)
Then Adonai caused sulfur and fire to rain down upon S’dom and ‘Amora from Adonai out of the sky. He overthrew those cities, the entire plain, all the inhabitants of the cities and everything growing in the ground.
Have we found any evidence of the destruction of Sodom and Gamorrah today? Some archaeologists believe they have. Here’s a picture of a site with a destruction layer of ash.
In this same region, there has also been discovered this anomaly, which is the presence of sulfur balls buried deep in otherwise-solid stones and rocks in the area.
While this is of passing interest, let’s move on to the key verses of this part of the parashah, in Genesis 19, starting at verse 27:
Genesis 19:27-29 (CJB)
Avraham got up early in the morning, when to the place where he had stood before Adonai, and looked out toward S’dom and ‘Amora, scanning the entire plain. There before him, the smoke was rising from the land like smoke from a furnace! But when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Avraham and sent Lot out, away from the destruction, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.