“The Lord said: Because the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is very heavy” (Genesis 18:20). “The Lord said: Because the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great [raba]” – Rabbi Ḥanina said: It was growing continuously greater.21The word raba should be understood in the present tense, “becoming greater.” Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: We have heard regarding the generation of the Flood that they were sentenced with water, and regarding the Sodomites that they were sentenced with fire.
From where can it be derived to apply what is stated regarding each to the other?22Both the generation of the Flood and the people of Sodom were punished with both water and fire. The verse states: Raba [here, and] raba [there]23“The wickedness of man was great [raba]” (Genesis 6:5). for a verbal analogy.