“And the Lord rained down…upon Sodom…” – this is analogous to two provinces that rebelled against the king. The king said: ‘Let one of them3The province whose rebellion was less severe. be burned down at its own expense, and let the other one be burned at the expense of the royal treasury.’4The province that rebelled more severely. The king was so anxious to destroy it that he wanted to do it at state expense.
So, elsewhere [regarding Edom]: “Its streams will turn into pitch, and its dust into sulfur, [and its land will become burning pitch]” (Isaiah 34:9).5The Edomites were less sinful than the people of Sodom, and their fire of punishment came from their own streams and dirt. But here, “and the Lord rained down…upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah from the Lord, from the heavens….”6God punished the people of Sodom from His own resources, namely, fire and brimstone from heaven.
Rabbi Avun said: This is analogous to a maidservant who was removing a loaf of bread from the oven. Her mistress’s son came along, and she removed a loaf and gave it to him. Her own grandson came along, and she removed coals and gave them to him. So, elsewhere, [regarding Israel]: “The Lord said to Moses: Behold, I am raining down food for you from the heavens” (Exodus 16:4).
But here, “and the Lord rained down brimstone and fire upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah.”7Heaven is like the maidservant of God. When God’s child, Israel, comes along, heaven provides it with bread. When heaven’s own children come along, alluding to the people of Sodom, who worshiped the heavenly bodies, heaven provides them with fire and brimstone. Rabbi Ḥelbo ben Rabbi Ḥilfi bar Simkai in the name of Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Simon: “and the Lord rained down…upon Sodom” – this refers to Gavriel.
“From the Lord from the heavens” – this is the Holy One blessed be He.8The Midrash is explaining the unusual wording of the verse: “And the Lord rained down brimstone… from the Lord,” rather than “from Himself.” The first mention of “the Lord” refers to the angel Gavriel. Rabbi Elazar said: Every place that “and the Lord” is stated, it refers to Him and His heavenly court.9And that is why “and the Lord” can be interpreted to refer to Gavriel.
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: In the Torah, in the Prophets, and in the Writings, we find that an ordinary person mentions his name twice in one verse.10Instead of using the pronoun ‘me’ or ‘my’ to refer to himself, he says his name. In the Torah: “Lemekh said to his wives: […wives of Lemekh, hear my words…]” (Genesis 4:23). “My wives” is not written here, but rather: “Wives of Lemekh, hear…” (Genesis 4:23).
In the Prophets: “The king said to them: Take with you the servants of your lord, mount Solomon my son upon my mule…” (I Kings 1:33). “The king’s son” is not written here, but rather, “Solomon my son.”11Many commentators emend the Midrash: “Take with you my servants” is not written here, but rather: “Take with you the servants of your lord.” In the Writings: “[King Aḥashverosh said…] as a document that is written in the name of the king and sealed with the ring of the king may not be revoked” (Esther 8:7–8).
And you wonder that the Holy One blessed be He mentions His name twice in one verse?12Even ordinary people speak like this, so we should not be surprised that the verse speaks this way regarding God: “And the Lord rained down brimstone…from the Lord.”