Why Fire Fell on Sodom and Lot's Wife Became Salt

It is written, "Let it be to fill his belly; He will send upon him His burning anger, and rain it down upon him in His war (belachumo)" (Job 20:23). The retribution that came upon the people of Sodom was to fill their belly, because they had filled their belly with transgressions, with violence, and with robbery. Therefore, when the retribution came upon them, it filled their belly, as it is said, "He will send upon him His burning anger" (ibid.). Rabbi Meir said: Scripture speaks of the overthrow of Sodom. "And rain it down upon him in His lachum" (ibid.), and "the LORD rained down upon Sodom" (Genesis 19:24). What is the meaning of "in His lachum"? It refers to the wars (milchamot) that they waged against the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, "And the people of Sodom were evil and sinners against the LORD exceedingly" (Genesis 13:13). "Evil" — one to another; "and sinners" — in open sexual immorality; "against the LORD" — in idolatry; "exceedingly" — in the spilling of blood. Rabbi Judah ha-Levi son of Rabbi Shalom said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan son of Nachman: When Amraphel and his companions came to make war against the people of Sodom, because they had taken Lot captive, Abraham went out against them to war and slew the kings, and they fled, as it is written, "And the Valley of Siddim was full of pits of bitumen, and the king of Sodom fled" (Genesis 14:10). Abraham began to consider: the kings came to make war against the people of Sodom, and the kings fell, yet these fled, as it is said, "and those who remained fled to the mountain" (ibid.). Should you say there were worthy ones among them — the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "He shall flee from the iron weapon... he draws it forth, and it comes out of his body... all darkness is hidden away for his treasures" (Job 20:24-26): all darkness is hidden in Sodom, which is to the right of the Land of Israel, as it is said, "And your younger sister who dwells to your right is Sodom and her daughters" (Ezekiel 16:46). What is the meaning of "evil shall consume the survivor in his tent" (Job 20:26)? That even a single survivor who was left from there — the evil of evil consumed the survivor in his tent. And who is this? Edith, the wife of Lot, of whom it is said, "And his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt" (Genesis 19:26).