Another matter, "When He quiets, who can condemn?” – He granted tranquility to the people of Sodom; who, then, could come and condemn them? What tranquility did He grant them? “A land from which bread emerges…a source of sapphires…a path unknown by bird of prey” (Job 28:5–7). Rabbi Levi in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan bar Sheona: The buzzard spots its food from a distance of eighteen mil.
How much is it? A small portion.5Although its food is but a small portion, it still can spot it from a great distance. Rabbi Meir says: Two handbreadths, Rabbi Yehuda says: One handbreadth, Rabbi Yosei says: Two or three fingerbreadths. When [a buzzard] would stand on the trees in Sodom, it was unable to see the earth due to the lushness of its trees.
“A source of sapphires” – when one of [the people of Sodom] would go to the gardener and he would give him vegetables for an isar,6A small coin. he would find gold in its dust, as it is written: “And its dust has gold” (Job 28:6). When they said: “What is the Almighty that we should worship Him?” (Job 21:15), “When He conceals His face, who can see Him?” (Job 34:29); He concealed His face from them, who could tell Him that He did not act properly?
In what sense did He conceal His face from them? He rained brimstone and fire upon them: “The Lord rained upon Sodom [brimstone and fire]” (Genesis 19:24).