Fire and brimstone, a pillar of salt, and some very unhappy angels. But the details… the details are truly something else.

According to Ginzberg’s Legends of the Jews, it wasn’t just Sodom that was corrupt. Oh no, it was a whole network of cities, each with its own brand of wickedness. Sodom had its judge, naturally, a man perfectly suited to its depravity. But so did Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim.

Now, Abraham’s servant, Eliezer – yes, that Eliezer – he knew these judges and their reputations well. He even tweaked their names to better reflect their true nature. Ginzberg tells us Eliezer called the judge in Gomorrah “Shakkara,” or “Liar.” The one in Admah? “Shakrura,” the “Arch-deceiver.” And the Zeboiim judge? He earned the moniker “Mazle-Din,” meaning “Perverter of Judgment.” That’s some serious shade! The fourth judge was called Kazban, Falsifier.

But here's where the story takes a truly bizarre turn. At the urging of these delightfully awful judges, the cities came up with a unique, shall we say, hospitality policy.

Imagine this: a stranger arrives, seeking shelter, a bit of food, maybe just a friendly face. Instead, bam! Six men descend upon him. Three grab his head, three seize his feet, and they drag him to… a bed. But not just any bed. This was a special bed, a communal bed, erected specifically for this purpose.

They force the poor traveler onto this bed. If he's too short to fit perfectly, they stretch him, pull him, wrench his limbs until he fills the space. Think medieval torture device. And if he's too long? Well, they try to cram him in anyway, forcing him down with all their might until he’s practically suffocating. It's a scene straight out of a nightmare.

Can you imagine the screams? The terror? And what happened if the victim cried out? “Thus will be done to any man that comes into our land.” That’s all. A chillingly simple, utterly inhumane response.

What are we to make of such a story? It's more than just a gruesome anecdote. It paints a picture of a society utterly devoid of compassion, where cruelty is not just tolerated but institutionalized. The story highlights the depths to which human beings can sink when empathy is lost and injustice reigns. It is a dark reminder of what can happen when societies lose their moral compass. It makes you think about the values we hold dear, doesn't it? And what we're willing to do to protect them.