Rabbi Judah tells us that in Sodom, a truly horrific decree was issued: anyone who dared to help the poor, even with a simple loaf of bread, would be burned alive. Imagine living in a society where compassion is a capital crime. It's almost impossible to fathom, isn't it?
Enter Peleṭith, daughter of Lot, married to a wealthy man in this twisted city. One day, she saw a desperately poor man in the streets, and her heart broke. As Job says (30:25), "Was not my soul grieved for the needy?" Peleṭith couldn't ignore his suffering.
So, what did she do? She devised a plan. Every day, when she went to draw water, she'd secretly fill her bucket with food from her own home and share it with the starving man. Think about the courage that took! She knew the risks, but she couldn't stand by and watch someone suffer.
But of course, in a society as depraved as Sodom, secrets don't stay hidden for long. The men of Sodom, noticing the poor man's continued survival, grew suspicious. They investigated and discovered Peleṭith's act of kindness. Their response? They dragged her out to be burned alive.
Can you imagine her terror? Standing before a raging fire, facing a horrific death for the crime of… empathy? In her desperation, Peleṭith cried out to the heavens: "Sovereign of all worlds! Maintain my right and my cause at the hands of the men of Sodom!" Her cry, the Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer recounts, ascended before the Throne of Glory.
And then, something extraordinary happened. The Holy One, blessed be He, responded. God said, "I will now descend, and I will see" (Genesis 18:21) whether the men of Sodom have truly acted according to the cry of this young woman. "I will turn her foundations upwards, and the surface thereof shall be turned downwards."
The Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer points out a crucial detail here. The verse doesn't say "according to their cry," but "according to her cry." It was Peleṭith's individual plea, her singular act of defiance against the overwhelming cruelty of Sodom, that triggered divine intervention. One person, one act of kindness, can have such profound consequences. Peleṭith’s story, though filled with darkness, ultimately shines a light on the power of compassion and the importance of standing up for what's right, even when the entire world seems to be against you. It reminds us that even in the face of unimaginable evil, a single voice, a single act of kindness, can reach the heavens and change the course of history. What cry will you send out into the world?