Daf 108b (דַּף ק״ח ע״ב)

Rabbi Ḥiyya said (אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא): It is written, “And He sent Lot out from the midst of the upheaval…” (Bereshit 19:29) (כְּתִיב וַיְשַׁלַּח אֶת לוֹט מִתּוֹךְ הַהֲפֵכָה וְגו׳). What is “in turning over the cities in which Lot dwelt”? (מַהוּ בַּהֲפֹךְ אֶת הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר יָשַׁב בָּהֵן לוֹט). Rather, in all of them did Lot dwell (אֶלָּא בְּכֻלְּהוּ עֲבַד דִּיּוּרֵיהּ לוֹט), as it is written, “And Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and he pitched his tent as far as Sedom” (Bereshit 13:12) (דִּכְתִיב וְלוֹט יָשַׁב בְּעָרֵי הַכִּכָּר וַיֶּאֱהַל עַד סְדוֹם). And it is written, “Which Lot dwelled in” (וכְתִיב: אֲשֶׁר יָשַׁב בָּהֵן לוֹט). Rather, indeed, in all of them he made his dwelling (אֶלָּא וַדַּי בְּכֻלְּהוּ עֲבַד דִּיוּרֵיהּ). But they did not receive him, except for the king of Sedom, who received him in Sedom for the sake of Avraham (וְלָא קַבִּילוּ לֵיהּ בַּר דְּמֶלֶךְ סְדוֹם קַבִּיל לֵיהּ בִּסְדוֹם בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם).

“And his wife looked from behind him” (וַתַּבֵּט אִשְׁתּוֹ מֵאַחֲרָיו) - it should have said: “from behind her” (מֵאַחֲרֶיהָ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). Rather, from behind the Shekhinta (אֶלָּא מִבַּתַּר שְׁכִינְתָּא). Rabbi Yose said: from behind Lot (רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר: מִבַּתְרֵיהּ דְּלוֹט), for the destroyer was walking behind him (דִּמְחַבְּלָא אָזִיל אַבַּתְרֵיהּ). And if he walked behind him - but he had been sent ahead of him? (וְכִי אַבַּתְרֵיהּ אָזִיל, וְהָא הוּא שַׁדַּר לֵיהּ) Rather, wherever Lot would go, the destroyer would be held back from destroying (אֶלָּא בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּהֲוָה אָזִיל לוֹט אִתְעַכַּב מְחַבְּלָא לְחַבָּלָא), and wherever he had already passed, behind him the destroyer would overturn (וְכָל אֲתַר דְּאָזִיל כְּבָר וְשָׁבִיק לַאֲחוֹרֵיהּ, הֲוָה מְהַפֵּךְ לֵיהּ מְחַבְּלָא). And because of this it was said to him: Do not look behind you (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אָמַר לֵיהּ: אַל תַּבֵּט אַחֲרֶיךָ), for I am destroying behind you (דְּהָא אֲנָא אֲחַבֵּל בַּתְרָךְ). And on this it is written: “And his wife looked from behind him” - and she saw the destroyer (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב: וַתַּבֵּט אִשְׁתּוֹ מֵאַחֲרָיו, וְחֲמַת מְחַבְּלָא). Then: “and she became a pillar of salt” (כְּדֵין וַתְּהִי נְצִיב מֶלַח). For whenever the destroyer does not see the face of a woman (דְּהָא בְּכָל זִמְנָא דְּמְחַבְּלָא לָא חָמֵי אַנְפּוֹי דְּבַּר נָשׁ) - some say: he does not strike unless he sees the face of a woman (נ״א: אֲחֲמֵי אַנְפֵי לְכָר נָשׁ) - he does not harm her (לָא מְחַבִּיל לֵיהּ). Once his wife turned her face to look behind him (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְּתֵּיהּ אֲהַדְּרַת אַנְפָּהָא לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא אַבַּתְרֵיהּ), immediately: “and she became a pillar of salt” (מִיָּד וַתְּהִי נִצָּב מֶלַח).

Rabbi El'azar and Rabbi Yose were once standing and investigating this verse (רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲווּ קָיְימֵי יוֹמָא חַד וְעָסְקֵי בְּהַאי קְרָא), Rabbi El'azar said: it is written (אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: כְּתִיב), “A land wherein you will eat bread not in poverty, you shall not lack anything in it” (Deuteronomy 8:9) (אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר לֹא בְמִסְכְּנוּת תֹּאכַל בָּהּ לֶחֶם, לֹא תֶחְסַר כֹּל בָּהּ). This “in it”, repeated twice - why? (הַאי בָּהּ בָּהּ תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי אַמַּאי) Rather, it has been said: Kudsha Berikh Hu distributed all peoples and their lands to be appointed to messengers (אֶלָּא הָא אִתְּמַר: דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא פָּלִיג כָּל עַמִּין וְאַרְעָאן לִמְמַנֵּי שְׁלִיחִין), but the land of Yisrael no angel and no appointed power rules over it - only He Himself alone (וְאַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לָא שַׁלִּיט בָּהּ מַלְאָכָא וְלָא מְמַנָּא אֲחֳרָא, אֶלָּא אִיהוּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי). For this reason He brought into it a people over whom no other rules, to a land over which no other rules (בְּגִין כָּךְ אָעִיל לְעַמָּא דְּלָא שַׁלִּיט בְּהוֹ אֲחֳרָא, לְאַרְעָא דְּלָא שָׁלִיט בָּהּ אָחֳרָא).

Come and see: Kudsha Berikh Hu provides sustenance there first, and afterward to the entire world (תָּא חֲזֵי: קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהִיב מְזוֹנָא תַּמָּן בְּקַדְמִיתָא וּלְבָתַר לְכָל עָלְמָא). All the other nations, worshippers of the stars and constellations, in poverty (כָּל שְׁאָר עַמִּין, עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, בְּמִסְכֵּנוּת), but the land of Yisrael not so (וְאַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לָאו הָכִי), rather, the land of Yisrael is nourished first, and afterward the entire world (אֶלָּא אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְּזָן בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וּלְבָתַר כָּל עָלְמָא). And for this reason it is said: “A land wherein you will not eat bread in poverty” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ: אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר לֹא בְּמִסְכְּנוּת תֹּאכַל בָּהּ לֶחֶם). Rather, in wealth and with complete sufficiency shall you eat in it, and not in any other place (אֶלָּא בְּעֲתִירוּ בְּסִפּוּקָא דְּכָלָּא תֹּאכַל בָּהּ, וְלָא בַּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא). “In it” - in the sanctity of the land (בָּהּ - בִּקְדִּישׁוּ דְּאַרְעָא), “in it” - dwells supreme faith (בָּהּ שַׁרְיָא מְהֵימְנוּתָא עִלָּאָה), “in it” - dwells the blessing from above (בָּהּ שַׁרְיָא בִּרְכְּתָא דִּלְעֵילָא), and not in any other place (וְלָא בַּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא).