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A Little Place
Rabbi Yoni began the discussion with “their outrage so great, so grave their sin.” It was both outrage and sin, meaning two crimes. What was the sin? It was the defiling of human beings. What was the outrage? It was devouring these human beings alive.
These victims were the prisoners from war of four kings against five. As is written, “give me the persons, and take the possessions for yourself.” The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah had faced these men in battle; they had seen and fled before their awesome strength. When Abram and his retainers had caught the victorious armies, he had ambushed them utterly unaware. Terrified by Abram, for the glory of Hashem was with him, most surrendered. Those who fled were pursued and captured, as is written, “he pursued them as far as Hobah”. Why then does Abram give over the spoils to the king of Sodom? Abram wanted nothing from this war between wicked men but to rescue his kinsman Lot, and took only from the spoil to cover his expenses.
Now, Sodom was a wicked idolatrous nation but its most abominable rites were practiced by warriors. When the men of Sodom were victorious in battle, they would strip the defeated warriors, bind their hands and lead them before the city, their shame exposed. And onlookers would laugh and pelt them with dung. But this was merely to break their pride. The captives would then be distributed among the households of the victorious warriors.
Here the women of Sodom would give the victims of a modicum of comfort, give them their first food and water since capture, loosen their bonds a little, even tend to their wounds. The warriors would treat their victim as they saw fit. Most would have their way with them, but some would do no more than employ their captive in tasks about the house. But certain rules were strictly observed. The victim was never permitted to cloth himself or hide his nakedness in anyway. And, most importantly, he was never permitted to escape the house or learn of the others’ fate. Great lengths were taken to prevent such a disaster. Many were never unbound or were kept in a cage. At least, they were bound or caged when the household was asleep. Some, who did not want to put their captive to work, would break his feet and even his hands leaving the victim helpless and distraught. This was largely unnecessary, for with all but most resilient of spirits, the mere humiliation he had suffered would transform the victim into the most docile of sheep, unable to act but on the command of his master.
Each month, when the moon was at her zenith, the warriors of Sodom would meet at their cult place and one would bring his victim as the sacrifice. The victim would be laid across the stone and the warriors would line up to have their turn with him. If his keeper had been so kind to educate him in the art of the mouth, they would come at him from both ends. Each warrior would carry his knife. And as he came, he would make a small incision in the man’s flesh and suck a mouthful of his blood. As the debauchery would reach a frenzied pitch, some would enter where others had cut, sometimes four or five at one time. The victim would endure this with increasing despair as each cut and thrust rammed his lifeblood out. And when the spirit would finally leave him, the warriors would silt his throat and pour out any remaining blood into a great bowl. And from this bowl they would drink and splash the blood upon their bodies and upon the altar, saying it would give them great strength in battle. The lifeless body was then cast into the fire and burned to dust.
This rite had long ensnared the warriors of Sodom and as captives grew scarce they would start new wars to rejuvenate the supply. But when the four kings routed the five and the Sodomites were put to flight, they did not think that their great outrages had destroyed their strength. They thought rather that the rite had not been practiced thoroughly enough.
The captives gathered were exceedingly numerous. For not only were all the warriors of the four kings taken prisoner, but also Amorite and Amalekite captives, as is written “On the way back…” . The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah set to performing the accursed rite each and every night, sometimes taking two or three victims in a single night. The warriors of Sodom grew so depraved that some cared for no other food than human blood. When in at last the captives supply began to dwindle, the Sodomites began to seek more captives to fulfill their thirst. This is then why, Lot’s virgin daughters are rejected in favor of the strange men, and in the height of their infamy the men of Sodom came for Lot himself.
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