(כב) גׇּפְרִ֣ית וָמֶ֘לַח֮ שְׂרֵפָ֣ה כׇל־אַרְצָהּ֒ לֹ֤א תִזָּרַע֙ וְלֹ֣א תַצְמִ֔חַ וְלֹא־יַעֲלֶ֥ה בָ֖הּ כׇּל־עֵ֑שֶׂב כְּֽמַהְפֵּכַ֞ת סְדֹ֤ם וַעֲמֹרָה֙ אַדְמָ֣ה וּצְבֹיִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר֙ הָפַ֣ךְ יְהֹוָ֔ה בְּאַפּ֖וֹ וּבַחֲמָתֽוֹ׃
(22) all its soil devastated by sulfur and salt, beyond sowing and producing, no grass growing in it, just like the upheaval of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His fierce anger—
(כד) וַֽיהֹוָ֗ה הִמְטִ֧יר עַל־סְדֹ֛ם וְעַל־עֲמֹרָ֖ה גׇּפְרִ֣ית וָאֵ֑שׁ מֵאֵ֥ת יְהֹוָ֖ה מִן־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
(24) the LORD rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah sulfurous fire from the LORD out of heaven.
(ג) המטיר גפרית ואש. בַּתְּחִלָּה מָטָר, וְנַעֲשָׂה גָּפְרִית וָאֵשׁ:
(3) המטיר גפרית ואש HE RAINED BRIMSTONE AND FIRE — At first it was rain (מטר) to see whether they would repent and this was then turned into brimstone and fire (Midrash Tanchuma, Beshalach 15).
וכי משוא פנים יש בדבר אמר רבא אמר ר' יוחנן מדה יתירה היתה בירושלים שלא היתה בסדום דאילו בסדום כתיב (יחזקאל טז, מט) הנה זה היה עון סדום אחותך גאון שבעת לחם ויד עני ואביון לא החזיקה וגו' ואילו בירושלים כתיב (איכה ד, י) ידי נשים רחמניות בשלו ילדיהן
The Gemara asks: And is there partiality in the matter? Why was Jerusalem not overturned like Sodom? Rava says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: It is because there was an additional measure of suffering in Jerusalem that was not in Sodom, as with regard to Sodom it is written: “Behold this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom; pride, surfeit of bread and careless ease was in her and in her daughters; and yet she did not strengthen the hand of the poor and needy” (Ezekiel 16:49). The people of Sodom were not subject to the afflictions of hunger and famine. Whereas, with regard to Jerusalem it is written: “The hands of compassionate women cooked their own children” (Lamentations 4:10). The residents of Jerusalem were punished with great severity.
מדה יתירה לטובה - דבירושלים כתיב ידי נשים רחמניות בשלו ילדיהן היו לברות למו שהיתה מזמנת חברתה ואוכלת בנה אלמא רחמניות היו ואילו בסדום כתיב יד עני ואביון לא החזיקה ומדה זו כפרה עליהם שלא נהפכו:
There was an additional measure of goodness – that in Jerusalem, when it is written that with their own hands, merciful women cooked their children, they would eat that way, where she would invite her friend and she would eat her son, therefore they were still merciful and about Sodom it is written the hand of the poor and needy they did not strengthen, and this measure was atonement for them, that they did not accomplish.