Salty Solutions

The Zohar says that the three men Avrohom saw were the three Avos.  How could Avrohom see them if two of them didn’t exist yet and one of them is himself?  The possuk says וירא אליו, why doesn’t it say whom Hashem appeared to?

The Meor Einayim says that the parsha contains a lesson for all of us.  That’s why it doesn’t say who Hashem came to for the Torah is hinting that there is a lesson when Hashem comes to every individual.  He says Hashem comes to every individual in אלוני ממרא, meaning at the strength of one’s rebellions against Hashem.   Where a person finds it the hardest, that is where Hashem appears to him.  That is where he is given the opportunity to shine.  How? והוא יושב פתח האהל כחום היום, the doorway is opened for him when he feels the passion of the thoughts of teshuva implanted in his mind by Hashem.  In his words -זהו וירא אליו ה׳ כתב סתם ולא כתב אל אברהם כי קאי על כל אחד מישראל שמתראה אליו השם יתברך דהיינו אפילו רשע גדול ח״ו מתראה אליו השם יתברך דהיינו הרהורי תשובה שבאים לו כנ״ל והוא יושב פתח האוהל פירוש שזה פותחים לו פתח כחום היום כשבא לו התלהבות הרהורי תשובה.  Continues the parsha, וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּה֙ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֔ים נִצָּבִ֖ים עָלָ֑יו וַיַּ֗רְא וַיָּ֤רׇץ לִקְרָאתָם֙ מִפֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֔הֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ אָֽרְצָה.  The Meor Einayim explains in his vein that a person takes to heart the feelings of teshuva inspired within him and feelings a great desire to be able to reach the maasim of the Avos (Tanna D’ve Eliyahu Ch. 23,) and completely nullifies himself before Hashem.  In his words - וישא עיניו פירוש כשמגביה השכל שלו וירא והנה שלשה אנשים אברהם יצחק ויעקב רצה לומר שהוא מדריגת האבות שהיו מרכבה לשמו הגדול. וירא וירץ לקראתם שאומר מתי יגיע מעשי למעשי אבותי ורוצה להגיע גם כן למדריגה זו להיות מרכבה אליו יתברך שילך רק למקום שהוא יתברך רוצה. מפתח האוהל מאותו פתח שפתחו לו כנ״ל ואז וישתחו לאפיו השתחואה הוא המשכה שממשיך המשכה לבחינת ארציות והבן. 

The lesson is that it is where a person feels that they are most distant from Hashem that can be the mode to bring a person the closest to Him. This is the lesson of Chazal (Midrash 41:4) אמר רבי יצחק (תהלים פט): מצאתי דוד עבדי. היכן מצאתיו? בסדום:  How can it be that Dodiv arises from a place that was so bad it had to be eradicated?  In the Sedom of every individual, in the lowliest aspects of the soul, there is the opportunity for Dovid to rise up.  Only where there can be an opening for such rebellion against Hashem can there be opportunity for the tremendous bittul.  The reason for all the lack of normal civilized conduct in Sedom was because of its great spiritual potential.  Because it had such great energy without anything to contain it, things went haywire.  Ultimately that power is harnessed in Dovid Hamelech.  That is why the possuk in Yechezkal (16:53) says וְשַׁבְתִּי֙ אֶת־שְׁבִ֣יתְהֶ֔ן אֶת־שְׁב֚וּת (כתיב שְׁב֚יּת) סְדֹם֙ וּבְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ.  Once Moshiach is here, the great spiritual power of Sedom can be harnessed in the proper vessels and it can be inhabited again (Likutay Sichos volume 35.)

The Sefer Gilgulay Nishomos from the Rammah M’pano says עידית אשתו של לוט אין לה גלגול, דכתיב עד היום הזה, ובמשנה ג"כ הרואה אשתו של לוט (מאי) מברך כו', כי נשמתה היא דוממת, וכל מה שמלחכים ממנו הבהמות חוזרה לקדמותה הראשון, ותיקונה הוא על כל קרבנך תקריב מלח, וכן על השלחן שהוא מזבח צריך מל"ח מח"ל לח"ם.  What does this mean, how it putting salt on bread or a korban a תיקון for Lot’s wife and why can’t she get our of her salted state?  Why was the wife of Lot transformed into a pillar of salt of all things?  Salt in it of itself is not a food.  One can't eat large amounts of salt strait for it is too bitter.  It is merely meant to enhance, enrich and bring out the qualities of another food.  When one faces salty patches in life, s/he can't get stuck in them for it will just bring a person down.  Those bitter moments and struggles are productive only if used to bring a person to open the door to climb to greater heights, as we learnt from the Meor Einayim.  The mistake of Lot's wife was that she couldn't pull herself away from the salt of Sedom.  She couldn't go forward with the knowledge of her actions as a Sedomite for so many years.  Hence, she became a salt stick of shame and pain and her whole essence became transformed into salt and she couldn’t go further.  That is why the תיקון for this is to add salt to our bread and korbanot for then we are using the salt to elevate us to come closer to Hashem, we don’t become submerged in salt, but elevate it.  We are taking our אלוני ממרא and using it for the positive, not being consumed in it.  (Based upon Avodas Halevi and lecture by Rabbi Y.Y. Jacobson.)