Musar zu Bereschit 14:21

I will cite for you here a passage from the Zohar, Parashas Lech Lecha (Zohar Chadash 31b) that is pertinent to this discussion: [It is stated,] “And the king of Sedom said to Avram, etc.” (Bereishis 14:21). The moment the soul leaves the body of a righteous person it passes by the entrance to Gehinnom. There it is filled with the desire to call out to Hashem. For such is the power of the righteous that through their prayers they are able to extricate the wicked from Gehinnom. Then the Prince of Gehinnom, who is also called the “King of Sedom,” confronts the soul of the righteous man, called Av Ram [“Exalted Father”], to prevent him from praying for this purpose. For of what use is his assignment if even those who have already been delivered to him can be taken out of his control and authority?So the King of Sedom, the Prince of Gehinnom, says to the righteous man, “You are righteous, so what business do you have extricating the wicked who failed to heed the voices of parents and teachers and who were brazen towards the scholars? It is because of this that they belong to me, for they are wicked and deserve to be lost! “Indeed, those who sinned profusely but eventually heeded the words of their parents and teachers, and accepted the dictates of scholars — even if they did not actually repent at all — they are called the ‘property’ of the righteous, for they caused them at least to contemplate repentance. Such wicked you may extricate from Gehinnom, for they are fitting to be saved by your prayers.”