Hassidout sur La Genèse 16:13

But his wife looked behind him: For the epitome of strength, which is the conquest of the [evil] impulse, is to close one's eyes from seeing evil. And that is why the letters of seeing are the same as the letters of fear, and likewise tzitzit, which hints to fear, as it is written in the Zohar, Shelach (175) [about tzitzit], "God's whip, etc., it's commandment is and you shall see it (Numbers 15:39)." For seeing the holy arouses fear, which is the opposite of the desire that is drawn out by seeing evil, as mentioned above in sections 35 and 42. And that is why Isaac merited holiness of sight. It is like [the sages], may their memory be blessed, said, that he saw the divine presence at [his] binding. And that is why his eyes had become dim (Genesis 27:1). Since with the strengthening of the spiritual, the physical is weakened. (And that is why Hagar, who was also from his level, as I have written in another place, since Hagar is the numerical equivalent of Isaac, said, Have I not gone on seeing after He saw me [Genesis 16:13]). And it has already been mentioned above, section 42, that the separating out of Sodom was through desire which is seeing the forbidden. However, Lot's wife was bad to people [which was a different shortcoming], like they, may their memory be blessed, said. However, she was not yet separated out. That is why her judgment was to be saved, until she looked behind him. For she did not exert the strength to conquer her eyes from seeing what she was warned [about]. Hence she died as part of Sodom, the land of which was burned by brimstone and salt, and she became a pillar of salt. And they, may their memory be blessed, said that Sodomite salt blinds the eyes, which is like the plague of blindness mentioned earlier in section 42. For salt are afflictions that sweeten. And that is the turning over of Sodom, meaning the exact opposite of the evil in strength was done, [there was] good strength to conquer the impulse, which is the blinding of evil eyes. And this is as mentioned above about had become dim. Therefore concluding water [to wash hands after the meal] is learned out from and you shall be holy (Leviticus 11:44), as it is written in the chapter [entitled] Kol HaBasar (107) and as it is written elsewhere, which is to say that it is upon the assistance from God, may He be blessed, after the first water, which is and you shall sanctify yourselves, like they, may their memory be blessed, said there, which is a person's preparation. And that is [the meaning of], "The first water is a commandment" (Chullin 105a), whereas the concluding water is something that is obligatory and necessary. It follows that once there is arousal from below, an arousal of holiness comes to him from above, so that there is no need for afflictions and Sodomite salt. Hence concluding water protects from Sodomite salt, as it is written (Eruvin 17b). And that is why a quarter kav-measure [of it] also goes into the incense. For the incense [ketoret] is a rectification of the plague that comes for the matter with Peor, which is sexual licentiousness, and the thick cloud of incense smoke darkens evil eyes. And likewise, it is stated about Sodom, the smoke [kitur] of the land like the smoke of a kiln (Genesis 19:28). And a quarter kav-measure is [the equivalent of] six eggs, meaning the six edges of desire, for the equivalent of an egg is the completeness of desire, as they, may their memory be blessed, said (Yoma 80a) [that] the esophagus can hold the equivalent of an egg; and sexual licentiousness is also referred to with an expression of eating — she eats and wipes her mouth (Proverbs 30:20).