וַיֹּ֨סֶף ע֜וֹד לְדַבֵּ֤ר אֵלָיו֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר אוּלַ֛י יִמָּצְא֥וּן שָׁ֖ם אַרְבָּעִ֑ים וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֔ה בַּעֲב֖וּר הָאַרְבָּעִֽים׃
Sekali lagi ia berbicara kepada-Nya, katanya, “Barangkali di sana hanya didapati empat puluh orang.” Ia berfirman, “Aku tidak akan melakukannya demi yang empat puluh itu.”
Kav HaYashar
Therefore one should not neglect submitting to lashes at least once a month. This is what our forefather Avraham was alluding to when he said to Hashem, “Perhaps there will be found there forty [righteous men]” (Bereishis 18:29). As the Zohar (1:104b) clarifies the meaning: “Perhaps there will be found there individuals who submit themselves to the forty lashes,” to which Hashem responded, “I will not destroy, etc.”