Musar do Hioba 5:24

The fact that Isaac's features reflected those of his father Abraham is pointed out by Rashi on Genesis 25,19. Rebeccah's features were like those of Sarah, as the Zohar points out on Genesis 24,67: ויביאה יצחק האהלה שרה אמו, "Isaac brought her (Rebeccah) into the tent of his mother Sarah." Rabbi Yossi questioned why the Torah did not say לאהל שרה אמו. He explains that the letter ה at the beginning of a word indicates that this was a special tent, the one that contained the Presence of the שכינה. As long as Sarah had been alive, G–d's Presence had never departed from that tent; Sarah had kept a light burning from one Sabbath Eve to the next. This light went out when Sarah died. Now that Rebeccah entered, it began burning again. The reason that the verse mentions Sarah by name, [after all we all know that Isaac's mother was Sarah! Ed.] is to tell us that Rebeccah was like Sarah in all respects. Rabbi Yehudah adds that just as Isaac's features resembled those of his father so much that he was frequently mistaken for Abraham, so Rebeccah's features resembled those of Sarah to such an amazing degree that this had to be emphasized. The Torah points out that Isaac was comforted so as to show us that this was because he had found such a perfect replacement for his mother. The Torah deliberately avoids saying that Isaac was consoled over Sarah's death, but mentions only אחרי אמו, to show that he found continuity. Thus far the Zohar.

As for why the house was destroyed in the first place, there are three reasons: The first is that it contained a beam, board or stone that was stolen or purchased with ill-gotten money. This resembles plague of the house, which later spreads to the entire structure. The second reason is that the one who built it was violent and unjust towards his neighbors and misappropriated land that did not belong to him. The third reason is that even if no injustice was involved in the construction of the house, the builder had in mind only his physical welfare and enjoyment and did not intend that his actions be for the sake of Heaven. He did not consider, for example, which corner of the house would be designated for his fixed times for study and which for prayer. Moreover, thought alone is not sufficient, for one must actually make these designations verbally, as is clear from the following passage from the Zohar (Parashas Tazria 50a): When a person builds a house just as soon as he begins work he must mention that he is building it to serve the Holy One Blessed is He. Then Heaven’s assistance will settle upon it and the Holy One Blessed is He will imbue it with sanctity and pronounce over it, “Peace!” Thus it is written, “And you shall know that in your tent there is peace and you shall instruct your dwelling place and not sin” (Iyov 5:24). That is, you must give instruction verbally when you build it; then you will “not sin.”

Rabbi Tuviah interprets the words "tents" as referring to two women since the place of women is in the tents. Rabbi Yitzchak also understands the verse in that sense although he draws his inference from the word הנמצאות. Perhaps this is also the inference to be drawn from the Torah's report about the exploits of the four kings. As soon as they had captured Lot, they went on their way, i.e. 11 ,14) ויקחו את לוט … וילכו). Although the four kings had never set eyes on Ruth and Naomi they had seen through their horoscopes the role that Lot's issue would play in the history of the Jewish people, and their prime purpose became to prevent the emergence of a Jewish people and thus to frustrate the concept of the Messiah and what he represents. This is the reason why Abraham set out immediately to rescue Lot and to pursue those kings and their armies. He also rescued the king of Sodom and his people in the process, seeing that in Messianic times even the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be restored, something we know on the authority of Ezekiel 16,53-55.