BAIS HAVAAD ON THE PARSHA 5772 PARSHAS VAYERA MIDAS SEDOM

"Do Me a Favor!" – Parameters of Midas Sedom This week's Parasha includes the terrible description of how Sodom was destroyed. The verses do not tell us much about the deeds of Sodom's inhabitants, yet Chazal reveal their underlying attitude: "What is mine, is mine, and what is yours, is yours." We dedicate this week's journal to the discussion of midas sedom, the character trait of Sodom, in both a moral and halachic sense. What is midas sedom, and why does it constitute such a grave character flaw? What halachic ramifications does this trait have? Does beis din enforce ethical behavior, or not? And how does this impact our everyday lives?