This week's parasha contains the first mention of the Dead Sea in the Torah. When was it formed? Was it created during the Six Days of Creation, or at a later point in history? Was it once a freshwater lake? Has the surrounding area always been a desert? What halachic implications stem from these facts? What lessons should this location inspire in us? Is the Dead Sea a healing site, or does it contain extremely dangerous minerals? Is putting the sea’s water in one’s eyes considered a medicinal act which is forbidden on Shabbos? What is the reason behind the mitzva of washing Mayim Achronim? Is any blessing recited upon seeing the Dead Sea or a stalactite cave? These questions and others are the focus of this week's article.
The Dead Sea: Cure or Hazard?
In this week’s parasha, we read about the first war in history, the war of the four kings against the five kings of Sodom and nearby cities. The Torah states that the battle took place (Bereshis 14:3), “In the Valley of Siddim, now the Salt Sea.” Rashi, based on Midrashim (Bereshis Rabbah 42:5, Midrash Aggadah on Bereshis 14:3, Yalkut Shimoni Lech Lecha 72; Pesiksa Zutra on Bereshis 14:3; Targum Yonason), explains that this once fertile valley, later became the Dead Sea. The Midrash writes that the surrounding mountains split open, and water flowed into the newly formed valley, creating the Dead Sea. However, the Midrash and Rashi do not specify when this event occurred. When did the fertile fields in the valley transform into a desolate desert, where almost nothing grows? When did this paradise become the “Sea of Death?
In the following article we will explore the Torah’s view on the Dead Sea and several halachic questions related to it.
When Did The Fertile Valley Of Siddim Become The Dead Sea?
The Gemara (Sanhedrin 109a) explains that the psukim in Iyov (28:5-10): “A land from which bread emerged, and its place was as though turned into fire” as referring to Sodom. Similarly, the Midrash Tanchuma (Lech Lecha, 8) states that the pasuk in Tehilim (107:33): “He makes rivers into a desert, and springs of water into an arid place” also refer to the Valley of Siddim. This area, which was once as nourishing as breasts for a baby, became barren as a result of its inhabitants’ sins.
The Torah (Bereshis 13:10) also tells us: “And Lot lifted his eyes and saw the entire plain of the Jordan, that it was well-watered, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Aomorrah, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, until Zoar.” In other words, the entire valley of the Jordan was once a well-irrigated, fertile area, akin to Eden or Egypt, which was regularly irrigated by the Nile. This reality changed with the destruction of Sodom.
Later Torah commentators, such as Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (Bereshis 13:10; 14:3), the Malbim (Bereshis 13:10; 14:3), the Netziv (Ha'amek Davar, Bereshis 13:10; 14:3), and others, explain that, indeed, until the destruction of Sodom, the Jordan River and other water sources irrigated the area along with the entire Jordan plain, making it one of the richest and most fertile areas on earth. With the destruction of these cities, the mountains split open, and the once-fertile land became a barren desert, filled with sulfur and salt. The rivers that once nourished the land became the Dead Sea, incompatible with life.
Unique Topography
The Dead Sea’s unique topography also suggests its accursed nature. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth, with its lowest point being 730 meters below sea level. The mountains surrounding the Dead Sea are called Matzok Ha’etekim (מצוק ההעתקים), which translates to "the Cliffs of the Faults" or "the Cliffs of the Escarpments." This name refers to the dramatic, steep cliffs formed along the valley, illustrating the commentator’s description of “the mountains splitting open”. The Dead Sea and entire Jordan Rift Valley descend from 208 meters below sea level at the Kinneret, to a 430 meter drop below sea level at the Dead Sea. The only places on Earth even remotely comparable in depth are Lake Assal in Djibouti, which is 155 meters below sea level, and the Turpan Depression in northwestern China, which reaches a similar depth.
This unique geological feature creates many natural phenomena. The salt and sulphur deposits in the earth combined with the significant water flow from the Jordan River and rainwater that flow from the Judean mountains result in a water source with an extremely high evaporation rate. The Dead Sea is a lake with a salinity level of almost 35% salts and minerals. This concentration is the highest natural water salinity on Earth, more than ten times saltier than the ocean.
The Midrash (Bereshis Rabbah 51:4) states: "Rabbi Yehoshua said: 'Even the plants of the earth were stricken.' Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: 'To this day, if one collects water from the air in Sodom and pours it on a garden bed, it will not grow.'" This means that the air of Sodom is still contaminated with sulphurs that kill all life in the region.
Geographic-Spiritual Warning
The transformation of this once-blessed area into the most accursed of lands serves as a warning to humanity to utilize G-d’s gifts properly. As the Torah states (Devarim 29:21-22): "And all the nations will see the plagues of that land and the sicknesses which the Lord has laid upon it. Its entire land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste, not sown, nor does it sprout, and no grass grows there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Amorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and wrath."
One might draw similar comparison for other lands with rich natural resources, which humans misused and turned into wastelands. The picturesque Gaza beaches are one sad example of this.
Point of Creation
We do not know precisely what occurred during the destruction of Sodom. What was the topography of the Jordan Valley before it was overturned? Did all the abundant water flowing into the area simply irrigate the fertile fields and get absorbed in the rich soil, or was there also a natural freshwater lake in the area? What minerals and salts were present before the destruction? It is noted that the region contained gold mines and clay pits, which contributed to the wealth of the local inhabitants. What happened to it all?
Rabbenu Saadia Gaon (Emunos v'Deos, Maamar 8) explains that a freshwater lake always existed in that location, as it says in the pasuk that the Jordan Valley was "well-watered." However, with the destruction of Sodom, the freshwater lake became the Dead Sea. In the End of Days, it will revert into a freshwater lake, as prophesied by the prophet Yechezkel. He concluded that the salinity of the Dead Sea proves that the Final Redemption has not yet arrived. (This serves as one of many arguments against the Christian claim that the Messiah has already come.)
Indication that the Dead Sea existed as a freshwater lake from the time of Creation is also implied by a passage in the Gemara (Bava Basra 74b). The Gemara expounds on the pasuk (Tehilim 24:2), "For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers," explaining that G-d surrounded the Land of Israel with seven seas and four rivers. One of them is the Sea of Sodom, implying that the sea always existed in its current location.
Rabbi Betzalel Stern, rabbi of Melbourne, addresses this point in his work B'Tzel HaChochma (Vol. 2, Chapter 12), raising the question of how the Gemara could say the Dead Sea existed from Creation when it was formed after the destruction of Sodom. He explains that the Gemara’s intent is to describe the physical state of the Land of Israel when G-d gave it to the Jewish people, not necessarily at the point of creation. He also explains various Midrashic opinions (Bereshis Rabbah 23:7), suggesting that at creation also the Mediterranean Sea did not reach the shores of Israel. Only after the generation of Enosh sinned and G-d flooded a third of the world and then the Great Flood did the sea extend to Israel’s coastline.
The Dead Sea in the End of Days
In Yechezkeil’s prophecy of the Messianic era and rebuilding of the Third Temple, two specific predictions are made about the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley -- sites which turned from abundant blessing to a symbol of curse. The first prophecy (Yechezkeil 47:8-12) describes a spring which will bubble forth from the Beis Hamikdash: “This water is going out to the eastern frontier, and will descend upon the plain, and come to the sea, to the sea that is brought out, and the waters will be healed. And every living creature that will swarm wherever the two streams will go, will live, and the fish will be very abundant, for these waters have come there, and wherever the stream flows, they shall be healed and live. And it will be [a place] beside which fishermen will stand, from Ein-Gedi to Ein-Eglaim; a place for spreading nets they will be; their fish will be of many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea, very many.” On the banks of the stream, fruit trees will grow, with their fruit serving as food, and their leaves as healing remedies.
In a second prophecy, Yechezkeil (16:53-56) foretells: "I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters... and Sodom, your sister, was not a word in your mouth on the day of your pride." This indicates that Sodom and its surrounding cities will return to their former grandeur and will no longer be a symbol of curse. The pasuk in Tehillim (107:35) also hints that this transformation is part of the Final Redemption: "He turns the wilderness into pools of water, and parched land into springs of water."
Reciting Oseh Ma'aseh Bereshis Upon Seeing the Dead Sea
Is the blessing "Oseh Ma'aseh Bereshis" recited upon seeing the Dead Sea and the surrounding mountains? This question has been addressed by contemporary Halachic authorities. On the one hand, Halacha states that one recites the blessing of "Oseh Ma'aseh Bereshis" when witnessing large, impressive natural formations, such as vast lakes and unique mountains. The striking view of the Dead Sea, with its almost vertical cliffs and dark blue waters below, creates a magnificent sight which draws visitors from around the world. This suggests that one could recite the blessing on the view, without considering the origins of the Dead Sea.
However, the Gemara (Brachos 59b) rules that the lower part of the Euphrates River, though mighty and impressive, does not warrant this blessing, because the Persians altered its natural course. This introduces a doubt: If the Dead Sea was formed after the Six Days of Creation, perhaps no blessing should be recited upon seeing it as well?
Halachic Opinions
Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv and Rabbi Shmuel Wosner express uncertainty whether the reason for not blessing on the lower Euphrates is because it did not exist since creation or because it was humanly altered. Due to this doubt, they ruled not to bless the full "Oseh Ma'aseh Bereshis" with the mention of G-d's name on the Dead Sea. One may recite the blessing without G-d’s name, however.
The Yaavetz and Tiferes Yisrael held that blessings are recited even on smaller lakes, mentioning the Dead Sea and the Kinneret as examples, implying there is no issue with the fact that the Dead Sea may have formed after creation.
Some authorities, such as Rabbi Ben Zion Abba Shaul and Rabbi Nissim Karelitz, similarly permitted reciting the full blessing, emphasizing that even if the Dead Sea was formed after the Six Days of Creation, it was still Divinely formed, and thus qualifies for the blessing.
However, the Minchas Elazar of Munkatch, citing the Jewish traveler Rabbi Yehosef Schwartz (a pioneering Jewish geographer and scholar best known for his work in mapping the Land of Israel and studying its geography through the lens of Torah sources), takes a different approach. He argues that since the Dead Sea resulted from a curse—due to the destruction of Sodom—one should refrain from reciting a blessing on it.
Stalactite Caves
The issue of reciting blessing on natural formations that developed over time, such as the impressive stalactite caves, also sparked debate. Some rabbis are hesitant, but Rabbi Ben Zion Abba Shaul rules that one should indeed recite a blessing upon seeing them, even though they developed naturally over centuries.
Mayim Achronim
Another law related to the Dead Sea and Sodom is the obligation of washing Mayim Achronim after a meal. The Gemara (Chulin 105a) and Shulchan Aruch (OC 181) provide two reasons for this obligation:
- Hygiene: Hands get soiled during the meal, and it is improper to recite Birkas HaMazon with dirty hands.
- Danger of Sodomite Salt: Even a minuscule grain of Sodomite salt can cause blindness if it enters the eyes. Therefore, thorough washing is necessary to eliminate any trace of it. This salt is so potent that even when mixed with a large quantity of regular salt—up to 250 to 430 liters of sea salt—its harmful effects remain. Chazal, concerned that one’s hands may have touched such salt during a meal, required handwashing to prevent any risk of transferring Sodomite salt to the eyes.
Because of the second reason, Chazal emphasize that the obligation of washing Mayim Achronim is a matter of safety, and thus stricter than washing before the meal.
Immersing in the Dead Sea on Shabbos
While the law of Mayim Achronim seems to indicate the danger involved in minerals originating from the area, there is another law that seems to contradict it. The Gemara (Shabbos 108b) recounts a story in which Ravin accompanied Rabbi Yirmiya along the shores of the Dead Sea. Ravin asked if it was permissible to rinse the eye with the waters of the Dead Sea on Shabbos, given that these waters have medicinal properties. Rabbi Yirmiya replied that since rinsing the eye is not necessarily a medicinal activity, it would be permitted on Shabbos. However, Ravin then asked if deliberately opening and closing the eye to enhance healing would also be allowed, Rabbi Yirmiya replied that he had not heard of any leniency in this regard, and it should be forbidden.
Moreover, the Gemara (Shabbos 109a), as understood by most early commentators (Rashi, Tosafos, Rivan, Meiri, and the Ran), rules that bathing in the Dead Sea on Shabbos is prohibited because the only reason that people bathe in it is for healing. The Rambam (Mishne Torah, Shabbos 21:29), however, argues that the prohibition stems from the discomfort (pain) caused by bathing in such salty water.
Nowadays, the Dead Sea is recognized both as a recreational tourist site and a healing destination. Tourists come from all over the world both to see the sights and enjoy its therapeutic properties, mineral mud, and exposure to natural UV rays. These treatments are known to treat various skin and joint diseases. However, in Talmudic times, bathing in the Dead Sea was considered painful, and people only did it for medicinal reasons.
Healing Powers or Hidden Dangers
The above two halachos seem to contradict each other: If the waters of the Dead Sea are dangerous to the eyes and can cause blindness, how can they also heal the eyes and other ailments?
The Meiri (Shabbos 108b) addresses this question, pointing out that the Gemara records Rav Yosef saying, “Sodom is overturned, and so are the words.” According to some versions, the phrase is “its salt is overturned.” Rav Yosef's statement reflects the irony that, although Sodomite salt can cause blindness, the waters of the nearby Dead Sea can heal it.
The Meiri explains that while the salt itself is very strong and harmful even in small quantities, when it is mixed with water, it has healing properties. The Meiri adds another reason: like many medications, the waters of the Dead Sea can heal the sick, and harm the healthy.
