יחזקאל, פרק ט״ז, פסוק נ״ו

During its era of peace and great success, Jerusalem lived in the historical shadow of Sodom's bitter fate. The prophet's rebuke centers entirely on how the city reacted to that ancient disaster. According to one perspective, the people simply ignored the lesson. They failed to pay attention to Sodom’s sins and its sudden destruction. Instead of using that tragic history to warn their own citizens that all arrogance eventually leads to ruin, they remained blind to the past [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Another approach understands the prophet's message not as a statement of silence, but as a sharp rhetorical question. From this viewpoint, Jerusalem actually spoke about Sodom constantly. The city used Sodom's downfall to rebuke the masses, warning them to avoid a similar end, discussing the ancient disaster as if it were recent news [רש״י]. Jerusalem openly despised Sodom, using its name as a curse and a threat against others. Yet, in a tragic irony, Jerusalem went on to commit acts even more terrible than Sodom, ultimately bringing a similar punishment upon itself [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד].

This harsh criticism is directed specifically at Jerusalem's period of greatness, governance, and tranquility. During these successful times, a deep sense of haughtiness took over the city. The people of Judah did not just suffer from a single, isolated instance of arrogance. Instead, they found many different reasons to be proud and boastful while enjoying their security and wealth [רד״ק, מצודת ציון].