It states (18:20) כי וחטאתם רבה כי ועמורה סדום זעקת מאד כבדה, "The shouts of Sodom and Amorah have become great, and their sin has become very grave."
Tiferes Shlomo asks: (1) What is the meaning of ועמורה סדום זעקת, "The shouts of Sodom and Amorah"? The Torah doesn't tell us what type of shouting happened there. (2) Apparently, their shouting is the same as מאד כבדה כי וחטאתם, "Their sin has become very grave," so why does it state the same matter twice?
Tiferes Shlomo answers that Sodom and Amorah had two aveiros: they sinned ben adam l'chaveiro and ben adam l'makom. The pasuk is discussing these two aveiros. זעקת רבה כי ועמורה סדום, "The shouts of Sodom and Amorah have become very grave." This refers to their sins ben adam l'chaveiro. וחטאתם מאד כבדה כי, "Their sin has become very grave", this is for their aveiros ben adam l'makom. If it weren't for both aveiros, they wouldn’t be punished. Even if they had grave sins ben adam l'makom, against Hashem, but if they were at peace and on good terms with their fellow man, Hashem would forgive them. This is because Chazal (Rosh Hashanah 17a) tell us, "Whoever is maavir al midosov (he forgives others), all of his aveiros are forgiven." The source is from the pasuk (Michah 7:18) עון נושא פשע על ועובר, "Who does Hashem forgive? Those who are forgiving others."
So, if the people of Sodom and Amora would only be sinning against Hashem, their sins could be atoned for. However, it wasn't so. ועמורה סדום זעקת, there were great shouts of machlokes and pain in Sodom and Amora. People were cruel to one another. Therefore, מאד כבדה כי וחטאתם, they were punished for their aveiros.
Similarly, Hashem said to Kayin (Bereishis 4:7) שאת תיטיב אם הלוא, if you are kind to others, I will forgive your sins. In the merit that you are kind towards your fellow man, Hashem will be kind to you. Kayin replied that this won't apply to him. He said (ibid. 4:13) עווני גדול משנוא, "My sin is too great to be forgiven. I killed my brother Hevel, so how can I arouse Hashem's compassion on me, to forgive me for this sin?"
It states (Bereishis 2:18) היות טוב לא אלקים 'ה ויאמר כנגדו עזר לו אעשה לבדו האדם, "Hashem said, "It is not good that man is alone. I shall make him a helper opposite him." כנגדו, opposite, can be translated as the other person opposes him (see Rashi). The Tiferes Shlomo explains that it isn't good for man to be alone because when he sins, how will he attain atonement? But when there are other people in the world, and he is kind to them, this will help him attain forgiveness for his aveiros that he sins ben adam l'makom.
The Tiferes Shlomo explains: "The עזר, help, is that there is someone who is כנגדו, goes against him, and nevertheless, he forgives him. This will result in Hakadosh Baruch Hu forgiving him for his aveiros." Opposition and living with difficult people are good for us. When we forgive them, when we overlook the trouble they cause us, we merit that Hashem will also forgive us.
If someone harms you in some way, realize that this is from Hashem, and for your benefit. Hashem is helping you attain atonement for all your aveiros.
Chazal (Gitin 36b) say, שומעין עולבים ואינן הנעלבין הכתוב עליהן ביסורין ושמחין מאהבה עושין משיבין ואין חרפתן בגבורתו השמש כצאת ואוהביו אומר, "Those who are humiliated and they don't answer back, they hear their mortification and don't respond, they serve Hashem with love and are happy with yesurim, about them it states (Shoftim 5:31) בגבורתו השמש כצאת ואוהביו, "Those who love Him are like the sun when he goes forth in his might." Why are they compared to the sun? The Maharsha explains that about the sun, it states (Tehillim 19:7) מחמתו נסתר ואין, "Nothing is hidden from his heat." This means the sun's kingship rules over the entire world. No one can escape the sun's heat and influence. So, too, those who are shamed and humiliated and don’t respond are like the sun. This means that they have rulership. The Maharsha writes, "The Torah gives him kingship and rulership".
A person should know the incredible strength he attains after someone humiliates him. How much he can accomplish at this time, when he has וממשלתו מלכותו, rulership and kingship. He becomes like a king, and his tefillos and his brachos have exceptional strength when he is silent after being humiliated.
Let us return to the Chazal we quoted above: Chazal (Gitin 36b) say, עולבים ואינן הנעלבין ביסורין ושמחין מאהבה עושין משיבין ואין חרפתן שומעין, "Those who are humiliated and they don't answer back, they hear their mortification and don't respond, they serve Hashem with love and are happy with yesurim..." What does it mean that they are happy with their yesurim? It might mean that whatever yesurim they have (poverty, illness, etc., whatever it is), they are happy with it. If this is the explanation, Chazal is discussing various qualities: It is referring to people who don't answer back when humiliated... and they are happy when they have yesurim. Their reward is בגבורתו השמש כצאת ואוהביו, "Those who love Him are like the sun when he goes forth in his might," as we wrote above.
However, Rashi has another explanation. On the words ביסורים שמחים, "they are happy with their yesurim", Rashi (Shabbos 88b) writes עליהם הבאה עליבה על, that they are happy with the yesurim of the humiliation that they endured. So, according to Rashi, the Gemara is discussing people who are silent when humiliated, and in addition, they are even happy that they endure these yesurim. They are happy because they know that at this time, they will become בגבורתו השמש כצאת אוהביו, like the sun. This means that they will rule like the sun rules, and they will receive the power of tefillah and of giving brachos.
Until now, we followed Maharsha's explanation, why those who are humiliated and remain silent are compared to the sun. It is to tell us that they are given the power to rule, like the sun rules. The Meiri has another explanation for why these people are compared to the sun. Initially, the sun and moon were created the same size, equally large and bright. The moon complained that it isn't proper for two kings to wear the same crown. Essentially, the moon was trying to humiliate the sun and lessen the sun's light. But as a result of this humiliation, the sun didn't lose; the moon lost. Hakadosh Baruch Hu said to the moon, עצמך את והמעיטי לכי, "Go make yourself small. If you both can't wear the crown, you shall be
