Vayeira 5778

Why were the cities of Sodom and Amorrah severely punished to the point of total annihilation? The Ramban answers because they were situated within the borders of Eretz Yisroel, and the land could not tolerate their wickedness. It is written in Parshas Kedoshim and Acharei Mos that the land spits out those who don't maintain the sanctity of area. Because they were the most evil of people who despised others as well as G-d, they were completely uprooted and destroyed to the point that the land could never sustain another city there again. G-d then used these cities as examples for Bnei Yisroel in Parshas Nitzavim (29:22), saying this will be their fate for not keeping the Torah.