ברע מלך סדום (לך לך יד:ב)

The holy Gaon Reb Yonasan Eibeshitz zt”l displayed extraordinary wisdom even as a young child. Once, his melamed (teacher) asked him, “What was the name of the king of Sedom?” The young Yonasan promptly answered, “ברע (Berah), as the pasuk says: ברע מלך סדום.”

The melamed challenged him: “But in פיטום הקטורת we say מלח סדומית רבע—so wasn’t his name רבע, not ברע?” Without hesitation, Reb Yonasan replied: “When Sedom was overturned, his name too was overturned—from רבע to ברע!’’