Vayerah 2022
1Lot Sometimes there are no good solutions.
2Abraham was blessed by God with the promise of success for himself and for the entire world on his behalf. In last week’s Parsha the opening Psukim describe these promises. “I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name (reputation) great, and you will be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you, and will curse those who curse you, and the entire world will be blessed on account of you.” (Gen 12:2-3). For some reason, these blessings did not find their way to Abraham’s nephew Lot. The Psukim immediately following the above blessing suggest that Lot would be carried along on Abraham’s coat tails; “And Avram went as God had suggested, and Lot went with him etc. And Avram took Sarah his wife and Lot his nephew and all the possessions that they had accumulated and left for Canaan and reached the land of Canaan.” (Ibid 4-5). Later, following the incident in Egypt, Lot continues to tag along, and was able to gain material wealth simply by being in Avram’s company: “And Avram left Egypt with his wife and all that he possessed and Lot was with him all going to the south (of Canaan or of Egypt). And Avram was heavy with cattle and silver and gold. (Ibid 13:1-2) “And Lot, who went along with Avram, also possessed sheep and cattle and tents” (ibid 5). Lot and Avram split up with Lot choosing to be in Sodom rather than with Avram. “And Lot chose the Jordan plain and Lot traveled from the east and they separated each man from his brother. And Avram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot settled in the cites of the plain and tented up to Sodom. And the men of Sodom were evil and sinners before God in a great measure.” (Ibid 11-13).
3Following the war against Sodom and its allies Lot’s affiliation with Sodom resulted in his being taken prisoner by the victorious Four Kings. In order to save his nephew Avram conducted a personal war against these powerful kings and saved his nephew. Despite this Lot remained in Sodom. God informs Avram of His plan to destroy Sodom on account of their horrible sins. Avram prays and argues with God to save Sodom but to no avail. In the end Sodom is doomed and Lot is forced to escape its devastation. He ends up in a remote mountain where he impregnates his own daughters following two consecutive nights of extreme drunkenness.
4The story of Lot is a tragedy of the most basic human level. Lot’s nature was more closely aligned with Sodom but only in one regard. Sodom was renowned for extreme sexual promiscuity and for over-the-top inhuman cruelty. Lot himself having been in Avram’s camp learned to be generous to guests and open to helping others. However, he was attracted to the open sexual habits of the Sodomites. Nowhere is that more evident than in his willingness to sacrifice his two daughters to the mob. “Behold here I have two daughters who have yet to know men, I will take them out to you so that you can do what you want to them. Just do not bother my guests who have come into my protection.” (Ibid 19:8) How a father can make such an offer is most disturbing and one is not therefor surprised that the story further deteriorates with Lot himself impregnating these same two daughters!
5Avram’s efforts notwithstanding, Lot was a victim of his own base nature, The sexual problem deep inside his own nature emerged in a later generation when the daughters of Moab (Lot’s bastard son) seduce the Jewish men in Parshat Balak. We are warned not to intermarry with Moabite men because this is a problem that could affect our own children. One may argue that had Lot remained inside Avram’s camp things may have gone better. I suggest that Avram understood Lot better than most and decided to sperate. “Behold there is an entire country before you. Please separate from me. If you go right, I will go left and, if you go left, I will go right” (ibid 13:9). This Pasuk sums it up perfectly. Sometimes there is no better solution than to separate.
6Have a great Shabbat