Lot: A Study in Mediocrity - Part 1 - Printer Friendly Version

Lot features prominently in the life and times of Avraham our forefather. Yet he is not an inspiring character. If Lot was deleted from the narrative, what would be lacking in our picture?

Lot goes through many of the same experiences as Avraham. He leaves his homeland. He sojourns in Egypt. He achieves wealth and success. But Lot’s development seems to have a very different outcome.

בראשית יב:ד

(ד) וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אַבְרָ֗ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֤ר אֵלָיו֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ אִתּ֖וֹ ל֑וֹט וְאַבְרָ֗ם בֶּן־חָמֵ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ וְשִׁבְעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה בְּצֵאת֖וֹ מֵחָרָֽן׃

Bereisheet 12:4

Avram went as Hashem had spoken to him and Lot went with him, and Avram was seventy-five years old when he left Charan.

Shortly after we are introduced to Avraham, we are introduced to Lot. He accompanies Avraham. He is a member of his household. He goes down to Egypt with Avraham. But the experience had a very different effect on him. The Rav comments:

We should not think that all this happened in just a few days…Abraham might have been in Egypt for years…Egypt was the world’s most advanced country, and Abraham was a shepherd. Lot was completely overpowered and overwhelmed by the stupendous Egyptian culture, civilization, and technology. He could not resist the influence of the environment. Abraham could, Sarah could, but Lot couldn’t. Here is the acid test of the Jew: can he resist environmental pressures, can he withstand the impact of a culture that is materially great but morally and ethically very primitive? (Soloveitchik, 2008, p.119)

They left Egypt. Lot came along, maybe he was forced out as well. Avraham went right back to the same place he set up his tent before.

בראשית יג

(א) וַיַּ֩עַל֩ אַבְרָ֨ם מִמִּצְרַ֜יִם ה֠וּא וְאִשְׁתּ֧וֹ וְכׇל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֛וֹ וְל֥וֹט עִמּ֖וֹ הַנֶּֽגְבָּה׃ (ב) וְאַבְרָ֖ם כָּבֵ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד בַּמִּקְנֶ֕ה בַּכֶּ֖סֶף וּבַזָּהָֽב׃ (ג) וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ לְמַסָּעָ֔יו מִנֶּ֖גֶב וְעַד־בֵּֽית־אֵ֑ל עַד־הַמָּק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁר־הָ֨יָה שָׁ֤ם אׇֽהֳלֹה֙ בַּתְּחִלָּ֔ה בֵּ֥ין בֵּֽית־אֵ֖ל וּבֵ֥ין הָעָֽי׃ (ד) אֶל־מְקוֹם֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ אֲשֶׁר־עָ֥שָׂה שָׁ֖ם בָּרִאשֹׁנָ֑ה וַיִּקְרָ֥א שָׁ֛ם אַבְרָ֖ם בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהֹוָֽה׃

Bereisheet 13

(1) Avram ascended from Egypt, he, his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, towards the Negev. (2) And Avram was very heavily laden with livestock, with silver, and with gold. (3) He went on his journeys from the Negev until Beit El, to the site where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beit El and Ai, (4) to the site of the altar which he had made there at first; and Avram called there in the name of Hashem.

Avraham was unchanged by his experience in Egypt, by the material wealth and success he achieved. After Mordechai was paraded through the streets by Haman, it says “he returned to the gate of the king” (Esther 6:12). Rashi comments, “he returned to his sackcloth and his fasting” (ibid). A royal parade in his honor changed nothing about Mordechai’s attitude or activities. Like Avraham, he returned to exactly the same spot.

But Lot changed. Not only did he change, but his relationship with Avraham changed. The Torah tells us simply “And Lot, too, who went with Avram” (13:5) using different language than previously describing their relationship (earlier in 12:4). Lot developed a degree of independence from Avraham (see Malbim 13:1). He was now wealthy as well.

בראשית יג

(ה) וְגַ֨ם־לְל֔וֹט הַהֹלֵ֖ךְ אֶת־אַבְרָ֑ם הָיָ֥ה צֹאן־וּבָקָ֖ר וְאֹהָלִֽים׃ (ו) וְלֹא־נָשָׂ֥א אֹתָ֛ם הָאָ֖רֶץ לָשֶׁ֣בֶת יַחְדָּ֑ו כִּֽי־הָיָ֤ה רְכוּשָׁם֙ רָ֔ב וְלֹ֥א יָֽכְל֖וּ לָשֶׁ֥בֶת יַחְדָּֽו׃ (ז) וַֽיְהִי־רִ֗יב בֵּ֚ין רֹעֵ֣י מִקְנֵֽה־אַבְרָ֔ם וּבֵ֖ין רֹעֵ֣י מִקְנֵה־ל֑וֹט וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י אָ֖ז יֹשֵׁ֥ב בָּאָֽרֶץ׃

Bereisheet 13

(5) And Lot, too, who went with Avram, had sheep, cattle, and tents. (6) And the land could not sustain them to dwell together because their possessions were many, and they could not dwell together. (7) There was strife between the herdsmen of Avram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock, and the Canaanites and the Perizzites were then dwelling in the land.

The commentators grapple with the strange language describing this episode. It repeats the phrase “to dwell together” twice. It mentions strife between the shepherds, but not the owners. The Rav explains:

No feud, let alone one between people of higher caliber like Abraham and Lot, is precipitated by a shortage of pastureland. If Abraham and Lot wanted, they could have resolved this problem easily without creating a schism. After all, they had money, and they could have bought more pastureland; surely there was enough land for sale. But the trouble was that Abraham and Lot could not dwell together spiritually. Abraham and Lot did not have their old mutual respect and appreciation. There was no harmony between them. (Soloveitchik, 2008, p.122)

The more independence Lot achieved, the more his values drifted. Lot was not a man without values. He faithfully kept Avraham and Sarah’s secret during his stay in Egypt. But while Avraham had the characteristic of holding fast to his values, even in a hostile culture (a characteristic his descendants would share), Lot was deeply influenced by his surroundings. He had an opportunity to continue his life alongside Avraham. But he made a different choice.

בראשית יג

(י) וַיִּשָּׂא־ל֣וֹט אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ אֶת־כׇּל־כִּכַּ֣ר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן כִּ֥י כֻלָּ֖הּ מַשְׁקֶ֑ה לִפְנֵ֣י׀ שַׁחֵ֣ת יְהֹוָ֗ה אֶת־סְדֹם֙ וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָ֔ה כְּגַן־יְהֹוָה֙ כְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בֹּאֲכָ֖ה צֹֽעַר׃ (יא) וַיִּבְחַר־ל֣וֹ ל֗וֹט אֵ֚ת כׇּל־כִּכַּ֣ר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וַיִּסַּ֥ע ל֖וֹט מִקֶּ֑דֶם וַיִּפָּ֣רְד֔וּ אִ֖ישׁ מֵעַ֥ל אָחִֽיו׃ (יב) אַבְרָ֖ם יָשַׁ֣ב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־כְּנָ֑עַן וְל֗וֹט יָשַׁב֙ בְּעָרֵ֣י הַכִּכָּ֔ר וַיֶּאֱהַ֖ל עַד־סְדֹֽם׃ (יג) וְאַנְשֵׁ֣י סְדֹ֔ם רָעִ֖ים וְחַטָּאִ֑ים לַיהֹוָ֖ה מְאֹֽד׃

Bereisheet 13

(10) Lot lifted his eyes and saw the entire Jordan Plain, that all of it was well watered – before Hashem's destruction of Sedom and Amorah – like the garden of Hashem, like the land of Egypt as you come toward Tzo’ar. (11) Lot chose for himself the entire Jordan Plain and Lot traveled eastward, and they separated one from the other. (12) Avram dwelled in the land of Canaan, while Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sedom. (13) Now, the people of Sedom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against Hashem.

References

Soloveitchik, J., Shatz, David, Wolowelsky, Joel B, & Ziegler, Reuven. (2008). Abraham's journey : Reflections on the life of the founding patriarch. Jersey City, NJ: Published for Toras HoRav Foundation by KTAV Pub. House.

https://mg.alhatorah.org/Full/Bereshit/13.1#e0n6

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bentorah.substack.com