Congregation Shema Yisrael

By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah – from the LORD out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities – and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. -Genesis 19:23-26

This coming Shabbat, we will be studying Parashat Vayera (Genesis 18:1-22:24) which includes, among other important events, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by God for their tremendous sins. While the text shows us at least a hint of the depravity of these communities, we are not told of their full extent. We know that, among all of the population of Sodom, God sent angels to save only Lot, Abraham’s nephew, and his family, and likely not on the merits of Lot himself, but for the sake of Abraham.

Lot’s sons-in-law thought he was joking when Lot told them they had to get out fast, before Sodom was destroyed. At dawn, when the angels were ready to destroy the city, even Lot hesitated to leave, and the angels were compelled to take Lot, his wife, and two daughters by the hand and lead them away. At just about every step, Lot argued with the angels and finally demanded to be allowed to go to the town of Zoar, rather than to go where the angels were leading. Finally, against the direct command of the angels, as God was raining down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot’s wife looked back, and was instantly turned into a pillar of salt.

It’s hard to fathom from our point of view what Lot’s wife must have been thinking. In fact, we might even find it hard to understand why Lot and his family were so reluctant to leave such a depraved and sinful place. Lot’s sons-in-law never left, even though Lot pleaded with them for the sake of their lives. Why was leaving Sodom such a hard thing to do?

…if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard) – if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority… -2 Peter 2:6-10

Peter describes Lot as a “righteous man…tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard..”, yet Lot still struggled in his attempt to leave Sodom behind, and to encourage his family to follow God’s angels, sent to rescue them. Compared to Abraham, we don’t generally consider Lot as “righteous”, but he may well have appeared so, compared to the general citizenry of Sodom. But if living in Sodom was so distressing to Lot, why hadn’t he left long ago? As far as we can tell, he was a wealthy man, with flocks to rival Abraham. Surely a job or income couldn’t have been holding him there. If, as Peter says, Lot was “tormented”, why hadn’t he left long before God struck Sodom down?

Perhaps you reading this article are considered “righteous” when compared with your general environment. After all, we live in a “fallen world”, with sin and lawlessness that perhaps rivals even the evil acts and practices committed in Sodom in the days before its destruction. While we aren’t being commanded to leave our cities by angelic beings, do we have worldly practices and lifestyles we too find difficult to leave behind, even though we know they’re wrong?

Consider Lot and his family. They’d lived in Sodom quite some time. No doubt they had made friends and business connections. Lot’s two daughters were engaged to two (apparently) men of the city, so Lot, unlike Abraham when seeking a mate for Issac, did not have a problem with his children marrying idolatrous locals. While even a casual reading of the text seems to indicate Lot had “problems” with the regular practices of the town (he did try to save the two angels, whom he thought were men, from homosexual rape by the town’s inhabitants), he was nevertheless rooted and attached to the community. In most ways, he had blended in to the world of sin, even as he made some continued effort to also practice righteousness.

You and I live in the world, though as we are told, we are only visitors and not citizens, somewhat like Lot. Abraham too lived in a world not his own and among people who were not his people, however, Abraham separated himself from close contact with the inhabitants of Canaan, and surrounded himself only with his family and his servants, who were also likely his disciples. His main sources of contact, besides God Himself, were people who held to the same moral and faith values as Abraham, a man who had been taught “Torah” by God.

Here are two men, both “strangers in a strange land” who chose different paths as far as living among a nation of idol worshipers. Are they like us? In fact, they are very similar to us, and we all have a choice to make as to which path we choose to follow; Abraham’s or Lot’s. On the one hand, we can choose, while living in the world, to surround ourselves with like-minded believers, to pray, to commune with our congregation, to read the Bible, and to otherwise protect ourselves from the influences of the world around us. On the other hand, we can inject our lives into the very midst of the world, letting it influence us and our families, letting our children bond with the children of lawlessness, letting ourselves adopt even some of the values and practices of the world. The lives of Lot and Abraham show us the consequences of each path. So does the death of Lot’s wife.

“It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” -Luke 17:30-33

While Yeshua (Jesus) is talking about how we should behave on the day of his return, we can also take a lesson on how to behave now. If we are so attached to the things and the ways of the world around us, can we truly be attached to the things and practices of God? Obviously, we have to work jobs, interact with our co-workers and neighbors, and be available to share our faith with those who ask, but that doesn’t mean compromising our faith or our principles to “blend in” so we can be accepted by our co-workers and neighbors. We drive the same cars, live in the same homes, and wear the same clothes as everyone else around us, but we must still decide if we belong to the world or to God, and then act accordingly.

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. -1 Corinthians 10:11-13

We may live in our own local version of “Sodom”, where the temptation to incorporate the values of the world into our lives can sometimes seem overwhelming, but we don’t have to give in. When we do give in (because we aren’t perfect and we sometimes make wrong decisions), we can and must ask for forgiveness from God, repenting of our sins and turning our backs on them, even as Lot’s wife should have turned her back on Sodom…permanently. Leaving, only to look back, perhaps with longing, caused her to lose her life, and could ultimately cost us the same price in eternity. The Sages also describe this situation, including “a way out:”

The nature of the narrative found at the beginning of the fifth perek of Bava Basra is fascinating and fantastic. Many commentators note that the stories here should not be understood literally, and they have midrashic and hidden meanings. Nothing said by our sages is extraneous, but they are rather parables and secretive ways of conveying very deep and philosophic concepts. Ritva writes that some of these events may be understood literally, while others are dreams which were dreamt. Maharsha comments that, nevertheless, we should believe that these stories do not have to be dismissed as not being literal.

Rabba begins with reporting that sailors who travel to sea for great distances relate that the wave which comes to sink ships appears with white fire at its edge, and in order to be saved from its fury, it must be struck with sticks which are inscribed with a special formula of God’s names. The wave then subsides.

(…) explains that the depiction of the wave which comes to sink ships is symbolic of the yetzer hara (evil inclination) which comes to destroy a person. A person is like a ship which is tossed, as he struggles with life’s daily challenges. The yetzer hara is compared to a fire, as it seeks to consume a person, but at the same time it appears white, trying to convince a person that its goal is holy and pure. The yetzer hara tries to distract and overwhelm a person so that he should not consider the consequences of his misdeeds, and that there are no consequences vis-a-vis the world-to-come.

The way to fight and defeat the yetzer hara is to strike it with a stick which has the (sacred) name written upon it. As the Midrash (Shemos Rabba 3:6) explains, this refers to the knowledge that Hashem told Moshe, “I am the One that was, I am the One who is, and I am the One who will always be.” The other names engraved upon the stick which strikes that wave also refer to the concept that there is a future world where there will be retribution for a person’s actions in this world.

Chasam Sofer writes that there are three types of people who are susceptible to fall prey to the yetzer hara. Some have given up hope of the Jewish people’s salvation. Others think that the only reality we face is this world, and that there is no world-to-come. Still others are at risk to succumb to the yetzer hara by believing that gentile governments have control of our destiny and that of the world. We strike back with a stick (that) teaches that there is no reason for despair (and) that indicates that there is a world-to-come (and) that the world is not given over to man, but only for Hashem.

From Daf Digest
Bava Basra 73
Distinctive Insight
The wave which threatens to sink ships at sea

When we feel our attention and our desire turning to that which is not righteous and holy, we can turn to the name of God and to the blood of the Messiah, and let that be our rock and our shield. Waves are rushing towards us. A storm is coming. By ourselves, we couldn’t possibly survive, and we’d sink hopelessly into the depths of sin and despair. However we have a name that is above all names to call upon in times of distress, and we have a rock and a fortress in which to seek refuge.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. -Psalm 18:2