Have you ever thought about the relationship of Avram or Lot? It seems almost
a tangent to the unfolding of the history of the Jewish nation. Certainly, Lot
is important, as is pointed out by commentators after the destruction of Sodom
- he was the forefather of Moab and thus one of the progenitors of King David.
Prior to the destruction of Sodom, however, one might wonder about the
importance of Lot. Reading the narrative of Genesis 13 one realizes that part
of the necessary development of Avram was recognizing the character flaws of
his nephews and dealing with the need to let him go.
First, of course, there is the obvious Dvar Torah material: Avram asks Lot to
split from him because he disagrees with Lot allowing his shepherds to graze on
the lands of the Canaanite and the Perizzites. There are many important lessons
one can learn from this - particularly in the age of copyright
infringement...but the perek has several less obvious but equally striking
details.
Lot is introduced into this perek with “V’gam, And also to Lot, who went
with Avram...” (13:5). All these things (going forth from his land, finding
Canaan in a state of famine, going down to Egypt and all that occurred there)
happened with Avram and Sarai, and also Lot went with them. The verse
concludes, however, by stating that Lot now had sheep and cattle and tents.
Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch points out that the final word, “and tents,” is
written in complete form to infer that Lot had “ceased being a member of
Abraham’s household, had his own independent circle in which he was master of
the house.” This, according to Rabbi Hirsh’s comments on the next verse, is why
the land could not support all of them - because they were two different
households with two different life missions. Whereas Avram raised sheep and
cattle for sustenance, Lot raised them for wealth.
When Avram approached Lot to resolve the situation, he said to him: “Let there
be no strife, please, between me and you, between my shepherds and your
shepherds, because we are ‘brothers.’ Is not the whole land before you?
Separate, please from me. If you go left, I will go right; and if you go right,
I will go left” (13:8-9).
While Avram literally asks Lot to go away from him, he does so in a way that
implies a desire for a connection to remain. He does not refer to his
relationship with Lot as “kirovim, relatives,” but rather as “achim,
brothers.” This sets a tone of equality in their relationship, even though one
assumes that since Lot is the nephew, he is younger and has basically spent his
life following Avram. Indeed, v’gam Lot tells us that the material
possessions to which Lot is so dedicated are his only because he was part of
Avram’s party.
Avram recognizes that Lot and he have different philosophies about life and
that Lot is not then interested in change. He knows it is best to send Lot
away, but he also hopes that Lot will someday change his stripes and look at
the world through a more spiritual lens. Rashi points out that his wording “If
you go left, I will go right; and if you go right, I will go left” is Avram’s way
of telling Lot “Wherever you settle down, I will not go far from you and I will
stand by you as a shield and as a helper.” This idea reminded me of the advice
stated in Talmud Sanhedrin 107b: “Let the left hand repulse but the right hand
always invite back.”
Lot, of course, proves his materialistic drive by looking at the land around
him with a whole new perspective (“Vyisah Lot et ainav...Lot raised his
eyes and saw,” but he had already been dwelling in this place, implying that he
saw it in a whole new way - in this case with an eye of possession or greed).
Lot departs, and suddenly God visits Avram and tells him to perform an act very
similar to Lot, to lift up his eyes and look out over all of the land. God then
reaffirms his promise of offspring to Avram. Why? Because Avram is human. He
has emotions. He is sad that he has had to ask his nephew to separate from him.
As much as he believes in God’s promise of lineage, he somewhat perceived Lot
as his successor. Lot was the youth who dwelled among his tents. But Lot lifted
up his eyes and saw the “well-watered plain of the Jordan Valley” - he saw
wealth ready and there for the taking. Avram, on the other hand, raised
his eyes and saw potential, and God told him to “get up and walk the land” - to
take action so that all that the land possessed, all of its spiritual wealth a
well as its physical grandeur, could be his.
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