It seems to be that Lot is one of the misunderstood characters of the Torah. He seems constantly in Avraham Avinu's shadow.

He does seem to be a controversial character. There is an implicit criticism of him when he chose the plains for his flock. He is also criticised for choosing to live in Sodom.

Yet, he was ready to welcome and protect the angel visitors (presumably at the risk of his life), but at the same time he was ready to offer his daughters to the townsmen to guarantee that protection.

Later we see that he sleeps with his daughters, yet I have read somewhere that the motivation for this was noble, since they thought the world had been destroyed (similar to the Mabul) and not just Sodom.

I don't know what to make of him.

Dear Michael,
As far as Lot sleeping with his daughters, the question of intent, certainly (on a basic level)is a discussion for the daughters, not for Lot --they got him drunk.
The point of Lot being very hospitable, yet willing to "offer his daughters" is the subject of an incredible Gur Aryeh (Maharal MiPrague on Rashi)Shemos 14:10. Basically, he says that since Lot grew up in the house of Avraham, having guests was a part of him. However, it wasn't based on Yiras Shomayim, and therefore he was able to have guests and still be a disgusting person. It is really a big chiddush, but a simpler form of that idea, is, in the news a while back there was an article about a burglar. The woman whose house was robbed, when asked if she could describe the thief said "He kissed the mezuza on the way out!" I think he kissed it because he was doing that since he was little, nothing to do with Yiras Shomayim.
Take care.
Rabbi Flom

Dear Rabbi Flom.

Thank you for that very enlightning answer. It clears up a few of the contradictions that we find in his character.

However, if he did not have Yiras Shemayim, why was he singled out to be saved from the destruction of Sodom? Was he saved in the merit of Avraham, or did his habitual good deeds give him personal merit?

I still feel that since Lot is one of the few individuals singled out by the Torah, there is value in examining what the Torah says about him. Like your burglar example, could Lot even be a closer example of what the majority of people are like today, than is Avraham who is personified by only a few?

Could one say that had Lot died then the Moshiach (who was descended from Lot via Moav and Ruth) would not have been born?

If we look at when we first see Lot 'introduced' as it were (at the beginning of Lech Lecha) the pasukim state first that Lot went with Avraham when Avraham left his father's household, and then states that Avraham took Lot with him.

I haven't seen any thing in the way of commentary on this, which indicates that the meforshim saw nothing unusual, but why the repetition? Also, it seems that Lot went with Avraham through choice. Does this indicate that Lot was, potentially at least, greater than Avraham, but was diverted from greatness by the normal human weaknesses?

Actually, the first time it was Terach who "took" Lot.

I cannot speak to whether Lot could have been even greater than Avraham Avinu, however I did hear a rabbi point out that Dovid HaMelech and Moshiach are descended through Lot, and that if Lot would have chosen to remain living peacably with his uncle Avraham even after Lot was made wealthy, then things could have worked out far better.

Hashem's plan for the Moshiach was in a way very devious in that 3 highly unusual occurences resulted in the birth of Dovid HaMelech:

1. The birth of Moav (from whom Ruth was descended) from Lot and one of his daughters.

2. The birth of Peretz (an ancestor of Boaz) from the relations of Yehudah and Tamar.

3. The conversion of Ruth and her marriage to Boaz and the birth of a child, Oveid, who was Dovid HaMelech's grandfather.

Would it not be true that HaShem could have chosen anybody He pleased to be in the yichus of Moshiach. Would it matter that Lot and Yehuda were being included before Torah was given at Sinai? Isn't the importance of David HaMelech his deeds not his yichus. So the only yichus that really counts for the Moshiach is what comes after David, not before.

You have to admit, though, that it is a strange yichus and Hashem must have had a reason for it.

One reason I heard was that Hashem wanted to hide the birth of the Moshiach from the Satan and so chose a yichus that the Satan wouldn't have considered interfering with.

Absolutely! I think the reason you give is probably, at least, one of the reasons. I think in Yiddishkeit there is the tendency to look at yichus genetically. That gets us into trouble. If you recall there was a practice once when Jewish brides were made to sleep with the governor on their weddning night. This was not the only time our women were not violated either. The children born to these women, while they were not halachically mamzerim, broke the paternal genetic yichus of many lines in Israel. While they continued to Jews based on their mothers, the paternal lines were genetically destroyed although halachically valid. So if we look at the potential yichus of Moshiach genetically today, very few lines would actually pass.

quote:

Originally posted by Yisroel Phillips:
You have to admit, though, that it is a strange yichus and Hashem must have had a reason for it.

One reason I heard was that Hashem wanted to hide the birth of the Moshiach from the Satan and so chose a yichus that the Satan wouldn't have considered interfering with.

This is very mystical!

I think there may be another, more simple explanation too.

I once read a story, attributed to Rav Moshe Feinstein z'l, who, when Rav of Lublin (I think) had a congregant who died with an unusual condition. Before the man died, he said to Reb Moshe he had spoken Lashon Hara about Lot's daughters. To cut a long story short, the man said he had a dream where Lot's daughters told him that their act was done with purity with the real belief that they were the last people on the earth (they believed the world's population had been destroyed at the same time - like the Mabul), and to criticise them was wrong. He was punished by his tongue swelling up in his mouth causing him to not be able to breathe.

The point I am trying to make is that the Moshiach yichus follows outstanding character traits from various people, who we otherwise judge to have behaved in an unusual manner. Lot's daughters. Yehuda, Ruth etc.

I believe that all these people were on such a high madreiga that we have no way of being able to rationalise their 'unusual' behaviour. If we had been in their place, perhaps we would have done the same thing.

Rashi tells us that one of the reasons Avraham moved on was that he wished to distance himself from Lot since the matter had become known about his daughters.

Surely Avraham was at a sufficiently high level and there at the time to not have these barriers which prevent us from rationzlize... is there any risk to someone in our time who wishes to hold this recorded sentiment?

...

In an Artscroll Megillas Ruth book I came across several years ago there was a beautiful conclusion summary at the end which tied together how the various simultanous threads through history fit... and that Hashem had stored away a certain character trait within the Moabite people which Ruth was needed to bring back to the Jewish people.

And I once heard my rabbi describe how when it comes to Moshiach's lineage we tend to see things happened that would be out of character for whatever else we knew about them. He included the facts already mentioned here and also David HaMelech with Batsheva.

Both of your possibilities as why Lot was saved (the merit of Avraham or as a reward for doing chessed) sound quite plausible. The Medrash Rabba 51:9 quoted by Rashi 19:29, says a different reason. It says that since Lot knew that Avraham was Sarah's husband and not brother, and didn't spill the beans, he was saved.( This needs a little clarification, since Avraham was so good to Lot,why should he want to "do him in" and squeal?)
Take care.
Rabbi Flom

I heard an interesting Drasha last night about Lot's merit. It may have been in the name of Rav Aharon Kotler zt"l.

How come Lot was saved in the merit of his having not "squealed" on Avraham and Sarah? Was not his Mesiras Nefesh in trying to keep the Malachim safe from the people of S'dom and his acts of Chesed of a greater merit.

The same question can be asked regarding Og. Moshe was worried about going to war with him because he thought that maybe Og's merit in informing Avraham of the whereabouts of Lot would save him in battle. This is strange because Og's intentions were to have Avraham go after Lot and get killed.

One answer is as follows. Avraham was a person for whom Chesed was his very being. He didn't just do acts of Chesed; he was Chesed personified.

Lot, however, did acts of Chesed but that wasn't what he was about.

What saved Lot was that he created a whole new Middah, that of keeping quiet about something that could endanger another's life.

It's a nice answer, but I have to say that I still find it difficult.