Lot Through a Different Lens – Questions for All of Us Today

We will be reading parshat Vayera soon, and with Thanksgiving just around the corner, it seems appropriate to think about hospitality. As you might remember, this parsha is about Abraham and Sarah welcoming the three angels. It’s also about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. I recently learned something new pertaining to Lot which seems relevant today. We see Lot as a less-than-hospitable host – he is just concerned with protecting his guests, even offering to harm his daughters to protect them. Why was this man considered righteous?

This text from Nachmanides and Genesis Rabbah clarifies:
Some explain that the officials of Sodom had decreed that it was against the law to show any kindness or hospitality to visitors. The punishment for anyone welcoming guests or caring for their needs was imprisonment and death. Strangers were supposed to be taken advantage of, their possessions were to be stolen, and they were to be chased out of the town as quickly as possible.

That certainly puts Lot in a different light, considering his situation, and inspired me to think about the way our communities influence our actions. For me, it raised these questions:

• Are there situations when loved ones might be endangered that require us to refuse giving others hospitality?
• How does this reasoning apply to today’s taking sides on social media?

Please share your thoughts – in the box below, and virtually in person at our upcoming Community Event, Views on Vayera: Finding Meaning in What We See. Hope to see you on Wednesday evening, November 5, at 7:30 PM ET!