VELOCITY

Torah Portion

Conflicting Feelings
Govern Our Spiritual Lives

and they with their husbands refused
to take the warning of imminent dan-
ger seriously. They stayed behind in
the doomed cities.
After Lot (and, we can assume,
Mrs. Lot) tried to convince their
sons-in-law that there was real danger
in remaining in Sodom and after they
he Lord rained upon
failed in this message, they must have
Sodom and Gomorrah sul-
been torn emotionally by the conflict-
furous fire ... and annihi-
ing decisions. As destruction
lated those cities and the
approached and the angels urged Lot
entire plain, and all the inhabitants
to take his wife and remaining daugh-
of the cities and the vegetation of the
ters, he still delayed to leave. The
ground. Lot's wife looked back, and
midrash describes Lot as
she thereupon turned into a
only
crying over his lost
pillar of salt." (Genesis
gold
and
silver and precious
19:24-26)
gems.
But
we can imagine
We don't know much
the
pain
he
and his wife
about Lot's wife: her name
must
have
felt
in bidding
nor her feelings or decisions.
farewell
to
the
"precious
All we really know is that she
gems" which were their
turned back to look at her
daughters and sons-in-law.
home being destroyed,
The
angels had to physically
despite being warned not to
carry
them away from the
do so. We can read how the
RABBI
spot. Once he reached rela-
sages of old explained her
tive safety, Lot must have
NORMAN T
actions, condemning her to
found
acceptance in the
ROMAN
this fatal punishment. But I
tragedy and committed
Special
to
the
wonder if there might be
himself to the survival of his
Jewish News
another perspective to the
remaining daughters.
story.
But Mrs. Lot could not
Lot is viewed favorably by the tra-
accept so easily. She could not leave so
dition; he is a gracious and insistent
quickly. She could not believe that her
host to the two remaining angels of
family would be separated. She could
the three who visited Abraham. He
not bear the thought that two of her
protects them from harm and heeds
daughters would die in the flames. She
their warning about the cities of
knew that she had to flee and be with
Sodom and Gomorrah. He obeys the
her
husband and build a new future.
angels' compelling order to not look
But her heart told her that she had to
back; his wife disobeys, for she is
look back one last time. Desperately,
rebellious.
tearfully, she turned; and the moment
One midrash describes her frantic
of love cost her life.
activity in this way: as her husband is
Lot's wife's appearance in this story
pleading with the angels to stay and
is a brief one, but it is a poignant and
be his guests, so that he can fulfill the
empathetic one. It stands in vibrant
mitzvah of welcoming visitors, Mrs.
contrast to the well-analyzed story of
Lot tried to undermine his generosity.
Abraham's arguing with God on
She went to call on each of her
behalf of the cities. For Abraham's plea
neighbors, ostensibly to borrow salt
is a generic one: God, the just Judge,
for the visitors' welcoming meal; but
should not destroy innocent along
actually she was rallying them against
with the guilty. Lot and his wife, how-
the angels and their message. Rabbi
ever, grieve for their children, the
Isaac sees the irony: "She was turned
tragedy which befalls their own family,
into a pillar of salt because her sin (of
seen through their own eyes. ❑
not displaying generosity) was

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Genesis 18:1-22:24;

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T

through salt."
There is, indeed, another perspec-
tive on this story. It is one to which
every parent can relate. We do know
something about Lot's wife that
helped define who she was and what
she did — she was the mother of four
daughters. Two of them were married,

Norman T. Roman is rabbi of Temple

Kol Ami.

Conversations

Which interpretation do you
prefer: Was Lot's wife rebellious,
looking back even though she
had been warned not to? Or was
she compassionate, trying to
have one last look at her family?

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