He Tore Himself Away from Kedem
Lot, Avraham (Abraham)’s nephew, followed Avraham along in his journeys. In this week’s Torah reading, the shepherds of Lot became embroiled in dispute with the shepherds of Avraham, and Avraham decided that it could not continue on this way. For the sake of peace, he advised Lot that they must part ways. Lot could have instructed his shepherds to avoid conflict, but instead, he decided to forgo being with Avraham. Lot was attracted to the city of Sodom, which was very prosperous, and parted ways with Avraham.
The Midrash says (Bereishit Rabbah 41:7), that when the verse says that Lot had removed himself from “kedem,” which refers to the east, it is hinting that he tore himself away from God, for “kedem” can also be interpreted as “The Early One,” as God preceded all existence. The Midrash says that with this move, he was making a proclamation, “I have no desire in Avraham, nor his God!” The Alter of Kelm asks: Why was this considered such a terrible act? Why is it that the fact that Lot chose to prefer a more material lifestyle over being with Avraham was considered as if he declared that he has no desire in God anymore?
Confused Priorities
The Alter of Kelm answers (Chachmah Umussar, Vol. 1 chapter 145) that Lot’s mistake was that he didn’t have his priorities straight. By leaving Avraham, he forfeited the incredible spiritual influence his uncle, Avraham, had upon him, for the sake of enjoying a little prosperity. The fact that he easily gave up the great spiritual benefit he had by being close to Avraham for the sake of indulging more in material pleasure, was equivalent to stating that he had no interest in God. It should have been obviously clear to Lot that this decision would end up depriving him of much closeness to God, which he could have obtained by staying with Avraham. His disregard for this loss, by prioritizing material benefit, was an act of rejection of God, and a great sin.
It’s Time to Pray!
A top Jewish scientist, who was part of the American team working on the atom bomb, once visited Belgium. Rabbi Chaim Kreiswirth noticed his sincere dedication to Torah observance and was amazed. At that point in time, Jews who made it to high positions in the American society would generally become assimilated, and would not retain much Jewish observance. When Rabbi Kreiswirth asked the scientist what gave him the strength to remain loyal with such dedication to Torah, the man answered with a story:
“When I was a young child, we were very poor. My father refused to work on Shabbat, and so he did not manage to retain any job he got for too long. (At that time in America, most employers required working on Saturday.) As a result, my parents could not afford our rent, and with every month, we got more and more behind.
“One day, the landlord had enough, and decided to evict us. It was Friday afternoon, and we were thrown into the street with our belongings and nowhere to go. As we were standing in the street, contemplating our next move, all of the sudden, my father announced, ‘It’s time for Minchah (the afternoon prayer), we have to go pray!’ We all stared at him with bewilderment. We were stranded on Friday afternoon, with Shabbat approaching and nowhere to go, and he was talking about Minchah. My father was insistent, and I accompanied him to the synagogue.
“As the services commenced, I observed my father in prayer. He prayed with concentration and emotion as he always did, as if nothing tragic had taken place. This made a most powerful impression on me. This was a lifelong lesson for me in what is truly important in life!”
Let’s Keep our Priorities in Line
This is a point which needs constant examination throughout our lives. When we make decisions to improve our material aspects in life, are we compromising our spiritual wellbeing? Are we focusing on financial success at the expense of hindering our growth in Torah? Do we decide to prioritize physical pleasures over spiritual accomplishments? As humans, we are naturally drawn to fulfilling the desires of our bodies, and we must constantly be on guard to make sure we keep our priorities in line. We must constantly check our motives for our decisions in life, in order to make sure our choices do not reflect a rejection of God on any level, and that our true priorities in life are always in order.
By Rabbi Yitzchok Aryeh Strimber torah4every1@gmail.com
