Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. He bowed himself with his face to the earth, and he said, “See now, my lords, please come into your servant’s house, stay all night, wash your feet, and you can rise up early, and go on your way.” They said, “No, but we will stay in the street all night.” He urged them greatly, and they came in with him, and entered into his house. He made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.”
(Genesis 19:1-3)

Peter calls Lot a righteous man and Lot’s behaviour here proves it (2 Peter 2:7). Lot acts toward the angels – who he does NOT recognize – almost exactly the way Abraham did toward his visitors. Lot is generous, serving, a good host, and very concerned about his guests’ comfort – although less generous than Abraham. When the angels try to wave him off – since they ARE there to test the town – he refuses to let them. He is INSISTENT about being a good host and a good person toward them. This is EXACTLY the attitude that the people of Sodom (and the whole valley) had lost. This was the first step of their rebellion against God (Ezekiel 16:49). Lot proves he is not afraid of work, not afraid to give, not afraid to push to make sure people are taken care of, and not afraid to make sure that no effort is required of those he hosts. He is all about BLESSING them. This is how God wants us to be: encouraging, generous, and willing to lift up others.

Although Lot didn’t recognize the angels as angels, he is clearly in the camp of the righteous. He sought for their good. That’s it. The righteous bless others. The wicked use others for their own ends (for whatever perverted enjoyment they can get be it physical, financial, emotional, or positional).

Everything Lot does here, he does alone. No one else takes part in the preparing of the food or hospitality toward the guests – even though we learn later there are others in the home. This shows a distinct difference between Abraham’s household and Lot’s. Abraham taught everyone to hold to the Lord. Lot seems to operate alone in his relationship with God and does not seem to have taught his family to engage with the Lord in the same way.

The other difference between Abraham and Lot is that Lot is very concerned about his guests to the point of rushing them. He suggests sleeping, rising, and getting out ASAP – instead of letting them take their time and enjoy a proper rest. He is less concerned about washing their feet properly than getting them out of the town that Lot knows will not view them with kindness. He doesn’t mention anything directly to his guests (does not seek to increase their burden), but his heart motivation is fear.

The sage Rashi writes: ‘ולוט ישב בשער סדום AND LOT WAS SITTING IN THE GATE OF SODOM — The word is written without a ו so that it may be read יָשַׁב (he sat) — because that day they had appointed him as their judge (Genesis Rabbah 50:3). ‘וירא לוט וגו AND LOT SAW THEM etc. — From the practice in Abraham’s house he had learned to look out for strangers (Genesis Rabbah 50:4).’

The sage Sforno writes: ‘ויקם לקראתם, in order to prevent them from spending the night in the street. This was customary also in cities other than Sodom when no one had offered shelter to unexpected strangers. In such instances there was always the danger that the strangers would be harmed by some of the residents of the city. וישתחו אפים ארצה, they clearly looked sufficiently imposing to warrant being treated deferentially. A feast. Literally, “a drinking feast.” Lot offered them wine because he was fond of it himself.’

The sage Or HaChaim writes: ‘ויבאו…בערב. They arrived in the evening. The reason for this whole story of the angels being hosted by Lot was to afford Lot the opportunity to justify his being saved. Although Bereshit Rabbah 50,11 attributes Lot’s escape to Abraham’s merit, we still need to find some redeeming feature in Lot’s conduct to understand the efforts made by G’d to save him. Had the angels arrived at Sodom in daylight Lot would have lacked the moral courage to offer them hospitality even by devious means. וירא לוט ויקם לקראתם. Lot saw and rose to meet them. This means that Lot recognised that these people were of the type familiar to him as ministering angels of the Lord when he still travelled with Abraham. Because Lot realised this he was prepared to take risks for their sake against the inhabitants of his town. He told them to wash their feet, a custom he had learned from the way Abraham conducted himself with his guests. The Torah reports the details to show the difference between Abraham and Lot. Abraham commenced with his guests washing their feet, Lot suggested they sleep first. Lot did not mind if people who were idolators entered his home without first removing the traces of idolatry, something that Abraham was very particular about. והשכמתם והלכתם לדרככם, “and rise early and be on your way.” Lot hinted to the angels that they had to hide from the local population because he was afraid that something like what happened might indeed occur, i.e. that his guests would be molested. ויעש להם משתה. He prepared a feast for them. The correct meaning of the verse is that while Lot prepared a meal for them the angels ate only matzot. This was because Lot did not observe the commandments of the Torah as did Abraham. At Abraham’s home the angels had no compunction about eating meat. The angels either knew that Lot had tithed the flour he used for baking the matzot, or they reasoned that in the absence of priests to give the tithe (תרומה) to, they assumed that function themselves and ate the part which could be considered terumah whereas they did not eat the regular matzah. According to our sages (Midrash Hagadol), the date was the 16th of Nissan and Lot had baked matzah in anticipation of the eventual Passover holiday some 400 years hence.’

The sage Steinsaltz writes: ‘The two angels came to Sodom in the evening. The Sages teach that the third angel did not travel to Sodom, because his mission had been fulfilled in informing Abraham and Sarah of their forthcoming son. The two other angels had tasks to perform in Sodom. And Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. Sitting at the gate of a city was typically a sign of high status, as that was where the judges and town elders convened. Lot saw them and rose to meet them, and he prostrated himself with his face to the earth. Lot had either learned the attribute of hospitality from Abraham, or they had both learned it as a family tradition. He said: Behold now my lords; please turn aside to your servant’s house, stay the night, and wash your feet, and you shall awaken early and go on your way. Lot’s proposal was less generous than that of Abraham, who had included food and drink as well. Nevertheless, Lot did offer them a place to rest. They said: No, for we will stay the night in the street. He implored them greatly, and eventually they turned aside to him and entered his house; he prepared a feast for them, he baked unleavened bread, and they ate. He gave them food and drink as well, despite the fact that he did not initially refer to provisions.’