Although Lot is the main hero in the story, this is the last time we will hear from him. Lot was saved, but became a tragic hero. We can feel nothing but pity for Lot, who lost his home, his wife and his dignity, all in one day.

We should know by now that the Torah is not merely a book of ancient Jewish mythology, which tries to tell us what happened in a remote past. Since, as we say every Shabbat, the Torah is a "Tree of Life", we should try to explore the message in our story, which has the ability to enrich our own lives.

When we read again chapter 19 of the book of Genesis, we realize that Abraham is absent. His name does not appear even once in the entire chapter. This is really strange since we find Abraham’s name in every chapter of the Torah while Abraham is alive and even after he passes away.

I believe the Torah wants us to know that Abraham has nothing to do with Lot being in Sodom. Lot was there not because of Abraham, but despite Abraham. The Torah wants us to remember -when we see Lot in his disgrace- that he brought himself to the tragic situation in which he ended. The Torah wants us to remember that Lot was the one who was ungrateful to his adoptive father, his Uncle Abraham. This Torah portion infers this in this on chapter 13 of the book of Genesis, when Lot chose voluntarily to live in Sodom, ignoring the characteristics of its population. The Torah invites us to remember how Lot was kidnapped by the four kings and saved by Abraham, and even then, Lot returned to Sodom. The Torah tells us that Abraham was always thinking of his nephew and his family and begged God to spare the life of the entire city on his behalf. But Abraham could not live Lot’s life and sooner or later Lot needed to pay the price for his wrong choices.

Lot is left alone in the wicked city and only through the miraculous intervention of God, his life is spared. But Lot will only live to learn –finally- the lesson he refused to learn before. Lot will live a life that is not worthy to be lived.

First of all Lot loses all his wealth. Most of us would be happy just by being alive after the city we lived in was victim of an indescribable destruction. But we need to remember that for Lot, wealth was everything, so he actually lost everything, even though he remained alive.

Lot also loses his wife. Raised in Sodom (according to the Targum Yerushalmi), she could not help but looking behind, maybe even with nostalgia, to the city which gave birth to her and her family. Other Rabbis feel, on the contrary, that Lot’s wife was more worthy than he was, and that we should mourn her death. If that is the case, we know how important good companionship is in time of crisis. Lot was not blessed even with a wife to look after his daughters.

And speaking of his daughters, Lot's daughters decide to get their father drunk, and through him perpetuate the human race. From the elder daughter, Moav is born, and from the younger, Ammon. Although incest is not formally forbidden yet by the Torah (the Torah was not given yet), and therefore Lot’s daughters are not liable, we understand from the names of their offspring -Moav and Ammon, who become the fathers of two wicked nations- that their action was not justified. After all, what else can we expect from two girls who grew up in a corrupted city, surrounded by corrupted people, and whose father, always busy making money, did not have the time to teach them differently?

Through this sad story we are exposed, one more time, to the logic of the Torah: "All our decisions, all our choices, all our actions, carry a consequence". If you acted wrongly, you or your beloved ones may suffer. If your choices are not the wise ones, you or someone close to you pays the price.

Sometimes, the reward-punishment logic is obvious, like in the case of the flood. Other times it is insinuated, like the hard time Jacob has in his uncle’s house after he deceived his brother Esau. Sometimes we see the consequence immediately, like in the case of Korach’s revolt. Other times, it takes longer, like in our story. In many cases, our children or even grandchildren are the ones who will pay the price of our selfish and rushed choices.

After all, Lot and his wife can be any of us: When we forget to thank those who helped us, when we neglect the education of our children, when we choose material blessings over spiritual ones. Also when we refuse to listen to those who can save us and when –while trying to start a new life- we get trapped in the net of our past, as it happened to Lot’s wife.

May the Almighty helps us to make the right choices, so we and the ones we love, will enjoy a life of true blessings.

Shabbat Shalom!