Lot decides to take up residence with his entire family in the city of Sodom – the very same city as the one in Sodom and Gemorrah infamy. Why would Lot move his family and settle in a city known for its wickedness?
We learn why Lot did what he did just as Sodom is about to be destroyed. And Lot’s decision is presented as a negative role model, even for today.
Lot is described by the residents of Sodom as an immigrant who now sits in the gates of the city and passes judgment.
Here, then, is the answer to our question. Lot moves to Sodom so that he can be a judge. When measuring up his options, Lot decides that he would rather be the “Chief Rabbi of Sodom” rather than have to play second fiddle to Abraham and to live in Abraham’s shadow. Sharing such close quarters with a spiritual giant such as Abraham can make a person feel very inadequate.
Faced with that option, Lot decides it is preferable to look good in comparison to the evil in Sodom, rather than always being inferior to Abraham.
Unfortunately, Lot’s plan backfires. By choosing to live in a corrupt and immoral environment, Lot becomes estranged from his immediate and extended family while his daughters become victims of the warped morality among which they live.
At the end we see Lot as a broken and drunken man who probably still delights in being in charge – a judge – even if it means being a judge in Sodom – against very low standards.
Rabbi Stanley Halpern