Genesis 19: A Lot of Doors

Chapter 19 is the rare chapter of the Torah where a main character is not the star. This is Lot’s chapter. Until this point, Lot has been mostly passive. He travels with his uncle out of Ur Casdim for unknown reasons. He follows him around and becomes wealthy. He requests to live in Sodom, but only because Avraham gives the option. After that, he is captured in a war and saved by his uncle. Now we learn about Lot up close. Chapter 19 comes directly after 18 to give the opportunity to compare Lot’s actions with Avraham. In the first few verses we see the similarities between the two: both sit outside their respective abodes, both rush to greet strangers passing by and invite them in, and both Lot and Avraham prepare a feast.Hebrew: וַיָּבֹאוּ שְׁנֵי הַמַּלְאָכִים סְדֹמָה בָעֶרֶב, וְלוֹט יֹשֵׁב בְּשַׁעַר סְדֹם; וַיַּרְא לוֹט, וַיָּקָם לִקְרָאתָם, וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אַפַּיִם אָרְצָה (בראשית יט:א)English: “The two messengers came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to greet them and bowed low with his face to the ground.” (Genesis 19:1)But there are also differences: Lot does everything on his own. Avraham enlists Sarah and the “young lad.” Avraham lives in his tent away from others. Lot lives in a house in the middle of Sodom. This house becomes the central part of the mob scene. Notice how many times the word “door” appears in the story.Hebrew: וַיֵּצֵא אֲלֵהֶם לוֹט הַפֶּתְחָה, וְהַדֶּלֶת סָגַר אַחֲרָיו (בראשית יט:ו)English: “So Lot went out to them to the entrance, shut the door behind him.” (Genesis 19:6)Hebrew: וַיִּלְחֲצוּ אֶת־הָאִישׁ לוֹט מְאֹד, וַיִּגְּשׁוּ לִשְׁבֹּר הַדָּלֶת (בראשית יט:ט)English: “And they pressed hard against that householder—against Lot—and moved forward to break the door.” (Genesis 19:9)Hebrew: וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים אֶת־יָדָם, וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶת־לוֹט אֲלֵיהֶם הַבָּיְתָה, וְאֶת־הַדֶּלֶת סָגָרוּ (בראשית יט:י)English: “But the messengers stretched out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door.” (Genesis 19:10)Hebrew: וְאֶת־הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־פֶּתַח הַבַּיִת, הִכּוּ בַּסַּנְוֵרִים מִקָּטֹן וְעַד־גָּדוֹל, וַיִּלְאוּ לִמְצֹא הַפָּתַח (בראשית יט:יא)English: “And the people who were at the entrance of the house (the door), low and high alike, they struck with blinding light, so that they were helpless to find the entrance.” (Genesis 19:11)Why is the door such a central figure here? This contrasts with Avraham’s tent. The tent has no formal hard door. It is a collection of fabric that is essentially open to the world. Avraham positions himself without fear of the outside world. He is confident in God’s protection. Lot needs the door. He positions himself in a very difficult situation and requires a stable house that can be closed off from those around him. He does not have the confidence in God to protect him. This is apparent even when the messengers come to save him. Lot is frozen in panic as he is ordered to flee quickly (as noted by the Shalshelet note above the word “וַֽיִּתְמַהְמָ֓הּ” and he delayed),Hebrew: וַיִּתְמַהְמָהּ (בראשית יט:טז)English: “But he delayed.” (Genesis 19:16)and then pleads for a safe location. Despite years with Avraham, Lot is not able to reach his heights. And so, at the end of the chapter, Avraham merely glances over the smoldering valley and walks away from his nephew; finally closing the door on their peculiar relationship.