Parshat Lech Lecha: Loyalty

In this week’s Torah portion, we are introduced in earnest to Avraham, the forefather of the Jewish nation. He is told by God to travel to Canaan and that he will become a great nation. That anyone who aligns themselves with him and his future people will be blessed, and that in fact he is a source of blessing for the world. Quite a string of accolades for one man. The Torah then tells us that Avraham did as God instructed:

And Avram went, as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Avram was seventy five years old when he left Haran. And Avram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had acquired, as well as the souls they had influenced in Haran. And they went on their journey to the land of Canaan, and arrived in the land of Canaan.

Right there, smack in the middle of all these wonderful promises to Avraham, and even before the Torah tell us that he took his wife, their belongings and their followers, it mentions, “and Lot went with him.” His nephew Lot gets top billing. 

He is a funny Biblical character, this Lot fellow. He is like the Forest Gump in the life of our forefather, ever-present during some of those initial pivotal moments of the very first Jew. And indeed, right after Avraham is forced to go to Egypt because of a famine in Canaan, and having to stave off possibly being killed and his wife being abducted, on the way out of Egypt, there he is again: “And Avram came up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that was his, and Lot with him, towards the Negev.”

But then things get a bit dicey between Avraham and his nephew. The Torah narrates how they split, owing to much cattle and livestock, and the conflict it created between their respective cattlemen. Because of this tension, and Avraham wishing that things not escalate between them, he suggests that maybe they should go their separate ways.

One would think that Lot would have done all he could to minimize any ill-feelings between them, and that he should stick with his uncle since much of his success was a result of his allegiance with Avraham. But he instead chooses to live in Sodom even though the Torah testifies that “the people of Sodom were wicked and sinned against God greatly.” Odd choice on Lot’s part.

As it happens, a regional conflict ensues between alliances of four leaders versus another five. It has nothing to do with Avraham except one little fact. Yup, you guessed it – Lot. He gets caught up in the fray and is taken captive. “And they took Lot and his possessions – Avram’s nephew – and they left; for he (Lot) was residing in Sodom.”

Ungh! So what does Avraham feel forced to do? He gathers his military forces of 318 men and throws himself into the conflict for one reason and one reason only. To save his nephew’s hide, which he does. “And he (Avram) restored all the possessions, and also Lot his brother and his possessions he restored.”

On the one hand, Lot seems to be a bit of a tag-along from the get-go. That is, until he wishes to go his own way, whereupon he immediately gets himself into trouble and needs his uncle to rescue and bail him out. The question is why does Avraham go to such great lengths for him? Why would Avraham literally risk his life for Lot, especially in light of the fact that Lot doesn’t seem to make the best decisions for himself – choosing to reside in an evil and immoral locale? Given his poor choice, why would Avraham risk everything and insinuate himself into this dangerous conflict that had nothing to do with him other than the fact that his nephew was abducted?

Why? Rav Noah Weinberg zt”l answered with one simple word – Loyalty. Lot is Avraham’s nephew. He is his blood relative. But he is more than that. He is Avraham’s brother. And the Torah even refers to him as such when it narrates Avraham saving him. “And he (Avram) restored all the possessions, and also Lot his brother and his possessions he restored.”

He isn’t Avraham’s brother in a literal or biological sense but a brother in a much bigger and figurative sense. Lot was always at Avraham’s side. He travelled with Avraham in the dangerous desert when Avraham received his calling from God to leave for Canaan. He was there with Avraham in Canaan during the difficult famine. He was there with Avraham in Egypt when they were threatened. Lot stuck with Avraham during those rough years and only left him (which he probably shouldn’t have) once things got better for everyone.

Avraham remembered this. He never forgot how Lot was his cohort. And so when Lot desperately needed him, Avraham returned the favour and was there for him.

Loyalty. It’s something we all need to remember. As life goes on and we get older and we grow and change, we will sometimes outgrow the people who were there for us in those early days. We may feel that they no longer have anything to offer us and indeed maybe they don’t. We will think it’s time to cut ourselves loose and forget about them as we forge a different path in life. The relationship has become a one-way street. Time to move on.

Avraham teaches us that this is not the way to think. If someone was with you in those early days when times were tough, even though things have dramatically changed for all parties in the ensuing years and circumstances – you don’t just drop them. There were there for you, you have to be there for them. Whether you feel you are getting something out of it or not. Avraham was light years ahead of Lot, but he never abandoned him because Lot never abandoned Avraham in the early going. 

Too often politicians, stars or financially successful people forget this. They think that now that they have grown wealthy and powerful they no longer have any use for some of their earlier relationships. They feel they have outgrown some of those early bonds and can cut ties with them. Avraham dispels this notion. People aren’t disposable and family certainly isn’t. 

Avraham knew this. He sticks with Lot and rescues him in his time of need. Loyalty doesn’t have a time clock on it. Loyalty doesn’t have a statue of limitations. Loyalty is forever.   

These arms were meant for you
And these shoulders meant to carry you
When you call my name, come running
’til then I’ll be waiting, I’ll be waiting 
Waiting here
-Jake Isaac