“It was when G-d destroyed the cities of the plain and G-d remembered Avraham and He sentLotout from the midst of the upheaval”
(Bereishis 19:29)
What did (Hashem) remember about Lot? He remembered that Lotwas silent when Avraham said about Sarai “She is my sister” and he knew (the truth) and remained silent. (Bereishis Rabbah 51:6)
This requires some explanation.Lot in Sdom fulfilled the mitzvah of extending hospitality with genuine self-sacrifice to the point of risking his life. With such tremendous merits why did he need the merit of his silence to be saved?
The merit of Lot’s mesirus nefesh for chesed (in Sdom) seems to be much greater than the merit of his remaining silent which was just passivity refraining from informing on Avraham and having him killed after Avraham had been so kind to him.… There doesn’t seem much to praise about this since he would never commit such a grave injustice.… All the more so he should have been saved because he risked his life for chesed. (Rabbi Aharon Kotler Mishnas Rabbi Aharon)
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