Run Lot, Run!

Gen. 12:4 - And Abram went, as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him.

The author of Avnei Shaish proposes a common theme to three words containing the letters ?? (LT), as follows, namely: ???, ??? and ??? – all related to defense/salvation, as follows:

1. The root ??? refers to fleeing from danger (vis. Gen. 19:17, Ps. 124:3).

2. ??? means escaping war (e.g. Gen. 14:13, Jer. 44:25, Ps. 17:13).

3. ??? in the Holy Tongue refers to: 1. a shield (e.g. IISam. 8:7, Song 4:4), and to: 2. national rulers (e.g. Gen. 42:6, Ezra 4:20) - charged first and foremost with defending their nations.

I would humbly suggest adding other words of the ?? family, all relating to various aspects of defense/salvation: 4. ??? 5. ??? 6. ??? 7. ??? 8. ??? 9. ???. 

4. ??? – means: 1. Refuge, shelter (Num. 35:11), 2. Closure (Lev. 22:23 – closure is a form of protection).

5. ??? – Darkness (Gen. 15:17, Ez. 12:6) – darkness in general is often described as cover/concealment (vis. Ps. 44:20); so too is ???? used in this sense (e.g. Abarbanel, Ez. 12:6; RSRH, Deut. 17:14). Others suggest a direct connection between ???? and ????

–wrapping/concealing– (Ba’alil La’aretz’ p. 115; Agra DeKalla (Gen. 15:17), Ohr Chadash (ibid.).

6. ??? – RSRH (Gen. 15:17) cites an instance of ??? in the sense of snatching (see I Kings 20:33, Targum ad loc.). He comments that both ??? in this usage and ??? denote types of concealment from sight. As above, concealment is a form of defense.

7. ??? – This is the root of ????, the lizard referred to in Lev. 11:30. Onkelus renders the word ??????. Perhaps this Aramaic word is related to ?????? referred above – snatching. The lizard is among the quickest of reptiles, disappearing into cracks and crevices in split-seconds, as if “snatched” – hidden from the eye and thereby saved.

8. ??? – In Gen. 4:22 we find Tuval Cain (a descendent of Cain) referred to as a ??? –sharpener. While sharpening is a skill applicable to peaceful purposes like agricultural or artwork, Rashi emphasizes that Tuval Cain’s talents were directed in the main to implements of war. Moreover, most instances of the root ??? in Scripture relate to war and violence (e.g. Ps. 52:4 [so too regarding related words such as ??? – e.g. Ps. 64:4]). We in fact find the foreign rulers of the Land of Israel prohibiting all sharpening metal of implements there for fear that the honing would be applied to tools of war (vis. I Sam. 13:19).

           Up to now we have described defense methods such as hiding, fleeing and enclosing. However, an all-important aspect of defense is that which seeks to prevent armed conflict before it even starts: deterrence. That is, the very knowledge that one’s neighbor possesses an arsenal of weapons at the ready ironically often serves to encourage peaceful coexistence. And if all else fails, the best defense is a good offense – with sharpened spears at hand.

           Additionally, the equivalence of the letters ??? to ??? (ala ???-???, ????-????) may allude to a shared or similar meaning as well. As we’ve seen above, the biblical ??? is in fact a shield, and the ????-ruler is first and foremost charged with defense of his nation.

9. ??? – This root denotes wrapping (e.g. I Sam. 21:10 + Rashi). Derivative meanings are concealment/secrecy (see Ex. 7:22 + Rashi, Sanhed, 67b + Rashi).

           Additionally, Rashi (Jer. 43:9) comments that the word ??? (mortar, cement) derives from the biliteral root ??; cement seals, envelopes, protects (see also Yerios Shlomo, 1:104a).

We may also suggest that the name of ??? itself alludes to the core meanings of ??: defense, hiding/concealing, fleeing, as evidenced at every critical juncture of his life: 1. We are introduced to Lot as the orphan son of the murdered Haran (vis. Rashi, Gen. 11:28), escaping and finding refuge under his uncle Abraham’s wing. 2. He then “escapes” from Abraham -perhaps feeling overwhelmed by the latter’s soaring greatness (more on this below), settling in Sodom (Gen. 13:11 ff.). 3. He is then saved by Abraham, finding refuge once again in Sodom (ibid. 14:16). 4. Finally, he escapes from the destruction of Sodom (ibid. 19:20).

           Note that the root ??? itsef (escape, finding refuge) is found only five times in the Pentateuch (in contradistinction to ?"?) – all exclusively in connection with Lot (vis. ibid. 19:17 [2x], 19:19, 19:20, 19:22). The angel warning Lot to flee uses the word three times, never using synonyms for escape such as ???? or ?????. Lot uses the term twice, adding the word ???? only in verse 20. Why is the word ??? special, and why did Lot conclude with an alternate word?

           A hint maybe found in Gen. 19:17, where the angel urges Lot to “flee to the mountain” (???? ????). Rashi comments that “the mountain” alludes to Abraham, who lived on a mountain. Lot refuses, adding an explanation (ibid. v 19): “I cannot flee to the mountain, lest the evil overtake me, and I die.” The commentators explain that Lot was simply afraid that he may not run fast enough to complete the journey in time. But in the next verse Lot offers his reason for choosing to flee to Tzoar instead: “Behold now, this city is near to flee there, and it is small.” While the statement “near to flee” is fair enough, how is “and it is small” connected? The commentators again offer explanations, but perhaps one could suggest that Lot here hinted to the central motivator in his life. Lot’s great fear was to again find himself in the shadow of his towering uncle, where in comparison Lot himself was miniscule; where compared to Abraham’s righteousness, he himself was a fiend. Ergo: “lest the evil overtake me, and I die” –I’ll have nowhere to run or hide from his greatness and uprightness there. In contrast, in Tzoar –a small, young town– I’ll be considered important and righteous, the “head of the foxes” (see Avos 4:15).

           This may explain Lot’s use the term ???? for the first time, in reference to Tzoar:

??' ??:? – ?????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ???????...

I would suggest that the word ???? indeed refers to the physical feasibility of fleeing to and arriving at the destination on time, as per commentators cited above. Lot explains that in fact Tzoar is a more achievable destination per its proximity. But he then switches back to the root ??? at the end of the verse:

... ?????? ??????? ?????????? ???? ???????

That is, Tzoar has the added advantage of being small and young – a place where I can be honored as an elder and be revered as a saint… and hide from the true righteousness of Abraham. The addition of ????? here suggests that even if  ???? to “the mountain” was logistically possible, that alone would be insufficient, because Lot’s ego could not abide Abraham’s prodigiousness.

Lot’s name therefore expresses with extraordinary accuracy his essence: evasion, avoidance, escape from trials. In contrast who triumphed in all his trials, thereby rising to spiritual greatness, Lot remained eternally mired self-absorbed, enwrapped and enveloped in darkness.

Ours is to learn from Lot’s tragic failure and to aspire to the greatness of our father Abraham, Prince of the Lord.

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Biblical Hebrew Etymology ?????? ??? ?????

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Yehoshua Steinberg

Complacency is tantamount to complicity;

Serenity is prerequisite to accomplishment.