Page 35 - DAAT-HAIM-2

Rabbi Chaim Walkin

Sefer Da’at Chaim

33rd ma’amar

(i.e., from HaKadosh Baruch Hu) in his saying – “I do not want any
part of Abraham or his G-d.” One must understand – wasn’t the
dispute between the shepherds of Abraham and the shepherds of Lot a
sufficiently compelling reason for Lot to depart from Abraham? – and
when he did leave, why is his departure considered as being an act of
rebellion against HaKadosh Baruch Hu and “a departure from the One
Who Preceded the Universe?!”

And so too here, it is appropriate to explain that although the departure
of Lot from Abraham was not only because of the argument between
his shepherds and the shepherds of Abraham, nevertheless, in reality
hidden within the root of Lot’s departure was an underlying kernel
which was the reason why Lot traveled to Sodom, as the pasuk states
(in Beresheet 13:10) “Lot lifted up his eyes and saw before him
the lush, verdant plain of the Jordan valley, as all of it was pasture-
grazing land.” Lot’s love for money was the real reason from the
very beginning that prompted Lot to depart from Abraham, yet if
not for that love of money Lot would probably have been able to
resolve the conflict between him and the shepherds of Abraham, and
by his efforts he could have used all of his resources to remain in
the presence of Abraham. The dispute between the shepherds of Lot
and the shepherds of Abraham was only a pretense masking the true
inner reason that brought Lot to separate himself from Abraham, and
because of that inner reason, namely a passionate love of money, Lot’s
leaving Abraham is characterized as “a departure from the One Who
Preceded the Universe” and is in the category of a rebellion against
HaKadosh Baruch Hu.

With this insight we can explain another incident in the life of Lot. It
is written (in Chumash Beresheet 19:33) “…and on that night she gave
wine to their father to drink, and the older sister came onto her father
and slept with him, and he was unaware of it when she layed with him
and when she got up.” Rashi explains – the words “When the older
sister got up” are emphasized by the Torah with dots above each letter,
meaning, that when she got up Lot knew precisely what he did, and
nevertheless he did not take any precautions the next night not to drink
any wine and then lay with his second daughter. Rashi’s commentary
is astounding! On what basis was Rashi able to explain that Lot knew

431