Daily Aliya for Lech Lecha, Revii (4th Aliya)

Aliya Summary: The southern region of Canaan was embroiled in a major war involving many kings. When the dust settled, the victorious kings took captive all the inhabitants of the Sodom region -- Lot included. When Avram was informed of Lot's plight he rushed to the rescue along with a handful of men, engaged the victorious kings in battle, soundly defeated them, released all the captives and returned all the spoils.

Some ironic mentions: 1) One of the four winning kings was Shem, one of Noach's sons; 2) Another one of the four winning kings was Nimrod, who had thrown Avram into the fire to prove that he was a man of G-d; 3) Avram was informed of Lot's plight by Og, who Medrash says was the only person outside the ark to have survived the flood by hanging on to it (symbolic of his regret for any wrong-doings?) ; 4) The main battle took place in Ein Mishpat, so named because it was where Moshe and Aaron would be judged for hitting the rock when the Jews needed water. Is there a connection between Og's actions? What was it about Ein Mishpak that so many things happened around it? These are not coincidences, but many of the mysteries of these people, places and events are still unknown to us. Still, we do know that there's a reason for all of it, which should help us perform to those laws that we don't (yet) understand.