Aliya Summary: The angels arrived in Sodom, and Lot invited them to
his home to eat and rest. Word of Lot's guests spread throughout the
city – a city that abhorred all acts of kindness – and the incensed
residents of Sodom surrounded Lot' house, with intent to assault the
guests. Lot refused the demands that he surrender his guests, and – as
the Sodomites prepared to break down the door – the angels struck all
those surrounding the house with blindness. The angels informed Lot of
their mission, and encouraged him to flee. Lot, his wife, and two of his
daughters were escorted out of the city to safety, and were warned not
to look back as the city was being destroyed.
The word
"and he lingered" is read with the rare cantillation mark (trup), the
shalshellet, which musically emphasizes the reluctance of Lot to believe
and to leave. In contrast, the same word is used in describing the
haste with which the Children of Israel left Egypt at G-d's command,
symbolized by the matzah which they hastily baked, rather than waiting
for the dough to rise and produce a "proper " bread, thus demonstrating
their faith and confidence in G-d. Just another example of the many
hidden pearls of lessons in the Torah.
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