Whereas Lot dwelled in the region of Sedom, Avraham specifically remained in the mountain region – the area of Jerusalem. The narrative of the War of the Kings further develops this conflict between Avraham-Jerusalem on the one hand, and Sedom on the other. The contrast teaches the ultimate goal of the nation Avraham establishes, whose capital will be Jerusalem: to oppose the culture of Sedom, to champion the ideals of justice and ethics, as opposed to the selfishness and indulgence that characterized the population of Sedom.

            We read in Parashat Lekh-Lekha (chapter 15) of the berit bein ha-betarim (literally, “covenant between the pieces”), the covenantal ceremony during which God promises Avraham that he will father a large nation that will live in Canaan.  At one point during this ceremony, we are told, “The sun was about to set, and a deep sleep came upon Avraham; behold, great dark descended upon him” (15:12).  As Avraham slept in the darkness, God warned him of the bondage to which his descendants would be subjected, and promised that they will ultimately emerge as a free nation and return to Canaan.  As Rashi explains, the setting of the sun and the darkness that descended upon Avraham symbolized the darkness and suffering of the Egyptian exile, of which God informs Avraham in this prophecy.  The Netziv, in his Ha’amek Davar, adds that the word shemesh (sun) is sometimes used to signify the overt manifestation of divine providence in the world.  He cites as an example a verse in Sefer Tehillim (84:12) – “Ki shemesh u-magen Hashem Elokim” (“For the Lord God is a sun and shield”).  The setting of the sun in this prophecy to Avraham thus represents the concealment of divine providence during Benei Yisrael’s periods of exile and oppression, when it appears as though God has forsaken them, Heaven forbid, and no longer takes interest in their well-being.

            Rav Meir Simcha Ha-kohen, in his Meshekh Chokhma, makes a fascinating observation in his comments to this verse, namely, that it is here that the Torah uses the word shemesh for the first time.  In Parashat Bereishit, in describing the creation of the sun, the Torah (1:16) refers to it as ha-ma’or ha-gadol – “the large luminary.”  The word shemesh, however, the primary Hebrew word for “sun,” appears for the first time only here, in God’s prophecy to Avraham.

            The Meshekh Chokhma explains that the word shemesh evolves from the Aramaic verb (which is also used in modern Hebrew) sh.m.sh., which means “serve.”  (The only instance of this verb in Tanakh is in Sefer Daniel 7:10.)  Avraham succeeded in turning the sun back into a shemesh – a servant, or attendant, of the Almighty, rather than an independent supernatural force.  The Rambam famously describes in the beginning of Hilkhot Avoda Zara how idolatry evolved to the point where its followers did not acknowledge the existence of a single, divine entity governing the natural world.  They instead ascribed divine power and authority to the various forces of nature.  Avraham’s struggle against paganism entailed proving that the sun is but a shemesh – a subordinate force, in the “service,” so-to-speak, of the Almighty.  For this reason, the Meshekh Chokhma suggests, it is only when Avraham emerges on the scene and launches his campaign against polytheism that the sun became called shemesh, which emphasizes its dependence upon and subservience to God, contrary to the pagan attribution of intrinsic divine powers to the celestial bodies.

משל האשה הזונה, הפונה למאהבים רבים, מבהיר שהבעיה בפנייה לאלילים רבים היא הבגידה.

Parashat Lekh-Lekha received its name from God’s command to Avraham in the parasha’s opening verse, “Lekh lekha” – “Go.”  God commands Avraham to resettle in a land he will be shown, which was, of course, the Land of Canaan.  Rashi, apparently troubled by the seemingly unnecessary word lekha (literally, “for you”) in this verse, comments, “Le-hana’atekha u-le-tovatekha” – which literally means, “for your benefit [or ‘enjoyment’] and your well-being.”  God emphasized to Avraham that his relocation will ultimately prove beneficial for him, and this is the meaning of

The entry into a special covenant with God did not cause Avraham to dissociate himself from his contemporaries.  To the contrary, a special relationship with the Almighty imposes even greater demands regarding proper care and concern for His creatures.

 Avraham’s aim was not to prove himself right and his nephew wrong, but rather to resolve the unfortunate crisis that suddenly arose.

  The command of “lekh lekha” is one which is issued to each and every one of us, and extends far beyond the issue of geographic location.  We are bidden throughout our lives to “go forth,” to advance, to move forward, to progress, to grow.

Excessive preoccupation with wealth effectively strips a person of his humanity, reducing him from a noble, Godly, spiritual being to a bank account number or portfolio.

We don’t do the Almighty any favors by looking to find fault in people and disparaging and berating sinners. The story of Avraham and Sedom teaches that to the contrary, God Himself wants us to defend those who sin – even the people of Sedom.

God cannot judge the world based upon His perfect conceptions of right and wrong; He takes into account our inherent weaknesses and limitations, and the way these affect conventional and accepted standards. In making our assessments, we must take example from the Almighty who “goes down” when rendering judgment, evaluating people based on their frame of reference.