According to Legends of the Jews, as retold by Ginzberg, the angels who were sent to destroy these cities didn't rush in with fiery vengeance. No, these were angels of mercy. They lingered, hoping, perhaps against hope, that the people of Sodom would somehow, some way, turn away from their wickedness. They arrived near Sodom as evening approached, a time ripe with both possibility and impending doom.
Lot, Abraham's nephew, recognized these angels, though they appeared as ordinary wayfarers. Having learned from Abraham the importance of hospitality, Lot insisted they stay at his home. Now, here's where things get tricky. In Sodom, offering hospitality to strangers was a crime, punishable by death! So, Lot had to be incredibly careful, leading them through back alleys under the cover of darkness. It's a testament to his character, this willingness to risk everything for basic human kindness.
Initially, the angels resisted Lot's invitation – good manners dictate a show of reluctance when invited by an ordinary person, while a great man's offer is accepted immediately. But Lot persisted, practically dragging them inside. Even then, his troubles weren't over. His wife wasn't exactly thrilled. She feared the wrath of the Sodomites, and, as Ginzberg tells us, she inadvertently revealed their presence to the neighbors by borrowing extra salt, sparking suspicion.
As the story goes, the situation escalated rapidly. The men of Sodom, young and old, surrounded Lot's house, demanding he hand over his guests for unspeakable acts. It was a shocking display of depravity. Initially, the angels considered Lot's pleas for the sinners, but the mob's intent was too much. “Hitherto thou couldst intercede for them, but now no longer,” they said. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened; it was practically Sodom's twisted custom to abuse strangers. Lot, recently appointed as a chief judge, even tried to reason with them, reminding them of the generation of the Flood, wiped out for similar sins. But they wouldn't listen.
Then comes a truly unsettling moment: Lot offered his own daughters to the mob to protect his guests. It's a disturbing choice, reflecting a flawed moral compass, and according to the text, he paid for this decision later on. It makes you wonder, doesn't it? What were his motivations? What kind of society creates such impossible choices?
Finally, the angels revealed their true nature and their mission. They warned Lot to flee the city with his family, instructing them not to look back. As they led Lot, his wife, and daughters out of Sodom, the angel Gabriel overturned the cities with just his little finger, while the rain turned into fiery brimstone.
But Lot's wife couldn’t resist. Overcome by maternal concern for her married daughters, she glanced back, and, as the story goes, she was instantly turned into a pillar of salt. The text claims this pillar still existed in Ginzberg's time, licked by cattle and miraculously restored each morning!
Lot initially refused the angels' suggestion to seek refuge with Abraham, fearing his own righteousness would be overshadowed. Instead, he requested that the nearby city of Zoar be spared, a plea that was granted. The destruction occurred at dawn on the sixteenth of Nisan, a deliberate choice to counter sun and moon worship prevalent in Sodom. As Midrash Rabbah explains, God wanted to ensure that neither sun nor moon worshippers could claim their deities would have saved them.
The inhabitants of these cities, according to tradition, not only perished in this world but also lost their share in the world to come. However, the aggadah, or Jewish legend, offers a glimmer of hope, suggesting that the cities will be restored in Messianic times.
The destruction of Sodom coincided with Abraham's morning prayers, an event that, according to the text, established the significance of that time for prayer ever after. Seeing the smoke rising from the destroyed cities, Abraham prayed for Lot's deliverance, marking the fourth time Lot was indebted to his uncle.
And what of Lot's descendants, the Ammonites and Moabites? Instead of gratitude, they showed hostility towards the Israelites. As the text notes, they sought to destroy Israel through Balaam's curses, waged wars, and displayed hatred even at the destruction of the Temple. This led to prophecies of punishment by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zephaniah.
Yet, the story doesn't end with condemnation. Despite his flaws, Lot is also rewarded for his earlier loyalty to Abraham in Egypt. And even more remarkably, the Messiah will be a descendant of Lot, through Ruth the Moabitess and Naamah the Ammonitess, ancestors of King David and Rehoboam.
So, what are we left with? A story of unimaginable wickedness, divine retribution, and surprising redemption. The tale of Sodom and Gomorrah isn't just a cautionary tale about sin; it's a reminder that even in the darkest of times, acts of kindness matter, and that even flawed individuals can play a part in a greater, ultimately redemptive story. It makes you think, doesn’t it, about the complexities of judgment and the enduring power of hope.