Beraishis 13B – Lot Didn’t Learn the Lessons that Avraham Modeled

Look closely at the cantillation of the verse and notice where there is a pause. The verse reads:

וְגַ֨ם־לְל֔וֹט הַהֹלֵ֖ךְ אֶת־אַבְרָ֑ם הָיָ֥ה צֹאן־וּבָקָ֖ר וְאֹהָלִֽים׃
And also Lot, who went with Avraham, (PAUSE), had sheep and cattle and tents.

The verse is asking us to pause and reflect. Lot went with Avraham. Avraham had dedicated his life to kindness and teaching about God to the world. Lot saw Avraham’s tent open and welcoming to all. Did he absorb these lessons? What did Lot get from his time with Avraham?

Lot, who went with Avraham, had sheep and cattle and tents. He acquired nothing of Avraham’s spirituality. He went with Avraham because it brought him material profit.

He had his own wealth. He had his own tents. He stopped being a member of Avraham’s household.

Avraham dedicated his life to spirituality and calling out in the name of God. The management of his home, he entrusted to Sarah. It was Sarah’s tent. (See commentary on 12:8, page 303, derived from the letter ה in the word אהלה. His tent was really her tent.) But Lot, who should have know better and learned from Avraham, was concerned about his materialism. He had his own possessions and tents.

Beraishis 13:5
pages 313-314