Lot's Self-Sacrifice

Lot liked his uncle Abraham. He was a chassid of Abraham. There were other family members and nephews, but only he, Lot, went along with Abraham's views wholeheartedly. (Which is why he never squealed to the Egyptians on Abraham's real relationship with Sarah).

Like his uncle, Lot appreciated the opportunity to lavish upon guests; Most especially if they were indeed hungry.

Still, Lot preferred distancing himself physically from uncle Abraham. He wasn't as "religious" as his uncle; But he did indulge, as did his uncle, in congenial outreach to needy souls.

Once, having lived in Sodom for a while, Lot found a voyager out on the street, hungry for food. He instructed his daughter to secretly feed the homeless man at night, without rousing notice of the act of goodwill. Sodomites loathed and would kill perpetrators of goodness and charity.

In fact, the Sodomites caught Lot's daughter red-handed. They took her to a roof, stripped her, smeared her entire body with honey, and bees ate her up or killed her. It was this girl's cries that God refers to: "I will go down now to verify that she so cries." (Gen. 18:21)

Lot thus lost a daughter.

When the angels arrive to Sodom, dressed as passers-by, Lot now risks his OWN life to grant favor to strangers. He suggests they enter his house - only do so by taking a detoured side entrance.

The Sodomites had a great detection system in place to catch perpetrators of goodwill. Lot too was caught in the act.

This urge to do good, at the risk of self-sacrifice, even after losing a daughter to the cause, earned Lot an unusual prize. God rewarded Lot by providing that it be his seed that shall share in the Messianic dynasty's lineage.

(Heard this this Shabbos Lech-Lecha from the chassid Rabbi D.S. Pape, who remembers the Rebbe saying this in a farbrengen in 770 where he occupied a permanent "box seat", that -- on account of this self-sacrifice --  Lot merited the privilege of hosting two seeds of the Messianic genetic pool.)

Lot's Legacy Shines

The most fearsome and ferocious General of the army was leading the charge, with 3 other mighty Generals alongside. These were 4 armies about to do battle with 5 opposing armies. What went on was nothing less than a World War, 9 kingdoms taking sides.

The clashes went on far from where Abraham and Lot occupied vast adjacent property, but local enough for Lot to pick up and visit Sodom when he liked. Oh, he really did like Sodom!

Wouldn't you know it, Lot happened to be "cruising" Sodom one day, just when the mightiest of all generals, Nimrod ("Amraphel"), swept him up, throwing him in with his other booty gained for the day. Lot was in the wrong place the wrong time.

Lot never figured Uncle Abraham would enter his comfortable domain or niche. Abraham was "religious", and he wasn't, which was why they lived in separate domains. Of course he believed in God, Lot did, but he also enjoyed other fascinating facets of life that Abraham would not want to get near to.

A second heart-wrenching shock shook Lot that dreadful day. He went full swing, from a bitter fright of losing his life, to where he achieved freedom's ecstasy as his chains fell away. He experienced Abraham's sudden, daring rescue effort. At the end of the day he had good reason to acknowledge stronger affinity to his Uncle Abraham.

How do we know to read Lot's mind? Torah tells us with 3 "by-the-way" words. "And they grabbed up Lot and all his assets, Lot who was the nephew of Abraham, and he was sitting in Sodom." (Gen.14:12)

Now we know: He was sitting in a bar in Sodom, maybe sipping his favorite drink. Suddenly - an invasion of privacy! Suddenly heavy swords come clashing down! Suddenly, Lot has no prayer to exist to the next moment. What Lot didn't know, and what saved him, was he was the genetic carrier of a unique light.

A most brilliant light lies in wait, to indulge the righteous; A light that had been stored for this purpose since the universe's Day One. This brilliant Messianic light that first coursed through Abraham spiritually now was to pass itself on physically via Lot's genetic distribution. Abraham's Light would thus wend its way into the sovereign Messianic lineage. Lot's seeds of Moav and Amon would incorporate into this chain; Moav- via Rut (and Boaz); Amon - via Naamah (and King Shlomo).

Lot, therefore, couldn't have been all that bad!

The Rising of the Fallen House of David

So begins the laws of Moshiach: "King Moshiach will rise and restore the Kingdom of David ...."

Precisely then, Moshiach's 1st mission is - to rise!  But why the ostensibly superfluous words "to rise"? What would we miss had it just said "King Moshiach will restore the Kingdom ...."? What means "to rise"?

The question is even more pronounced. Kingship, if anything, expresses itself by "sitting" rather than "standing"! For example, "And Solomon sat on the throne of Hashem" (Melachim 1:12:23), or, as we pray on Shabbat, "The King, who sits on a lofty, sublime throne". (המלך היושב על כסא רם ונשא)

(Later in this chapter we again find the term "to rise", where signs of Moshiach's identity are listed, but there it intuitively means Moshiach will "prove himself"; But here, where general goals of Moshiach are presented, the term remains enigmatic.)

Is there a source from our sages to support Rambam's assessment "Moshiach will rise"? He states, in fact, this "rising" must precede restoration of the Kingdom of David to its original state! So what does this "rising" mean?

Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpo (in his sefer "יחי המלך") says Rambam's source comes from the following dialogue (Sanhedrin 96b):
"Rav Nachman said to Rav Yitzchak, 'Had you heard when arrives the son of Nefillim (of those who fell)?'
"Said he to him, 'Who is the son of Nefillim?'
"Said he, 'Moshiach'.
"'You call Moshiach son of Nefillim?!'
"'Yes, for it says, 'On that day I will raise the Sukkah of David that fell'" (Amos 9:11).
And Rashi explains "The Sukkah of David that fell" means, "because the Kingdom of David fell, Moshiach is called the son of Nefillim."

This must be why Moshiach is initially destined "to rise". Only by first reversing the prior fall will the Kingdom finally be restored!

Rabbi Wolpo probes deeper into this insight, relying on the Malbim (Amos 9:11): "The House of David (the Temple) was a permanent fixture in all its glory, passed from generation to generation. During the Second Temple, once the Kingdom of David was voided, it became a temporary structure. .. Because rulers of the seed of David sometimes ruled, the structure now resembles a temporary structure (Sukkah). Then that Sukkah too fell.. Eventually Hashem shall raise the Sukkah of David."

The Maharsha, in a similar vein, explains what Rabbi Chiya says to Rabbeinu Hakadosh (Sanhedrin 38a): "The son of David will not come until two Houses of Fathers (the position of Prince and the position of Chief of Beit Din) will be destroyed, etc. .. The intention relates to the secret of the new moon to which the Kingdom of David compares. Just as the moon after the 15th begins to lessen, so with the Kingdom of David ... On the one hand it is a good sign, for King David of Israel lives eternally ... for just as the new moon will manifest ... the Kingdom of David will again renew, as will the greatness of the rulers' families."

Both the Malbim and Maharsha speak of the nullification of the rulers (נשיאים) during the Gemora era, but thereafter the rulership of the House of David will again rise and remain steadfast, and that rising of the ancestry began when the holy Ba'al Shem Tov revealed himself, who was a spark of Moshiach - and thereby the Sukkah of David was re-established. (Rabbi Wolpo notes: "The Sukkah of David" in gematria = 494, the year in this millennium when the BS"T revealed himself.)

Our holy Rebbeim explained "The fall of the Sukkah of David" does not mean, God forbid, the nullification of the rulership ("ביטול הנשיאות"), because "David, the King of Israel, lives forever" - as an eternal king. Moreover, the Rebbe explains, and this is important to note - the "falling" is only from the aspect of the observers ("המקבלים"). The fall does not affect the eternal house of David. Every generation has a king from the House of David, but he is a concealed king. As sure as the moon always receives sunlight, the eternal status always characterizes the House of David. Only, it needs to again start shining - so WE can see it again! This illumination began its incremental emergence (= "rising"), starting with the Ba'al Shem Tov.

This is the meaning of Psalms (89:37-38): "His seed will endure forever; His throne like the sun before Me." God testifies that above, in heaven, David's throne is always complete. And if you'll ask, but below, on earth, this kingdom is not revealed, the next verse explains: "Like the moon it is ready in concealment;" Although the kingdom of David is not revealed yet below, it remains alive and existent in concealed state (בהעלם). When the moon is concealed below, it does not mean it lost any of its essence. And who testifies this is the truth? Eternal God! "And the Witness in heaven is forever faithful."

The Wile of Women Produces Moshiach

At practically every juncture along the trail of sexual encounters that contributed seed to form the required genome from which the dynasty of Moshiach would propagate, man succumbed to manipulation by a woman. In most these conjugations, the man was duped or had no clear picture of what was happening, whereas the woman knew exactly what she was doing.

Another striking feature of these encounters is that despite the specter of their unholy alliances, the holiest of all men will have been thereby brought to fruition. This is discussed elsewhere.

The union between Yehuda and Tamar yielded Peretz, a forebear of Moshiach. Tamar, frustrated by Yehuda's empty promise, takes the matter into her own hands. She dresses promiscuously and beguiles Yehuda, who does not recognize his daughter-in-law. Thereafter she prepares to sacrifice her life, and that of the child in her womb, to prevent insult to Yehuda. Yehuda then openly admits his shortfall and saves her life.

Boaz was the most respected, righteous elder of the House of Yehuda. He was 400 years old. He had the Sanhedrin sit in judgement to decide if he can marry Rut. They ruled on whether a Moabite can convert to Judaism. They declared: "A Moabite man - NO; A Moabite woman - Yes". On the given night, Boaz was sleeping in the shed of his field. Rut sneaked in and laid down next to his feet. He awoke in unexpected dread, but consummated his marriage there. (Boaz passed away the day after, leaving the Sanhedrin in consternation, on whether or not they issued the correct verdict in the Boaz case. This kernel of doubt will later play havoc in Yishai's mind.)

Yishai, the grandson of Boaz, was also recognized as a most righteous elder in the House of Yehuda. He fathered 7 sons, when suddenly a "screw came loose" in his mind. In concern for his righteous wife, he suddenly felt he might be doing her a disservice by remaining married to her because maybe, in fact, he wasn't even Jewish. Maybe the Sanhedrin erred when they made the ruling in his grandfather's case. So he separated from his wife. Then, in another quirk of psychology, he desired his Gentile maidservant. This maidservant, however, loyal to Yishai's wife, alerted her to their rendezvous. Then the two women pulled off what Rachel and Leah pulled off the night Leah married Yakov. That night Yishai laid with his wife, and not with his maidservant, of which he was totally unaware.

The unions between Lot and his two daughters also were orchestrated by the girls, leaving their father totally oblivious to what had happened. They figured the overturning of Sodom and Gemorah they just witnessed, with the resulting inferno, was a repetition of what G-d did to the world 10 generations earlier, when the entire world was obliterated by the Great Flood; Only this time G-d chose a fiery end, they thought. They figured they were the world's only survivors, so they desired to reproduce from the seed of their father.

Even before the seed of Peretz was created, the Jewish lineage also involved crucial encounters between husband and wife, where the man was manipulated or overruled by his wife. In the case of Yakov, he was duped by Leah and Rachel into thinking he was marrying Rachel, when, in fact, he slept with Leah (who will become the mother of Yehuda).

In the case of Isaac, his wife Rivkah fooled him by dressing her son to resemble Esav, so Yakov should receive Isaac's blessings rather than Esav.

Sarah, the first Jewess, the wife of Abraham, the first Jew, despised Abraham's son, Yishmael. She told Abraham to chase him away because she wanted her son, Isaac, to be heir to Abraham's legacy. This did not sit well with Abraham who loved Yishmael, but then came the command of G-d to Abraham, "Everything your wife Sarah tells you to do - obey her!" (Gen. 21:12)

In fact, the very first couple on earth, Adam and Eve, also featured a grand act of deception. Eve, knowing they mustn't eat from the Tree of Good and Bad, gave Adam to eat despite the prohibition by G-d. She fell prey to the snake's guile. This couple may not be considered "Jewish" in the formal sense but because they had all-inclusive, collective souls, they certainly contained the Jewish element as well. The snake had been their downfall, and the snake's deed will have had to be rectified throughout the following generations by producing the seed of Moshiach - by the wile of women - as a countermeasure to the snake who overwhelmed Eve. ("Moshiach" has the same gematria as "snake")

Not only are these critical junctures moments that define future outcomes by female dominance, it may well define the very fabric built into Judaism, casting its destiny to rectify the original sin. This pattern will boldly stand out during the times of Moshiach, when, as Jeremiah depicts, "the woman will spin the man" (Jer. 31:21). King Moshiach will be the most humble of men, in part because he will know full well he wears his crown in ancestral tribute to the women who outmaneuvered their men at decisive junctures.

Casting the Jewish Royal Lineage

When Lot's oldest daughter persuaded her sister they sleep with their father, she said, " ... so we can give life to seed from our father." (Gen. 19:32) She didn't say, "so we can have children." This seed of Lot will, thereafter, worm its way through successive generations to take its final, eminent status of being integrated into the genetic constitution that will produce the last Jewish King, Moshiach.

Lot's seed passed into the womb of his oldest daughter, which created the nation of Moav, from whence, it traversed after many generations, via Ruth, to be grafted onto the Jewish seed of Boaz, the great-grandfather of King David, to become part of the Jewish Royal genome.

The younger daughter also took her father's seed and this too wormed its way through the generations, dwelling temporarily in the nation of Ammon until it was grafted onto the Jewish Royal genome, when Naama, a princess of Ammon, married King Solomon. Their child, Rechavam, then passed forward this new Jewish genetic mosaic, now genetically complete with contributions from Moav and Ammon, to propagate a dynasty from which King Moshiach will rise forth in the future.

As these genetic contributions from Lot were making their way forward, the main Jewish genome, to which they will graft onto, originated with Jacob's son, Yehuda. But not from the combination made by Yehuda and his first wife, but rather via the seed generated together with his daughter-in-law, Tamar. Their child, Peretz, carried forward the Jewish Royal genome. Along its trail, it arrived at Boaz, where the uptake was made by the contribution of Moav. Four generations later the Ammon contribution was taken up. At this point, the Jewish Royal genome was complete, insofar as all the necessary grafting had taken place, and now flowed through purely Jewish channels. The final possessor of this sovereign genome will be King Moshiach.