Derasha 1 on Lech Lecha 13:12

TT #1 · Parashas Lech Lecha · Third Aliyah · Passuk 13:12

Complete Passuk

אַבְרָ֖ם יָשַׁ֣ב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־כְּנָ֑עַן וְל֗וֹט יָשַׁב֙ בְּעָרֵ֣י הַכִּכָּ֔ר וַיֶּאֱהַ֖ל עַד־סְדֹֽם׃

Avram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent as far as Sodom.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

TT points to a baraita of R. Nehorai on the relative “mildness” of Sodom among the cities of the plain (textual difficulties noted by the commentators).

Core Text

Core Text תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי נְהוֹרַאי אוֹמֵר: אֵין לְךָ אָדָם מָתוּן בְּכָל הַכְּרַכִּים יָתֵר מִסְּדוֹמִים, שֶׁכֵּן מָצִינוּ בְּלוֹט שֶׁחָזַר עַל כָּל עָרֵי הַכִּכָּר וְלֹא מָצָא מְתוּנָה כִּסְדוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיֶּאֱהַל עַד סְדֹם.
English of Core Text: It was taught: R. Nehorai says, there is no person more mild in all the cities than the Sodomites, for we find that Lot surveyed all the cities of the plain and found none as mild as Sodom, as it is said “and he pitched his tent as far as Sodom.”
On the daf / in context: The baraita is difficult and the commentators note the tension with the explicit wickedness of Sodom; it may be read as relative ranking among the cities of the plain before the final verdict.

Type of Learning

Custom

What Is Learned

Lot’s choice of Sodom is the textual hinge for a baraita that ranks the cities; the moral verdict comes in the next verse.