וַיְהִי֩ כְהוֹצִיאָ֨ם אֹתָ֜ם הַח֗וּצָה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הִמָּלֵ֣ט עַל־נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ אַל־תַּבִּ֣יט אַחֲרֶ֔יךָ וְאַֽל־תַּעֲמֹ֖ד בְּכׇל־הַכִּכָּ֑ר הָהָ֥רָה הִמָּלֵ֖ט פֶּן־תִּסָּפֶֽה׃
When they had brought them outside, one said, “Flee for your life! Do not look behind you, nor stop anywhere in the Plain; flee to the hills, lest you be swept away.”
וַתַּבֵּ֥ט אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ מֵאַחֲרָ֑יו וַתְּהִ֖י נְצִ֥יב מֶֽלַח׃
His wife looked back from behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt.
Questions:
1. Describe the situation as you picture it in your own words.
2. What is the difference between verses 17 and 26?
3. Verse 26 says she looked "back from behind him" - behind whom?
4. Why is it problematic to look back?
5. Out of all the possible punishments - why did she turn into a pillar of salt?
1. Describe the situation as you picture it in your own words.
2. What is the difference between verses 17 and 26?
3. Verse 26 says she looked "back from behind him" - behind whom?
4. Why is it problematic to look back?
5. Out of all the possible punishments - why did she turn into a pillar of salt?
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א תוּכַ֖ל לִרְאֹ֣ת אֶת־פָּנָ֑י כִּ֛י לֹֽא־יִרְאַ֥נִי הָאָדָ֖ם וָחָֽי׃
(God) said (to Moshe), “But you cannot see My face, for a human being may not see Me and live.”
מאחריו מאחרי לוט שהיה הולך אחריהם מאסף לכל ביתו ממהרם להמלט:
AND HIS WIFE LOOKED BACK FROM BEHIND HIM. From behind Lot, who was following them, acting as the rearguard for all his household, who were hurrying to be saved.
Legends of the Jews 1:5:170
Lot divided his dwelling in two parts, one for himself and his guests, the other for his wife, so that, if aught happened, his wife would be spared. Nevertheless it was she who betrayed him. She went to a neighbor and borrowed some salt, and to the question, whether she could not have supplied herself with salt during daylight hours, she replied, "We had enough salt, until some guests came to us; for them we needed more." In this way the presence of strangers was bruited abroad in the city.
Lot divided his dwelling in two parts, one for himself and his guests, the other for his wife, so that, if aught happened, his wife would be spared. Nevertheless it was she who betrayed him. She went to a neighbor and borrowed some salt, and to the question, whether she could not have supplied herself with salt during daylight hours, she replied, "We had enough salt, until some guests came to us; for them we needed more." In this way the presence of strangers was bruited abroad in the city.
וַתַּבֵּט אִשְׁתּוֹ מֵאַחֲרָיו (בראשית יט, כו), רַבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר שֶׁחָטְאָה בְּמֶלַח בְּאוֹתוֹ הַלַּיְלָה שֶׁבָּאוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים אֶל לוֹט, מָה הִיא עוֹשָׂה הוֹלֶכֶת אֶל כָּל שְׁכֵנוֹתֶיהָ וְאוֹמֶרֶת לָהֶן תְּנוּ לִי מֶלַח שֶׁיֶּשׁ לָנוּ אוֹרְחִים, וְהִיא מְכַוֶּנֶת שֶׁיַּכִּירוּ בָּהֶן אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר, עַל כֵּן (בראשית יט, כו): וַתְּהִי נְצִיב מֶלַח.
His wife looked behind her - Rabbi Isaac said, for she sinned with salt. That night when the angels came to Lot, what was she doing? Going to all her neighbors and saying to them, give me salt, because we have guests. And her intention was that the men of the city would come to know of them. Therefore "she became a pillar of salt."