An Ode to the Shalshelet

(15) As dawn broke, the messengers urged Lot on, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two remaining daughters, lest you be swept away because of the iniquity of the city.”(16)Still he delayed. So the agents seized his hand, and the hands of his wife and his two daughters—in יהוה’s mercy on him—and brought him out and left him outside the city.(17) 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.”

ויתמהמה BUT HE LINGERED in order to save his property.

Lot could see that the angels didn't want to do anything until he left the city. He thought that since the decree of destruction did not fall upon him, he would be able to withhold the destruction from entering the city (of Sodom) by not leaving it.

He, therefore, delayed a bit because he thought that the people of Sodom would repent and not be destroyed.

The angels knew that it was the opposite- the punishment wouldn't be delayed because of Lot, and that he would also be consumed by the sins of the city held him and took him out. The reason for his salvation is because G-d took pity on him - he wasn't able to prevent the destruction, and it was enough for Lot to save himself once he left the city.

(1) Abraham was now old, advanced in years, and יהוה had blessed Abraham in all things.(2) And Abraham said to the senior servant of his household, who had charge of all that he owned, “Put your hand under my thigh(3) and I will make you swear by יהוה, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell,(4) but will go to the land of my birth and get a wife for my son Isaac.”(5) And the servant said to him, “What if the woman does not consent to follow me to this land, shall I then take your son back to the land from which you came?”

(10) Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and set out, taking with him all the bounty of his master; and he made his way to Aram-naharaim, to the city of Nahor.(11) He made the camels kneel down by the well outside the city, at evening time, the time when women come out to draw water.(12)And he said, “O יהוה, God of my master Abraham’s [house], grant me good fortune this day, and deal graciously with my master Abraham:(13) Here I stand by the spring as the daughters of the townspeople come out to draw water;(14) let the maiden to whom I say, ‘Please, lower your jar that I may drink,’ and who replies, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels’—let her be the one whom You have decreed for Your servant Isaac. Thereby shall I know that You have dealt graciously with my master.”

(2) But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, seeing that I shall die childless, and the one in charge of my household is Dammesek Eliezer!”

(1) אלי לא תלך האשה PERADVENTURE THE WOMAN WILL NOT FOLLOW ME —The word אולי perhaps is written without ו so that it may be read אֵלַי unto me. Eliezer had a daughter and he was endeavouring to find some reason why Abraham should say that he must appeal to him (Eliezer) that he should give his daughter in marriage to Isaac. Abraham said to him, “My son is blessed and you are subject to a curse. One who is under a curse cannot unite with one who is blessed” (Genesis Rabbah 59:9).

(6) He left all that he had in Joseph’s hands and, with him there, he paid attention to nothing save the food that he ate. Now Joseph was well built and handsome.(7) After a time, his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, “Lie with me.”(8)But he refused. He said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master gives no thought to anything in this house, and all that he owns he has placed in my hands.(9) He wields no more authority in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except yourself, since you are his wife. How then could I do this most wicked thing, and sin before God?”(10) And much as she coaxed Joseph day after day, he did not yield to her request to lie beside her, to be with her.

(22) He brought forward the second ram, the ram of ordination. Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the ram’s head,(23)and it was slaughtered. Moses took some of its blood and put it on the ridge of Aaron’s right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.(24) Moses then brought forward the sons of Aaron, and put some of the blood on the ridges of their right ears, and on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet; and the rest of the blood Moses dashed against every side of the altar.