Lot's (Kind of) Tragic End

We all know the story of the beginning of Lot's life. He was the son of Avraham's brother, Haran, who died before their father, Terach. According to some commentaries, Haran died in the fiery pit. After his father's death, Lot moved to Charan with Avraham, Sarah, and Terach. Afterwards, he continued on into the land of Canaan with Avraham and Sarah. During the famine in Canaan, all three of them went to Egypt in search of food. Egypt was known as the epitome of corruption: they had no justice or tact or morals. Lot was influenced by their corrupting influence and decided to move away from Avraham after their fight over sheep. Lot chose to move to Sedom, a place (like Egypt) known for a lack of morals and ethics. The next we hear of him, he has been captured by the four kings and Avraham has to step in and rescue him. (Afterwards, Avraham was rewarded for his efforts and was later known as a skilled war general and strategist.) Finally, we hear the story of Lot in Sedom.

Both interpretations of the story of Sedom, from both Rashi and Ramban, can give us insight into Lot's identity and qualities. As we see from his actions, Lot did actually learn a few things about how to treat people from Avraham. He went out of his way to host the two angel men and keep them safe from the mob. According to Ramban, he risked his own safety to try and teach the mob a lesson: the way that they were treating the visitors and each other is not acceptable and they need to be alerted to the fact that this is in no way okay. When the mob refused to listen, Lot is pulled inside by the angel men and flees the city with his wife and his two youngest daughters. After they flee into the mountains, Lot's daughters take it upon themselves to repopulate the world through their father. Both girls become pregnant and their children become nations who have opposed Bnei Yisrael all throughout history. Why is this ironic?

Lot was Avraham's nephew. For quite some time, Avraham thought that Lot would be his "descendant". He honestly thought that Lot would be the one to continue his line and build a nation known for justice and righteousness. What happened to Lot? He was influenced by the ways of Egypt and Sedom. Even so, he never forgot the way in which Avraham raised him. He treated other people correctly, but he failed to apply that to every aspect of his life. He did not rise up and excel in justice and righteousness despite his surroundings. He did not choose to live in a land where the people were known for their righteousness. In the end, he wound up having children with his own daughters. What does that say about his morality? Clearly, it was at a very low level. If that is the case, then how can anyone expect this person to be the next generation in a nation known for their morality, justice, and righteousness?