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i
Abraham sits at the entrance to his tent, in the heat of the day. And from there he sees wandering angels, who are disguised as men. And he invites the men to take food from him and to take water from him and to rest from the heat of the desert beneath his tree.

The angels accept this offer right away.

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Lot, Abraham’s nephew, sits in the gate of Sodom, the wicked city, that is the city where he lives. And he sees the same angels-disguised-as-men, and he invites the angels-disguised-as-men in to his home.

But the angels only accept Lot’s invitation after great pressure.

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When the angels come to Lot’s house, the people of Sodom demand that the angels come out to be raped. Lot offers to send his daughters out in the angels’ stead. The people refuse Lot’s offer; and they try to break down the door to Lot’s house.

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Since Abraham never invites the angels into his home, and Sarah, Abraham’s wife, is in the tent when they come, the angels do not see her.

The angels need to ask: Where is Sarah, your wife?

ii
The people of Sodom do not recognize the concept of home, of private space, of a precious hidden life. They only have a public space, public wants. This is the core of their evil.

Lot, the man of Sodom, greets guests at the city gate.

Lot brings strange men in to his home, though his daughters are there.

Guests are demanded up, and daughters are offered up, and houses are destroyed, all in the name of public pleasure.

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Abraham’s life is of the home: of things apart from the public.

Abraham greets guests at the entrance to his own tent.

Abraham does not bring the men in to his tent: so the angels cannot see his wife who is in the tent.

The things of Abraham’s life emanate from within his home, in which his life is hidden.

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God tells Abraham that he will punish the people of Sodom. Abraham argues to God that He should spare Sodom if there will be righteous people within the city, nestled among the wicked.

In a life of the home—a life in which all wonderful things are hidden—such hope for hidden goodness is possible.

And so it is Abraham who can pray for a wicked city.

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In this way it is the home that lays open the option that people are good. It is the home that allows for hope for humanity.

So it is the home that allows for acts of mercy.

Based, in small part, on a speech of Rabbi Michael Whitman.

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