THE BIBLICAL STORY - Sodom and Gomorrah were cities destroyed by God for the sins and immorality of the people who dwelled there. In Genesis 18 Abraham is told by God of his intentions to destroy the city of Sodom by three angels who have visited his home. Abraham implores God to save the city and God agrees if a number of righteous people can be found living amongst the sinners. Two of the lords angels frequented the city of Sodom after leaving Abraham and they found only one such person, Lot the nephew of Abraham.
When the angels sent by God arrived in Sodom Lot insisted they stayed with Lot and his family and a meal was prepared for them to share, not knowing they were angels sent to rescue the righteous. Before they were able to bed down for the night the men of the city arrived at Lots house the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, and all the people to the last man, surrounded the house and they called to Lot, Where are the men who came to you tonight Bring them out to us, that we may know them. Some interpretations of this are that the men of the city had homosexual intentions towards the guests however it has long been debated that the story actually has no directive to that of homosexuality. Lot in order to protect his guests offered the men of the city his two virgin daughters but the men refused.
The angels in order to help Lot and his family escape blinded the men outside telling Lots family they have been sent by God to destroy the city. The following morning Lot, with his wife and two unmarried daughters fled towards the town of Zoar. The angels had urged that they not look back at the city as they escaped but Lots wife ignored this divine instruction and stopped to look back at the city as it was being destroyed by God with fire and brimstone and perished turning into a pillar of salt.
THE RABBINIC REFERENCES Upon reflection there appears to be two themes to this story the first being that of hospitality, initially the hospitality of Abraham and then of Lot to the angels, the second story is one of protectionism. Generous hospitality for, Abraham was so important that it was greater than receiving the divine presence as shown in Genesis 1813 when Abraham asked God to wait whilst he tended to his guests. There was a difference between Abraham and Lot as it was Lot who chose to go to Sodom when the two families had to split due to lack of available grazing land for their animals due to its prosperity and looked upon this land as the best option and with sexual desire showing his immortality but never the less Abraham wanted God to save him he asked if God could find a number of righteous people stopping at the number 10 would God save Sodom. Rabbi Jochanan interpretation of this was that there were 10 people in Lots family and 10 is the number of people required for prayer which was in much need in the city (Loader, 1990).
The second point that of protectionism is highlighted by Rabbi Judah who said of the Sodomites They were wicked - with their bodies and sinners - with their money. He meant by this that they were greedy and heartless showing no regard for their fellow man. Sodom was a prosperous and thriving economic community. One such rabbinic tradition concerning the Sodomites that highlights this is their individualistic attitude whats mine is mine and whats your is yours. Rabbi Nathaniel said The men of Sodom had no consideration for the honor of their Owner by not distributing food to the wayfarer and stranger. What he highlights here is that through their selfishness the people of Sodom led to an extreme behavior. The mob that surrounded Lots home did so as a law of Sodom was the forbiddance of feeding strangers as they wished to keep the wealth for the Sodomites. (Cohen, 2009)
What these Rabbis are indicating is that the individualistic nature of the Sodomites was all consuming of their society. Protectionism was at the height of their individualistic society. Abraham and Lot however were on the other hand men of morals and men of God, believing in a higher authority than that of the Judges of Sodom, the citizens themselves.
A CONTEMPORARY DEBATE IN COMPARISON TO THE BIBLICAL STORY - In comparison to the attitudes of the people of Sodom whats mine is mine is the Buy American agenda that is at present passing through American Congress. America too wants to close some of its wealth through protectionism. By retaining no tariff barriers it is exasperating some of its trade partners through the lack of wanting to share wealth (Steinbruger, 1989) Whilst this quote is regarding a contemporary global matter it compares with the Sodomites in that their desire to isolate their wealth and the law forbidding the sharing of that wealth with strangers resulted in not only contaminated their moral being but also resulted in their city perishing. The closing down of trade barriers and economic slow down would cause dire consequence and human tragedy as well as further economic crisis. The citizens of Sodom also wanted to protect their wealth but did so at the detriment of outsiders, showing no compassion for a weary or hungry traveler and punishing those who showed a moral respect for human kind. This resulted in the demise of a people at the wrath of God.
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