Vayero 2025: The Curious Case of the Much Maligned Mrs. Loit

by devadmin | November 6, 2025 10:53 pm

Raboyseyee and Ladies,

 

The Curious Case of the Much Maligned Mrs. Loit:

I last wrote about Loit’s wife, Mrs. Loit, back in 2013, mamish 12 years ago. All we really know about her from the heylige Toirah is what became of her. Other sources provide lots of color but, was she deserving of her fate? Was she a bad person? It’s time we revisit with her. As well, you should know that though this is a shtikel repeat from back then, the key word is ‘shtikel’ (a very small piece) because most of the information is mamish brand new. Lots more on her below but we will start here:

If you’re over 60, efsher you recall your youth when the family doctor made a house call to see you. Hard to believe but that mamish happened. That’s nothing because way way back, post mabul but before the famous akeydo myseh -so were talking more than three thousand years ago- if your name was Avrohom and you just had -at the age of 99- given yourself a bris mila- you were also entitled to a home visit by three malochim (angels) dressed up as human beings. As if that weren’t enough and avada it should be for any other humanoid, prior to them showing up, the RBSO Himself was visiting with Avrohom and so begin our parsha with these words:
וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו יְהוָה בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא, וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב פֶּתַח-הָאֹהֶל, כְּחֹם הַיּוֹם.

English:  “And Hashem appeared to him in the plains of Mamre, while he was sitting at the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day.” The RBSO appeared to Avrohom to check up on him. Ober all that was before Obama Care and before home visits became a thing of the past. And with that introduction, let us set the scene for this week’s action packed parsha.

As Vayero opens, it’s day three post bris during which Avrahom acted as both patient and surgeon. Indeed, according to the medrish, Avrohom himself did the cutting. What took place ver veyst, because according to another medrish, the RBSO assisted with the cutting, hence we recite these words daily during davening.וְכָרוֹת עִמּוֹ הַבְּרִית . Some say that the words -He cut with him- prove that the RBSO and Avrohom, together, did the cutting of the foreskin; wow!

Vayero contains many storylines, each worthy of discussion, including these: as mentioned, the first recorded bikkur cholim (checking in on the sick) visit by the RBSO Himself, fire and brimstone leading to the complete destruction of S’doim, another king  desirous of Soro, a second attempt by Avrohom Ovenu to rid himself of his wife, a case of clear incest between Loit and his daughters, attempted homosexuality by the people of S’doim – more on that below, Hogor and Yishmoel make another appearance, the birth of Yitzchok by parents now 90 and 100 years old, and the big one, the most dramatic story in the Sefer Bereishis, the Akeidas Yitzchok (the binding of Isaac) myseh. It’s action packed. We have -in the past 15 years- covered most of these topics b’arichus (at length) and avada you are invited to visit www.Oisvorfer.com to see all postings on Vayero. The bottom line: too many topics and precious little space; where shall we begin?

Shoin, as the title suggests, let us revisit with Mrs. Loit. Two parshas back, the RBSO, disgusted mamish by the behavior of mankind, the animal kingdom as well -men mamish behaving like behamis and vilde chayis- regretted creating man, and taka made good. He destroyed the gantze velt (entire world) leaving only Noaich, Mrs. Noiach,  their kinderlach, and a few animals to start all over. Survive and propagate they did; here we are two parshas further, as well as a number of generations later. New people have come and they too are sinners, ober this time, the issue seems to be more localized. Man has reverted to his old way, efsher his natural tendencies, ver veyst? There’s a crisis brewing in a city called Sedoim (Sodom): the people there are giferlich, mamish shlecht (very bad). It’s chaos and Agents 86 and 99 are nowhere to be found. (If you remember house visits from doctors, of course you remember the good agents of GET SMART.) The people are robbing and stealing; they are sexual deviants, some training to be rebbes in local yeshivas, ver veyst. In general, not such nice people. The RBSO has seen enough and has set His sights on S’doim and surrounds. Before the Chamishi aliya (fifth portion) He will have wiped out its inhabitants and destroyed forever the entire city. What taka took place? What behavior was so giferlich?

Nu, as mentioned, the people of Sodom were beyond the pale. The RBSO decided that their behavior was off the reservation, it was time for them all to go. All, but Loit, Avrohom’s nephew, his wife, and the mishpocho, some of them. The RBSO sent malochim to get the job done. We have previously covered this part of the story and efsher you also recall learning that Mrs. Loit was killed when she failed to follow strict instructions about not looking back. She was turned into a pillar of salt. This part is not from the medrish; the heylige Toirah tells us this befeirush (explicitly). The entire world knows this part.

As Loit departs the scene of destruction, his personal malach (angel of salvation) tells him not to look back while the cities -yes, more than one- are being given their divine punishment. Most of the Loit family follow orders, but Loit’s eishes chayil, not unlike many wives, if you chap, looks back. The bottom line: women cannot help themselves; looking back is their specialty, especially at all the things their husbands may have done wrong over the years. It’s part of their DNA.

Says the heylige Toirah (Bereishis 19:26): וְאֵשֶׁת לֹט הֶבִּיטָה אַחֲרֵי, וַתִּהְיֶה נְצִיב מֶלַח.

“His wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” Our good rabbis tell us that she will remain in that position until tichiyas hamaysim (awakening of the dead).

 

Not just does she go nameless in the Toirah, she was turned into a pillar of salt, whatever that means. And ever since, the heylige Gemora along with many medroshim (commentators) have been fascinated with Mrs. Loit and have wondered aloud what really happened to her and why. Who was the mysterious Mrs. Loit and did she have a name? Do we know it? Why did she taka turn around and why was she punished so severely? On the other hand, who cares what her name was? On the other hand, the medrish and others very rarely let an unnamed person slide; they find, or make up a name, one they believe to be suitable based on events, or the person’s personality. They were bewildered by her story and needed -as they often do- to plug the holes, fill in the blanks.

And taka, if she was on the save list, how bad could she have been? What terrible crime did she commit that suddenly sealed her fate? Nu, the heylige Toirah does not tell us, ober leave it to the medrish and others to name her and develop a crime that perfectly fit her punishment and demise. But was she guilty?

Says the medrish (Tanchuma, Vayera 8) azoy: her name was ‘Idis’, pronounced EE-dis. Or, her name may have been “Idit,” ver veyst, and this is her story. She was a giferliche woman/wife married to Avrohom’s nephew Loit who himself is of questionable character as we will soon learn. How do we know this was her name? Do we? As proof positive, in March 2004 and a few times since, this was an answer on Jeopardy, where the correct question was “Who was Idith?” As noted above, the heylige Toirah does not mention Loit’s wife by name. Indeed, it barely mentions her at all. While Soroh was busy baking, cooking, serving for her guests, Loit’s wife was absent and he, Loit, is doing all the work. In the parsha, it’s Loit serving the angels disguised as regular people. Loit was all over the place and taka later -in the parsha- we will read about some extra workload he took on while in the cave with his daughters, if you chap. He was quite the service provider; family comes first, if you chap.

To be fair, Mrs. Loit is referenced three times- all three while being escorted from S’doim- ober not a single shoutout by name; perhaps not worthy? Efsher you’re taka wondering what great crime she committed and why the RBSO meted out such swift and permanent punishment. What’s pshat? And do all suggest that she was a bad actor and deserved what she got?  Shoin, in Letterman style, lets quickly review the top ten -or more- answers proffered by well-known exegetes and luminaries our rabbis quote all the time:

As is customary, we start with Rashi (Bereishis 19:26) who says this: She looked back to see the destruction of the cities. Was that so terrible? Ver veyst, but the idea is this: One should not witness the punishment of others; seeing divine retribution is forbidden for those saved. Her punishment (pillar of salt) is a measure-for-measure consequence. The bottom line: the Ois does not chap this mida-kineged-mida pshat.

Says the Rashbam that she looked to see her daughters or family members. Isn’t that the right thing to do? In this case, her curiosity or concern for her family caused her to disobey the angel’s warning. Her fate emphasizes the danger of being attached to the past. Not satisfied? Let’s go veyter.

The Alshich says this: The saved should not look on G-d’s awesome power. Pshat is this: Observing divine judgment is spiritually dangerous. Mrs. Loit’s punishment demonstrates that one must trust the RBSO’s providence rather than witness punishment directly. Ober the Ramban (Nachmanides) says that her looking back was sinful because it reflected attachment to a sinful world. She was unable to separate herself from her old life, and divine punishment emphasizes the need for detachment after salvation.

The Chizkuni says that she looked back out of worry for her possessions. Her fixation on material wealth prevented her from fully leaving Sedoim behind. Midrashic logic: attachment to past material concerns is spiritually dangerous. The Keli Yakar suggests that she became fixated on the past, unable to move forward. Pshat being that spiritual growth requires leaving the past behind; excessive attachment leads to downfall.

The medrish (Bereishis Rabbah 51:5) suggest she sinned through salt — literally. She had gone to borrow salt for guests, and in doing so, revealed Loit’s hospitality to the townspeople. They stormed his house, demanding the strangers. Rashi tells us the Sodomites wanted them for ‘mishkav zochor’ (homosexual activities). Shoin!

The heylige Zoihar 108b says she looked back because her heart remained tied to Sodom — physically she left, spiritually she did not. The Midrash HaGadol tells us she doubted that destruction could come. Her skepticism was fatal. Daas Zekeinim suggests she looked at her husband, wondering if he would survive. Lack of faith in him sealed her fate. And the bottom line of the above? She had it coming, she was bad.

On the other hand, and as mentioned, the heylige Toirah says not a bad word about her, only that she was to be saved and then looked back.  As to why she was punished, we don’t really know. We only know that the malach told Loit not to look back and he didn’t. Is it possible that he neglected to, or forgot to, mention the instructions to his wife? L’myseh (in reality) unlike women, men don’t typically share every detail. Possible? Ver veyst? Ober, is the Ois the only one daring to ask the question? Is he on solid footing questioning her punishment when the RBSO clearly meted it out? Was Mrs. Loit really that bad? Bad at all? Is the Ois but an apikoires (a heretic) for suggesting otherwise? That question has mistama been debated by a few readers over the years, but the Ois is here to report -for the very first time in sixteen years- that he is not alone and that there may be more to Mrs. Loit than salt. As an aside and for your Shabbis table, know this: The word apikores likely comes from Epicurus, the ancient Greek philosopher who denied Divine Providence — so literally it meant “Epicurean,” and over time in rabbinic usage it became shorthand for a denier of G–d or Toirah. Veyter.

While reviewing the parsha searching for a new topic, the heylige Ois picked up on a subtle, but fascinating textual gap that some meforshim (classical commentators) notice — and yes, what he’s suggesting is a legitimate line of interpretation with some midrashic support.  Mrs. Loit may have been a very decent and good person. A good wife and caring mother as well. Let’s break it down carefully:

In Bereishis 19:17, the malochim tell Loit: “Escape for your life; do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the plain; escape to the mountain, lest you be swept away.” (אַל־תַּבִּיט אַחֲרֶיךָ…) But notice this:  The command is given directly to Loit — in the singular form (“אַל־תַּבִּיט” not “אַל־תַּבִּיטוּ”). There is no indication that Mrs. Loit or the daughters heard it firsthand. Or at all! Oib azoy, if that the case – if this line of thinking is even possible- what went wrong? Why was she punished? Let’s review another set of potential facts:

  1. The Malach Hashem gave the command only to Loit.
  2. Loit, in the chaos and panic, failed to relay the message to his wife.
  3. She turned around naturally — wanting one last look at her home, or perhaps her married daughters who stayed behind — and was punished.

Does that make her a bad person? Not! farkert! She’s concerned for her family. And if this is pshat, the question remains; why was she killed and turned into salt?  And the good news? There are a few midrashim and commentaries that offer a more nuanced or even sympathetic read on her. Let’s see what they said.

Some suggest she turned back not out of rebellion, but because she was worried about her daughters who stayed behind in Sodom. Says the heylige Zoihar (Vayero 108b) that she turned to look “behind her” because her heart was with the children she left behind. Was that bad?

Let’s also check out the Abarbanel. As an aside, the Ois’s father, OBM, loved reading his commentary. He says this explicitly: The issur (“do not look back”) was said only to Loit. He mamish wonders why Mrs. Loit was punished. In the end, he suggests that even if she didn’t hear it, her punishment reflected her attachment and sympathy for Sodom, not just a violation of the instruction. She looked back because she felt torn between her family who were being destroyed and the salvation she was being granted. Under this lens, her turning was human, emotional, maternal but not defiant. The Malbim adds a psychological twist: her turning back wasn’t mere curiosity — it was longing. Even if she hadn’t been explicitly warned, her action revealed where her heart remained.

But let’s read this from Rav Mordechai Gifter (Pirkei Toirah) who says that even though she sinned, her love for family is noted.  Her punishment is also a form of reward — she is preserved until the time she can reunite with her family. Cute! Who knew that death by salt-mumification could be seen as a reward?

Another medrish (Midrash Rabbah 50:4) suggests that she wasn’t a bad person and even if she was, it wasn’t entirely her fault. What’s pshat? Loit’s wife was a bas-S’doim, raised in a place where kindness was outlawed. She taka protested when Loit invited guests (the angels) because hospitality was a capital crime in Sodom. She was but following the law of the land and protecting her husband. She was acting as any Sodomite would, shaped by her surroundings. Not excusable, but understandable; she wasn’t naturally cruel; she was a woman molded by the moral rot around her.

And says the Ramban (19:26) that her sin was relatively minor — a hesitation, not open defiance. Her punishment was symbolic rather than purely punitive — she became salt because she looked at destruction she wasn’t supposed to witness, almost like a reflex. It’s not “evil,” it’s a tragic human moment of weakness clinging to the past while the RBSO is pushing you toward salvation.

 

And check this out: The Kli Yokor and Ohr HaChaim say turning her into a pillar of salt may have been merciful. Hosw is that? Preserving her in a state of stillness rather than allowing her to be consumed by the fire and brimstone was an act of kindness by the RBSO. Salt preserves; she was not obliterated. The RBSO “froze her in time,” as it were — punishment, yes, but also preservation. Another view: Her memory serves as a moral monument — not just a punishment and the phrase “Vayehi netziv melach” can mean not only a pillar, but a monument — something standing as a netziv, a signpost.

The bottom line:  the Ois is not alone; it’s emes that many view her critically, but there are several who view her compassionately:

Which is real pshat? Pick the one that talks to you and don’t let anyone tell you that you’re wrong.

 

And we close with this. So amazing is this story of Mrs. Loit that it has sparked debate in the heylige Gemora and elsewhere, as to whether or not a brocho is made when one sees the pillar of salt. Imagine that! And if a brocho is to be made, which one? Or, is it more than one? What? We make a brocho? What’s pshat? Says the heylige Gemora (Brochos 54a–b), azoy:  Anyone who sees Loit’s wife is required to recite two brochos.

הרואה מקום שנעשו בו נסים לישראל, אומר: ברוך שעשה נסים לאבותינו במקום הזה.

“One who sees a place where miracles were performed for Israel says: Blessed is He Who performed miracles for our forefathers in this place.”

This first brocho, expresses thanksgiving and praise to the RBSO for having remembered Avrohom, by the merit of whose righteousness, Loit and his wife were saved from the upheaval. The brocho includes Loit who was seemingly saved only because he was Avrohom’s nephew. In fact, the heylige Gemora lists a number of things one must recite a blessing upon seeing, including places where miracles occurred, and sites associated with divine punishment. Among them is the second brocho:

“הרואה אשת לוט אומר ברוך דיין האמת, והרואה אשתו של לוט אומר ברוך זוכר את הצדיקים.”

“One who sees the pillar of salt of Loit’s wife recites ‘Blessed is the True Judge’ (ברוך דיין האמת).  In some manuscripts and commentaries, these two blessings are said together, since both divine justice and divine mercy are visible in that scene — justice to Mrs. Loit, mercy to Loit himself.

Lest you think the Ois is kidding about making these brochos when one sees what was once Mrs. Loit, check out the Rambam (Hilchos Brochos 10:9) who codifies this very halacha:

“One who sees the place of Loit’s wife recites two blessings: ‘Blessed is the True Judge,’ and ‘Blessed is He Who remembers the righteous.’”

Where exactly can one see this “pillar? So happens that ancient travelers and commentators, including Josephus (Antiquities 1:11) claimed that the pillar was still visible near the Dead Sea in their day. Later sources (such as Yalkut Shimoni and Sefer HaYashar) describe that the pillar remained intact and that animals would lick it daily, only for it to reform each morning — a mystical way of saying the punishment was “eternal.” Like the TIMEX watch of yesteryear, she takes a licking but keep on ticking!

All nice but what about practical behavior in our times? Is this pillar of salt still visible to anyone? Is it a tourist attraction?  What is the halocho in our times?  As expected, our rabbis debate whether these brochos are still applicable: The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 218) mentions making blessings when seeing places of miracles but does not list Mrs. Lot specifically. But the Mishnah Berurah (218:35) notes that since we cannot identify with certainty the true site or pillar, one should not recite the brochos today with Hashem’s name, though it may be said without His name.

 

And the bottom line is this: If someone visits the area near the Dead Sea — the region traditionally identified with Sodom — one could recite the words “Baruch Dayan HaEmes” and “Boruch Zoicher es HaTzaddikim” without the full blessing form. And now you know how this unnamed and much maligned woman whose husband went on to have sexual relations with his two surviving daughters, was on the minds of many important people even thousands of years later.

 

A gittin Shabbis!

 

The Heylige Oisvorfer Ruv

 

Yitz Grossman

 

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