In this week's parsha, an extremely peculiar, almost mind-boggling episode is recounted. Lot, Avraham's nephew, chose to join Avraham and his camp as the followers of Hashem. Lot eventually became the principal student and chief disseminator of Avraham's teachings. The underlying theme of Avraham's classes was that the world came into existence by design through a Designer. An argument broke out between the shepherds of Avraham and the shepherds of Lot to the point that they had to separate. When choosing where to go, the verse states that Lot went 'mikedem,' which literally means "from the east." Rashi, quoting the midrash, says this is an allusion to what he was escaping from. "Kedem" also can mean precede. He was running away from the Forerunner of the World - Lot was running away from Hashem. This is astounding! Here we have someone, who Avraham referred to as his brother, his brother in belief, who is trying to get away from Hashem and join the most corrupt society in the world, Sodom, a place where denying Hashem permeated every aspect of life.

This anomaly can be explained based on a comment of the Vilna Gaon on Mishlei. The passuk states, "Teach a child according to his way, and even when he ages he won't stray from that path." Typically, this is understood to mean that when a child is forced to act in a way that does not take into account his particular temperament and characteristics, he will rebel when the pressure is removed. The Vilna Gaon however explains that this isn't a conscious reaction of the child. Rather, with the pressure relieved, the child naturally reverts back to his base instincts. Similar to a reed bent against its natural path of growth, it will only remain in this bent position as long as force is applied. Lot had some unseemly natural instincts. However, he never worked to improve them. While under the close watch of his uncle, Avrohom, they were kept in check. But as soon as they parted ways, like a Jack-in-the-Box, they popped back up. Thereafter, Lot simply followed his desires, which let him straight to Sodom.

With this we can understand a mitzvah given in this week's parsha. Hashem makes a covenant in the form of circumcision with Avraham and his descendants. The sign of the covenant is to remove the foreskin, a part of the body not needed for any purpose. Hashem could have chosen anything to act as the sign of the covenant. Why did he have to create unnecessary skin just to have it removed? Indeed the midrash in Tazria records that Turnusrufos HaRasha asked a very similar question to Rebbi Akiva.

The Sefer HaChinuch, when explaining the reason for the mitzvah of Milah, writes that Hashem clearly desired that the Jews remove the foreskin. By removing it, we learn that although we were created lacking, it is within our power to perfect ourselves. We see that although our spiritual being isn't perfect, we can improve by working on our character traits. Like Milah, one should focus on our less than perfect aspects of our natural character, and begin the process of refinement.

May we all merit to make use of our time on this earth and make the best we can of ourselves.