Zohar, Lech Lecha
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אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִיב וַיְהִי רִיב בֵּין רֹעֵי מִקְנֵה אַבְרָם, רִב כְּתִיב חָסֵר יוד, דְּבָעָא לוֹט לְמֶהדַר לְפוּלְחָנָא נוּכְרָאָה דְּפַלְחֵי יָתְבֵי אַרְעָא, וְסוֹפֵיהּ דִּקְרָא אוֹכַח דִּכְתִיב וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִיזִי אָז יוֹשֵׁב בָּאָרֶץ.
AND THERE WAS A STRIFE BETWEEN THE HERDMEN OF ABRAM’S CATTLE. The omission of the letter Yod from the word rib (strife) indicates that Lot desired to revert to the idolatry of the inhabitants of the Country; this is confirmed by the end of the verse AND THE CANAANITE AND THE PERIZZITE DWELT THEN IN THE LAND.
וּמְנָלָן דְּלוֹט אַהֲדַר לְסָרְחָנֵיהּ לְפוּלְחָנָא נוּכְרָאָה, דִּכְתִיב וַיִּסַּע לוֹט מִקֶּדֶם. מַאי (לעיל עד ב) מִקֶּדֶם, מִקַּדְמוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם. כְּתִיב הָכָא וַיִּסַּע לוֹט מִקֶּדֶם וּכְתִיב וַיְהִי בְּנָסְעָם מִקֶּדֶם מַה לְּהַלָּן נְטִילוּ מִקַּדְמוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם אוּף הָכָא כֵּן.
That Lot actually did revert to idolatry we know from the words AND LOT JOURNEYED FROM THE EAST: the word mi-qedem (from the East) is equivalent to mi-qadmono (from the Ancient One) of the world (similarly it says of the men who built the Tower of Babel that they journeyed “from the East”, Gen. 11, 1).
כֵּיוָן דְּיָדַע אַבְרָהָם דְּלוֹט לְהָכִי נָטֵי לִבֵּיהּ. מִיָּד וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֶל לוֹט וְגו' הִפָּרֶד נָא מֵעָלַי. לֵית אַנְתְּ כְּדַאי לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בַּהֲדָאי. כְּדֵין אִתְפְּרַשׁ אַבְרָהָם מִנֵּיהּ וְלָא בָּעָא לְמֵיהַךְ וּלְאִתְחַבָּרָא עִמֵּיהּ, דְּכָל מַאן דְּיִתְחַבַּר לְחַיָּיבָא סוֹפֵיהּ לְמֵיהַךְ אֲבַתְרֵיהּ וּלְאִתְעַנַּשׁ בְּגִינֵיהּ.
As soon as Abram saw that this was in Lot’s mind, straightway HE SAID TO LOT… SEPARATE THYSELF, I PRAY THEE, FROM ME; as if to say, thou art not worthy to associate with me. So Abram separated from him and refused to accompany or join him, since whoever associates with a sinner eventually follows in his footsteps and so brings punishment upon himself.
מְנָלָן מִיהוֹשָׁפָט דְּאִתְחַבַּר עִם אַחְאָב וְאִלְמָלֵא זְכוּ דְּאֲבָהָן אִתְעַנַּשׁ תַּמָּן דִּכְתִיב, (דברי הימים ב י״ח:ל״א) וַיִּזְעַק יְהוֹשָׁפָט. וּכְדֵין אִשְׁתְּזִיב דִּכְתִיב וַיְסִיתֵם אֱלהִים מִמֶּנּוּ.
We know this from Jehoshaphat, who through joining with Ahab would have brought punishment on himself had he not been saved by the merit of his ancestors.
וְעַל דָּא לָא בָּעָא אַבְרָם לְמֵיהַךְ בַּהֲדֵיהּ דְּלוֹט. וְעִם כָּל דָּא לָא בָּעָא לוֹט לְמֶהדַר מִסּוּרְחָנֵיהּ אֶלָּא וַיִּבְחַר לוֹ לוֹט אֶת כָּל כִּכַּר הַיַּרְדֵּן. וַיִּסַּע לוֹט מִקֶּדֶם אִתְנְטִיל מִן קַדְמָאָה דְעָלְמָא וְלָא בָּעָא לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא שְׁלֵימָתָא כְּאַבְרָהָם.
Therefore Abram refused to accompany Lot; and for all that Lot did not turn from his evil course, but CHOSE HIM ALL THE PLAIN OF THE JORDAN and journeyed mi-qedem, i.e. departed from the Ancient One of the world, and did not seek to perfect himself in faith like Abram.
אַבְרָם יָשַׁב בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן. לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּאַתְרָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא וּלְמִנְדַע חָכְמְתָא לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּמָארֵיהּ. וְלוֹט יָשַׁב בְּעָרֵי הַכִּכָּר וַיֶּאֱהַל עַד סְדוֹם. עִם אִנּוּן חַיָּיבִין דְּעָלְמָא דְּנַפְקוּ מִגּוֹ מְהֵימְנוּתָא דִּכְתִיב וְאַנְשֵׁי סְדוֹם רָעִים וְחַטָּאִים לַיְיָ מְאֹד. כָּל חַד אִתְפְּרַשׁ לְאָרְחֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. בְגִין כָּךְ זַכָּאִין אִנּוּן חַבְרַיָיא דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יְמָמָא וְלֵילְיָא, וְחַבְרוּתָא דִלְהוֹן בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְעֲלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב, (דברים ד׳:ד׳) וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּיְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם חַיִּים כֻּלְּכֶם הַיּוֹם:
SO ABRAM DWELLED IN THE LAND OF CANAAN, to cleave to the place where faith could be strengthened and to learn wisdom in order to cleave to his Master, whereas LOT DWELLED IN THE CITIES OF THE PLAIN and MOVED HIS TENT AS FAR AS SODOM, with those godless sinners who had abandoned faith, as it is written, NOW THE MEN OF SODOM WERE WICKED AND SINNERS AGAINST THE LORD EXCEEDINGLY. Thus each went his own way. Happy are the companions who devote themselves to the Torah day and rlight and seek converse with God; of them it is written, “Ye that cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day” (Deut. 4, 4).’