And the Lord said to Avram, after Lot had separated from him… “I will make your seed like the dust of the earth.” (Genesis 13:14–16)
Why only after? Rashi is blunt: as long as the wicked was with Abram (Abraham), the Divine word withdrew. The Zohar identifies Lot with the primordial serpent:
Lot went with him—this is the serpent… Scripture calls the serpent by the name Lot, because “lot” means “a curse” in Aramaic.
As I wrote in my essay, “Abraham and Lot—A Story of Decoherence,” Abraham and Lot were entangled. In quantum mechanics, entangled particles share a joint state—you cannot describe one independently of the other. Blessing an entangled system would have channeled divine energy through the entire Abraham-Lot composite. Blessing Abraham (then called Abram) while he was still entangled with Lot would bless the cursed Lot, and confirm Lot’s claim to Canaan. Only after their disentanglement could each exist as a pure, independent state. Only then could the blessing attach clearly to Abraham alone. Once Lot departs—that is, in quantum terms, he disentangles himself from Abraham—blessing can rest on Abraham’s line and on the land.
Let there be no strife between me and you… for we are relatives. (Genesis 13:8–9).
Abraham models “separation without war—dignity without drama.” He sacrifices the relationship for clarity, choosing barren highlands over lush valleys. This is quantum decoherence in human form: the collapse of superposition into distinct states.
Takeaway. Be vigilant about whom you “entangle” with. If an unhealthy connection pulls you toward Sodom—toward moral compromise—release it gently, without drama, and move on, like Abraham. You may forgo the greener valley now, but you clear the path to the real promised land.