What does the Pasuk mean when it writes that "HaSh-m remembered Avraham when He saved Lot"? What is it that He remembered?
Rashi (from Bereishis Rabah 51): HaSh-m remembered how, when Avraham told Pharaoh that Sarah was his sister, Lot opted to remain silent, 1 and not to reveal that she was really Avraham's wife. That is why He took pity on him here and saved him from Sedom. 2
Ramban: He remembered how Lot accompanied Avraham on his travels, and that, were it not for Avraham, Lot would still have been in Charan. Consequently, it would not have been correct for harm to befall him on account of Avraham. 3
Targum Yonasan and Seforno: It was on the merit of Avraham that HaSh-m saved Lot, and not on his own merit. 4
Mishnas R. Aharon (Vol. 1, p. 145): What merit is this, not to do a terrible Aveirah, to hand Avraham over to death?! And why wasn't his own Chesed enough to save him? Since it was possible to speak up, silence was a merit enough to save him, and all the more so his Chesed would suffice. The Saba (and Yad Ketanah) says that his hospitality was just an imitation of what he saw in Avraham. Lot was not a Ba'al Chesed. (His silence was a bigger merit, for it was his own Avodah.)
Even though earlier, Rashi commented that Lot only deserved to be saved on the merit of Avraham (like Targum Yonasan explains here), and not on his own merit (Refer to 19:17:1:1).
And it is for the same reason that Avraham went out of his way to save Lot from the four kings.
Why does the Pasuk see fit to mention and to add that HaSh-m saved Lot "from the upheaval, when he overturned the towns..."?
Seforno: The Torah is pointing out here how, due to Lot's indolence, HaSh-m had to save him even as the towns were being destroyed. And that explains why his salvation could in no way have been due to his own merits, only to that of Avraham.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "'HaSh-m remembered Avraham' - Why does [HaSh-m's] remembering Avraham relate to Lot?" But why can't we explain simply, that Lot was spared because of Avraham's love for him (as demonstrated by his self-sacrifice to rescue him from the four kings)?
Mizrachi: The verse should have stated, 'HaSh-m remembered Lot,' who was being saved. Rashi therefore explains, "HaSh-m remembered what Lot had done on Avraham's behalf."
Gur Aryeh: We find that HaSh-m invokes the merit of the forefathers for their descendants, but Lot was merely a nephew. Moreover, Lot had repudiated his relationship with both Avraham and HaSh-m (Rashi to 13:11), so a mere family connection would not help him now. Rashi therefore explains in a different vein.
Rashi writes: "Why does [HaSh-m's] remembering Avraham relate to Lot?" Why can't we explain that Lot's merit was accompanying Avraham on his journey to Eretz Kena'an?
Gur Aryeh: When Lot first left towards Eretz Kena'an, it was for his own interest, along with Terach (11:31). Even if he eventually accompanied Avraham (12:5) there, he later regretted this and parted ways with him (13:11), and so this merit would not help him now.
Rashi writes: "Lot knew that Sarah was Avraham's wife... and he did not reveal it, for he had pity on him." Even an enemy might not betray information that would surely lead to someone's death!
Gur Aryeh: Although outwardly, Lot had separated from Avraham, in his inner essence Lot remained connected. 1 He did not reveal Avraham's secret, meaning his inner essence. This connection is reflected by Chazal's teaching that Lot was saved for the two righteous converts who would descend from him, the mothers of the Davidic dynasty. 2
