Summary of The Haftorah:
Haftorah Vayera
Sometime around the year 3043 - 705 b.c.e., Elisha took over the mantle
of prophecy from Eliyahu. Elisha served the Jewish people as their mentor and
protector, and this week's Haftorah relates two of the miraculous incidents
that he performed. The first story is of Ovadya's widow and the pitcher of
oil that continued to pour until she had enough oil to pay off all her debts
and make a decent living.
The second is the Shunamis who was unable to conceive children. After
being blessed with a son, the child dies and Elisha performs the miracle of
resurrecting the boy's life. In both instances, basic human needs were
satisfied through the righteous individuals trust in the Navi and in Hashem's
providence. The widow's husband was the great Ovadya who risked his own life
and fortune to protect 100 prophets from the murderous purge of Achav and
Ezevel. The Shunamis and her husband were wealthy, G-d fearing people who
generously provided for all who needed. Both women could have expected that
their basic needs for income and family be deservedly provided by G-d.
The theme of Vayera is trusting Hashem beyond the limits of rational and
assumed justice. As with Sarah and Avraham, the trust that Ovadya's widow and
the Shunamis had in Hashem was unrelated to their limited human
expectations. They trusted Hashem to provide as He saw fit, without any
strings attached.
