Summary of Haftarat Vayera
2 Kings 4:1-37
The haftarah portion for Vayera contains two stories about Elisha the prophet.
The first relates of a story of a widowed woman who is about to lose her sons to her creditors. She appealed to Elisha for help. He instructed her to collect empty jars from her neighbors and pour the little bit of oil she had left into the jars. A multiplication miracle filled all the jars, providing the widow resources to pay her debts and more.
The second story describes how a barren woman from Shunem provided exceptional hospitality to Elisha the prophet and his disciple Gehazi. Elisha wanted to thank her for her for her hospitality, she he gave her the blessing of bearing a son. Several years later, the boy died from heatstroke. The Shunammite woman sought out Elisha, who sent his servant Gehazi to try to resurrect the boy. When Gehazi failed Elisha himself resurrected the boy and returned him to his mother.
The haftarah’s portion to Parashat draws primarily upon the prophetic promise of a son made to a barren woman and its subsequent fulfillment. In the Torah portion, the Angel of the LORD promised that Sarah would bear son, saying, “ I will surely return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son…. At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son” Genesis 18:10,14) In the haftarah portion, Elisha virtually quotes this text, when he tells the Shunammite woman, “At this season next year you will embrace a son” (2 Kings 4:16).
From FFOZ’s Voice of the Prophet
FFOZ.org