Healing Well of Miriam

ב״ה

Friday, October 22, 2010 / 14 Cheshvan 5771

Healing in a Hopeless World
Haphtorah Vayera

Parsha Vayera is full of seemingly horrific stories:  the promise of the birth of son, only to have to bring him as an offering; the terrifying destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; the incident of Lot’s wife turning to salt and then his daughters’ incest with him.  Each, on its own in the written text, leaves one with the feeling of harsh judgment.  Other texts, including further into the Tanach itself, soften this with more explanation, but on its face, this parsha is hard.  Even the Akeida (the Binding of Isaac) has dire results.  When Sarah hears about it, the shock kills her.  Isaac’s experience of Gd through this, as he looks death in the face, brings him to be associated with the divine Name:  Fear of Isaac.  In the Haphtorah (II Kings 4:1-37), however, the idea of this harsh judgment is resolved and taken to a whole new level.