Summary:
In our Torah portion, Abraham welcomes three visitors, who announce that Sarah will soon have a son. Later, Abraham argues with God about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot's home is attacked by the people of Sodom. Lot and his two daughters escape as the cities are being destroyed. Lot's wife is warned not to turn back and yet she does and as a result is turned into a pillar of salt. The narrative continues as Abimelech, king of Gerar, takes Sarah as his wife after Abraham claims that she is his sister. Finally, Isaac is born, circumcised, and weaned. Hagar and her son, Ishmael, are sent away; an angel saves their lives. In a section of the portion that we read on Rosh Hashanah, God tests Abraham, instructing him to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah.
Lesson from our Haftarah Portion:
In our Haftarah this week, we read of a number of miracles. Elisha, the prophet, brings about two miracles. First, we hear the story of a poor woman who has nothing to feed herself or her two children, who are about to be sold as slaves. Elisha creates a miracle when he fills many empty containers with oil. Later in the Haftarah we hear the story of a young child who suddenly dies. Again the prophet Elisha steps in and creates a miracle, bringing the young boy back to life.
Miracles play a large role in our texts. They appear often in early texts. Generally, miracles are understood as events created by God that defy the laws of nature. The miracle we know of best and read of most often is the splitting of the Red Sea as the Jews leave slavery in Egypt. Clearly, the authors of the Bible, together with their contemporaries in ancient days, had no problem believing in extraordinary events. They saw God’s power as unlimited.
In modern days, miracles are no longer viewed as possible. Faith in a God whose power is unlimited and who controls all has diminished as science explains much of what occurs in our world. In fact, many scholars would explain away the miracles of the Bible with scientific explanations. The Red Sea retreated due to tides. The 10 plagues may have been unusual events; however, they should be understood as simply natural phenomena. By doing so they miss the point. It is not what occurred that should be the focus, but rather what the people who experienced the event perceived.
There is no way to truly understand what happened at the moment these ancient events occurred. What we read in our texts is the report of authors retelling what was experienced at the time, or what was relayed over the generations. We know this to be true in our own day. Reporters tell the story of what they observed. However, their reports are often based upon limited information or preconceived bias.
The miracle of the oil and of the resurrection of the young boy in our Haftarah, glorify the actions of the prophet Elisha and his concern for the downtrodden. We may not believe they happened exactly as told. However, the radical amazement reflected in the text speaks loudly to us, in our modern day. Just as the text expresses wonder at the presence of the divine in the world, so too can we express wonder at things we experience and yet cannot explain. In our daily, Shabbat, and Holy Day prayer we give thanks for God’s “wondrous gifts at all times, morning, noon and night.”
In our Torah portion this week, Sarah, at the age of 90, is told she will give birth to a son. Truly a miracle! What was her reaction? She laughed! When we experience extraordinary events in our lives, I pray that our first reaction won’t be to laugh! Instead, with prayer and with awe, let us acknowledge the beautiful, the mystical, the holy that we experience in our lives every day.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Don Goor