Torah Portion Summary
The fourth reading from the book of Genesis is named Vayera. It means "And he appeared" because the first story describes how the LORD appeared to Abraham one day as he sat outside his tent. Vayera continues with the series of tests of faith for Abraham, concluding in one great and final trial.
Last week's parashah (Lekh Lekha) recounted how Abram left everything behind in response to the promise of divine inheritance given by the LORD. As a result of his obedience, the LORD told Abram that he would become the father of a multitude of people, as numerous "as the stars in heaven." Even in his old age, Abraham believed the promise and the LORD counted him righteous for his faith. Thirteen years later the LORD renamed him "Abraham" and made a unilateral covenant to give him the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession. The LORD further commanded Abraham and his descendants to be circumcised as a sign of the covenant.
Haftarah Portion Summary
The Haftarah for Parashat Vayera concerns two nisim (miracles) performed by the prophet Elisha, the disciple of Eliyahu haNavi (Elijah the Prophet).
In the first miracle, an impoverished widow had no means to pay a debt owed by her late husband, and a creditor was threatening to take her two sons as slaves in lieu of her payment of the debt. She appealed to the prophet Elisha, who told her to borrow empty vessels from all her neighbors, to close the doors of her home, and to pour oil into them from the one remaining cruse of oil that she had. She had faith in the prophet, and the oil miraculously flowed from the original cruse until all the borrowed vessels were full. Elisha instructed her to sell enough of the oil to pay the debt, and to live off the supply of remaining oil.
In the second miracle, Elisha happened to pass through Shunam in Israel where he befriended a prominent woman and her husband. Eventually, the woman asked her husband to add a guest room to their home to accommodate the prophet during his travels through the area. In appreciation, Elisha asked her if there were anything he could do for her, but she declined the offer. However, Elisha's servant noticed that the couple was childless, and Elisha then prophesied that in a year she would have a son.
The following year, a son was indeed born. But as a young child, he suddenly fell ill and died on his mother's knees. The Shunamite woman put the lifeless body of the boy on the bed of the prophet, and immediately set out to find Elisha at Mt. Carmel. After realizing what had happened, Elisha sent his servant before him with his staff, instructing him to use it to revive the boy. However, he was unable to revive the child.
When Elisha finally arrived, he went to his room and found the child. He then lay on top of him, mouth-to-mouth, eye-to-eye, hand-to-hand, and, as it were, reintroduced the boy's soul into him, using himself as a conduit. The boy sneezed seven times, and opened his eyes. The mother opened the door, bowed at Elisha's feet, and took her son.As one who came after Eliyahu haNavi, Elisha is a type of Mashiach Yeshua, who brings abundance to those who have faith in Him and who has power to raise people from the dead (techiyat hametim). The miracle of the oil is similar to the miracle of the loaves of bread, and the raising of the Shunamite woman's child is similar to the raising of Jairus' daughter (Luke 8:41-55).
B'rit Chadashah Portion Summary
The readings from the New Testament concern the Greater Seed of Abraham, Yeshua the Mashiach, the Savior of the world.
In the first reading from Luke, we see how Miriam (Mary) was also promised a miraculous child, in fact, the very Seed of Abraham promised to come into the world. When she inquired how this would be possible, since she was a virgin, the angel responded that with God nothing would be impossible. Just as it seemed impossible for Sarah to give birth to Isaac, so she would give birth to Yeshua - by the power of the LORD - since there is nothing too wonderful for the LORD (see Gen 18:4).
The second reading from Luke is about the post resurrection appearance of the LORD Yeshua to His disciples, and how he "opened their minds" to understand how He fulfilled everything written in the Torah and the Nevi'im and the Ketuvim (i.e., the Tanakh) concerning His suffering, death, and resurrection on the third day (Luke 24:26-27;45). As He was ascending to heaven, He blessed His disciples and told them to await the coming of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) to be given on the festival of Shavu'ot (Pentecost).
The reading from the Epistle of 2 Peter mentions the fate of the ungodly, who will be swept away in judgment as were the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. However, like righteous Lot, the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, but to reserve the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment.