Beth HaDerech; Messianic Jewish Congregation, Toronto, Canada

Pressed for Oil – Sidra Vayeira

Weekly Sidra: VaYera / And he appeared Torah Portion: Bereshit / Genesis 18:1-22:24 Haftorah: Melachim Bet / Kings II 4:1-37 1 A certain woman, the wife of one of the disciples of the prophets, cried out to Elisha: "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know how your servant revered the Lord. And now a creditor is coming to seize my two children as slaves." 2 Elisha said to her, "What can I do for you? Tell me, what have you in the house?" She replied, "Your maidservant has nothing at all in the house, except a jug of oil." 3 "Go," he said, "and borrow vessels outside, from all your neighbours, empty vessels, as many as you can. 4 Then go in and shut the door behind you and your children, and pour [oil] into all those vessels, removing each one as it is filled." (II Kings 4:1-4) Oil is a very expensive commodity in the world today.  Wars are fought over it, economies are dominated by it and much of the world can’t survive without it. This week’s Torah portion is Vayera (and he appeared).  We see the birth of Isaac in this week’s portion a true miracle of Hashem.  This week's Haftarah contains two stories about the prophet Elisha, a protégé of Elijah. In the first story an unnamed woman, traditionally identified as the wife of Obadiah, one...