Text of the Haftorah of VaYeira – Melachim II 4:1–37

This Time Next Year

 In Parashat Vayeira, the angels come to Avraham and Sarah and promise her a son:

וַיֹּאמֶר שׁוֹב אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה וְהִנֵּה בֵן לְשָׂרָה אִשְׁתֶּךָ. וְשָׂרָה שֹׁמַעַת פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו… וַתִּצְחַק שָׂרָה בְּקִרְבָּהּ לֵאמֹר אַחֲרֵי בְלֹתִי הָיְתָה לִּי עֶדְנָה וַאדֹנִי זָקֵן. וַיֹּאמֶר ה’ אֶל אַבְרָהָם לָמָּה זֶּה צָחֲקָה שָׂרָה לֵאמֹר הַאַף אֻמְנָם אֵלֵד וַאֲנִי זָקַנְתִּי. הֲיִפָּלֵא מֵה’ דָּבָר לַמּוֹעֵד אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה וּלְשָׂרָה בֵן… וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד שָׂרָה לְאַבְרָהָם בֵּן לִזְקֻנָיו לַמּוֹעֵד אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֹתוֹ אֱלֹהִים  —

He said, “I will come back to you at the time of births and your wife Sarah will have a son. Sarah was listening through the entrance of the tent, which was behind him . . . Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After all this time that I didn’t have joy, and my lord is old.” Hashem said to Avraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘How could I give birth, when I have gotten old?’ Can anything be too difficult for Hashem? I will come back at this season at the time of births, and Sarah will have a son . . .” She became pregnant; Sarah gave birth to Avraham’s son, in his old age, at the season about which God had spoken. (Bereishis 18:10–14, 21:2)

In the haftorah of Vayeira, Elisha wishes to show his appreciation to the Lady of Shunam for her outstanding hospitality. When he finds out that she is childless, he promises her a son:

וַיֹּאמֶר וּמֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהּ? וַיֹּאמֶר גֵּיחֲזִי אֲבָל בֵּן אֵין לָהּ וְאִישָׁהּ זָקֵן. וַיֹּאמֶר קְרָא לָהּ, וַיִּקְרָא לָהּ וַתַּעֲמֹד בַּפָּתַח. וַיֹּאמֶר לַמּוֹעֵד הַזֶּה כָּעֵת חַיָּה אַתְּ חֹבֶקֶת בֵּן! וַתֹּאמֶר אַל אֲדֹנִי אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים, אַל תְּכַזֵּב בְּשִׁפְחָתֶךָ. וַתַּהַר הָאִשָּׁה וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן לַמּוֹעֵד הַזֶּה כָּעֵת חַיָּה אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלֶיהָ אֱלִישָׁע  —

He said, “But what should be done for her?” Gechazi said, “But she doesn’t have a son, and her husband is old.” He said, “Call her.” He called her, and she stood by the entrance. He said, “At this season at the time of births, you will be hugging a son.” She said, “Don’t, my lord, Man of God! Don’t disillusion your servant.” The woman became pregnant, and gave birth to a son, at this season at the time of births, about which Elisha had spoken to her. (Melachim II 4 14–17)

There are many parallels between the two stories: an act of hospitality resulting in the blessing of childbirth, the husband accused of being too old, the skepticism of the mother, and the happy event coming about as foretold. So that we don’t miss the thematic similarities, the haftorah uses the memorable phrase, “at this season at the time of births,” which is not found anywhere else in all of Tanach, to draw our attention. The juxtaposition of the two pieces of text allow us to transfer insights from one to the other.

To begin with, the way that the Lady of Shunam phrases her reaction to the happy news can help us understand Sarah’s reaction as well. When told that she will have a child this time next year — not sometime in the future, but this very year — Sarah laughs. We wonder, along with the angel, “Why did Sarah laugh?” Did she doubt God’s abilities? Did she lose faith in the promise given to Avraham decades earlier?

The Lady of Shunam is more explicit. Her reply is, “Don’t disillusion me.” She voices her fear of being toyed with, of having her hopes raised in vain. It’s not that she doesn’t believe the prophet or doesn’t believe that God can accomplish what Elisha promised. She simply cannot afford to be disappointed yet again.

Sarah’s reaction comes from the same place: her laughter is not derisive, it is defensive.

How many years has she waited to see the prophecy to Avraham fulfilled? The Torah gives us the numbers: Avraham was seventy-five when God told them they would have children; he is now ninety-nine. Twenty-four years, twelve months a year, months of disappointment, until finally, as the Torah tells us, there are no more months. Now some random stranger comes and says, “This time next year.” To hope again is unbearable. Sarah does not laugh at God or at God’s promise. Sarah laughs to protect herself.

But this time, the blessing is not for “someday”; this time, it comes with a clear date: “in this season at the time of births.” This time, it does come to pass, right on time, just as promised. What has changed for Sarah? What was it that made it possible for this very concrete promise to be made? The same promise is made to the Lady of Shunam, and that too, comes to pass. What made it possible for Elisha to make her that promise?

The two identical promises of childbirth are preceded by similar acts of outstanding hospitality.

As the parashah begins, Avraham sits and waits for passersby. For Avraham and Sarah, hospitality is not a response to circumstance, but rather something to be pursued proactively. It is an opportunity for kindness that they do not allow to pass them by. When guests arrive, Avraham says modestly to them, “Let me bring you some water and a bit of bread while you rest up.” Then he, together with Sarah, makes them a feast.

The Lady of Shunam is truly a descendant of Avraham and Sarah. It is obvious to her that when the prophet comes to town and needs a place to stay, she will not allow the opportunity to pass her by. And just like Avraham, when she takes her hospitality to the next level, she does not advertise her intention. She just does it, quietly and simply, making sure that all the prophet’s needs are met: providing a bed, a table, and a lamp. The haftorah describes how touched and impressed Elisha is at her thoughtfulness.

We also see in both stories that hospitality is a joint effort. Both the parashah and the Torah go out of their way to point out how both spouses are involved in the preparations. Avraham is seen calling out to Sarah to bake bread, and the Lady of Shunam is heard telling her husband of her plans for their attic.

In both cases, the reward is a child “at this season, at the time of births.”

If this story had only been told about Avraham and Sarah, we might not draw the connection between hospitality and childbirth. Avraham and Sarah have many other achievements to their credit. Moreover, God had already promised them a child. There would be no reason to assume that it was their act of hospitality that tipped the scales and made it possible for this promise to come to pass now. But when it happens again in the haftorah, and a promise to have a child is given in the context of hospitality, then we need to look at it as not just a correlation but a cause.

We know that God judges middah k’negged middah (measure for measure). The reward that He chooses is not independent of the action; rather, the deed and the reward are two sides of the same coin. If the reward for hospitality is raising a child, then they are also two sides of the same coin.

Is not raising a child a form of hospitality itself? A helpless stranger, he is a guest in his ’ home. All his needs are anticipated and provided for, with the cooperation of both parents, until he ultimately goes his own way. Are not children passersby who stop over in our house for a limited time?

So when the Lady of Shunam prepares a room in her home for the prophet’s use, anticipating his needs and providing for them, Elisha feels that the best way to repay her is with a child whose needs she would have to anticipate and provide for.

When Sarah prepares food for three complete strangers on a moment’s notice, the best way to repay her is with a child for her to .

It is specifically the act of hospitality that was able to transform a promise of “someday” to one of “this time next year.”