Haftorah for April 2, 2022

I use the translation of Professor Robert Alter from his opus on the prophets. [1]

It describes Elisha’s  miraculous feeding of 100 men from a modest supply of 20 loaves, plus first fruits, and grain “in his sack” — with still excess left over. The text pours on other magnanimities by Elisha.

Example: Following this, he “heals” an Aramean leper named Naaman. There are other wondrous miracles by Elisha — a reflection of the popularity of such folk tales among the Israelites.

The connection of these passages to the Parsha Tazria is the “healing” of leprosy, which links thematically to the “diagnoses” of various declared expressions of “leprosy” in the Torah reading. [2]

Here are excerpts from the Hebrew haftorah text:

“And a man had come…and brought the man of God first fruits, twenty loaves of barley bread and fresh grain in his sack.

And he (Elisha) said, ‘Give it to the people that they may eat.’ And his attendant said, ‘What ? Shall I set this before 100 men?’

(Elisha) said, ‘Give it to the people—for thus said the LORD, ‘Eat and leave over.’ [3]

Here the text switches over to a different subject.

And Naaman, an esteemed victorious commander for (the nation of) Aram., was stricken with a skin blanch. One of his captives was an Israelite  young girl. She offered the services of Elisha to cure the blanch.  Whereupon Naaman went to the (Northern) king of Israel to seek cure. The king felt personally helpless, fearful he was being set up to disappoint and therefore to be punished by Naaman.

To the rescue came Elisha, offering his healing services.  To effect cure, he advised Naaman to bathe seven times in the Jordan. At this, Naaman was furious, declaring ‘this trivial Jordan River! Aren’t the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel?’

But Naaman’s servants reminded him of Elisha’s prior sage advice. So, he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times—and lo! His flesh was restored, like that of a young lad.”

Now comes the mandatory upbeat ending to the haftorah.

Naaman then addressed Elisha. ‘Now…I know that there is no god in all the earth except in Israel—so please take a gift from me.’

Elisha responds: ‘As the LORD lives, in Whose attendance I have stood, I will not take it.’ Naaman pressed further—for Elisha to take it:  again refused. Naaman then added, ‘Then give me two mules’ load of soil, for I will no longer perform burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD.’ [4]

Naaman added, ‘When my king comes to worship our god in Rimmon, and he leans heavily on me, may your LORD forgive me. [5]

Elisha: ‘Go in peace.'”

I am surprised to see folk tales such as these ones incorporated into the Tanach’s Prophetic section. It appears that the rabbis disregarded any criteria for ‘true prophecy,’ if they ever had firm such criteria.

Robert Elder correctly identified these passages as folk tales. Yet, since the rabbis, centuries ago, included them in the Prophets’ writings, we are stuck with them.

To be sure, this is not the only time the rabbis centuries ago stretched the limits of prophecy, to include truly juvenile tales.

*

[1] Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, Prophets Vol. 2, W. W. Norton & Company, New York, 2019, pp. 542-545
[2] Modern medical experts would not accept the expressions of ‘leprosy’ as expressed in either these Torah or haftorah readings. No doubt, Israelites experienced varied dermatological lesions and observed fabric/leather stains. These would not pass muster as ‘leprosy’ by present scientific knowledge/criteria. I might add that the term ‘leprosy’ in these texts is a translation that was applied by translators, unable to identify the various manifestations offered in the original Hebrew.
[3] Likely, this is a model for a later Jesus miracle.
[4] Ibid, Alter, Naaman assumes effective sacrifice must be on Hebrew soil!
[5] Naaman is conflicted, convinced that the Hebrew God is the ‘true’ one. He ‘realizes’ that in his home turf of Rimmon, the pagan god(s) are inadequate to the Hebrew God. However he will be pressured on his return  there to give up his new confidence in the Hebrew God!

*