Parshas Vayeira 5787
Updated: 45 minutes ago
ויאמר למועד הזה כעת חיה את חבקת בן ... (מלכים ד-טז)
In a stunning revelation, Hashem promised Avraham Avinu and his wife, Sarah Imeinu that they would indeed have a child – despite Sarah's advanced age. In the Haftorah, Elisha HaNavi assured the elderly Isha HaShunamis, who was herself childless, that she too would bear a child. So, what is the correlation between these two special women, and why did they merit to have a wondrous miracle be performed for them?
R’ Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz zt”l (Kli Yakar) makes a stunning connection between Sarah Imeinu and the woman from the city of Shunam. Rashi states that the Isha HaShunamis would always have a prepared meal in her home for a guest, so that when one arrived at her doorstep, they would not have to wait long. Since the primary job of a mother is to care and look out for the welfare of her children, by showing an inordinate amount of care and love to random travelers and strangers who showed up at her doorstep, the woman demonstrated that she was more than deserving of a child, and so Hashem blessed her with a son who grew up to be the great Chavakuk HaNavi.
This incredible way of performing the mitzvah of Hachnosas Orchim mirrored the way Avraham Avinu and Sarah did it in their home, and so the similarity between them is picture-perfect.
People tend to think that the greats of the generation “have it all” and get whatever they want, however, this is not always true. Sometimes, just going about one’s day and doing the right thing can merit a person the very thing he is longing for.