Haftarah of Metzora

Melachim II 7:3-20

This Haftarah takes place in the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the reign of Yoram, the son of the evil king Achav. The prophet at this time was Elisha, who was renowned for his miracles and for his sharp temper. During the reign of King Yoram, Israel was at constant war with Aram, their neighbor to the north.

At the time of the Haftarah, Aram has the upper hand. They have besieged Shomron, the capital city of Israel, and the people are starving. In the previous chapter, the king is told that mothers are making pacts to eat each others' children. Upon hearing this, the king and one his ministers go to arrest the prophet Elisha for causing this disaster. Instead, Elisha informs them that the very next day, the market in Shomron will be selling wheat and barley for a shekel. The minister expresses his scepticism in a very rude way, and the prophet tells him that he will see the prophecy come to pass but will not get to eat from the bounty.

The Haftarah begins that very evening. The lepers who, due to their condition, were outside the gate of the city, decide that they have nothing to lose and might as well try their luck with the Aramean soldiers. They approach the camp of the Arameans and find it abandoned.

3) There were four lepers at the gate of the city. They said to each other, "Why should we sit here until we die?	(ג) וְאַרְבָּעָה אֲנָשִׁים הָיוּ מְצֹרָעִים פֶּתַח הַשָּׁעַר וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ מָה אֲנַחְנוּ יֹשְׁבִים פֹּה עַד מָתְנוּ:
4) If we were to say, let us go into the city - as there is famine in the city, we will die there. If we sit here, we will die. Now let's go and give ourselves up to the camp of Aram. If they let us live, we will live. If they kill us, we will die."	(ד) אִם אָמַרְנוּ נָבוֹא הָעִיר וְהָרָעָב בָּעִיר וָמַתְנוּ שָׁם וְאִם יָשַׁבְנוּ פֹה וָמָתְנוּ וְעַתָּה לְכוּ וְנִפְּלָה אֶל מַחֲנֵה אֲרָם אִם יְחַיֻּנוּ נִחְיֶה וְאִם יְמִיתֻנוּ וָמָתְנוּ:
5) They got up in the evening, to go to the camp of Aram. They came to the edge of the camp of Aram, and there was nobody there.	(ה) וַיָּקוּמוּ בַנֶּשֶׁף לָבוֹא אֶל מַחֲנֵה אֲרָם וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד קְצֵה מַחֲנֵה אֲרָם וְהִנֵּה אֵין שָׁם אִישׁ:

In a flashback, we are told what happened to the camp of Aram: G-d sent them an auditory hallucination, the sound of approaching armies. The Arameans were so terrified that they all deserted, leaving behind their entire camp with all its provisions.

6) G-d had made the camp of Aram hear the sound of chariots, the sound of horses, the sound of a great army, and they said to each other: "The king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of Egypt, to attack us!"	(ו) וַא-דֹנָי הִשְׁמִיעַ אֶת מַחֲנֵה אֲרָם קוֹל רֶכֶב קוֹל סוּס קוֹל חַיִל גָּדוֹל וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל אָחִיו הִנֵּה שָׂכַר עָלֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת מַלְכֵי הַחִתִּים וְאֶת מַלְכֵי מִצְרַיִם לָבוֹא עָלֵינוּ:
7) They got up and ran, in the evening. They left behind their tents, their horses, and their donkeys. The camp was left as is. They had run for their lives.	(ז) וַיָּקוּמוּ וַיָּנוּסוּ בַנֶּשֶׁף וַיַּעַזְבוּ אֶת אָהֳלֵיהֶם וְאֶת סוּסֵיהֶם וְאֶת חֲמֹרֵיהֶם הַמַּחֲנֶה כַּאֲשֶׁר הִיא וַיָּנֻסוּ אֶל נַפְשָׁם:

Shifting back to the lepers, the Haftarah relates their reaction to finding camp abandoned. First, they help themselves to the food and drink. Then, they take the time to look for valuables and hide them, several times over.

8) These lepers came to the edge of the camp. They came into one tent; they ate and drank. They carried from there gold and silver and garments, they went and they hid them. They returned and went into a different tent. They carried from there, they went and hid them.

(ח) וַיָּבֹאוּ הַמְצֹרָעִים הָאֵלֶּה עַד קְצֵה הַמַּחֲנֶה וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל אֹהֶל אֶחָד וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ וַיִּשְׂאוּ מִשָּׁם כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב וּבְגָדִים וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיַּטְמִנוּ וַיָּשֻׁבוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל אֹהֶל אַחֵר וַיִּשְׂאוּ מִשָּׁם וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיַּטְמִנוּ:

Having assured their future wealth, they figure that they really ought to inform the rest of the city of their salvation, or else it will look really bad for them when day breaks and everyone realizes that they kept the news to themselves all night.

9) They said to each other, "We are not doing the right thing. Today is a day of great news. and we are keeping it quiet. If we wait for the break of day, we will be found guilty. Now come, let us go and report to the king."	(ט) וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ לֹא כֵן אֲנַחְנוּ עֹשִׂים הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יוֹם בְּשֹׂרָה הוּא וַאֲנַחְנוּ מַחְשִׁים וְחִכִּינוּ עַד אוֹר הַבֹּקֶר וּמְצָאָנוּ עָווֹן וְעַתָּה לְכוּ וְנָבֹאָה וְנַגִּידָה בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ:
10) They came and called to the guard of the city. They reported to them, saying, "We came to the camp of Aram, and there were no people and no human voices, only tethered horses and tethered donkeys, and the tents as they were."	(י) וַיָּבֹאוּ וַיִּקְרְאוּ אֶל שֹׁעֵר הָעִיר וַיַּגִּידוּ לָהֶם לֵאמֹר בָּאנוּ אֶל מַחֲנֵה אֲרָם וְהִנֵּה אֵין שָׁם אִישׁ וְקוֹל אָדָם כִּי אִם הַסּוּס אָסוּר וְהַחֲמוֹר אָסוּר וְאֹהָלִים כַּאֲשֶׁר הֵמָּה:
11) He called the guards; They reported to the king's court, within.	(יא) וַיִּקְרָא הַשֹּׁעֲרִים וַיַּגִּידוּ בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ פְּנִימָה:

Despite Elisha's prophecy of salvation, the king is sceptical and cautious; he suspects a trap. His servants point out that there is not much left to risk, and at the very least they should investigate. They send messengers to follow the Arameans, and they discover that they did indeed run away.

12) The king got up in the night, and he said to his servants, "Let me tell you what Aram has done to us. They knew that we are starving; they left the camp to hide in the fields, saying 'When they leave the city, we will capture them alive, and enter the city.' "	(יב) וַיָּקָם הַמֶּלֶךְ לַיְלָה וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל עֲבָדָיו אָגִּידָה נָּא לָכֶם אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לָנוּ אֲרָם יָדְעוּ כִּי רְעֵבִים אֲנַחְנוּ וַיֵּצְאוּ מִן הַמַּחֲנֶה לְהֵחָבֵה בַשָּׂדֶה לֵאמֹר כִּי יֵצְאוּ מִן הָעִיר וְנִתְפְּשֵׂם חַיִּים וְאֶל הָעִיר נָבֹא:
13) One of the servants answered and said, "Let us take five of the remaining horses, that are left in the city - they are like all the population of Israel left in city, they are like all the population of Israel that has perished - let us send them and see."	(יג) וַיַּעַן אֶחָד מֵעֲבָדָיו וַיֹּאמֶר וְיִקְחוּ נָא חֲמִשָּׁה מִן הַסּוּסִים הַנִּשְׁאָרִים אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁאֲרוּ בָהּ הִנָּם כְּכָל הֲמוֹן יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁאֲרוּ בָהּ הִנָּם כְּכָל הֲמוֹן יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר תָּמּוּ וְנִשְׁלְחָה וְנִרְאֶה:
14) They took two horses and chariots. The king sent them after the camp of Aram, saying, "Go see."	(יד) וַיִּקְחוּ שְׁנֵי רֶכֶב סוּסִים וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ אַחֲרֵי מַחֲנֵה אֲרָם לֵאמֹר לְכוּ וּרְאוּ:
15) They went after them up to the Yarden, and the entire road was full of clothing and equipment that Aram left behind in their rush. The messengers returned; they reported to the king.	(טו) וַיֵּלְכוּ אַחֲרֵיהֶם עַד הַיַּרְדֵּן וְהִנֵּה כָל הַדֶּרֶךְ מְלֵאָה בְגָדִים וְכֵלִים אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁלִיכוּ אֲרָם בְּחָפְזָם וַיָּשֻׁבוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים וַיַּגִּדוּ לַמֶּלֶךְ:

The people of Shomron leave the city and gather the provisions from the camp of Aram. The market value of food goes to the rates that Elisha ("the Man of G-d") had predicted. Meanwhile, the minister who ridiculed the prophet gets trampled to death trying to control the gate, thus fulfilling the second half of the prophecy as well. The encounter between Elisha and the minister that was written in the previous chapter is repeated here, to emphasize the accuracy of Elisha's prophecy.

16) The people went out; they plundered the camp of Aram. It happened that a seah of wheat flour cost a shekel, and two seot of barley a shekel, as Hashem had said.	(טז) וַיֵּצֵא הָעָם וַיָּבֹזּוּ אֵת מַחֲנֵה אֲרָם וַיְהִי סְאָה סֹלֶת בְּשֶׁקֶל וְסָאתַיִם שְׂעֹרִים בְּשֶׁקֶל כִּדְבַר ה':
17) The king had assigned the minister upon whom he leaned to the gate. The people trampled him in the gate, and he died, as the Man of G-d had spoken, as he spoke when the king went down to him.	(יז) וְהַמֶּלֶךְ הִפְקִיד אֶת הַשָּׁלִישׁ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁעָן עַל יָדוֹ עַל הַשַּׁעַר וַיִּרְמְסֻהוּ הָעָם בַּשַּׁעַר וַיָּמֹת כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אִישׁ הָאֱ-לֹהִים אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּרֶדֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵלָיו:
18) It happened as the Man of G-d had said to the king, saying, "Two measures of barley a shekel and a measure of wheat flour a shekel, will be this time tomorrow, at the gate of Shomron."	(יח) וַיְהִי כְּדַבֵּר אִישׁ הָאֱ-לֹהִים אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ לֵאמֹר סָאתַיִם שְׂעֹרִים בְּשֶׁקֶל וּסְאָה סֹלֶת בְּשֶׁקֶל יִהְיֶה כָּעֵת מָחָר בְּשַׁעַר שֹׁמְרוֹן:
19) The minister had answered the Man of G-d, and had said: "So now, Hashem is making pipelines from Heaven. Can such a thing be?!" He said, "You will see this with your eyes, but you will not eat from it."	(יט) וַיַּעַן הַשָּׁלִישׁ אֶת אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמַר וְהִנֵּה ה' עֹשֶׂה אֲרֻבּוֹת בַּשָּׁמַיִם הֲיִהְיֶה כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַיֹּאמֶר הִנְּךָ רֹאֶה בְּעֵינֶיךָ וּמִשָּׁם לֹא תֹאכֵל:
20) It happened to him thus; the people trampled him in the gate and he died.	(כ) וַיְהִי לוֹ כֵּן וַיִּרְמְסוּ אֹתוֹ הָעָם בַּשַּׁעַר וַיָּמֹת: ס

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