Orphan

In his commentaries, Rashi displays great sensitivity towards the people in society who are indigent or powerless, who have no defenders. This compassion for the disadvantaged is expressed in numerous…

When his first cry is not answered, Eliyahu turns towards the boy, to stretch out over him; this signifies his change in perception. Two changes are noted in comparing Eliyahu’s two prayers. In the fi…

The preferential conditions that Eliyau has enjoyed for the last year have now expired - and therefore the widow and her son are no longer different from anyone else suffering the effects of the droug…

Eliyahu's conditions of survival in the widow's home are not a solution, in the context of the broader story, but rather an obstacle to the flow and progression of the narrative. A crisis will have to…

The suffering of the widow, expressed in her climatic monologue, and Eliyahu's need to share her food in a way that causes him discomfort, finally lead the prophet to express self doubt in his positio…

Eliyahu chooses a miraculous existence of survival for himself despite the suffering of others, who do not have miracles to sustain them, rather than rescind his decree of drought.

Eliyahu’s move to Tzarfat symbolizes a continuation of the argument between God and Eliyahu that began at Nahal Kerit. The move brings Eliyahu in contact with a poor widow who, together with her son, …