Мелахим Б 4:1 Мидраш: Otzar Midrashim, Pesikta DeRav Kahana & Midrash Tanchuma

"And a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets": This midrash is based on the verse, "And a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets..." (2 Kings 4:1). It praises righteous women in contrast to wicked ones, particularly lauding the woman mentioned in this verse. According to the midrash, she was the wife of Obadiah who helped her sustain the prophets. The midrash then continues to explain the entire chapter and the story in an aggadic (legendary) manner as it was passed down to the author of the midrash. In the Yalkut Shimoni, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations, only a few lines from this midrash can be found: "Rabbi Mena said: Were it not for the merit of Obadiah's wife, Israel would have long been lost, God forbid. This is based on the verse 'And a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets...'. The oil she had was precious, and she came to ask Elisha if she should sell it or not. The final blessing she received was greater than the first, as it is said, 'You and your sons shall live on the rest,' until the resurrection of the dead." That's the extent of it in the Yalkut. This midrash was copied from a manuscript in Rome and was published in "Otzar Tov" by Berliner and Hapman (Vol. 1, p. 014, Berlin, 1878).

"Righteousness (tzedakah) elevates a people, and chesed to the nations is a sin" (Prov. 14:34).^*Note that the second clause can also be rendered, "sin is chesed to the nations." Although chesed usually means "kindness" (i.e., "kindness to the nations is a sin" or "sin is a kindness to the nations"), there is a secondary meaning of "reproach" or "shame," which indeed is how this verse is generally translated ("...and sin is a reproach to the nations"). As both meanings are employed here, this translation leaves "chesed" untranslated where the meaning is ambiguous. Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua and the Rabbanim: Rabbi Eliezer said, "Righteousness elevates a people" -- that is Israel. "And chesed to the nations is a sin" -- those [of other nations] who perform acts of kindness (chesedim), they bring sin to the nations, for they are [merely] aggrandizing themselves through [these acts]. Rabbi Yehoshua said, "Righteousness elevates a people" -- that is Israel. "And chesed to nations is a sin" -- it is pleasing (i.e., an act of kindness) to the nations of the world any time that Israel sin, for they return and enslave them. And Rabban Gamaliel says, "Righteousness elevates a people" -- that is Israel. "And chesed to the nations is a sin" -- an act of kindness that the nations of the world perform is a sin for them, for so did Daniel say to Nebuchadnezzar, "And let your sin [committed] through righteousness be broken off" (Dan. 4:24). Rabbi Elazar ben Arach says, "Righteousness elevates a people, and [so does] kindness (chesed)" -- that is Israel. But they (i.e., righteousness and kindness) are [considered] sinful to the nations of the world. Said Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai, I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arach to their words (cf. Avot 2:9), for he bestows [both] righteousness and kindness to Israel, and sinfulness to the nations of the world. Avin b'Rabbi Yehuda says, "Righteousness elevates a people" -- that is Israel. "And the reproach (chesed) of the nations is [brought about by] sin" -- Israel are the objects of reproach (chisudim; see Lev. 20:17) of the nations of the world when they engage in sin. For thus did Ravshakeh say to Hezekiah, "Did I now -- without Hashem -- come up upon this land [to destroy it? It is Hashem who said to me, 'Come up upon this land, and destroy it.']" (see 2 Kings 18:25). For thus [too] did Nebuzar'adan say to Jeremiah, "Now Hashem has brought and done unto you that which He spoke" (Jer. 40:3). The thing [that Hashem spoke of] is written [thereafter].^*"Because you (pl.) sinned against Hashem, and you did not hearken to His voice, this thing (i.e., the destruction) has come upon you" (Jer. 40:3). Rabbi Nechuniah ben HaKaneh says, "Righteousness elevates a people" -- that is Israel. "And kindness (chesed) to the nations is a sin" -- acts of kindness that the nations of the world perform, it is a sin to Israel. From where do you learn that? From Mesha -- "And Mesha the king of Moab was a noked (2 Kings 3:4). What is a "noked"? A shepherd. "And he delivered to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs, and a hundred thousand woolly rams" (ibid.). What are "woolly rams"? Rabbi Abba bar Kahana says, "flocks of sheep" (p'rovitya). What did he do? He brought all of his astrologers and he said to them, "Should I wage war together with all the nations against Israel, and be victorious [along] with them, or should I wage war alone against Israel so that the victory is mine alone?" ^*The translation from "They replied" through "upon Israel" follows Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 5:5 (Berman tr.)They replied: “Israel had a patriarch called Abraham who was given a child when he was one hundred years old, and he offered him as a sacrifice.” He asked them: “Was the sacrifice completed?” “No,” they answered. He replied: “He offered a sacrifice that was not completed and yet He performed miracles for them, how many more miracles would He have performed if the sacrifice had been completed. Now, since I have a firstborn son who will rule in my stead, I shall offer him as a sacrifice, and perhaps a miracle will be performed in my behalf.” Hence it is written: "Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt-offering upon the wall, and there came a great wrath upon Israel" (2 Kings 3:27–28). "Upon the wall" is written -- for he would bow down to the wall. And what is written thereafter, "And there came a great wrath upon Israel." Said the Holy One Blessed be He to Israel, "My children, the nations of the world, who know not My power, rebel against Me, while you know My power, yet you [nonetheless] rebel against me." Said Rabbi Mana, were it not for the merit of the wife of Obadiah, Israel would have been destroyed at that time. What is the reason? "And one of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha saying, 'My husband was your servant, etc." (2 Kings 4:1).^*In other words, her righteousness and diligence in following the words of the Elisha caused the wrath of God to dissipate. ... And Rabbanim say, "Righteousness elevates, etc." -- through the generosity that Israel brought [gift-offerings] for the work of the Tabernacle and for the Tent of Meeting, a "suspended head (rosh)" (i.e., a suspended sentence) was granted to them through Moses, and [thus] it says, "When you will raise up the head (or 'take away [the guilt] from the head') of the Children of Israel, etc." (Ex. 30:12).

R. Mani stated: Were it not for the merit of Obadiah’s wife, Israel would have been exterminated at that time: Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha (II Kings 4:1).