Chazal (Sanhedrin 107b) say that the four lepers mentioned in this week’s haftarah were Geichazi and his three sons. They found an army camp abandoned by the enemy nation, Aram, after Hashem caused the army to become mortally frightened (Melachim Beis 7:3).
Anyone who knows a little bit about Tanach knows that Geichazi, originally a close student of Elisha, is not looked upon with admiration, to say the least. In fact, Geichazi is mentioned by the Mishna in the last perek of Sanhedrin, Perek HaCheilek, as being among those who do not have a portion in the world to come.
Yet, that is not the whole story.
Rav Shlomo Wolbe writes that the sins of earlier generations mentioned in the Torah must never be understood at face value. They were not committed as a result of animalistic urges and desires, or even simple “foul-ups.” Rather, they were grounded in mistaken intellectual calculations, always sincerely l’shem Shamayim – for the sake of Heaven.
Rav Simcha Zissel, the Alter of Kelm, goes so far as to apply this rule to wicked people mentioned in the Torah as well. He explains that they were also men of greatness, full of faith in G-d, who made enormous miscalculations in a sophisticated way. These individuals had profound grasps of heavenly matters, but became spiritually tragic figures when their philosophical approaches ran off course. However, their sins should certainly not be interpreted as plain and simple transgressions like those we experience in our generation.
The Arizal taught this same approach, making the point that the Torah would never mention wicked people and their sins if there was not great depth involved from which we are to learn from. Of course, this does not change the fact that these people were resha’im, and deserved the various punishments meted out to them. However, the fact that they achieved great levels forces us to look at their misgivings in a different light. As Rav Eliyhau Dessler writes, many of the sins mentioned in the Torah regarding earlier generations would be considered mitzvos if done in our times. Often, because of the great levels earlier generations attained, Hashem judged them more severely. (See Rav Shlomo Wolbe’s Alei Shur, part 1, p. 227; Rav Avraham Korman’s Mavo LeTorah SheBichsav VeSheBaal Peh, p. 168–169, in the names of the Alter from Kelm; Rav Dessler’s Michtav MiEliyahu, vol. 1, p. 161–166 and the Mei HaShiloach on Parshas Pinchas.)
All this rings even more true regarding Geichazi. He was certainly a righteous person in the beginning of his life, becoming the closest student and attendant to the great prophet, Elisha. Furthermore, Avodah Zara 27b, in its discussion of risky medical procedures, cites our haftarah as a source. The four lepers decided on a risky course of action. Shomron was suffering from a terrible drought and the lepers realized that if they remained where they were they would soon die of starvation. They decided to enter the camp of the enemy, for even if the Arameans would kill them, it was worth the risk as it was possible the Arameans would have pity and feed them first, From this the Gemara concludes that if a patient will die within a short time without treatment, he is allowed to engage in a risky procedure even if it may shorten his life to less time than he would have lived had he done nothing. We are not concerned about the loss of a brief amount of life, if there is a chance that doing something could prolong a life. We learn this from Geichazi, and the Gemara would not have described his calculation and eventual salvation if his thinking were incorrect.