YOSSI KWADRAT: One may wonder, who is the Widow of Tzarfas? The name of Yonah’s mother is recorded as Yoam (The Farhi Bible, by Elisha Crescas of Provence; see Ohel Dawid, London 1932, vol. 1.) bas Azor (An ancestor of Jesus Christ: Matthew 1:13), and we find her story in sefer Melachim:
TAMAR KADARI: Elijah’s stay in the house of the widow was meant to bring him closer to the suffering prevalent in the world, and to acquaint him with the hunger and want from which the women and children suffered.
YOSSI KWADRAT: Let’s summarize: Rabbi Levi tells us that in his youth Yonah dwelled in Tzarfas, a town that is within the borders of Asher, as is the port town of Acre. This is where Yonah’s mother, the widow, lived. After her husband Amittai died, she returned to her hometown.
