Elisha’s decision to part from his parents and friends with a feast points to his warm, humane personality. Eliyahu believes that service to God is absolute, and allows no space for human relationships. Elisha's actions express two opposing ideas: the delayed departure signifies that he perceives prophecy not as severance from the circle of life surrounding him, but as a connection to that cycle. On the other hand, the delay enables him to express the transition from being a tiller of the soil on his father's estate, to being a prophet of Israel.

Contrast Between Eliyahu and Elisha
Prophetic Styles
Courtesy of the Virtual Beit Midrash, Yeshivat Har Etzion