Ahav

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1. But WHY didn't Ahab kill Ben-Haddad?

   Rabbi Gad Dishi

   תאריך פרסום: תשע"ג | | Hour and 5 minutes

   Why is Chapter 20 of Melakhim located where it is? It appears to be a battle narrative that is out of place with the surrounding chapters. And why is there such an emphasis on Ahav building up Yeriho (Jericho)? Why is God displeased by the end of the story in Chapter 20?

   
   Rabbi Gad Dishi brings the perakim to life through an interdisciplinary approach. Literary and linguistic tools, Ancient Near East studies, and archeological findings all enhance our understanding of Tanakh and of the important theological message within. Linguistic and thematic parallels to other parts of Tanakh and to other texts call into question whether these stories are meant to be read as battle narratives -or whether they are a different genre: a satirical polemic with an important message.

2. Introduction

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   Sefer Melakhim dedicates two literary sections to the activities of two prophets. Eliyahu and Elisha perform many miracles and Elisha is Eliyahu’s successor. Eliyahu begins his prophecy when the Kingdom of Israel was politically stable, but had reached new spiritual lows. Eliyahu and Elisha seem to perform their miracles without an explicit command from God. A Divine message can be delivered orally or through action – even an action that is not explicitly commanded by God. At times God may not accept the independent action of a prophet. Other times God may help the prophet preform a miracle, even if God is not in complete agreement with the prophet’s action. The majority of prophetic actions preformed without an explicit command reflect the Divine will, and achieve the objective of the prophet’s mission.

3. The Drought

   Eliyahu's Appearance

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   With no introduction, Eliyahu – who was apparently an experienced prophet – bursts onto the scene and decrees to Ahav that no rain will fall. It appears that Eliyahu’s decree is on the backdrop of the increase in idol worship in Ahav’s time; however, the text omits the explicit connection. The fragmented introduction and the unexplained decree are part of an intentional literary device calculated to create the sense of mystery and suddenness that characterize Eliyahu.

4. The Drought (part 3)

   Eliyahu's Experiences During the Drought: ֠For What Purpose Are They Recorded?

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   The first verse of Chapter 17 begins the three years of drought and the first verse of Chapter 18 begins the end of the drought. From Chapter 18 one can deduce various results of the famine. However, Chapter 17 describes three separate stories involving Eliyahu during that drought, which, aside from their chronological link with the drought, raise many questions as to their placement in this chapter.

5. Eliyahu on His Way to Appear Before Ahav

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   God commands Eliyahu to go to Ahav, and tells him that He will bring rain. Eliyahu sets off to fulfill his mission with mixed feelings. His experiences over the past two years lead him to recognize the unconditional necessity of rain for the world. On the other hand, he knows that thus far Ahav has not done teshuva. God will continue convincing Eliyahu of the justness of restoring rain to the world because his strategy thus far has been ineffective.

6. Eliyahu on His Way to Appear Before Ahav

   Part 2

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   Eliyahu’s meeting with Ovadya prior to meeting Ahav is intended to show Ahav that Eliyahu is not capitulating to Ahav, and strengthen the God fearing presence of Ovadya in Ahav’s house. Eliyahu’s miraculous disappearance over the past years makes Ovadya think that Eliyahu’s intention is to provoke Ahav and to continue his disappearance.

7. Eliyahu on His Way to Appear before Ahav

   Part 3

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   A subtle criticism of Ovadya is apparent in Eliyahu’s claim that Ahav – not he – is Ovadya’s master. Ovadya insists that his life-risking activity - not cowardice – leave him in Ahav’s service and unworthy of a punishment of death. The literary structure of Ovadya’s speech to Eliyahu sheds light on the apparent repetitiveness of his words.

8. Eliyahu on His Way to Appear Before Ahav

   Part 4

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   Why does the text eternalize Ovadyahu's mistake and record his speech in such detail? Ovadyahu's emotional speech is a condemnation of Eliyahu and his approach. It expresses how Eliyahu was perceived by the righteous people of his generation. The parallels that exist between Ovadya’s speech and Eliyahu’s experiences during the drought magnify the destructiveness of Eliyahu’s decree. Eliyahu has chosen the path conflict followed by cutting off contact. Ovadyahu has chosen precisely the opposite path: a path of brave cooperation with the wicked king in an attempt to influence from the inside.

9. The Second Encounter Between Eliyahu and Ahav - Part 1

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   Eliyahu's second appearance before Ahav is the opposite of the first: It takes place not on Eliyahu’s initiative, but rather as a result of God's command, its purpose is a renewal of the rains, and ultimately there is cooperation between Eliyahu and Ahav. This dialogue serves as the first in a series of actions by Eliyahu that are aimed at changing the national reality such that Israel will be worthy of God restoring the rain. Ahav, who understands the gravity of the situation, goes to Eliyahu submissively. However, upon seeing him, Ahav rebukes Eliyahu with a subtle comparison to Akhan who had brought catastrophe upon his nation out of personal interests.

10. The Second Encounter Between Eliyahu and Ahav - Part 2

    Rabbi Elchanan Samet

    Eliyahu’s encounters with Ovadyahu and Ahav prove to him that the way he has chosen to lead the nation to teshuva has failed. Eliyahu redirects the confrontation between himself and Ahav from the painful and controversial past to a somewhat opaque future situation in which there will be cooperation between them, with a view to a positive solution to the suffering of the famine. Eliyahu and Ahav’s confrontation here is in stark contrast to their confrontation at the vineyard of Navot

11. Structure of the Story of the Drought

    Rabbi Elchanan Samet

    A complete evaluation of the literary structure of the drought unit – analyzing direct and inverse parallels as well as the climax of the unit.

12. Eliyahu on Mount Carmel (Part 1)

    Was Eliyahu Commanded to Act as he Does in This Story?

    Rabbi Elchanan Samet

    Eliyahu was not commanded to perform the specific actions that he undertook regarding the meeting at the Carmel; on the other hand, not only did his actions not contradict God's word, but they represent the realization of what was hinted at in God’s command to him: the situation that had been created be used for a positive effect, and that Eliyahu cooperate with Achav, in order that God could give rain. Thus, these actions represent a partnership between God and His prophet, sharing the same purpose: to restore Israel to God and to restore God's kindness to Israel.

13. Eliyahu on Mount Carmel (Part 1)

    Was Eliyahu Commanded to Act as he Does in This Story? (Part 2)

    Rabbi Elchanan Samet

    Since the prophet's actions, undertaken on his own initiative, are aimed at fulfilling God's command in the spirit in which it was intended, it may be said that they are done by God's command even if all this is not made explicit within the command. Eliyahu's profound clarification of God's command requires that several actions be inserted in between appearing before Ahav and the giving of rain, all aimed at bringing Israel to teshuva. The choice of these actions is left to the prophet.

14. Espionage in the House of Ahab

    Rabbi Dr. Aharon Adler

    תאריך פרסום: תשע"ד | |

    Beginning with the “oil miracle” for the wife of one of the “Bnei ha-Neviim” in the stories of Elisha the prophet, we ask a number of questions that lead us to the individual Ovadya mentioned in the stories of Eliyahu. Who is Ovadya? Ovadya is a senior official of Ahab, but he also secretly hides and sustains hundreds of prophets-in-training. How did he come to be so trusted by King Ahab, whose fault it was that the prophets feared for their lives? Classic commentators assist us in painting a portrait of Ovadya, who becomes the insider agent who connects the dots between seemingly unrelated stories, personalities and events.

15. Izebel, Israel, and Jezre'el: What's Going On?

    Rabbi Menachem Leibtag | Hour and 10 minutes

    This shiur examines the state of the nation of Israel under several kings, taking into account superpowers and prophets at each stage. Through a close reading of the text, we explore the causes for success of such kings as Ahab, who doesn't follow the word of God and yet is immensely successful economically and militarily. Furthermore, we examine the three missions Eliyahu is charged with before his retirement, and understand that only after the fulfillment of these three missions would the nation rid themselves of Izebel.