Contrast Between Eliyahu and Elisha

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The Hidden Face of Eliyahu
Rabbi Yitzchak Twersky
תאריך פרסום: תשעב | |
Eliyahu is one of the most misunderstood characters in all of Tanach. Misunderstood by his contemporaries, he has been misunderstood by students of Tanach throughout history (including in our day). This shiur offers a fresh perspective on this fascinating and important personality, shedding much light on the Eliyahu narratives in Sefer Melakhim.
Eliyahu in Horev (Part 9)
The First Encounter Between Eliyahu and Elisha (Part 1)
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
The description of the meeting between Eliyahu and Elisha highlights the profound contrasts between these two prophets. The scene describing their meeting brings together, like a mirror, Eliyahu's past and Elisha's future. Therefore, every detail in this brief description contributes to understanding the relationship between the two men and their respective eras.
Eliyahu in Horev (Part 9)
The First Encounter Between Eliyahu and Elisha (Part 2)
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
Eliyahu casts his mantle towards Elisha, not only signaling that Elisha is going to become a prophet, but also implying that Elisha is destined to inherit Eliyahu's own role as the prophet of his generation. However, the Divine command previously indicated that God has chosen as Eliyahu's successor a prophet whose attitude is different from Eliyahu's, and is tasked with correcting the zealousness in Eliyahu's approach. It is difficult to find so stark a contrast as that between the prophetic activity of Eliyahu and the prophetic activity of Elisha.
Eliyahu in Horev (Part 9)
The First Encounter Between Eliyahu and Elisha (Part 3)
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
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.
The Storm (Part 7)
Eliyahu and Elisha On Their Way to the Jordan River
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
Eliyahu's recurring "rejection" of Elisha in our chapter carries the distant echo of his rejection of him in their initial meeting. In this story they convey a rejection of Elisha as Eliyahu's spiritual prophetic heir. However, the firmness of Elisha's intention to accompany him, reflecting his desire to be Eliyahu's successor and prophetic heir, coupled with the fact of Elisha's presence at the secret occasion of Eliyahu's ascent to heaven, serve to indicate the fact that he is his great master's heir.
The Storm (Part 9)
The Dialogue on the Other Side of the Jordan (II)
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
Elisha requests Eliyahu's recognition of him as his successor, although it is clear to both of them that Elisha is different from his master, and is not prepared to negate himself. What he wants is for Eliyahu's spirit to rest upon him in addition to his own, independent spirit. If God opens Elisha's eyes and shows him the vision of Eliyahu's ascent to heaven, alive, with the understanding that Eliyahu's mission is not yet complete, and that his path in this world must be continued, with a softening of the way – then he will be Eliyahu's heir and successor. If Elisha does not merit this, then it will be clear that God does not desire for Elisha to be Eliyahu's successor. It will be clear that the special attributes of this disciple are independent and not a continuation of those of his master.
Prophet in Distress
Rabbi Alex Israel
Eliyahu had orchestrated a three-year drought that had brought the nation to its knees. This had culminated in the decisive religious contest at Mt. Carmel that had exposed the falsity of the Baal, bringing king and country to proclaim faith in God alone. It had been an excruciating process, with Eliyahu living in exile for three years. Indeed, he had succeeding in turning the king around. But now the entire project, this huge educational endeavor, lay shattered, in ruins. It was not Izevel's death threat alone. Izevel's confidence highlighted the understanding that she was in control, and that the transformation of national priorities would be a more arduous, complex, and protracted process. All of this leads to Eliyahu's feeling of dejection and his rejection of his role as a prophet. Unlike Moshe, he is unable to be zealous towards the sinner but to invoke God's mercy on the nation as a whole.
In a Whirlwind
Rabbi Alex Israel
Eliyahu's dramatic ascent to the heavens highlights Elisha as opposed to the other Bnei Ha'Nevi'im. Elisha is also Eliyahu's succesor, but also operates in a completely different manner. Elisha, is always surrounded by other people and is deeply sensitive to the needs of others. Eliyahu is a lone spiritual figure.
Healing, Death and Immortality
Rabbi Alex Israel
Elisha heals the water of Jericho after crossing the Jordan, reminscent of the healing of the waters of Mara after the splitting of the Red Sea. Elisha's first act - healing the water - sharply contrasts Eliyahu's first act of decreeing a draught. Elisha's harsh reaction to the youth who taunted him reflects the message that was said to Elisha regarding his master Eliyahu. The question of Eliyahu's immortatlity is evaluated within the corpus of Tanakh and in the sources of the Sages.
Elisha – Prophet of Miracles
Rabbi Alex Israel
Elisha is constantly performing miracles. His miracles span from practical assistance to individuals or small groups, to operating at the national level, alongside kings and armies. The miracle with the widow and the oil - whose children are on the verge of being sold into slavery - is reminiscent of and sharply contrasted to Eliyahu's miracle with the widow in Zarfat. Eliyahu and Elisha may differ in educational philosophy: What is the more effective educational method: the stick or the carrot, confrontation or encouragement? The difference between the two might be a function of the times in which they live and serve. In Eliyahu's period, under the reign of Ahav, Israel enjoy economic prosperity, wielding international power. Elisha's era, in contrast, is characterized by Aram's devastating oppression of the Northern kingdom. When the nation is under siege, what is required is support, inspiration and encouragement.
Resurrection: Eliyahu and Elisha
Rabbi Ezra Bick | Hour and 11 minutes
Eliyahu and Elisha both perform miraculous resurrections, in episodes that seem to be parallel to each other. This lecture examines the similarities and differences between the stories, through which we can gain a much deeper understanding into the unique characters of Eliyahu and Elisha.
Eliyahu's Journey and Elisha's Plowing
Rabbi David Silverberg