Eliyahu and Elisha
נמצאו 25 תוצאות חיפוש
The Nameless Women of Tanach
Rabbi Yitzchak Twerskyתאריך פרסום: תשע"ג | |
Three heroines of the Tanach are conspicuously anonymous. Why? In the course of unraveling this mystery, we will also investigate a man who is similarly “slighted”. We will see that they are all actually pieces of a far larger puzzle that spans the breadth of Tanach and speaks to its central issue; relating to the core of human existence and religious struggle.
The Storm (Part 1)
Preface
Rabbi Elchanan SametThe story of Eliyahu ascending to the heavens in a storm does not end when Eliyahu ascends, nor when it is conclusive that he is gone. Rather, the unit ends with Elisha retracing Eliyahu’s footsteps, ultimately to Mount Carmel and Shomron. In the same places where Elisha had so recently appeared as the disciple and servant of his great master, he now appears alone, as the prophet who takes the place of the master who is gone. By this act, Elisha is demonstrating unequivocally that he has inherited Eliyahu's role.
The Storm (Part 2)
Structure of the Story
Rabbi Elchanan SametThe chapter divides into two sections: Elisha accompanies Eliyahu to his eventual ascent in a storm to heaven, and Elisha’s assumption of the role as prophet instead of Eliyahu. The description of Eliyahu’s ascent to the heavens is shrouded in many mysterious remarks that need explanation and is built in the three and four model.
The Storm (Part 3)
Eliyahu's Journey to His Place of Ascent (I)
Rabbi Elchanan SametGilgal mentioned in this story does not seem to correspond with other places with the same name mentioned in the Tanakh. It appears to be North of Beit El. In the Elisha stories we find that Elisha is a travelling prophet like Shmuel, however, Gilgal is his permanent dwelling. Eliyahu arrives in Gilgal in order to depart from his student.
The Storm (Part 4)
Eliyahu's Journey to His Place of Ascent (II)
Rabbi Elchanan SametEliyahu is commanded to pass through Beit El and Yeriho in order to part from the Bnei Ha’Nevi’im. The reader, Elisha and the Bnei Ha’Nevi’im know that Eliyahu is departing today but it is spoken as a secret. Eliyahu's journey is the inverse of the journey of conquest of the land in the days of Yehoshua. In the same place where Bnei Yisrael readied themselves for the conquest of the land, on the plains of Yeriho – right there Eliyahu departs from Am Yisrael and from Eretz Yisrael.
The Storm (Part 5)
Eliyahu's Journey to His Place of Ascent (III)
Rabbi Elchanan SametThe Bnei Ha’Nevi’im, who know of Eliyahu’s imminent departure, attempt to draw close to this mysterious event in different ways - dialogue with Elisha and watching from a distance - but remain limited in their success. They are also aware that Elisha is the only one who is permitted to accompany Eliyahu on his journey to the final station. The presence of the Bnei Ha’Nevi’im at the Jordan River and their observation of Eliyahu and Elisha represent the necessary background and buildup to the description of Elisha crossing back alone, clearly paralleling the description of Eliyah's crossing.
The Storm (Part 6)
Eliyahu's Journey to His Place of Ascent (IV)
Rabbi Elchanan Sametthe second part of the "three and four" model serves as a framework for a description of the change in the attitude of the apprentice prophets towards Elisha, up until they accept him as the prophet who has taken the place of his master. At the beginning of the process, in the first two links, they clearly regard him as Eliyahu's chosen attendant. In the third link, his status is further elevated in their eyes, in terms of his connection with Eliyahu, and the ground is readied for the revolution in their view of him as Eliyahu's prophetic inheritor. The "revolution" is completed with his appearance before them in the fourth link, as the next prophet of the generation.
The Storm (Part 7)
Eliyahu and Elisha On Their Way to the Jordan River
Rabbi Elchanan SametEliyahu'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 8)
The Dialogue on the Other Side of the Jordan (I)
Rabbi Elchanan SametElisha requests "Pi-Shnayim" - a double portion of Eliyahu's spirit. Four interpretations of this request are raised: Double of what Eliyahu himself had; Elisha is requesting to preform double the miracles that Eliyahu preformed; Double the portion of the other Bnei Ha’Nevi’im; two parts of Eliyahu’s whole spirit thus receiving Eliyahu's recognition of Elisha as his successor and the continuer of his path amongst Am Yisrael.
The Storm (Part 9)
The Dialogue on the Other Side of the Jordan (II)
Rabbi Elchanan SametElisha 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.
The Storm (Part 10)
Eliyahu's Ascent
Rabbi Elchanan SametElisha first expresses a repeated cry: "My father, my father." This expresses the personal, intimate relationship that Elisha felt towards Eliyahu, like a son towards his father. In the second part of his cry of sorrow, Elisha calls Eliyahu "the chariot of Israel and its horsemen." This is meant to express Eliyahu's value for the whole Jewish nation. Eliyahu, who has chastised his generation and at times brought suffering upon them, is the one who protected the people of his nation and by whose virtue they have enjoyed victory and success delivering them from their enemies to a greater extent than the chariot and horsemen did.
The Storm (Part 11)
After Eliyahu's Ascent (I)
Rabbi Elchanan SametThe act of rending by Elisha is an outward manifestation of his sense that something inside has been rent; part of his own personality has been lost. A rending that is never sewn together expresses mourning that has an element of permanence to it. The image of Eliyahu will continue to accompany Elisha, his heir and successor, throughout his prophetic career. In all of his future actions, he will have Eliyahu in mind, and all of his aspiration will be to follow in the footsteps of his master and to realize his legacy, revealed to him as he witnessed him being carried up in a storm to heaven.
The Storm (Part 12)
After Eliyahu's Ascent (II)
Rabbi Elchanan SametThe first part of our story concludes with Elisha's mourning. The second half of our story begins with the opposite action: the lifting and taking of Eliyahu's mantle. The contrast seems to be an expression of the ambivalent nature of the situation. On one hand there is sorrow and mourning. At the same time, Elisha feels joy at the privilege of being Eliyahu's heir and successor as prophet in Israel. The apprentice prophets see Eliyahu's mantle, with all that it implies, in Elisha's hand, and they see what Elisha does with it, repeating the miracle of crossing the Jordan River as Eliyahu had previously done. Despite the tension that prevailed between Eliyahu and Elisha after the mantle was cast for the first time, and before it falls for the second time, the transfer of the mantle from master to disciple is what ultimately defines the nature of the bond between them.
Prophet in Distress
Rabbi Alex IsraelEliyahu 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 IsraelEliyahu'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.
Elisha's Tears
Rabbi Alex IsraelEliyahu's mission to avenge the sinful kingdom of Israel and the House of Ahav by appointing Hazael as King of Aram, Yehu as King of Israel is not preformed by him, but by Elisha who is also part of this mission. Elisha instigates Hazael's reign in this chapter, but his character is a non-vindictive figure. Elisha's role is to mitigate the force of Aram and to ultimately prophesy the reversal of the tables in favor of Israel.
Chronology, Structure, and Two Judean Kings
Rabbi Alex IsraelIn many of the Elisha stories the king in the story is not identified. While many assume that the anonymous king is Yehoram, Ahav's son, because of the sequence of the chapters, the good relationship between Elisha and the king in some of the stories and the ease in which Aram lays seige to Shomron indicate that the kings in the story belong to Yehu's dynasty. Two possible explanations are offered as to the non-chronological order of the Elisha's stories.
Yehoram, King of Yehuda, strays from the path of Yehoshafat his father and adopts the path of the House of Ahav, of which his wife Atalya is a daughter. Besides the spiritual turmoil that his rule brings, Yehoram murders all of his brothers who he views as a threat to his rule and loses control over areas that have been under the rule of Yehuda since David's reign. How does Eliyahu send Yehoram a castigating letter long after his disappearance?
Did Eliyahu Die?
Dr. Baruch Alster | שעה ו- 11 דקותThe concept of Eliyahu's ascent to heaven (as described in II Kings) was heavily debated among medieval commentaries. Some allowed for the idea that the ancient prophet lives on to this day, as can be understood from the biblical verses, while others prefer to minimize the miracle and claim that the verses describe the prophet's death. By analyzing the various medieval opinions we can learn how each commentator balances the truth of Tanakh with rationalist philosophy.
Biblical Allusions to the Story of the Akeida
Dr. Avigail Rock |Stories in Tanakh often allude to other stories by using identifying words or phrases, which is meant to teach the reader a deeper meaning about the story by connecting it to a previous episode. The story of the Akeida is alluded to no fewer than eight different times throughout the Tanakh. What are those stories and what are these references trying to teach us? By closely examining each of the stories we can gain a deeper understanding into the message of the story and learn about showing devotion to God in the correct way.
Izebel, Israel, and Jezre'el: What's Going On?
Rabbi Menachem Leibtag | שעה ו- 10 דקותThis 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.
Resurrection: Eliyahu and Elisha
Rabbi Ezra Bick | שעה ו- 11 דקותEliyahu 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.
The Symbolic Meaning of Clothing in Tanakh
Dr. Avigail Rock |The Tanakh generally minimizes in the description of detail. Therefore, when we are privy to extra details we always have to wonder why these details are given, as they are always significant to the story. However, when it comes to clothing, the Tanakh often goes into great detail. Why is this? Why does the Tanakh give so many descriptions of specific clothing? By closely examining specific Tanakh texts we can see that clothing plays many roles in the Tanakh narrative, besides being simply what people wore. Clothing has a significant metaphorical meaning as well, reflecting a person’s identity and character. Clothing transfers the identity and emotion of a character, and provides the reader with the much deeper subtext of a story. Therefore, understanding the nature of clothing in Tanakh on a much deeper level can help shed light on the Tanakh narrative as a whole.
Eliyahu's Journey and Elisha's Plowing
Rabbi David SilverbergHow did the Rabbis come up with all this? Case studies in understanding peshat and midrash
Rabbi Yitzchak Twersky | שעהWhat are the origins of midrashei Chazal? How did the rabbis come to their understanding of the pesukim as reflected in the midrashim? This lecture presents a number of examples of the way in which midrashei Chazal reflect Chazal’s understanding of Tanakh.
Tefilla in Tanach: The Character of Prayer
Debra Gellerתאריך פרסום: 2023 | | שעה ו- 5 דקות
In this lecture, we will be examining the “narrative” prayers, that is, those that appear within a story, of Eliyahu, Elisha, and other characters in Tanakh. By looking closely at the prayers, both for the individual and the nation, we will reveal how the prayer impacts the one who says it and its functions as an integral part of the narrative.