House of Basha

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1. Navot's Vineyard (Part 7)

   Ahav's First Response vs. Second Response

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   The comparison of Ahav’s House to the Houses of Yerovam and Basha implies that the House of Ahav will be nothing but a brief episode, devoid of influence, in the stormy history of the Kingdom of Israel. All of the enormous efforts at which Omri and Ahav had excelled – the creation of the new capital city and other cities, the forging of courageous political ties, the reinforcement of Israel's army – all of this will be counted for nothing! All of Ahav's positive qualities as the king of Israel, seeking the welfare of his nation, were dealt a mortal blow with Eliyahu's message that his royal line was about to end. This causes Ahav to repent.

2. Confrontation, Punishment, Submission

   Rabbi Alex Israel

   There are two dimensions to Ahav's demise. On a personal level, Ahav is worse than all of his predecessors. However, the House of Omri, Ahav's royal lineage, is just another chapter in the dismal succession of kings of the Northern kingdom. 

   One might argue that the most severe of Ahav's crimes was idolatry, a sin on a national scale, whereas the murder of Navot was a personal crime, which didn't affect the national temper and did not influence wider ethical norms in ancient Israel. The Rambam insists, however, that murder is at the top of the pyramid, as it causes “the destruction of civilization,” the disintegration of society, undermining its cohesion and trust.

   On this backdrop, Ahav's sudden teshuva is disconcerting, arousing a sense of astonishment. Can one make amends so easily? Both in the subsequent texts and in the Midrash the degree and depth of Ahav's teshuva remains an open topic.