Eliyahu's Death/1/en
Eliyahu's Death
Introduction
Eliyahu's Disappearance
Chapter 2 of Melakhim II describes how Eliyahu is carried to the heavens in a whirlwind amidst fiery horses and chariots:
(א) וַיְהִי בְּהַעֲלוֹת י"י אֶת אֵלִיָּהוּ בַּסְעָרָה הַשָּׁמָיִם...
(יא) וַיְהִי הֵמָּה הֹלְכִים הָלוֹךְ וְדַבֵּר וְהִנֵּה רֶכֶב אֵשׁ וְסוּסֵי אֵשׁ וַיַּפְרִדוּ בֵּין שְׁנֵיהֶם וַיַּעַל אֵלִיָּהוּ בַּסְעָרָה הַשָּׁמָיִם.
The depiction is both wondrous and mysterious, clearly indicating that Eliyahu did not die a natural death. But, Eliyahu's disappearance into the sky also raises the question of whether Eliyahu died at all. Throughout the chapter, there is discussion of Eliyahu's imminent departure:
...כִּי הַיּוֹם י"י לֹקֵחַ אֶת אֲדֹנֶיךָ מֵעַל רֹאשֶׁךָ...בְּטֶרֶם אֶלָּקַח מֵעִמָּךְ...אִם תִּרְאֶה אֹתִי לֻקָּח מֵאִתָּךְ...
In all of these verses, the speakers state that Eliyahu is to be taken; however, no one says that he is about to die.1 Is this simply euphemistic language for death, or are the characters suggesting that in fact Eliyahu was meant to be taken by Hashem while still alive? The fact that the prophets (בני הנביאים) search for Eliyahu after the incident further implies that it was not evident that he had died. So, did Eliyahu die or is he still living? If the former, how is the supernatural scene of his death to be understood? If the latter, where does Eliyahu dwell? Why was he chosen to defy mortality?
Later Reappearances
There are two later occurrences of Eliyahu in Tanakh after he disappears2. It is unclear when exactly Eliyahu disappeared but it seems that Elisha replaced Eliyahu as a prophet already in the time of Yehoshafat. On this backdrop, it would seem that when a letter from Eliyahu comes to Yehoram, son of Yehoshafat, king of Yehuda, this was a letter after Eliyahu left the world:
וַיָּבֹא אֵלָיו מִכְתָּב מֵאֵלִיָּהוּ הַנָּבִיא לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר י"י אֱלֹהֵי דָּוִיד אָבִיךָ תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר לֹא הָלַכְתָּ בְּדַרְכֵי יְהוֹשָׁפָט אָבִיךָ וּבְדַרְכֵי אָסָא מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה.
In addition, at the end of Malakhi, it says that Hashem is going to send Eliyahu before the coming of the great day of Hashem:
הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ לָכֶם אֵת אֵלִיָּה הַנָּבִיא לִפְנֵי בּוֹא יוֹם י"י הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא.
Is Eliyahu being resurrected in order to fulfill his duties or does this verse also imply that Eliyahu never died?
Eliyahu in Aggadah
In Aggadot Chazal, Eliyahu is the only character which walks around alive. Many halakhot are learned from his actions.
Other Questions
After Eliyahu disappears, בני הנביאים go to look for him which implies that something irregular happened. Also, the chapter never actually says that Eliyahu died, rather that he went up "בַּסְעָרָה הַשָּׁמָיִם". Did Eliyahu die or is he still alive? Where was he taken to and where is he now?
