Eliyahu's Death/2

Eliyahu's Death

Exegetical Approaches

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Eliyahu Died

Sources:R. Saadia GaonCommentary Bereshit Appendix 1About R. Saadia Gaon, RadakMelakhim II 2:1Melakhim II 2:11Melakhim II 2:16Malakhi 3:23Divrei HaYamim II 21:12About R. David Kimchi,¹ BiurMelakhim II 2:1Melakhim II 2:14About the Biur (Netivot HaShalom), Hoil MosheMelakhim II 2:1About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi

"וַיַּעַל אֵלִיָּהוּ בַּסְעָרָה הַשָּׁמָיִם" – These commentators disagree regarding what happened during the storm:

• Transported – R. Saadia Gaon says that Eliyahu was lifted into the air in a whirlwind, and brought to an unknown place on earth, where he lived for an undesignated amount of time before he died.²  He understands the term "הַשָּׁמָיִם" as hyperbolic; Eliyahu was not brought literally to heaven, but simply raised up via the storm winds.
• Death – Radak and Hoil Moshe,³ in contrast, understand the term "הַשָּׁמָיִם" to refer to the heavenly realm, and suggest that during the storm the "chariots of fire" burned Eliyahu's body, while his soul went up to heaven.

"מִכְתָּב מֵאֵלִיָּהוּ" – These commentators must explain how Eliyahu could write a letter to Yehoram if he had died before Yehoram's reign.  They offer several possible explanations:

• Prophetic – Ibn EzraMalakhi 3:24About R. Avraham ibn Ezra brings the possibility that Eliyahu wrote the letter prophetically before he died and then gave it to one of בני הנביאים to give to Yehoram in the future.⁴
• Alive during Yehoram's reign – Since R. Saadia maintains that Eliyahu died at some point after the storm, it is possible that he was still alive during the reign of Yehoram and sent him a letter from wherever Hashem had placed him. The Biur, instead, posits that there is achronology in the verses and that the story of the storm in Chapter 2 really occurred at some point after Yehoram began to reign.⁵
• Via vision after death – Radak suggests that after Eliyahu died he appeared to one of the prophets in a vision and told him to write the letter in the name of Eliyahu.⁶

"הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ לָכֶם אֵת אֵלִיָּה הַנָּבִיא"

• Eliyahu will be resurrected – Radak asserts that Eliyahu will be resurrected so that he can return to the earth and act as Hashem's messenger before the Day of Judgement.
• Eliyahu as a term for prophet – Hoil Moshe, in contrast, asserts that Malakhi does not mean to insinuate that Eliyahu himself is to return but rather that at that point there will once again be prophets, like Eliyahu, in Israel.⁷

Why is Eliyahu's death so unusual? Hoil Moshe explains that in eras in which the nation was mired in idolatry, Hashem wanted his prophets' lives and deaths to be extraordinary so as to leave an impression on the people.  Recognizing prophets wondrous, angel-like status might help them heed their words.

Resurrection of the dead

What did בני הנביאים know and think? Radak says that בני הנביאים thought that maybe Eliyahu didn't die but rather disappeared (like he did regularly) and so they were looking where he was hiding.  In contrast, Hoil Moshe explains that בני הנביאים did know that Eliyahu was going to die and they were just looking for his body so they can bury it (not knowing that his body was burnt).

"סְעָרָה" – R. Saadia Gaon explains that a סערה rises a little and then comes down.

לקיחה

Polemics

Philosophical motivation

Eliyahu is Alive

Sources:BavliMoed Katan 26aBava Batra 121bAbout the Bavli, Bereshit Rabbah21:5About Bereshit Rabbah, Ibn EzraMalakhi 3:24About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, RambanVayikra 18:4About R. Moshe b. Nachman, RalbagShofetim 6:1Melakhim I 22:38Melakhim II 2:1,3,11Melakhim II 12:18Divrei HaYamim II 21:12About R. Levi b. Gershom, AbarbanelMelakhim II 2:12Malakhi 3:23About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel

"וַיַּעַל אֵלִיָּהוּ בַּסְעָרָה הַשָּׁמָיִם" – These commentators disagree where Eliyahu is alive:

• Eliyahu is alive in Gan Eden – from Midreshei Chazal it seems that Eliyahu went up to Gan Eden with his body and lives there.  Every so often he comes down to the land to fulfill his missions.
• Eliyahu is alive on Earth – Ralbag says that Eliyahu did not go up to שמים rather went up "בגובה האויר" and Hashem took him to an unknown place where he still lives.

"מִכְתָּב מֵאֵלִיָּהוּ" – This approach maintains that Eliyahu was still alive and was able to send the letter.

Malakhi 3:23 – This verse is one of the motivations for this approach that Eliyahu is still alive.

Why didn't Eliyahu die?

Resurrection of the dead

What did בני הנביאים know and think?

"סְעָרָה"

לקיחה

Pinchas

Polemics

Philosophical motivation

¹ Radak also brings chazal's approach that Eliyahu lived forever.

² Ovadiah's words to Eliyahu, "וְרוּחַ י"י יִשָּׂאֲךָ עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא אֵדָע" () might suggest that throughout his life, there were time when Hashem would miraculously transport Eliyahu from one location to another, away from human eyes.

³ The Biur does not address the issue explicitly but seems to agree.

⁴ He, however, rejects this possibility saying that if so, the verse should read "וימצא / ויובא אֵלָיו מִכְתָּב מֵאֵלִיָּהוּ" rather than "וַיָּבֹא אֵלָיו מִכְתָּב מֵאֵלִיָּהוּ". Ralbag also opposes the idea, since such a prophetic letter has punishment being decreed upon a person before they sinned, which would appear to remove from Yehoram the free will not to sin.

⁵ He assumes that after Achazyahu's death, Eliyahu was in seclusion and Elisha was acting as prophet in his stead. Thus, Elisha is the acting prophet during the war of Moav and the chapters afterwards. As such, one might suggest that Chapter 2 appears where it does because it marks the end of Eliyahu's tenure as prophet, even though he was still alive.

⁶ Ibn Ezra brings the possibility that Eliyahu wrote the letter ברוח הנבואה before he died and then gave it to one of בני הנביאים to give to Yehoram although rejects it since then it should say "ויובא אליו".

⁷ Hoil Moshe compares Malakhi's statement to the verse "וְעַבְדִּי דָוִד מֶלֶךְ עֲלֵיהֶם" (Yechezkel 37:24) which similarly mentions a specific person only as an example.  Yechezkel does not mean that David himself will rule in the future, but rather that a king of David's caliber will reign.