Eliyahu's Death/2

Eliyahu's Death

Exegetical Approaches

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Eliyahu Died

Despite the wondrous and dramatic nature of the whirlwind, it did not lead to Eliyahu's immortality (or extreme longevity). Eliyahu, like every individual, 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;³ Eliyahu was not brought literally to heaven, but simply raised up via the storm winds.
• Death – Radak and Hoil Moshe,⁴ 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 the prophets to give to Yehoram in the future.⁵
• 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.⁶
• 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.⁷

"הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ לָכֶם אֵת אֵלִיָּה הַנָּבִיא" – As these sources assume that Eliyahu is no longer alive, they vary in how they explain how he can nonetheless act as Hashem's messenger before the "Day of God":

• Eliyahu will be resurrected – Radak asserts that Eliyahu will be resurrected so that he can return to Earth 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.⁸

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 would encourage people to heed their words.

What did בני הנביאים know and think? Radak suggests that the בני הנביאים did not know with certainty that Eliyahu had died and thought that he had simply disappeared (as he would somewhat regularly), so they went searching to find where he was secluded.⁹ Hoil Moshe disagrees and claims that the prophets did know that Eliyahu had died; they were simply looking for his body so they could bury it.

The "taking" of Eliyahu: "הַיּוֹם י"י לֹקֵחַ אֶת אֲדֹנֶיךָ" – According to R. Saadia, the language of "לקיחה" might be used because Hashem really did not have Eliyahu die on the whirlwind, but simply took him elsewhere.¹⁰  The other sources would suggest that such language need not suggest that Hashem took Eliyahu while still alive, as it is used in other cases to refer to death as well. See, for example, Yechezkel 24:15 where Hashem tells the prophet, "הִנְנִי לֹקֵחַ מִמְּךָ אֶת מַחְמַד עֵינֶיךָ בְּמַגֵּפָה", or Eliyahu's own request "קַח נַפְשִׁי" (Melakhim  i 19:5).¹¹ Radak and the Biur¹² explain that the "taking" of Chanokh in Bereshit 5 also means that he died, not that he was taken alive by God.

Polemics

Resurrection of the dead

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

"וַיְהִי בְּהַעֲלוֹת י"י אֶת אֵלִיָּהוּ בַּסְעָרָה" – Abarbanel suggests that the dramatic description of Eliyahu's being taken by Hashem suggests that he did not die since if he had died a normal death, why would the verses exaggerate and elaborate upon it so extensively?  He further points out that the language of "וימת" no where appears in the story, as it does by other prophets.

"וַיַּעַל אֵלִיָּהוּ בַּסְעָרָה הַשָּׁמָיִם": Where is Eliyahu? As many are uncomfortable with the notion that a physical being might dwell among the spiritual beings in the celestial sphere,¹³ or that a human might co-inhabit Hashem's heavenly realm¹⁴ these commentators disagree regarding the meaning of the word "הַשָּׁמָיִם" and where Eliyahu was taken to live.

• Eliyahu is alive in Gan Eden – Masekhet Derekh Eretz and Abarbanel suggest that the corporeal Eliyahu was taken to Gan Eden, and lives there.  While Abarbanel explicitly speaks of the "earthly Gan Eden" it is not clear if Masekeht Derekh Eretz agrees, or if it understands "הַשָּׁמָיִם" literally and allows for Eliyahu to have been taken to a heavenly Eden.
• Eliyahu is alive on Earth – Ralbag says that Eliyahu did not go literally to the heavenly sphere but was rather raised high in the air (גובה האויר) and taken to an unknown place on earth where he still lives.

"הַיּוֹם י"י לֹקֵחַ אֶת אֲדֹנֶיךָ מֵעַל רֹאשֶׁךָ" – Ralbag suggests that the prophets do not say that Hashem will take Eliyahu (which could mean a final taking, or death) but rather that Eliyahu will be taken "from upon your head" suggesting that he was only taken away from Elisha, but not yet totally taken by Hashem.

"מִכְתָּב מֵאֵלִיָּהוּ" – This letter is brought as support that Eliyahu did not die in the whirlwind. If he is still alive it would not have been problematic for him to send a letter during the reign of Yehoram.

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 mentions the opinion of Chazal, that Eliyahu was brought to the Garden of Eden in bodily form and never died.

² Ovadiah's words to Eliyahu, "וְרוּחַ י"י יִשָּׂאֲךָ עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא אֵדָע" (Melakhim I 18:12) might suggest that throughout his life, there were times when Hashem would miraculously transport Eliyahu from one location to another, away from human eyes.

³ He compares the usage here to that in Devarim 9:1, "עָרִים גְּדֹלֹת וּבְצֻרֹת בַּשָּׁמָיִם".

⁴ The Biur does not address the issue explicitly but seems to agree.

⁵ 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.

⁶ 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.

⁷ 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".

⁸ 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.

⁹ According to R. Saadia, this is in fact what had happened, except that in contrast to other periods when he had disappeared, this time Eliyahu was never to be seen again.

¹⁰ Even though Radak believes that Eliyahu did die during the storm, he could explain the words in the same manner since according to him, the "sons of prophets" were not sure of the fact and thought that Hashem was simply taking taking Eliyahu to another place. Hence they are the ones who say, "הַיּוֹם י"י לֹקֵחַ אֶת אֲדֹנֶיךָ מֵעַל רֹאשֶׁךָ".

¹¹ See Yonah's similar plea, "קַח נָא אֶת נַפְשִׁי " in Yonah 4:3.  One might argue against all these proof texts as they do not mention only "taking" but the "taking of a soul" or "taking by plague".  Our verse, which simply mentions "taking  Eliyahu", might be different.

¹² R. Saadia appears to agree but his commentary on that verse is fragmentary so it is difficult to understand his full position.

¹³ See Ralbag who writes, אי אפשר שיובן שהעלהו השמים כי לא יעלו שם אלו הגופות.  Abarbanel echoes: "המפרשים אמרו שלא יתכן שישבו הגופות האנושיים בתוך הגרמים השמימיים ולא עליהם"."

¹⁴ See the discussion in Bavli Sukkah 5a regarding the distinct realms of God and man.