Eliyahu's Death/2

Eliyahu's Death

Exegetical Approaches

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Eliyahu Died

Despite the wondrous and dramatic nature of the whirlwind, Eliyahu died like every individual does.

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 his name.

"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.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 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.⁸ 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 in the whirlwind, but simply took him elsewhere.⁹  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).¹⁰ Radak and the Biur¹¹ 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

Eliyahu was taken alive by God and never died.

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

"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...  הַשָּׁמָיִם": Where is Eliyahu? If Eliyahu did not die, where is he living?

• Eliyahu is alive on Earth – Ralbag is uncomfortable with the notion that a physical being might dwell among the spiritual beings in the celestial sphere,¹² leading him to suggest that the phrase "וַיַּעַל אֵלִיָּהוּ... הַשָּׁמָיִם" does not mean that Eliyahu was taken to dwell in the heavens but rather that he was raised high in the air and taken to an unknown place on earth where he still lives.
• Eliyahu is alive in Gan Eden – Masekhet Derekh Eretz and Abarbanel instead suggest that the corporeal Eliyahu was taken to Gan Eden, and lives there.  While Abarbanel explicitly speaks of the "earthly Gan Eden"¹³ it is not clear if Masekeht Derekh Eretz understands "הַשָּׁמָיִם" literally and allows for Eliyahu to have been taken to a heavenly Eden.

"הַיּוֹם י"י לֹקֵחַ אֶת אֲדֹנֶיךָ מֵעַל רֹאשֶׁךָ" – Ralbag reads into these words that Eliyahu was to be taken away from Elisha specifically ("from upon your head"), but that he was not yet to be totally taken by Hashem in death.

Biblical parallels

• Chanokh– This position could suggest that Chanokh is another example of a person who was taken by God (כִּי לָקַח אֹתוֹ אֱלֹהִים) while still alive.¹⁴
• Pinchas–  Ralbag compares the extreme longevity of both characters noting that Pinchas, too, lives way beyond the natural order and appears all the way through the era of David, as attested to by Divrei HaYamiam I 9:20.

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

"הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ לָכֶם אֵת אֵלִיָּה הַנָּבִיא" – This verse is one of the motivations to suggest that Eliyahu never died.  Eliyahu can warn and coax the people into repentance prior to the Hashem's Day of Judgement since he is still alive to act as prophet.

Why didn't Eliyahu die? Abarbanel

Comparison to Moshe

Resurrection of the dead

What did בני הנביאים know and think?

"סְעָרָה"

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 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.

⁸ 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.

⁹ 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".

¹⁰ 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.

¹¹ R. Saadia appears to agree but his commentary on that verse is fragmentary so it is difficult to understand his full position.

¹² He 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".  Cf. the discussion in Bavli Sukkah 5a regarding the distinct realms of God and man and how a human may not co-inhabit Hashem's heavenly realm.

¹³ See above note that he, too, is bothered by the notion that a physical being could live in the spiritual realm.

¹⁴ However, it should be noted that many of tehse commentaors