Eliyahu's Death/2
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
This topic is currently in progress
Eliyahu's Death
Exegetical Approaches
Eliyahu is Alive
"הַשָּׁמָיִם" – Where did Eliyahu go?
Where is Eliyahu now?
"מִכְתָּב מֵאֵלִיָּהוּ"
Malakhi 3:23
Why didn't Eliyahu die?
Resurrection of the dead
What did בני הנביאים know and think?
"סְעָרָה"
לקיחה
Pinchas
Polemics
Philosophical motivation
Eliyahu Died
"הַשָּׁמָיִם" – Where did Eliyahu go? These commentators disagree what happened:
- - R. Saadia Gaon
- - Radak and Hoil Moshe
Where is Eliyahu now?
"מִכְתָּב מֵאֵלִיָּהוּ" – These commentators disagree whether the letter was sent by Eliyahu while he was still alive or not:
- Eliyahu was dead – Radak explains that after Eliyahu died he came to one of the prophets ברוח הנבואה and told him to write the letter in the name of Eliyahu.
- Eliyahu was still alive – The Biur holds that Eliyahu only died during Yehoram's kingship and so was still alive when he sent the letter.2 It is possible that R. Saadia also holds that Eliyahu was still alive when he sent the letter, and he wrote it during Yehoram's kingship after he was taken בסערה but before he died.
Malakhi 3:23 – Radak holds that there is going to be resurrection for Eliyahu so he can come. On the other hand, Hoil Moshe says that Eliyahu himself is not going to come. Malakhi is just saying that there will be a prophets again in Yisrael, and the prophet will be similar to Eliyahu.3
Why have a unique process?
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"
לקיחה
Polemics
Philosophical motivation
