JUDAICA - Wisdom In Torah

elijah
said to have been in constant communication with Elijah (cf.
Sanh. 98a; Mak. 11a; Gen. R. 35:2), persuaded a Jew sought by
the Roman authorities to give himself up, thereby saving the
entire Jewish community of Lydda from destruction, Elijah
shunned R. Joshua for about 30 days. Later he explained that
he could not be “a companion to informers”: and although R.
Joshua had acted according to mishnaic law, Elijah maintained
that “this should have been done by others, not by you” (TJ,
Ter. 8:10, 46b; Gen. R. 94:9, end).
On another occasion, Elijah told R. Joshua b. Levi that
the Messiah was to be found among the beggars of Rome
ready and willing to redeem Israel, although, as he subsequently
explained, only if they repented and obeyed God
(Sanh. 98a). A late Midrash, however, maintained that Israel
would repent only when Elijah made his public appearance
(PdRE 43, end).
Elijah’s association with the Messiah became more pronounced
in the late talmudic and post-talmudic ages. Increasingly,
Elijah becomes not only a precursor, but an active
partner of the Messiah. Both Elijah and the Messiah are busy
recording the good deeds of the righteous, no doubt with a
view to hastening the day of Israel’s redemption (Lev. R. 34:8;
Ruth R. 5:6). Ultimately, Elijah and the Messiah are to be
among four world conquerors (Song R. 2:13, no. 4); though,
according to one Midrash, Elijah himself is destined to overthrow
the foundations of the heathen (Gen. R. 71:9). Elijah is,
indeed, accorded the exclusive privilege of bringing about the
resurrection of the dead (Sot. 9:15 end; cf. Song R. 1:1, no. 9) –
no doubt because of his achievement in reviving the son of
the widow of Zarephath (I Kings 17:17ff.).
Elijah’s solicitude for Israel’s safety was also demonstrated
in the past. Thus, when Haman was threatening to exterminate
the Jews, Elijah was said to have intervened with the Patriarchs
and with Moses to secure their intercession with the
Almighty. At the decisive moment he appeared in the guise
of Harbonah to denounce Haman (Esth. R. 7:13; 10:9). Likewise,
at the time of the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians,
Elijah was searching among those who were languishing with
hunger in the hope of saving those who might renounce idolatry
(Sanh. 63b).
Of equal concern to Elijah were individual pious Jews
who happened to be in trouble. Among those whose lives
were saved or whose health was restored by Elijah’s timely appearance
in various guises were Nahum of Gimzo (Ta’an. 21a;
Sanh. 109a), R. Meir (Av. Zar. 18b), R. Eleazar b. Perata (Av.
Zar. 17b), Judah ha-Nasi (TJ, Kil. 9:4, 32b; Gen. R. 33:3; 96:5),
R. Shila (Ber. 58a), R. Kahana (Kid. 40a), and many others (cf.
also Matt. 27:47ff., and see Mark 15:35–36 for similar expectations
in connection with Jesus’ crucifixion). Innumerable
legends and stories are still told of the poor and hopeless being
aided by Elijah.
It was because of Elijah’s great love for Israel that he
had boldly assumed an attitude of insolence toward God,
Whom he blamed for turning their hearts away from Him
(cf. I Kings 18:37). God, however, eventually agreed with him
(Ber. 31b–32a). The furious zeal displayed by Elijah on that
occasion (cf. I Kings 18:40; 19:10, 14) was so similar to that
shown by Aaron’s grandson Phinehas (cf. Num. 25:7ff.; Ps.
106:30) that in rabbinic literature the two are often identified,
either expressly or by implication (PdRE 47; cf. BM 114a–b;
Kid. 70a; Num. R. 21:3; Targ. Yer., Num. 25:12), and both are,
accordingly, regarded as immortal (BB 121b; Gen. R. 21:5; 25:1;
Num. R. 21:3).
Elijah is often associated with Moses in both rabbinic
and Christian literature – first because Elijah was to inaugurate
Israel’s future redemption just as Moses had liberated the
Israelites from Egyptian bondage; second, because his career
resembled that of Moses’ inasmuch as both were granted revelations
at Mount Sinai in somewhat similar circumstances
(Ex. 3:2; 19:16ff.; 20:18; Deut. 4:11ff., 33ff.; I Kings 19:11–12); and
since, moreover, Malachi’s admonition to “remember the law
of Moses” and his prediction of the future mission of Elijah
are in close juxtaposition (Mal. 3:22–24). Elijah appears as a
disciple and follower of Moses and also as a fellow prophet
active in the same cause of delivering Israel, in which both are
to participate on the advent of the messianic age (Tosef., Sot.
4:7; Tosef., Eduy. 3:4; Sot. 13a; TJ, Sanh. 10:1, 28a; Ex. R. 44:1;
Num. R. 18:12; Lam. R. 1:2, no. 23; Matt. 17:3ff.; Mark 9:4ff.;
Luke 9:30ff. et al. For a detailed comparison of the careers of
Moses and Elijah, see PR 4:13).
[Moses Aberbach]
In Mysticism
According to *Moses b. Shem Tov de Leon, Elijah belongs to
the angels who advocated the creation of man (Cordovero,
Pardes Rimmonim, 24:14); accordingly, Elijah is an angel who
dwelt only temporarily on earth as a human being, before
again ascending to heaven. Moses *Cordovero compares Elijah’s
life with the fate of Enoch (ibid., 24:13), as the two are the
only biblical personages who were carried off from earthly life
in an extraordinary manner. The further fate of Elijah and
Enoch in heaven is imaginatively described by Jewish mystics.
While Enoch’s body is consumed by fire and he himself
is changed into *Metatron, the highest angel, Elijah remains
after his ascension in possession of his earthly shape, which
is why he can maintain his association with the human world
and, when necessary, reappear on earth. Though his body is
not made from dust like that of human beings but came from
the tree of life, it enables him to carry out God’s commands
and miracles (ibid.; Zohar, 1:29a; 2:197a; Yalk. R. 27). Therefore,
unlike Enoch who is known only as the archangel Metatron,
Elijah keeps his name under which he intervenes in the
fate of the Jewish people. The *Zohar, like the Talmud, tells
of devout men to whom Elijah is supposed to have revealed
himself. In the later mystic literature, Elijah’s comments on the
secrets of the Torah are extremely frequent. Elijah prophesied
the births of Isaac *Luria and *Israel b. Eliezer Baal Shem Tov
to their parents. He appeared frequently to Israel Baal Shem
Tov, and also played an important part in the legends of the
Ẓaddikim.
[Samuel Abba Horodezky]
334 ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 6