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Talmudic Ethics: Lessons from Rabbinic Stories About Elijah, the Prophet who
Never Died

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DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.31263.61608

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 Talmudic Ethics: Lessons from Rabbinic Stories About Elijah, the
Prophet who Never Died

Hershey H. Friedman, Ph.D.

Professor of Business
Department of Business Management
Koppelman School of Business
Brooklyn College, CUNY
Email: x.friedman@att.net

Abstract

The ancient sages of the Talmud used stories as a method to teach people how to behave
ethically. Elijah stories remain extremely popular today and he becomes an important figure in
Jewish folklore and Chassidic tales. Elijah is supposed to show up at every Jewish circumcision
and at the Passover Seder. This paper will examine the Elijah stories that appear in rabbinic
literature, principally the Talmud. The diverse roles he plays include: (a) miracle worker,
rescuer, and healer; (b) discloser of heavenly secrets; (c) helper and comforter of the poor;
(d) promoter of social justice; (e) teacher and scholar; and (f) punisher of the wicked.
Keywords: Talmudic stories, ethics, Elijah, Passover Seder, Circumcision,

The author wishes to thank Mr. Saul Dzorelashvili for his helpful and insightful
comments.
 Introduction

The Talmud has a great deal to say about living an ethical, rewarding life (Friedman,

2012). Friedman and Fischer (2014) demonstrate how Avos (Ethics of the Fathers), one of the 63

tractates of the Talmud, can be used to make the world a better place. Socken (2009) asserts that

the Talmud is as relevant today as when it was completed about 1,500 years ago. Solomon

(2009: xi) affirms: “The Talmud, frequently censored and occasionally banned and burned by the

Catholic Church, is one of the most influential, though seldom acknowledged or properly

understood, writings of Late Antiquity.”

There is a great deal of interest in the Talmud today, especially in much of Asia (Kremer,

2013) and Russia (Lipschiz, 2016). South Koreans have developed a fascination with the Talmud

and have made it part of their curriculum. Many Korean homes have a version of the Talmud and

call it the “Light of Knowledge”; they feel that the secret of Jewish success is hidden in the pages

of the Talmud (Savir, 2013). The Talmud is also popular in China; there is a belief that it can

give one an edge in conducting business (Fish, 2010).

What is the Talmud?

Jewish written law is contained in the Pentateuch (the Five Books of Moses, i.e., the

Torah). The Talmud, Judaism’s Oral Law, is primarily a collection of rabbinical discussions and

commentaries on the Torah’s written text. The Talmud was compiled separately in academies in

Israel and Babylonia; it explains, expounds, and elaborates on the Hebrew Bible and consists of

the Mishna and Gemara. Thus, there are two versions of the Talmud: the Jerusalem Talmud, a

product of the academies in Israel, and the Babylonian Talmud, a product of the academies in

Babylon.

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 The Mishna, originally an old oral tradition, was compiled and redacted by Rabbi Yehuda

HaNasi (Nasi means President, he was the President of the Sanhedrin), known as Rebbi, about

the year 189 C.E. The Gemara, in the Babylonian Talmud, which consists mainly of

commentaries and discussions on the Mishna, was completed in approximately 500 C.E. The

Jerusalem Talmud was probably completed about 400 C.E.

The scholars of the Mishna are called Tannaim (from c. 10 C.E. to 220 C.E.) and the

scholars of the Gemara are called Amoraim (from c. 200 C.E. to 500 C.E.). These Amoraim

analyzed, explained, and elaborated on the Mishna. The names of approximately 150 different

Tannaim are mentioned in the Mishna (Margolis, 2000: IX). By studying the Talmud, we are

examining the wisdom of sages who lived during a 500-year period. There were five generations

of Tannaim and seven generations of Amoraim in Babylonia (five generations in Israel). It is not

clear how many different Amoraim there were since many had several names. Gray (2008) feels

that the number of Amoraim is probably around 2,000.

The Talmud, though mainly concerned with halacha (Jewish law), also provides a

detailed record of the beliefs of the Jewish people, their philosophy, traditions, culture, and

folklore, i.e., the aggadah (homiletics) and is replete with legal, ethical, and moral questions.

The Midrash, a separate scripture, records the views of the Talmudic sages and is mainly devoted

to the exposition of Biblical verses.

Z. H. Chajes (2005:195) states that the aim of the homiletic portion of the Talmud

(aggadah) was to inspire people to serve the Lord. Also, if the lecturer noticed that the audience

was not paying attention or was dozing off, he might tell stories which “sounded strange or

terrifying or which went beyond the limits of the natural and so won the attention of his audience

for his message.” Maimonides (1135 - 1204) describes individuals who take the homiletics of the

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Talmud literally as simple-minded fools, since there are hidden inner meanings in the stories,

riddles, parables, etc. used in aggadah (Maimonides, Sanhedrin, Introduction to the Mishna,

Chapter 10). Eisen (2007) notes that many respected scholars viewed aggadah as a parable or

“rhetorical invention” for an educational or ethical purpose. Thus, we see that the stories told in

the Talmud and Midrash, many of which are cited here, were not necessarily meant to be taken

literally. Literal or not, these stories have important messages.

Power of Storytelling

Stories are an important way of teaching people lessons. According to Charlie Rose,

“What sets TED talks apart is that the big ideas are wrapped up in personal stories” (Gallo, 2016:

63). This is why founding stories are used as a simple way to connect with stakeholders such as

customers, investors, and employees (Bluestein, 2014). According to Peter Guber, CEO of

Mandalay Entertainment Group, “Stories have a unique power to move people’s hearts, minds,

feet, and wallets in the storyteller’s intended direction” (Gallo, 2016: 56-57). A good story is

more effective in convincing investors to provide funds than PowerPoint presentations. Stories

have been found to be an effective tool to get employees to be engaged at work

(Knowledge@Wharton, 2016). Medical schools are teaching future physicians to listen

empathetically to patients’ ailments. These ailments are told in narrative form and the ability to

interpret and respond to the stories is crucial if a doctor wants to heal the patient (Pink: 2006:

112).

Friedman, Lynch & Herskovitz (2014) posit that ethics should be taught using a variety

of tools ranging from YouTube videos to films to songs. They feel that cases, because they are

limited to facts, generally lack the ability to “arouse the passion” of other approaches. Stories,

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even fiction, provide another method to teach ethics (Singer & Singer, 2005; Brawer, 1998;

Kennedy & Lawton, 1992). Stories have the ability to arouse passion and teach important

lessons. Aesop’s fables are often used by teachers to instruct disciples.

The sages of the Talmud were not historians; they told stories. These stories are an ideal

way of communicating important truths ranging from ethics to theology. Rubenstein (2002)

makes the point that:

The storytellers were not attempting to document “what actually

happened” out of a dispassionate interest in the objective historical record,
or to transmit biographical facts in order to provide pure data for posterity.
This type of detached, impartial writing of a biography is a distinctly
modern approach. Nowadays we distinguish biography from fiction…In
pre-modern cultures, however, the distinction between biography and
fiction was blurred. Ancient authors saw themselves as teachers, and they
were more concerned with the didactic point than historical accuracy
(Rubenstein, 2002:12).

Many of the Talmudic stories were redacted hundreds of years after the events in the

story took place. There are stories in the Talmud about biblical figures; the Talmud has many

stories about Abraham and Moses. Even stories of Tannaim told by Amoraim might have been

redacted hundreds of years later. Rubenstein (2002: 14) stresses that the correct question to ask

about a Talmudic story is “What lesson did he [the storyteller] wish to impart to his audience?”

and “What does the story teach us about rabbinic beliefs, virtues, and ethics?” Those are more

important questions than whether the story is completely true, partially true, or a metaphor.

To make it even more difficult to ascertain whether or not a story is literally true, some

statements made by the sages were exaggerations. Thus, when Yehuda ben Beseira rises to his

feet and makes the statement (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 92b) that “I am one of the

descendants of the dried bones resurrected by Ezekiel and these are the tefillin that my father’s

father left me from them,” this was an exaggerated statement made for effect (see commentary of

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ArtScroll). He was trying to make a point that the story in Ezekiel of the dry bones coming to life

(Ezekiel 37) was not a parable, an opinion expressed by other sages. In any case, if his statement

was literally true, his tefillin would have been several hundred years old.

Halbertal (2011) states that “The juxtaposition of law and narrative is a characteristic and

important feature of the Talmud.” He sees three roles for narrative:

Jewish law and narrative have been joined since the Bible, and one can
identify three paradigms for the relationship between them. The first and
simplest is when the narrative provides a basis for the law. The story of
the exodus from Egypt, for example, explains the meaning of the paschal
sacrifice and the various rules of the seder. The second paradigm
emphasizes the way in which the story permits a transition to a different
sort of legal knowledge. A story allows us to see how the law must be
followed; we move from "knowing that" to "knowing how." More than a
few Talmudic stories play that role, showing that it is sometimes no
simple matter to move from text to action. The third paradigm is the most
delicate. Here, the story actually has a subversive role, pointing out the
law's substantive limitations. That is the paradigm for our series of stories
of encounter and forgiveness (Halbertal, 2011).

Translations of the Talmud used in this paper are mainly based on Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz

(available for free at Sefaria.org; William Davidson Talmud), ArtScroll, and Soncino (available

for free at AWOL – The Ancient World Online or http://www.halakhah.com/). The names of the

sages usually indicated the father’s name; the “b.” means ben (Hebrew) or bar (Aramaic)

meaning son. For example, Eliezer b. Shimon is Eliezer the son of Shimon.

The use of legends and stories was an ingenious way to encourage people to do the right

thing and not simply obey the strict letter of the law. There are hundreds of stories in the Talmud

and Midrash. This paper will focus on stories about Elijah (Eliyahu in Hebrew).

Elijah

The following is a brief summary of the life of Elijah according to the Hebrew Bible.

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 Eliyahu HaNavi, Elijah the Prophet, was one of the greatest prophets of
Jewish history and Jewish legend. He lived in the period after Yeravam
ben Nevat, who caused the Jewish Kingdom to be split into the Kingdom
of Israel and the Kingdom of Yehuda when the First Temple stood, but
the people of Israel were sunk in the depths of idol-worship. His main
antagonists were King Ahab and his wife Queen Jezebel, and his major
disciple was the Prophet Elisha. Our first encounter with Eliyahu is
when he prophesies in the name of God to Ahab that it will not rain until
God, through Eliyahu, allows it to happen.
Soon afterward, he performs a miracle for a widow and her son
who are on the brink of starvation, causing their supplies of flour and oil
to become limitless. But tragedy strikes and the widow’s son dies.
Eliyahu prays for the life of the child to be restored, and God responds
positively to his prayer.
The famine has become very strong, and God commands Eliyahu
to confront Ahab. Eliyahu challenges Ahab to assemble all 450 of the
prophets of the Baal, and he will contend with them in the presence of
the entire nation as to who can bring rain. He says to the People, “How
long will you continue to stand on both sides of the threshold? If the
Lord is the true G-d, follow Him. But if the Baal is, then follow him.
And the People could not answer him.” (I Kings 18:21) He allows the
false prophets to go first, and they pray all day long to their idol without
result. In one of the only places in the Bible where we find mockery,
Eliyahu says to his opponents, “Call louder…maybe he’s in the
bathroom or maybe he’s away from home; maybe he’s sleeping, and you
can wake him up.” (I Kings 18:27)
After their abject failure, Eliyahu calls out to God, “Hear me, God,
hear me, that these people should know that You are the true God…
Then the Fire of God fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the
woodpile, and the stones… And when the People saw it, they fell on
their faces; and they said, ‘The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!’
” (I Kings 18: 37-39) Then a small cloud appeared, seeming to be no
larger than a man’s hand, over the sea, and soon, “…the sky became
darkened with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.” (I Kings
18:45)
When Eliyahu was taken up to Heaven, and Elisha was walking
with him, “…behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire,
and parted them one from another, and Eliyahu went up by a storm of
wind into Heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, ‘My father, my
father, chariot of Israel, and its horseman…’ ” (II Kings 2:11-12) (Based
on OU Staff, 2006).

Elijah is listed by the Talmud (Derech Eretz Zuta 1) as one who entered the Garden of

Eden while still alive. The spirit of Elijah is supposed to be present at every Jewish circumcision

6
(Pirkei D’ Rabbi Eliezer 29). To this very day, a chair is set aside at every circumcision and

designated as the chair of Elijah (kisse shel Eliyyahu). The reason given is that Elijah the

Prophet was upset when the Jewish people stopped circumcising their newborn children when

they were led by pagan kings. Elijah beseeched God to withhold rain until the decree against

circumcision was rescinded. God said to Elijah: “Because you displayed excessive zeal for Me

… By your life! The Jewish people shall not observe the covenant of circumcision until you see

it performed with your own eyes” (Pirkei D’ Rabbi Eliezer 29).

There is an old tradition that the spirit of Elijah appears at everyone’s Pesach Seder.

Zivotofsky (2018), however, underscores that “there is no classical (Talmudic or Midrashic)

source stating that Eliyahu pays a visit to the Seder every year.” As we shall see, the sources

only state that Elijah will appear as the forerunner of the Messiah. There is a special cup of wine

— called the Kos shel Eliyahu (cup of Elijah) — placed on the table during the Passover Seder;

this cup is not drunk. The reason for this cup is that there is an argument whether one has to

drink four or five cups during the Seder. According to tradition, all questions that remain in

doubt will be resolved when Elijah, the forerunner of the Messiah, comes (Eduyot 8). In fact,

when a halachic question cannot be resolved in the Talmud, the term used is “teiku.” This term is

used frequently in the Talmud (at least 300 times; https://thetalmud.wordpress.com/2017/05/04/)

and literally means “the question stands.” Some commentators (e.g., Tosfos Yom Tov, end of

Eduyot), however, see this is an acronym for “Tishbi yetareitz kushyot ve-ibayot" (Tishbi,

another name for Elijah, will answer questions and problems).

Elijah is also supposed to resolve legal cases where the court has no way to determine

whether the plaintiff or the defendant is telling the truth. The Talmud uses the expression,

7
“yehei munach ad she-yavo Eliyahu” -- the money or object is placed into escrow until the

arrival of Elijah the Prophet (e.g., Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 3a; 37a).

Elijah is supposed to come before the arrival of the Messiah to announce the redemption

(Malachi 3:23): “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and

awesome day of the Lord.” When Elijah comes in the future, as the forerunner of the Messiah,

and resolves halachic questions, he will answer the question as to whether one has an obligation

to drink a fifth cup (Zivotofsky, 2018).

This is also why the custom of the fifth cup is also connected with the redemption from

the exile. The Seder commemorates the redemption from Egypt and the hope is that Elijah will

show up to herald the deliverance from the current exile. In fact, the Talmud (Babylonian

Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 11a) states: “In Nissan, the Jewish people were redeemed from

Egypt, and in Nissan, the Jewish people will be redeemed in the final redemption” (Passover is

on the 15th day of Nissan).

When the Sabbath ends, the Havdalah (the word means to separate or divide) is said.

Havdalah is a ritual performed with wine, spices, and flame to distinguish between the sacred

(Sabbath day) and the secular (six days of the week). Afterward, a hymnal greeting is sung which

is devoted exclusively to the praise of Elijah the prophet. In the hymn, Elijah has three

designations: “Elijah the Navi (prophet), Elijah the Tishbite (he was a native of Toshav) and

Elijah the Gileadite (he later moved to Gilad).” The song also includes references to Pinchas, son

of Elazar the High Priest, because several Rabbinic sources identify Elijah as Pinchas (e.g.,

Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 114b). However, there are sages that disagree with this and

assert that they are two different people (see Tosafos Bava Bathra 121b). Finkel (2011) states:

Over the millennia since the destruction of the Second Temple, Elijah’s
coming signals the return of the ultimate Messiah to preside over the

8
 promised age of justice and peace in the Kingdom of God on earth. Upon
the expiration of the Sabbath, every Saturday night, Elijah is welcomed in
each Jewish religious home with the singing of hymns. Sabbath time in the
biblical tradition offers a foretaste of idyllic times when the person is free
from work, anxiety, and stress to be engaged with God’s presence through
love and the joy of prayer (Finkel, 2011).

Sometimes the Talmud states “It was taught in the house [or school] of Elijah” (e.g.,

Megillah 28b). It is not clear which Elijah is meant. Some believe (e.g., Shem Hagedolim by the

Chida) that this refers to Elijah the prophet. These are from the Baraisos taught by Elijah the

prophet to Rabbi Anan. Others (e.g., Be’er Sheva by Rabbi Yisachar Ber Eilenberg) disagree and

claim that this refers to a Tanna – Elyahoeinai – who is listed in Maimonides’ Introduction to

Zeraim together with Choni HaMaagel (see ArtScroll note 48 Megillah 28b).

Elijah in the Talmud and Midrash

The Elijah who appears to the rabbis is different from the Elijah in Scripture. He is quite

friendly with many of the sages and even has halachic discussions with them. There are stories

told about more recent sages that studied Torah with Eliyahu. The term used is gilui Eliyahu (the

revelation of Elijah). Sages that had gilui Eliyahu include the Rabbi Yitzchak Luria known as the

ARIZal (1534-1572), Ba’al Shem Tov (1698-1760), Rabbi Yosef Karo (1488-1575), and others.

Elijah and the Messiah

Rabbi Yehoshua b. Levi found Elijah the prophet standing by the entrance
of Rabbi Shimon b. Yochai’s burial cave and asked him: “Will I be
allowed to enter the world to come (Paradise)?” Elijah replied: “If this
Master here desires it.” Rabbi Yehoshua said: “I saw two [Elijah and
myself] but heard the voice of a third [the Divine Presence].” Rabbi
Yehoshua then asked Elijah: “When will the Messiah come?” He replied:
“Go ask him yourself.” Rabbi Yehoshua asked: “Where does he abide?”
He replied: “At the entrance of Rome.” Rabbi Yehoshua asked: “By what

9
 sign will I be able to recognize him.” He replied: “He sits among the poor
who suffer from various ailments; all of them untie and then retie all their
bandages at once.” The Messiah unties and ties his bandages one at a time,
saying to himself: ‘Should I be needed, I must not be delayed.’
Rabbi Yehoshua went to him and said: “Peace on you, my master and
teacher.” The Messiah replied: “Peace on you, son of Levi.” Rabbi
Yehoshua asked: “When are you coming, master?” He said: “Today.”
When Rabbi Yehoshua returned to Elijah, Elijah asked him what the
Messiah said to him. Rabbi Yehoshua replied that he said: “Peace on you,
son of Levi.” Elijah told him that this meant that both Rabbi Yehoshua
and his father were assured of a share in the World to Come.” Rabbi
Yehoshua said to Elijah: “He lied to me. He said he was going to come
today and he did not come.” Elijah replied: “What he meant was (Psalms
95:7), ‘Today, if you will heed His voice’” (Babylonian Talmud,
Sanhedrin 98a).

A somewhat humorous way of emphasizing that the Messiah will come if the Jewish

people will obey the laws of the Torah.

This story was used in the famous Disputation in Barcelona (1263) that took place before

the king of Spain and his advisors in 1263. Nachmanides had to debate Friar Paul who was

attempting to use the above story as well as a Midrash to prove that Jesus was the Messiah. Friar

Paul (or Pablo Christiani) was a converted Jew who had become a Dominican Friar. In 1269,

Christiani was able to influence King Louis IX of France to enforce a canonical edict that

required Jews to wear distinct badges.

This is part of the response of Nachmanides:

Friar Paul then said that, in the Talmud, it is indicated that R. Joshua b.
Levi asked Elijah when the Messiah would come. He answered him: "Ask
the Messiah himself. " He said, "Where is he?" He said: "At the gate of
Rome, among the sick." He went there and found him. He asked him ...
Thus the Messiah has already come, is in Rome, and is, in fact, Jesus who
rules in Rome. I said to him: "Isn't it clear from this that he has not come?
For he asked Elijah when the Messiah would come. Likewise, he asked the
Messiah himself: 'When will you come? Thus he has not yet come. Rather,
according to the simple meaning of these stories, he was born already. But
I do not believe this"
(http://www.israel613.com/books/ramban_dispute_e.pdf)

10
 Elijah reveals that 4250 (this is about the year 489 in the Gregorian calendar) in

the Hebrew calendar is the earliest that the Messiah can come.

Elijah the prophet said to Rav Yehuda, brother of Rav Sala Chassida: The
world will exist no fewer than eighty-five Jubilee cycles, or 4,250
years. And during the final Jubilee, the son of David [the Messiah]
will come. Rav Yehuda said to Elijah: Will the Messiah come during the
beginning of the Jubilee or during its end? Elijah said to Rav Yehuda: I do
not know. Rav Yehuda asked: Will this last Jubilee cycle end before the
Messiah comes or will it not yet end before his coming? Elijah said to
him: I do not know. Rav Ashi says: This is what Elijah said to him: Until
that time do not anticipate his coming; from this point forward anticipate
his coming (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 97b; translation by Sefaria.org
and ArtScroll).

In the following story, Elijah reveals why the Messiah has not yet come. He also reveals

the hypocrisy of the people of Nehardea. It is not even permitted to have sexual relations with

one’s spouse on this holy day. These people would have sexual relations with others on the Day

of Atonement.

The Gemara relates that the prominent men of Jerusalem would not sleep
the entire night of Yom Kippur but instead engaged in Torah study so
that the High Priest would hear the sound of noise in the city and sleep
would not overcome him in the silence of the sleeping city. It was
taught in a Baraita that Abba Shaul said: They would do so even in the
outlying areas and stay awake all night in acknowledgment of the
Temple; however, the result was that they would sin, as the men and
women would participate in games together to pass the time, leading to
transgression. Abaye said, and some say it was Rav Naḥman bar
Yitzḥak who said: Interpret that statement as referring to Nehardea, as
Elijah the Prophet said to Rav Yehuda, brother of Rav Sala Chassida:
You have said and wondered: Why has the Messiah not come? Why is
that surprising? Isn’t today Yom Kippur and relations were had with
several virgins in Nehardea, as the men and women stayed awake all
night and that led to promiscuity? Rav Yehuda said to him: What did the
Holy One, Blessed be He [a synonym for God], say about those sins
committed by the Jewish people? He said: This is what God said (Genesis
4:7): “Sin lies in waiting at the door,” and it is no wonder that men sin.
He asked him: And what did Satan the prosecutor say about their

11
 sinning? Elijah said to him: Satan, on Yom Kippur, has no license to
prosecute. From where is that idea derived? Rami bar Ḥama said: The
numerological value of the letters that constitute the word HaSatan is
364. On 364 days of the year, Satan has permission to prosecute. On the
remaining day, Yom Kippur, he has no permission to prosecute
(Babylonian Talmud, Yuma 19b-20a; based on translations by Sefaria.org
and ArtScroll).

In Hebrew, the letters of the alphabet have numerical equivalents. Thus, aleph = 1, bais =

2, gimmel = 3, etc. The numerical equivalent (gematria) of the word HaSatan is 364.

Rabbi Yosi said: I was once traveling on the road, and I entered into one
of the ruins of Jerusalem in order to pray. Elijah of blessed memory
appeared and waited for me at the door till I finished my prayer. After I
finished my prayer, he said to me: “Peace be with you, my teacher!” I
replied: “Peace be with you, my teacher and master!” And he said to me:
“My son, why did you go into this ruin?” [and place yourself in danger]. I
replied: “To pray.” He said to me: “You should have prayed on the road.”
I replied: “I feared that passersby might interrupt me.” He said to me:
“You should have said an abbreviated prayer.” At that time, I learned
from Elijah the following three things: “One must not go into a ruin; one
may say the prayer on the road; and if one does say his prayer on the road,
he recites an abbreviated prayer.” Elijah further said to me: “My son, what
sound did you hear in this ruin?” I replied: “I heard a divine voice, cooing
like a dove, and saying: ‘Woe to the children, on account of whose sins I
destroyed My house and burnt My temple and exiled them among the
nations of the world!’” And he said to me: “By your life and by your head!
[ancient form of oath] Not only at this moment does the divine voice so
exclaim, but three times each day does it exclaim thus! And more than
that, whenever the Israelites go into the synagogues and houses of study
and respond: 'May His great name be blessed!' the Holy One, blessed be
He, shakes His head and says: ‘Happy is the king who is thus praised in
this house! What is there for the father who has exiled his children, and
woe to the children who have been exiled from the table of their father!’
(Babylonian Talmud, Berachos 3a; based on translations by Soncino and
ArtScroll)

Rabbi Yosi ben Chalafta was one of the five students of Rabbi Akiva who was ordained

by Rabbi Yehuda ben Bava. Rabbi Yehuda ben Bava was killed by the Romans for doing this

since it was prohibited by the Romans (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 14a). This story probably

occurred after the Bar Kochba rebellion which ended with the death of many Jews and the

12
destruction of numerous towns. Circumcision was prohibited. Jerusalem was renamed Aelia

Capitolina and became a Roman town; Jews were not permitted to enter the city. Many Jews

abandoned Judaism and adopted a Roman-Hellenistic way of life (Ben-Sasson, 1976: 334-335).

According to Rabbi Yaakov ibn Chaviv, author of Ein Yaakov, a collection of the

aggadic materials in the Talmud, this story also has a hidden meaning. It was told after the Bar

Kochba rebellion and the message Rabbi Yosi was given by Elijah was not to delve too much

into the reasons for the brutal and lengthy exile. Jews should only pray a short prayer regarding

the struggles of the exile. This story also hints that God is upset about the destruction of the

Temple which was a punishment and still refers to the Jews as his “children.” This is a message

of hope that there will be a time when the Jews will go back to a rebuilt Israel. For now,

however, they have to pray in their houses of study and synagogues which serve as “mikdash

me’at (a small temple). God dwells in the holy places we establish in exile (Babylonian Talmud,

Megillah 29a).

Elijah as a Rescuer and Healer

Elijah often disguises himself in order to rescue the Jewish people when they are in

trouble. For example, according to the Midrash (Esther Rabbah 10:9), Elijah disguised himself

as Charvona, one of King Ahasuerus’s chamberlains, and told the king about the gallows which

Haman had prepared for Mordechai. The king had just returned from a walk in the palace garden

and found Haman practically on top of Esther. Haman had fallen (some say he was pushed by an

angel) on the couch upon which Esther was reclining. Charvona’s advice came at the perfect

moment and the king said: “Hang him on it.” (Esther 7: 8-9).

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 In the next story, Elijah the Prophet disguised himself as a human and testified in order to

help Rabbi Shila. Cohabitation with a non-Jewish woman is a violation of Rabbinic law and the

punishment is lashes.

Rabbi Shila ordered that a man who had relations with an Egyptian [non-
Jewish] woman be flogged. That man went to inform the king and said:
There is one man among the Jews who renders judgment without the
king’s authority. The king sent a messenger for Rabbi Shila to bring him
to trial. When Rabbi Shila came, they said to him: Why did you order
flogging for this man? He said to them: Because he copulated with a
donkey. According to Persian law, this was an extremely heinous crime,
so they said to him: Do you have witnesses that he did so? He replied:
Yes, and Elijah the prophet came and appeared as a person and testified.
They said to Rabbi Shila: If so, he is liable for the death penalty; why did
you not sentence him to death? He replied: Since the day we were exiled
from our land we do not have the authority to execute, but you, do with
him as you wish. As they considered the sentence, Rabbi Shila praised
God for saving him from danger saying the verse (I Chronicles
29:11): “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, power, glory, triumph, and
majesty; for all that is in heaven and on earth is Yours; Yours is the
kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head above all. They asked him:
What did you say? He told them: This is what I said: Blessed is the
Merciful One who grants kingdom on earth that is a microcosm of the
kingdom in heaven and granted you dominion and love of justice. They
said to him: Indeed, the honor of royalty is so dear to you. They gave him
a staff to symbolize his license to sit in judgment and said to him:
Administer justice! (Babylonian Talmud, Berachos 58a; translation by
Sefaria.org and ArtScroll).

In the following story, Elijah saves the life of Rabbi Elazar b. Perata. The secret to long

life, according to the Talmud, is to engage in both Torah and deeds of loving kindness. Rabbi

Elazar b. Perata excelled in both and was therefore saved by Elijah.

When Rabbi Elazar b. Perata and Rabbi Chaninah b. Teradyon were

arrested by the Romans [Emperor Hadrian banned the study of Torah as
well as circumcision and other Jewish rituals], Rabbi Elazar b. Perata said
to Rabbi Chaninah b. Teradyon: “Happy are you for you were only
arrested on one charge; woe is me, for I was arrested on five charges.” R.
Chaninah replied: “Happy are you, who was arrested on five charges, but
will be saved from execution; woe is me who, though having been arrested
on one charge, will not be saved from execution. [The reason you will be

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saved] For you occupied yourself with the study of Torah as well as with
deeds of lovingkindness, whereas I occupied myself with Torah alone.”
This accords with the opinion of Rabbi Huna. For Rabbi Huna
said: “He who only occupies himself with the study of the Torah, it is as if
he has no God, for it is said (II Chronicles 15:3): ‘Many days passed by
for Israel was without the true God… and without Torah.’ [they
worshipped idols]. What is meant by 'without the true God'? — It means
that he who only occupies himself with the study of the Torah it is as if he
had no God.” But did Rabbi Chaninah not occupy himself with deeds of
lovingkindness? Surely it has been taught: R. Eliezer b. Jacob says: “One
should not put his money into a charity-bag unless it is supervised by a
learned man such as Rabbi Chaninah b. Teradyon! He was indeed very
trustworthy, but he did not practice benevolence. But has it not been
taught: He said to Rabbi Yosi b. Kisma: “I mistook Purim-money for
ordinary charity money, so I distributed of my own to the poor!” The
Talmud answers: He did indeed practice charity, but not as much as he
might have done.
When they brought up Rabbi Elazar b. Perata for his trial they
asked him: “Why have you been studying the Torah and why have you
been stealing?” He answered: “If one is a scholar he is not a robber, if a
robber he is not a scholar, and as I am not the one I am neither the other.”
The Romans asked: “Why then are you called Master [ordination was
punishable by death]?” He replied: “I am a Master of Weavers.” The
Romans then brought him two coils and asked: “Which is for the warp and
which for the woof?” A miracle occurred and a female-bee came and sat
on the warp and a male-bee came and sat on the woof. He thereupon said
to the Romans: “This is of the warp and that of the woof.” The Romans
then asked him: “Why did you not go to the Meeting-House of Avidan?
[Hadrian decreed that they had to attend this meeting place for idolaters as
part of his attempt to eradicate Judaism]” He replied: “I am old and afraid
that I might be trampled under your feet.” They asked: “And how many
old people have been trampled till now?” A miracle [again] happened; for
on that very day, an old man had been trampled.
They asked: “And why did you let your slave go free?” [he did this
using a procedure in accordance with Jewish law]. He replied: “No such
thing ever happened.” One of them then was rising to give evidence
against him, when Elijah came disguised as one of the dignitaries of Rome
and said to that man: “As miracles were worked for him in all the other
matters, a miracle will also happen in this one, and you will only be shown
up as wicked.” He, however, disregarded him and stood up to address
them, when a written communication from important members of the
government had to be sent to the Emperor in Rome and it was sent by that
man who wanted to testify against Rabbi Elazar. On the road, Elijah came
and hurled him a distance of four hundred parasangs. [One opinion is that
the letter that had to get to the Emperor in Rome caused this man to travel
400 hundred parasangs.] So that he went and did not return to testify

15
 against Rabbi Elazar. The Romans then brought up Rabbi Chaninah b.
Teradyon and asked him: 'Why have you occupied yourself with the
Torah?” He replied: “Thus the Lord my God commanded me.” At once
they sentenced him to be burnt, his wife to be slain, and his daughter to be
consigned to a brothel (Babylonian Talmud, Avodah Zarah 17b; based on
translations by Soncino and ArtScroll).

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (also spelled Yohai) was a disciple of Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi

Akiva supported Bar Kokhba in his revolt against the Romans (132 CE to 135 CE) and was

tortured to death by them. It is not surprising that Rabbi Shimon hated the Romans. Rabbi

Shimon bar Yochai and his son Elazar spend 13 years in a cave hiding from the Romans. This is

one of the more famous stories in the Talmud. In this story, Elijah informs Rabbi Shimon bar

Yochai and his son that it is time to leave the cave.

Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yosi, and Rabbi Shimon were once sitting, and
Yehuda, a son of proselytes, was sitting near them. R. Yehuda commenced
the discussion by observing [about the Romans who ruled Israel then]:
“How admirable are the works of this people! They have established
marketplaces, they have built bridges, they have erected bathhouses.'”
Rabbi Yosi was silent. Rabbi Shimon b. Yochai answered and said: “All
that they made they made for themselves; they built marketplaces, to set
harlots in them; bathhouses, to beautify themselves; bridges, to levy tolls
for them.” Now, Yehuda the son of proselytes went and related their talk,
which reached the Roman government. They decreed: Yehuda, who
exalted us shall be exalted; Yosi, who was silent, shall be exiled to
Sepphoris; Shimon, who denigrated us, let him be executed. He and his
son went and hid in the study hall. Every day, his wife brought him bread
and a mug of water and they ate. But when the decree became more
severe, Shimon told his son: “The minds of women are easily swayed: she
may be tortured and expose us.”
So they went and hid in a cave. A miracle occurred and a carob-
tree and a spring of water were created for them. They would strip their
garments and sit up to their necks in sand. The whole day they studied;
when it was time for prayers they would dress, covered themselves, and
prayed. Then, they would strip off their garments again, so that they
should not wear out. Thus they dwelt twelve years in the cave. One day,
Elijah came and stood at the entrance to the cave and exclaimed: “Who
will inform the son of Yochai that the Emperor is dead and his decree

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annulled?” So they emerged from the cave. Seeing a man plowing and
sowing, they exclaimed: “They forsake life eternal and engage in life
temporal!” Whatever they cast their eyes upon was immediately burnt up.
Thereupon a Heavenly Voice came forth and cried out, “Have you
emerged to destroy My world: Return to your cave!” So they returned and
dwelt there twelve months. At that point, they said: “The punishment of
the wicked in Gehenna is limited to twelve months.” A Heavenly Voice
then rang out and said, “Emerge from your cave!” They emerged from the
cave. Wherever Rabbi Elazar destroyed something [with his fiery gaze],
Rabbi Shimon would heal it. Said Rabbi Shimon to him: “My son! The
world has enough total devotees to Torah study in you and me alone.” On
the eve of the Sabbath before sunset, they saw an old man holding two
bundles of myrtle and running at twilight. They asked him: “What are
these for?” He replied: “They are in honor of the Sabbath,” They said:
“But one should suffice you?” He replied: One is for zachor (remember)
and one for shamor (observe) [The words Shamor and Zachor are used in
the Torah regarding the Sabbath]. Said Rabbi Shimon to his son: “See how
precious are the commandments to Israel.” After this, they were
comforted.
Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair, Rabbi Shimon’s son-in-law [some say
father-in-law] heard thereof and went out to meet him. He took Rabbi
Shimon into the bathhouse and massaged his flesh. Seeing the fissures in
his skin, he wept and the tears streamed from his eyes. He cried out: “Woe
to me that I see you in such a state!” Rabbi Shimon replied: “On the
contrary. Happy are you that you see me thus. For if you did not see me in
such a state you would not find me thus [so learned in Torah]. For
originally, when R. Shimon ben Yochai raised a difficulty, R. Pinchas ben
Yair would give him twelve answers, whereas subsequently [after being in
the cave] when R. Pinchas b. Yair raised a difficulty, R. Shimon b. Yochai
would give him twenty-four answers.
Rabbi Shimon said: since a miracle has occurred to rescue me, let
me go and fix something, for it is written (Genesis 33:18), “and Jacob
came whole to the city of Shechem.” Rav interpreted this verse to mean,
“Bodily whole, financially whole, and whole in his learning.” The verse
says (Genesis 33:18): “And he encamped [the word for encamped,
vayichan could also mean showed grace] before the city.” Rav interpreted
this to mean: “He instituted coinage for the city.” Shmuel said: “He
instituted marketplaces for them.” Rabbi Yochanan said: “He instituted
bathhouses for them.” [This shows that Jacob showed gratitude for the
miracle that happened to him – he was not hurt by Esau – by improving
the world.] Rabbi Shimon asked: “Is there something that needs
improvement? They told him: “There is a place of doubtful uncleanness,
and priests have the trouble of going around it.” Said Rabbi Shimon:
“Does anyone know that there was a presumption of ritual cleanness
here?” A certain old man replied: “Here Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai cut
down lupines of terumah [thus it was ritually clean]. So he did likewise.

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 Wherever the ground was hard, Rabbi Shimon declared it ritually clean;
while wherever it was soft, he marked it as ritually unclean. The old man
said sarcastically: “The son of Yochai has purified a cemetery!” Rabbi
Shimon replied to him: “Had you not been with us when we set about our
task, or even if you have been with us but did not vote, you might have
said well. But now that you were with us and voted with us, what you said
will have terrible consequences. It will be said, “Even harlots braid one
another’s hair”; how much more so should scholars treat each other
respectfully!” Rabbi Shimon cast his eye upon him, and he died. Then he
went out into the street and saw Yehuda, the son of proselytes: “Is this one
still in the world!” He cast his eyes upon him and he became a heap of
bones (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbos 33b-34a; based on translations of
Soncino and ArtScroll).

This story from the Talmud is about Nachum Ish Gamzu who was the perpetual optimist

and always showed gratitude for everything. He was from a town called Gizmo but was called

Gam Zu for the reason given in the story. The word ish means man.

Nachum ish Gamzu was called gamzu because no matter what happened
to him he would say gam zu latovah [this too is for the good]. One time
the Jews desired to send a gift to the emperor. They decided that Nachum
of Gamzu should go because miracles often happened to him. They sent
him with a chest full of precious stones and jewels. On the way, he spent
the night in a certain inn. During the night the innkeepers emptied the
chest and filled it with earth. In the morning, when Nachum discovered
what had happened he exclaimed: This too is for the good. When he
arrived at the palace and they saw that he had brought a chest filled with
earth, the emperor wanted to have all the Jews killed. They are mocking
me, he declared. Nachum exclaimed: This too is for the good.
Elijah appeared in the guise of one of the officers and said:
Perhaps, this earth is the miraculous earth used by their patriarch
Abraham; when he threw earth at his enemies it changed into swords and
when he threw straw it changed into arrows. Indeed, it is written (Isaiah
41:2): ‘He made his sword like dust, his bow as the driven straw.’ Now,
here was a country which they were unable to conquer but when they used
this earth against it they prevailed. They took Rabbi Nachum to the
treasury, filled his chest with precious stones and jewels and sent him
home with great honor.
On his return journey, he spent the night in the same inn. The
innkeepers asked Rabbi Nachum what he brought to the emperor that so
much honor was shown to him. He replied: What I took from here, I

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 brought there. They tore down their inn and brought the earth to the
emperor and stated: The earth that was brought to you came from us.
They tested the earth and found it to be ordinary earth and they executed
the innkeepers (Babylonian Talmud, Taanis 21a).

In the next story, Elijah disguises himself as a prostitute in order to save Rabbi Meir.

Rabbi Chanina ben Teradyon was one of the ten martyrs burnt alive by the Romans. His “crime”

was engaging in Torah study. His daughter, the sister-in-law of Rabbi Meir, was sentenced to

dwell in a brothel.

Berurya, the wife of Rabbi Meir, was a daughter of Rabbi Chanina ben
Teradyon. She said to Rabbi Meir: It is a disrespectful matter for me that
my sister is sitting in a brothel; you must do something to save her. Rabbi
Meir took a vessel full of dinars and went. He said to himself: If no
transgression was committed with her, a miracle will be performed for
her; if she committed a transgression, no miracle will be performed for
her. Rabbi Meir went and dressed as a Roman knight, and said to her:
Accede to my wishes, i.e., engage in intercourse with me. She said to him:
I am menstruating and cannot. He said to her: I will wait. She said to him:
There are many women in the brothel, and there are many women here
who are more beautiful than I. He said to himself: I can conclude from her
responses that she did not commit a transgression, as she presumably said
this to all who come. Rabbi Meir went over to her guard and said to him:
Give her to me. The guard said to him: I fear that if I do so, I will be
punished by the government. Rabbi Meir said to him: take this vessel full
of dinars; give half to the government as a bribe, and half will be for
you. The guard said to him: But when the money is finished, what shall I
do? Rabbi Meir said to him: Say: God of Meir answer me! And you will
be saved.
The guard said to him And who can say that this is the case, that I
will be saved by this prayer? Rabbi Meir said to him: You will now see.
There were these vicious dogs that would bite people; Rabbi Meir took a
clod of earth, threw it at them, and when they came to bite him, he said:
God of Meir answer me! The dogs then left him alone, and after seeing
this the guard gave the daughter of Rabbi Chanina ben Teradyon to Rabbi
Meir. Ultimately the matter was heard in the king’s court, and the guard,
who was brought and taken to be hanged, said: God of Meir answer
me! They then lowered him down, as they were unable to hang him. They
said to him: What is this? He said to them: This was the incident that
occurred, and he proceeded to relate the entire story to them.
They then went and engraved the image of Rabbi Meir at the entrance of

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 Rome where it would be seen by everyone, and they said: Anyone who
sees a man with this face should bring him here.
One day, Romans saw Rabbi Meir and ran after him, and he ran
away from them and entered a brothel to hide. Some say he then escaped
capture because he saw cooked food of idol worshippers and dipped this
finger into the food and tasted it with another finger, and thereby fooled
them into thinking that he was eating their food [which is prohibited to a
Jew], which they knew Rabbi Meir would not do. And some say that he
escaped detection because Elijah came, appeared to them as a
prostitute and embraced Rabbi Meir. The Romans who were chasing
him said: Heaven forbid, if this were Rabbi Meir, he would not
act in that manner. Rabbi Meir arose and fled to, eventually coming to
Babylonia (Babylonian Talmud, Avodah Zarah 18a-18b; based on
translations of Sefaria.org and ArtScroll).

In this story, Elijah is a healer and cures Rabbi Shimi b. Ashi who had become ill from

swallowing a snake.

One who swallowed a snake should be fed hops in salt, and then he should
be made to run a distance of three mil. The Gemara relates: Rav Shimi bar
Ashi saw a person who swallowed a snake, and Rav Shimi appeared to
that person as a horseman [He disguised himself as a tough-looking
horseman so that people would be afraid of him and listen to his
instructions – ArtScroll note 51]. Rav Shimi fed him hops with salt and
made him run in front of him for three mil, and the snake came out of him
in pieces. Some say that Rav Shimi bar Ashi was the one who swallowed a
snake, and Elijah came and appeared to him as a horseman. He fed him
hops with salt and made him run in front of him for three mil, and the
snake came out of him in pieces (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbos 109b).

Rebbi once mentioned that if Rabbi Huna, the Resh Galuta [Exilarch, the leader of the

Diaspora in Babylonia], were to come to Israel, he would relinquish his position and give Rabbi

Huna the position of Nasi. Upon hearing this, Rabbi Chiya the Elder told Rebbi, “Behold he has

come.” Rebbi’s faced turned pale. Seeing this, Rabbi Chiya indicated that it was the coffin of

Rabbi Huna that had arrived. Rebbi told Rabbi Chiya to go outside and see who wants him. No

20
one was outside and Rabbi Chiya understood that this was Rebbi’s polite way of telling him to

treat himself as though he were banned from Rebbi’s presence for 30 days.

During the entire thirty days that Rabbi Chiya the Elder was
excommunicated from Rebbi [Rabbi Yehuda the Nasi was known as
Rebbi], he taught Rav, his sister’s son, all the [exegetical] principles of the
Torah — the source for the halachic rulings of the Babylonians. At the end
of thirty days, the prophet Eliyahu - may he be remembered for good —
came disguised as Rabbi Chiya the Elder and laid his hand on Rebbi’s
teeth and he became healed. The next day, when Rabbi Chiya the Elder
came to visit Rebbi and asked him, "How are your teeth?" Rebbi replied,
"Since you laid your hand on them, they have been cured. Rabbi Chiya
said, "I know nothing about this." … Rebbi realized that it was Elijah, may
he be remembered for good, who had healed him (Jerusalem Talmud,
Kilayim 42a and Midrash Genesis Rabbah 33:3; based on a translation by
Bialik & Ravnitzky, 1992: 262)

After this incident, Rebbi began to treat Rabbi Chiya with great respect and he was seated

on an inner bench in the lecture hall next to Rebbi. The only one seated closer to Rebbi was

Rabbi Yishmael ben Yosi. Rebbi suffered from toothaches brought on by scurvy for 13 years.

A slightly different version of the story below is found in Midrash Deuteronomy Rabbah

5:15. There it states that Elijah revealed himself to Rabbi Meir and told him what happened to

the woman. Elijah was concerned with the plight of the poor woman whose husband threw her

out of the house.

Rabbi Meir would teach Torah on Friday nights in the synagogue in

Chamat. There was a woman who would come regularly to listen to his
lectures. One time, Rabbi Meir spoke for longer than usual. She rushed
home but when she got there the candles had already burned down. Her
husband said to her: “Where were you?” She replied: “I was listening to a
Torah lecture.” Her husband said to her: “May God do so-and-so [he was
swearing not to let her back home] if this woman enters my house unless
you go spit in the face of the rabbi who was lecturing.” Rabbi Meir
miraculously saw with divine insight what happened [In Midrash
Deuteronomy Rabbah it states that Elijah told Rabbi Meir what had
happened] and pretended to have a pain in the eye. Rabbi Meir asked: “Is
there any woman among you skilled in whispering a charm for eye pain,
let her come and cure me.” [Rabbi Meir knew that charmers also spat
when whispering their incantations.] Her neighbors said to her: “The time

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 has come for you to return home. Pretend to be a charmer and spit lightly
in his eyes, and you will be able to live with your husband again.” She
came to Rabbi Meir. He asked her: Do you know how to cure a sick eye
through a charm?” Because she was so overawed by his presence, she said
No! Rabbi Meir told her: “Nevertheless, spit in my eye seven times
without the charm and I will be cured.” After she spat in his eye, he told
her: “Go home and tell your husband, ‘You said I should spit once, but I
spat seven times!’”

His disciples were horrified, and said: “Rabbi, you condone this
disgraceful behavior towards the Torah! If you had only mentioned it to
us, would we not have brought her husband, flogged him at the post until
he consented to be reconciled with his wife and let her come home!”
Rabbi Meir replied: “The honor of Meir should not be greater than the
honor of God! If the Torah tells us to erase the name of God which is
written in holiness in order to bring about peace between a husband and
wife [See Numbers 5: 23 -- the case of a sotah (wife suspected of
infidelity)], all the more so may Meir’s dignity be disregarded for the
same reason!” (Jerusalem Talmud, Sotah 1:4; Midrash Leviticus Rabbah
9:9; partially based on translations by Lipnik, 2013 and Bialik &
Ravnitzky, 1992).

Elijah Disclosing Secrets

One of the most famous Talmudic stories is the Oven of Akhnai (akhnai means serpent;

the sages surrounded this oven with discussions similar to a coiled serpent). This story deals with

a debate regarding the susceptibility to ritual uncleanliness (tumah) of a certain kind of baked

earthenware oven composed of sections with sand between the pieces. The rabbis rejected the

opinion of Rabbi Eliezer despite the fact that he used numerous miracles to prove that he was

right (e.g., a carob tree uprooting itself and jumping 100 cubits, a stream flowing upstream, the

walls of the Academy falling). When these miracles did not work, he got God Himself to declare

with a bath kol (Heavenly voice) that he was right. Rabbi Yehoshua then stood up and said: "It

[the Torah] is not in heaven" (Deut. 30:12).

On that day, R. Eliezer brought forward every imaginable argument, but

the Sages did not accept them. He said to them: If the halachah (Jewish

22
 religious law) is in accordance with me, let this carob tree prove it!
Immediately, the carob tree was uprooted and moved one hundred cubits
from its place -- some say 400 cubits. The Sages responded: No proof can
be brought from a carob tree.
He further said to them: If the halachah agrees with me, let the
stream of water prove it! Thereupon, the stream of water flowed
backward. The sages responded: No proof can be brought from a stream
of water.
Again he said to them: If the halachah agrees with me, let the
walls of the house of study prove it! Whereupon, the walls started leaning
as if to fall. Rabbi Yehoshua, reprimanded the walls: When scholars are
engaged in a halachic dispute, why are you interfering? Out of respect for
Rabbi Yehoshua they did not fall, and out of respect for Rabbi Eliezer,
they did not straighten out; they are still standing tilted.
Rabbi Eliezer further said: If the halachah is as I say, let it be
proven from Heaven. A Heavenly voice then rang out and exclaimed:
What do you want with Rabbi Eliezer, since the law is in agreement with
him in all areas. Rabbi Yehoshua then got up on his feet and declared: ‘It
[the Torah] is not in Heaven’ (Deuteronomy 30:12). What does ‘It is not
in Heaven’ mean? Rabbi Yirmiyah said: Since the Torah was already
given at Sinai, we, therefore, pay no attention to Heavenly voices. After
all, it is written in the Torah itself: ‘After the majority, one must follow’
(Exodus 23:2).
Rabbi Nassan met Elijah the Prophet and asked him: What was
God doing at that time [when His Heavenly voice was disregarded]?
Elijah answered: He laughed and said: My children have triumphed over
me. My children have triumphed over me (Babylonian Talmud, Bava
Metzia 59b).

In this story from the Talmud, Elijah reveals that the Omniscient God is One who studies
the law. In fact, God is willing to “learn” and “quote” from his creations. This is an important
lesson about humility for scholars and leaders. Indeed, the Mishna states: "Ben Zoma would
say: Who is wise? He who learns from everyone” (Avos 4:1).

Rabbah b. Shila once encountered Elijah the Prophet [who reveals himself
to great people]. He asked him: What is the Holy One doing? Elijah
answered: He is quoting legal decisions in the names of all the Rabbis,
but not in the name of Rabbi Meir. Rabbah asked: Why? Elijah
answered: Because Rabbi Meir studied laws from the mouth of acher
[literally, the other, a name given to Rabbi Elisha b. Avuyah who became
a heretic]. Rabbah explained: Rabbi Meir found a pomegranate, he ate the
fruit on the inside and discarded the peel. Elijah answered: Now God is
saying, ‘Meir, my son, says ’ (Babylonian Talmud, Chagigah 15b).

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 In this story, Elijah showed one of the Talmudic sages what happens as the souls of the

deceased Talmudic scholars ascend to the Heavenly Academy. These scholars continue to study

Torah in the afterlife. The story was told in the Talmud to demonstrate the greatness of Rabbi

Chiya.

Rav Chaviva said: Rav Chaviva bar Surmakei once told me: One day, I
saw one of the sages whom Elijah the prophet would visit, and his
eyes looked beautiful and healthy in the morning but appeared to be
singed by fire in the evening. I said to him: Why do your eyes look like
this? And he told me: I said to Elijah: Show me the Sages upon their
ascension to the heavenly academy. Elijah said to me: You may gaze at all
of them except for those in the chariot [miguharka] of Rabbi Chiya, upon
whom you may not gaze. I asked Elijah: What are the signs of Rabbi
Chiya’s chariot, so I will know when not to look? He said: Angels
accompany all of the other Sages’ chariots as they ascend and descend,
except for the chariot of Rabbi Chiya, which ascends and descends of its
own accord, due to his greatness. The Sage relating this story continued: I
was unable to restrain myself, and I gazed upon Rabbi Chiya’s chariot.
Two fiery flames came and struck that man (i.e., me), and blinded his
eyes. The next day, I went and prostrated on Rabbi Chiya’s burial cave in
supplication. I said: I study the Baraitas of the Master, Rabbi Chiya; please
pray on my behalf. And my vision was healed, but my eyes remained
singed (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 85b; based on translations by
Sefaria.org and ArtScroll).

In this story, Elijah reveals why a person, who appeared to be virtuous, died at a young

age. As noted above, it is not clear which Eliyahu is meant when the Talmud states “It was

taught in the Academy [or house] of Elijah.” In this story, it does seem to be Elijah the prophet

who is revealing a secret.

The following was taught in the Academy of Eliyahu: There was an

incident involving one student who studied much Mishna and read
much Scripture, and served Torah scholars extensively, and, nevertheless,
died at half his days, i.e., half his life expectancy. His wife in her
bitterness would take his phylacteries and go around with them to
synagogues and study halls, and say to the Sages: It is written in the

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 Torah (Deuteronomy 30:20): “For it is your life and the length of your
days.” If so, my husband who studied much Mishna, and read
much Scripture, and served Torah scholars extensively, why did he die at
half his days? Where is the length of days promised him in the verse? No
one could respond to her. Eliyahu said: One time I was a guest in her
house, and she was relating that entire event with regard to the death of
her husband. And I said to her: My daughter, during the period of your
menstruation, how did he act toward you? She said to me: Heaven forbid,
he did not touch me even with his little finger. And I asked her: In the
days of your white garments [during these seven days, a woman wears
white underclothing to make sure that she has not experienced a
discharge], after the menstrual flow ended, and you were just counting
clean days, how did he act toward you then? She said to me: He ate with
me, and drank with me, and slept with me with bodily contact and,
however, it did not enter his mind about something else, i.e., conjugal
relations. And I said to her: Blessed is the Omnipresent who killed
him for this sin, as your husband did not show respect to the Torah. The
Torah said (Leviticus 18:19): “And to a woman in the separation of her
impurity you should not approach,” even mere affectionate contact is
prohibited.
The Gemara relates that when Rav Dimi came from Israel to
Babylonia, he said: That student did not actually sleep with her with
bodily contact; rather, it was in one bed that they slept without contact
which he thought was permitted. In the West, in Israel, they say that Rav
Yitzcḥak bar Yosef said: When they would sleep together in one bed, she
wore knickers from the waist down that would separate between him and
her. Nevertheless, since the matter is prohibited, that student was
punished (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbos 13a-13b; based on translations
by Sefaria.org and ArtScroll).

In this story, Elijah is punished for revealing divine secrets.

Elijah was often found in the academy of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. One day
it was Rosh Chodesh, the first day of the month, and Elijah was delayed
and did not come to the academy. Later, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said
to Elijah: What is the reason that the Master was delayed? Elijah said to
him: I had to wake up Abraham, wash his hands, and wait for him to pray,
and then lay him down again. And similarly, I followed the same
procedure for Isaac, and similarly for Jacob in turn. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi
asked Elijah: And let the Master wake them all together. Elijah
responded: I maintain that if I were to wake all three to pray at the same
time, they would generate powerful prayers and bring the Messiah
prematurely. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to Elijah: And is there
anyone alive in this world who is comparable to them and can produce
such effective prayers? Elijah said to him: There are Rabbi Chiya and his
sons. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi decreed a fast, and the Sages brought Rabbi

25
 Chiya and his sons down to the pulpit to pray on behalf of the
congregation. Rabbi Chiya recited the phrase in the Amida prayer: Who
makes the wind blow, and the wind blew. Rabbi Chiya recited the next
phrase: Who makes the rain fall, and rain fell. When he was about to
say the phrase: Who revives the dead, the world trembled. They said in
heaven: Who is the revealer of secrets in the world? They said in response:
It is Elijah. Elijah was brought to heaven, whereupon he was beaten with
sixty fiery lashes. Elijah came back down to earth appeared as a fiery bear.
He came among the congregation and distracted them from their prayers
(Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 85b; based on translations by
Sefaria.org and ArtScroll).

Rabbi Yehuda was known as someone who could pray and make it rain. As soon

as he took off one shoe as a sign of affliction (observant Jews do not wear shoes when in

mourning], it would begin to rain. One must have respect for bread and not treat it

disrespectfully.

Rav Yehuda saw two people wasting bread, throwing it back and forth. He
said: I can learn from the fact that people are acting like this that there is
plenty of food in the world. He cast his eyes angrily upon the world, and
there was a famine. The Sages said to Rav Kahana, son of Rav Neḥunya,
the attendant of Rav Yehuda: The Master, who is frequently present before
Rav Yehuda, should persuade him to leave by way of the door nearest the
market so that he will see the terrible effects of the famine. Rav
Kahana persuaded Rav Yehuda, and he went out to the market where he
saw a crowd. He said to them: What is this gathering? They said to
him: We are standing by a container of dates that is for sale. He said: If so
many people are crowding around to purchase a single container of
dates, I can learn from this that there is a famine in the world. He said to
his attendant: I want to fast over this; remove my shoes as a sign of
distress. He removed one of his shoes and rain came. When he began to
take off the other shoe, Elijah came and said to him: The Holy One,
Blessed be He, said: If you remove your other shoe, I will destroy
the entire world so that you will not be further distressed (Babylonian
Talmud, Taanis 24b; based on translations by Sefaria.org and ArtScroll].

God did not want Rabbi Yehuda to afflict himself so much by removing his

second shoe. Apparently, the removal of one shoe was sufficient to end the drought.

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 In the next story, Elijah reveals why it appears that the righteous suffer and the wicked

prosper in this world.

One day, when Elijah was on his errands of mercy, he was met by Rabbi
Yehoshua ben Levi. Although usually unseen by anyone, unless the
Prophet wants to be seen and recognized, Rabbi Yehoshua saw and
recognized Elijah and greeted him respectfully. Then he begged the
Prophet to take him along on his journey. "Where I go," Elijah replied,
"there must be no human companion. Humans do not see everything, and
what they see they do not always understand. Pray, be not curious, let me
go." Elijah's words only strengthened Rabbi Yehoshua's desire to
accompany the Prophet and benefit from his companionship. The sage
continued to plead: "I promise that I shalt not weary you with questions
and shall in no way interfere with your mission. Take me with you,
Master." Elijah responded: "Remember, as soon as you will begin asking
me questions to explain that which you will not understand, our ways
must part."
Towards evening the weary old travelers came to an old shaky hut
of a poor couple. Both the man and his wife were sitting outside their
home. When they saw the two travelers they rose and, in the true fashion
of the children of Abraham, they welcomed the strangers to their humble
home. What little food they had in the house, they gladly shared with the
guests and offered them their beds for rest. They themselves made their
beds on the straw in the cow-shed that housed their cow. The cow was
their only valuable possession, for its milk was their whole source of
income.
In the morning the Prophet and sage took leave from the kindly
couple, as soon as they were out of sight, the Prophet Elijah prayed that
the cow of the poor couple should fall dead. Rabbi Yehoshua was terribly
shocked and upset. "Why should you repay for the kindness and
hospitality of these people with such ingratitude?!" he wanted to exclaim.
But he remembered the Prophet's warning and kept his silence. All day
long they wandered together and the Prophet taught the sage many
teachings without a word of explanation about his way with the poor
couple. Towards evening they came to a fine mansion and asked
permission to spend the night there. The rich man who lived there did not
receive them with a friendly face. Grudgingly he permitted them to stay
the night in his house but offered them no food or a kind word. In the
morning, as they were about to leave, they noticed a crack in the wall.
Elijah did not say a word, but no sooner were they gone when the Prophet
prayed that the cracked, dangerous wall be restored to solid strength.
Again Rabbi Yehoshua was amazed. "Why should the rich miser
be spared the trouble and expense of repairing his wall?" thought he, but
remembering the Prophet's warning he held his peace. After a long and
tiring day's journey, the two reached a city that had a beautiful House of

27
Prayer. The walls were made of marble and the benches of carved wood.
The scrolls were richly adorned, and the Ark was a masterpiece of art.
"Here, certainly, we shall be made welcome and treated with respect,"
thought Rabbi Yehoshua. But he was wrong again. After the evening
prayers, no one seemed to take an interest in the strangers, and none of
the wealthy members offered them a bed and food. The Prophet and the
sage had to spend the night on the precious but hard wooden benches.
When they left in the morning, the Prophet wished the members of the
community that they should all become Aldermen of the city.
Rabbi Yehoshua was sorely tried to keep his silence, what with
his empty stomach and aching bones. The Prophet's blessing to the
unkind people puzzled him greatly, but he sealed his lips and buried his
question deep in his heart. The companions reached another city. The
House of Prayer was not as beautiful as the one they visited the day
before, but the people made up for it in kindness and hospitality. They
enjoyed a rest in the best house in the town and were honored like
princes. When it was time to go, the Prophet turned to the good people
and said: "May God grant that only one of you be a leader."
This was the last straw. The sage was no longer able to control
himself. Forgetting the Prophet's warning, he exclaimed: "Revered
Master! Far be it from me to tell you what to do. Yet it seems to me that
you add insult to injury; that you reward good with evil, and evil with
good. Please explain to me your strange ways." "I warned you that
humans judge by the sight of their eyes, but there is more in life than
meets the eye. According to our agreement, you will have to leave me
now. But let me explain to you at least what you have witnessed, and
your heart will be able to live in peace. "You see, the poor old couple
who received us so nicely on the first night of our journey, certainly
deserved our gratitude. I saw to my great sorrow that that very day the
woman was destined to die. We gave them an opportunity, to do an act of
charity and I prayed to God that she should live and that their cow take
her place. Although they lost their most precious possession, they will be
able to stay together for a few years more. He who gives life will also
provide for their support."
"I see now," exclaimed Rabbi Yehoshua. "But what about that
rich miser, and his cracked wall?" "There was a huge treasure buried
beneath the wall. Had it collapsed, the miser would have found it. That's
why. "I could not have known that, of course," said Rabbi Yehoshua.
"Now, why did you bless the men of the beautiful synagogue who did not
open their homes to us?" "That was no blessing, my friend," replied
Elijah. "A community where everybody is a leader is not a happy place to
live in. This is also the explanation of my wish to the kind and hospitable
citizens of the last place we visited. Let them have one respected and able
leader who is dedicated to the good of all. There will be peace, harmony,
and cooperation in that blessed community, and it will prosper." "You
have opened my eyes, dear Master," exclaimed Rabbi Yehoshua.

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 "Go and teach our brethren the ways of God. Let them not be
disheartened when they see the wicked prosper, or the righteous suffer.
For while man judges by the sight of his eyes, God looks into the heart,
and He rules the world with justice and mercy. Shalom! Peace be with
you."
The next moment Elijah was gone (Source: Rabbi Nissim ben
Yaakov Gaon’s (c. 990–1062) Hibbur Yafeh MeHayeshua: based on a
translation by Mindel, 2018)

Elijah as Teacher and Scholar

Elijah teaches Rabbi Yehuda what one must do in order not to sin. He also advises

travelers — in ancient times, travel could be dangerous — which prayer to recite before

embarking on a trip.

Elijah the Prophet said to Rav Yehuda brother of Rav Sala Chassida: Do
not get angry and you will not sin. Do not get drunk and you will not sin.
And when you set out on a journey, beg leave of your Creator, and then
set out. Rabbi Ya’akov said that Rav Chisda said: That is the traveler’s
prayer. And Rabbi Ya’akov said that Rav Chisda said: It is not only good
advice but established halacha that anyone who sets out on a journey must
recite the traveler’s prayer. The Gemara asks: What is the traveler’s
prayer? The Gemara answers: May it be Your will, Lord my God, to lead
me to peace, direct my steps to peace, and guide me to peace, and rescue
me from the hands of any enemy or ambush along the way, and send
blessing to the work of my hands, and let me find grace, kindness, and
compassion in Your eyes and in the eyes of all who see me. Blessed are
You, Lord, Who hears prayer (Babylonian Talmud, Berachos 29b; based
on translations by Sefaria.org and ArtScroll).

There are numerous reasons given for why Esther invited Haman to a banquet. Elijah is

asked which is the true motive.

The verse states that Esther requested (Esther 5:4): “If it seems good unto
the king, let the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have
prepared for him.” The Sages taught in a Baraita: What was Esther’s
reason for inviting Haman to the banquet? Rabbi Eliezer says: She set a
trap for him, as it is stated (Psalms 69:23): “Let their table become a snare
before them,” as she assumed that she would be able to trip up Haman
during the banquet. Rabbi Yehoshua says: She learned to do this from the

29
 Jewish teachings of her father’s house, as it is stated (Proverbs 25:21): “If
your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat.” Rabbi Meir says: She
invited him in order that he be near her at all times so that he would not
take counsel and rebel against Ahasuerus when he discovered that the king
was angry with him. Rabbi Yehuda says: She invited Haman so that it not
be found out that she was a Jew, as had she distanced him, he would have
become suspicious. Rabbi Necḥemya says: She did this so that the Jewish
people would not say: We have a sister in the royal palace and
consequently neglect their prayers for divine mercy. Rabbi Yosi says: She
acted in this manner so that Haman would always be on hand for her, as
that would enable her to find an opportunity to cause him to stumble
before the king. Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya said that Esther said to
herself: Perhaps the Omnipresent will take notice that all are supporting
Haman and nobody is supporting the Jewish people, and He will perform
for us a miracle. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcḥa says: She said to herself: I
will act kindly toward him and thereby bring the king to suspect that we
are having an affair; she did so in order that both he and she would be
killed. Essentially, Esther was willing to be killed with Haman in order
that the decree would be annulled. Rabban Gamliel says: Ahasuerus was a
fickle king, and Esther hoped that if he saw Haman on multiple occasions,
eventually he would change his opinion of him. Rabban Gamliel said: We
still need the words of Rabbi Eliezer HaModai [the Modean] to understand
why Esther invited Haman to her banquet. As it is taught in
a Baraita: Rabbi Eliezer HaModai says: She made the king jealous of him
and she made the other ministers jealous of him, and in this way, she
brought about his downfall. Rabbah says: Esther invited Haman to her
banquet in order to fulfill that which is stated (Proverbs 16:18): “Pride
goes before destruction,” which indicates that in order to destroy the
wicked, one must first bring them to pride. [By inviting Haman to the
feast, she made him proud and arrogant. This, she felt, would lead to his
destruction]. It can be understood according to Abaye and Rava, who both
say that she invited Haman in order to fulfill the verse (Jeremiah
51:39): “When they are heated, I will make feasts for them, and I will
make them drunk, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep.”
The Gemara relates that Rabbah bar Avuha once happened upon
Elijah the Prophet and said to him: In accordance with whose
understanding did Esther see fit to act in this manner? What was the true
reason behind her invitation? He, Elijah, said to him: Esther was
motivated by all the reasons previously mentioned and did so for all the
reasons previously stated by all the Tannaim and Amoraim mentioned
above (Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 15b; based on translations by
Sefaria.org and ArtScroll).

The Torah describes how much a person pays if he makes a certain type of vow

known as erech where the donor obligates himself to pay his valuation or that of another

30
person. The amount that must be paid is discussed in Leviticus (27:18). If the donor

cannot afford to pay the amount, an assessment is made based on what is affordable.

After the assessment is paid, the donor has no additional legal obligations. The question

addressed in the Talmud is whether the law is the same for a debtor. Terumah is a portion

of the crop (the amount given by an ordinary person is 2%) given to the priest.

Rabba bar Avuha found Elijah standing in a graveyard of gentiles. Rabba

bar Avuha said to him: What is the halacha with regard to making
assessments for the debtor? Elijah said to him: A verbal analogy [gezerah
shavah] is derived from the usage of the term “poor” written in the context
of a debtor and the term “poor” written in the context of valuations. With
regard to valuations, it is written (Leviticus 27:8): “But if he is too poor
for your valuation,” and with regard to a creditor, it is written (Leviticus
25:35): “But if your brother be poor”
Rabba bar Avuha now asks Elijah another question: From where is
it derived with regard to a naked person that he may not separate terumah?
He replied: As it is written (Deuteronomy 23:15): “And He see no
unseemly thing in you.” This verse indicates that one may not recite any
words of sanctity, including the blessing upon separating terumah, in front
of one who is naked.
The Amora proceeded to ask Elijah a different question and said to
him: Is not the Master a priest? What is the reason that the Master is
standing in a cemetery? Elijah said to him: Has the Master not studied the
Mishnaic order of Teharot? As it is taught in a Baraita: Rabbi Shimon ben
Yoḥai says that the graves of gentiles do not render one impure, as it is
stated (Ezekiel 34:31): “And you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, are
Adam,” which teaches that you, i.e., the Jewish people, are called
“Adam,” but gentiles are not called “Adam.” Since the Torah, when
speaking of the ritual impurity of a human corpse, uses the term “Adam,”
(Numbers 19:14), evidently impurity imparted by walking over a grave [or
being in a tent with a corpse] does not apply to corpses of gentiles
(Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 114a-114b; based on translations by
Sefaria.org and ArtScroll).

Elijah giving medical advice – do not overeat.

Elijah the prophet said to Rabbi Nassan: Eat a third of your fill, and drink
a third of your fill, and leave a third of your fill so that when you become
angry you will become full. If you do this, there will be room, as it were,
for the anger. If you become angry when your stomach is full you will be
harmed (Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 70b; translation by Sefaria.org)

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 Rabbi Yosi encountered Elijah the prophet and said to him: It is written
(Genesis 2:18): I will make him a helpmate. In what manner does a
woman help a man? Elijah said to him: When a man brings wheat from the
field, does he chew raw wheat? When he brings home flax, does he wear
unprocessed flax? His wife turns the raw products into bread and clothing.
Is his wife not found to be the one who lights up his eyes and stands him
on his feet? (Babylonian Talmud, Yevamos 63a; translation by
Sefaria.org).

The incident at Gibeah (Judges 19) resulted in a major civil war and the tribe of

Benjamin was almost eradicated by the other tribes. The incident started when a man’s

concubine left him and then traveled to her father’s house in Bethlehem. The Talmud was

interested in knowing what caused the fight between the man and his concubine.

Rabbi Evyatar is the one that his Master, the Holy One (God), Blessed be
He, agreed with regarding his interpretation of a verse, as it is written with
regard to the episode involving the concubine in Gibeah (Judges
19:2): “And his concubine went away from him.” The Sages discussed
what occurred that caused her husband to become so angry with her that
she left him, and Rabbi Evyatar says: He found a fly in the food that she
prepared for him, while Rabbi Yonatan says: He found a hair. And Rabbi
Evyatar found Elijah the prophet and said to him: What is the Holy One,
Blessed be He, doing now? Elijah said to him: He is currently engaged
in studying the episode of the concubine in Gibeah. Rabbi Evyatar asked
him: And what is He saying about it? Elijah said to him that God is saying
the following: Evyatar, My son, says this and Yonatan, My son, says
that. It is seen here that God saw fit to cite the statement of Rabbi Evyatar.
Rabbi Evyatar said to him: God forbid, is there uncertainty before
Heaven? Doesn’t God know what happened? Why does He mention both
opinions? Elijah said to him: Both these and those are the words of the
living God, i.e., both incidents happened. The incident occurred in the
following manner: He found a fly in his food and did not take
umbrage, and later he found a hair and took umbrage (Babylonian
Talmud, Gittin 6b; based mainly on a translation by Sefaria.org).

The Talmud relates the story of Rabbi Elazar ben Shimon who was appointed

marshal to arrest criminals. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha called him “Vinegar son of

32
wine” for being responsible for the death of many Jews. His response was: “I am ridding

the vineyard of its thorns” (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 83b).

And a similar incident also occurred to Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi

Yosi, i.e., he too was appointed marshal to arrest highwaymen and thieves.
Elijah the prophet encountered him and said to him: Until when will you
inform on the nation of our God to be sentenced to execution? Rabbi
Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yosi, said to Elijah: What should I do? It is the
king’s edict that I must obey. Elijah said to him: Faced with this
choice, your father fled to Asia. You should flee to Laodicea rather than
accept this appointment (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 83b-84a; based
on translations by Sefaria.org and ArtScroll).

Elijah was friendly with the sage Rabbi Nehorai and they had some interesting

discussions. Note that terumah was given to the priest and maaser was given to the Levites and

the poor.

The Prophet Elijah, may his memory be blessed, asked Rabbi Nehorai:
Why do earthquakes happen in the world? Rabbi Nehorai replied:
Because of the sin of not separating terumah and tithing of the masser. He
derived this from the following two verses. One verse (Deuteronomy
11:12) states: “A land that the Lord, your God, seeks out; the eyes of God
are constantly upon it.” Another verse states (Psalms 104:32): “He gazes
upon the earth and it trembles; He touches the mountains and they erupt in
smoke.” How are these two verses reconciled? When Jews do the will of
God and tithe as they are supposed to, the eyes of God (Deuteronomy
11:12) “the eyes of God are constantly upon it from the beginning of the
year to year’s end." But when the Jewish people fail to do the will of God
and do not tithe as they should "He gazes upon the earth and it trembles.”
Elijah said: My son, by your life, that is indeed the correct
explanation. However, this is the essence of the matter: When the Holy
One, blessed be He, gazes at the theaters and feasting places [in ancient
times they were used for entertainment by killing people] that are safe,
secure and flourishing while His Temple is in ruins, He immediately wants
to destroy the world (Jerusalem Talmud, Berachos 9:2; based on
translations by Weinbach, 2013 and ArtScroll).

Elijah the teacher informs R’ Nehorai that his reasoning is sound: Terumah and maaser

are given from the produce of the earth so it makes sense that God should punish “measure for

33
measure” and use the earth as a tool of punishment by causing an earthquake. However, Elijah

provides the true reason (see ArtScroll, note 1).

The Prophet Eliyahu, may his memory be blessed, asked Rabbi Nehorai:
Why did God create insects and other crawling creatures? Rabbi Nehorai
replied: They were created for a specific purpose. When God’s creations
sin, and he desires to destroy them, He gazes upon the insects and says:
Just as these, for which there is no need, I nonetheless preserve them;
humankind, for which there is a need, should I certainly not preserve
them?
Elijah replied to Rabbi Nehorai: There is also an actual need for
these creatures. Thus, for example, the fly serves as a remedy for the sting
of the bee; the bedbug serves as a remedy for the leech; the snake is a
remedy for certain types of boils; the slug is a remedy for sores; and the
spider serves as a remedy for the sting of a scorpion (Jerusalem Talmud,
Berachos 9:2; based on a translation by ArtScroll).

No creature is redundant and many are used for all kinds of medications. Again, Elijah begins

the discussion with a question to encourage critical thinking on the part of R’ Nehorai.

The next story from the Pesikta d’Rav Kahana depicts Elijah as the teacher of

Elazar b. Shimon. The story related above indicates that Elazar b. Shimon spent 13 years

in a cave with his father.

Rabbi Elazar, son of the Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, became a porter.
One time, Elijah the prophet came to him, disguised as an old man, and
said to him: Get a beast of burden ready for me. Elazar asked: And what
do you have to load on the animal? Elijah replied: This baggage, my
cloak, and myself as a rider. Elazar said to the bystanders: Look at this
old man – I could load him on my back and carry him to the end of the
world, yet he says to me, ‘Get a beast of burden ready for me!’ So he
asked Elijah: Do you insist on riding? Elijah said yes. Then he put
Elijah astride his own back, took him up mountainsides, down into
valleys, and across fields of thorns. Along the way, Elijah began to bear
down upon him, making himself heavier and heavier. Finally, Elazar
said: Old man, old man, ride more lightly. If not, I shall throw you off.
Then he asked Elijah: Would you like to take rest a bit? Elijah replied:
Yes. What did Elazar do next? He took Elijah to a field, where he set
him down under a tree and gave him something to eat and drink. After
Elijah ate and drank, he asked Elazar: What will all this heavy labor get
you? Would it not be better for you to settle down and take up the

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 vocation of your ancestors? Elazar asked: Will you teach me their
vocation? Elijah replied: Yes. Some say that Elijah, ever remembered
for the good, taught Elazar Torah for thirteen years until he was able to
recite the Sifra [Midrash on Leviticus]. So much of his strength went
into learning, that once he was able to recite the Sifra, he could not even
carry his own cloak (Pesikta d’Rav Kahana 11:22; based on a translation
by Bialik & Ravnitzky, 1992: p. 252)

Elijah Promoting Social Justice

We can see the ideal way to feed waiters from the next story. Clearly, it is painful for

waiters to serve people food and not be able to partake of it. The Talmud (Babylonian Talmud,

Kethuboth 61a) relates that there were two pious people: one gave the waiter a share of the

served courses after the guests finished eating their meal (Rashi, a major commentator, notes that

he did give the waiters something to eat before working so they would not be famished); the

other let the waiter have a share of each course as he served it. It is painful to serve people food

and have to wait until the end of the meal before being allowed to taste it. It is not difficult to

imagine a waiter serving something very pungent and delicious and not being able to eat the dish

until all the guests have been served. Actually, most people would not give any special dishes to

the waiter; this is something only a pious person would do. In any case, Elijah conversed only

with the one who allowed the waiters to eat first and would not speak to the person who waited

until the end of the meal to provide the waiters with food. This is the Talmudic way of showing

the ideal way to treat waiters if one wants the privilege of being able to talk to Elijah the prophet.

Elijah does not reveal himself to any individual who is willing to cause even the slightest

discomfort to another person.

Rav Yitzḥak bar Ḥananya said that Rav Huna said: All foods may
be withheld from before the waiter, as one who is a waiter at the meal
must wait until the guests have eaten from every food and only then may
he eat, except for meat and wine, as these foods arouse the appetite more
and the waiter would suffer if he could not eat them together with the

35
 other participants. Rav Ḥisda said: This is referring only to fatty meat and
aged wine. Rava said: It applies to fatty meat all year round but aged
wine only during the season of Tammuz, in the summer. Due to the heat,
the aroma of the wine is more pervasive at that time. Rav Anan bar
Taḥalifa said: I was once standing before Mar Shmuel, and they brought
him a cooked dish of mushrooms, and if he had not given me some, I
would have been endangered due to the craving that I suffered. Rav Ashi
said: I was once standing before Rav Kahana, and they brought him slices
of turnip in vinegar, and if he had not given me some, I would have been
endangered. Rav Pappa said: Even a fragrant date should be offered to the
waiter. The Gemara concludes: The principle of the matter is: One should
offer some of everything that either has an aroma or that has a sharp
taste to whoever is present when it is served so that no one suffers by
being unable to partake of these foods. It is related about two Sages, Avuh
bar Ihi and Minyamin bar Ihi, that one of them was accustomed to give his
waiter from every type of food that he ate, while the other one would
give him only one of the types of food that he ate. The Gemara
says: Elijah spoke with this Sage, but Elijah did not speak with that
Sage since he did not act with piety and caused his waiter to suffer
(Babylonian Talmud, Kethubos 61a).

Elijah stopped seeing Rabbi Anan because he inadvertently caused problems for orphans

who were involved in a lawsuit and was indirectly responsible for a miscarriage of justice

involving the orphans. Rabbi Anan fasted and prayed until finally, Elijah visited him again.

However, he was unable to look at Elijah out of fear; he was no longer at the same spiritual level

because of his transgression. He completed his studies with Elijah but had to be in a box so he

would not have to look at Elijah. The second part (the smaller portion) was taught to him when

he was in the box (Babylonian Talmud, Kethuboth 106a).

The Gemara relates: There was a certain man who once brought to Rav
Anan a basket of small fish. He said to him: What are you doing here? The
man said to him: I have a case to present before you. Rav Anan would not
accept the basket from him, and he said to him: I am disqualified
from presiding over your case, due to your actions. The man said to him: I
do not need the Master’s judgment. However, let the Master accept my
gift anyway so that the Master does not prevent me from presenting first
fruits. What does the mitzvah of first fruits have to with this situation? As
it is taught in a Baraita: “And there came a man from Ba’al Shalisha, and
he brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley

36
 and fresh ears of corn in his sack” (II Kings 4:42). But did Elisha, the
recipient of these gifts, eat first fruits? After all, he was not a
priest. Rather, this verse comes to tell you: Whoever brings a gift to a
Torah scholar, it is as though he has presented first fruits. This visitor to
Rav Anan wished to fulfill this mitzvah. Rav Anan said to him: I do not
want to take it from you, but now that you have explained to me the
reason that you wish to give it to me I will accept it from you. Rav Anan
sent the man to Rav Nacḥman, and he also sent him a letter: Let the
Master judge this man’s case because I, Anan, am disqualified from
judging his cases. Rav Nacḥman said to himself: From the fact that he sent
me this letter, I can conclude from here that the reason he is disqualified
from judging the case is that he is his relative. At that time, a case
involving orphans was being heard before Rav Nacḥman. He said: This is
a positive mitzvah, for judges to judge cases properly, and this is a
positive mitzvah, to honor Torah scholars and their families. Rav
Nacḥman concluded that the positive mitzvah of giving honor to the Torah
takes precedence. Therefore, he put aside the case of the orphans and
settled down to judge the case of that man, under the mistaken assumption
that he was a relative of Rav Anan. Once the other litigant saw the honor
being accorded to that man by the judge, he grew nervous until his mouth,
i.e., his ability to argue his claim, became closed, and he lost the case. In
this manner, justice was perverted by Rav Anan, albeit unwittingly and
indirectly.
Elijah the Prophet was accustomed to coming and visiting Rav
Anan, as the prophet was teaching him the statements that would later be
recorded in the volume Seder deEliyahu, the Order of Elijah. Once Rav
Anan did this and caused a miscarriage of justice, Elijah departed. Rav
Anan sat in observance of a fast and prayed for mercy, and Elijah came
back. However, when Elijah came after that, he would scare him, as he
would appear in frightening forms. And Rav Anan made a box where he
settled himself down and he sat before Elijah until he took out for him,
i.e., taught him, all of his Seder. And this is what the Sages mean when
they say: Seder deEliyahu Rabba, the Major Order of Elijah, and Seder
Eliyahu Zuta, the Minor Order of Elijah, as the first order was taught prior
to this incident and the second came after it (Babylonian Talmud,
Kethubos 106a; based on a translation by Sefaria.org).

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi used to converse with Elijah on a regular basis. One day, the

Romans sentenced a person with the name Ulla bar Kushav to death. He fled to the town of Lod

where Rabbi Yehoshua lived. The Romans threatened to destroy the entire town if the people

did not hand Ulla bar Kushav over to them. Rabbi Yehoshua spoke to Ulla and convinced him to

surrender himself to the Romans. Apparently, Elijah was not happy with this and stopped

37
appearing to Rabbi Yehoshua. Rabbi Yehoshua fasted for several days until Elijah appeared to

him. Rabbi Yehoshua asked Elijah why he stopped appearing to him. Elijah told him that he did

not reveal himself to people who handed over Jews to pagan rulers to be killed. Rabbi Yehoshua

replied that he was following the law as stated in a Tosefta (when the demand was for a

particular person to be executed, it was permitted to hand him over in order to save the entire

town). Elijah responded: “Is this the law of pious people?” (Jerusalem Talmud, Terumot 8:4;

47a). According to some commentaries, he should have asked someone else to do the distasteful

deed. It is also possible that Elijah was not happy that Rabbi Yehoshua did not try to find another

solution before resorting to this approach.

A certain man was eaten by a lion at a distance of three parasangs from the place of

residence of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, and as a result, Elijah the prophet did not speak with

him for three days because of his failure to pray that an incident of this kind would not transpire

in his place of residence (Babylonian Talmud, Maakos 11a; based on a translation by Sefaria.org

and ArtScroll). The Talmud uses this story to prove that a sage is held responsible for tragedies

that befall the people of his town.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi was known for his piety. Before he died, the Angel of Death

was told to reveal himself to him and do whatever he wished. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi asked

to see his place in the Garden of Eden (Paradise). When he died, Elijah personally announced

before him: “Make way for the son of Levi, make way for the son of Levi” (Babylonian Talmud,

Kethubos 77b).

When people are taught about what it takes to get into Paradise, it is usually people who

live extremely ascetic lives totally devoted to helping others. This story has a different approach

to attaining Paradise.

38
 Rabbi Beroka Ḥozaah was often found in the market of Bei Lefet,
and Elijah the Prophet would often appear to him. Once Rabbi Beroka said
to Elijah: Of all the people who come here, is there anyone in this market
destined for the World-to-Come? He said to him: No. In the meantime,
Rabbi Beroka saw a man who was wearing black shoes, contrary, in those
days, to Jewish custom, and who did not place tzitzis (ritual fringes) on the
corners of his garment. Elijah said to Rabbi Beroka: That man is destined
for the World-to-Come. Rabbi Beroka ran after the man and said to him:
What is your occupation? The man said to him: Go away now, as I have
no time, but come back tomorrow and we will talk.
The next day, Rabbi Beroka arrived and again said to him: What is
your occupation? The man said to him: I am a prison guard, and I
imprison the men separately and the women separately, and I place my
bed between them so that they will not come to transgression. When I see
a Jewish woman upon whom gentiles have set their eyes, I risk my life to
save her. One day, there was a betrothed young woman among us, upon
whom the gentiles had set their eyes. I took dregs of red wine and threw
them on the lower part of her dress, and I said: She is menstruating so that
they would leave her alone.
Rabbi Beroka said to him: What is the reason that you do not have
tzitzis, and why do you wear black shoes? The man said to him: Since I
come and go among gentiles, I dress this way so that they will not know
that I am a Jew. When they issue a decree, I inform the Sages, and they
pray for mercy and annul the decree. Rabbi Beroka further inquired: And
what is the reason that when I said to you: What is your occupation, you
said to me: Go away now but come tomorrow? The man said to him: At
that moment, they had just issued a decree, and I said to myself: First
I must go and inform the Sages so that they will pray for mercy
over this matter.
While they were conversing, two people passed by. Elijah said:
“These two are destined for the world to come.” Rabbi Beroka
approached them and asked them what they did. They replied: “We are
jesters, and we cheer up people who are depressed. Also when we see two
people who are quarreling, we work hard to make peace between them”
(Babylonian Talmud, Taanis 22a; translation by Sefaria.org).

The next passage is very puzzling. Apparently, poverty has the ability to bring out the

best of us.

Elijah the Prophet said to Bar Hei Hei, and some say that he said this to
Rabbi Elazar: What is the meaning of that which is written (Isaiah 48:10):
“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the
furnace of affliction”? This teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He,
sought after all good character traits to impart them to the Jewish people,
and He found only poverty capable of preventing them from sin. Shmuel

39
 said, and some say it was Rav Yosef: This explains the folk saying that
people say: Poverty is good for the Jewish people like a red bridle for a
white horse. Just as a red bridle accentuates the white color of the horse,
so the challenge of poverty draws out the purity of the Jewish people
(Babylonian Talmud, Chagigah 9b).

This is how Posner (2018) explains this passage:

Challenging times cause us to take a step back and evaluate what is

important and what is not. The older generation tells of sharing their last
crusts of bread with others during the meager years of WWII, of people
risking their lives for the sake of others. They did not do so because they
were any nobler than us, nor because they dreamt that the stories would be
retold on the other side of the ocean decades later. They recognized what
needed to be done, and they did it (Posner, 2018).

There are certain categories of Jews that are limited in whom they may marry. A Mamzer

(the offspring of an adulterous relationship or incest) is prohibited to Kohanim, Levites, and

Israelites. The Gibeonites (also known as Nesinim) were not seen as authentic Jews and were

also limited as to whom they were allowed to marry. The next selection suggests that Elijah is

going to “purify” Mamzerim. Many of the commentaries indicate that this refers to even known

Mamzerim.

The Sages taught: Mamzerim and Gibeonites will be genealogically pure

in the future [i.e., in Messianic times]; this is the statement of Rabbi Yosi.
Rabbi Meir says: They will not be pure. Rabbi Yosi said to him: But
hasn’t it already been stated in Scripture (Ezekiel 36:25): “And I will
sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your
uncleanness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you?” This suggests
that even Mamzerim and Gibeonites will be purified. Rabbi Meir said to
him: When it says: “From all your impurities, and from all your
idols,” this emphasizes that God will purify people from these types of
impurity, but not from mamzer status. Rabbi Yosi said to him: When it
says at the end of the verse: “Will I cleanse you,” you must say this
means even from mamzer status… Rav Yehuda says in the name of
Shmuel: The halacha is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi
Yosei, that mamzerim and Gibeonites will be pure in the future. Rav
Yosef says: If it were not for the fact that Rav Yehuda said in the name of
Shmuel said that the halacha is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi
Yosi, Elijah would come [in Messianic times] and remove from us group

40
 after group of people in neck-shackles since he would reveal how
many mamzerim there are among the Jewish people (Babylonian Talmud,
Kiddushin 72b; based on translations by Sefaria.org and ArtScroll).

According to Tosafos, the ugly person in the next story was Elijah. He disguised

himself as an ugly person to teach Rabbi Elazar b. Shimon an important lesson about

people. According to Friedman (2018), this story had a profound effect on Elazar b.

Shimon and he transformed himself into a humanitarian.

Once Rabbi Elazar son of R. Shimon was coming from Migdal Gedor,
from his teacher’s house. He rode on his donkey along the riverbank and
was feeling very happy and proud because he had studied much Torah.
There chanced his way an exceedingly ugly person, who greeted him:
"Peace be upon you, my teacher!" R. Elazar did not return the greeting to
him but instead replied: "Empty one! How ugly is that man! Are all the
people of your city perhaps as ugly as you?" The man replied: "I do not
know. But go and tell the craftsman who made me, ‘How ugly is the
vessel which you have made!’" Realizing that he had sinned, R. Elazar
dismounted from his donkey, prostrated himself before the man, and said
to him: "I have spoken out of turn to you. Forgive me!" But the man
replied, "I will not forgive you until you go to the craftsman who made me
and say to him, 'How ugly is the vessel which you have made.'" R. Elazar
kept on walking after him seeking his forgiveness until he reached his city.
The residents of his city came out to greet Rabbi Elazar, saying, "Peace be
upon you, O Teacher! O Teacher! O Master! O Master" Said the man to
them, "Whom are you calling 'Master'?" They said to him: "The person
walking behind you." He said to them: "If this is a ‘teacher,' may there not
be any more like him in Israel." They said to him: "Why so?" The man
said to them: He did such-and-such to me. They said to him:
"Nevertheless, forgive him, for he is a man greatly learned in the Torah."
He said to them: "For your sakes, I will forgive him but only if he does not
act this way anymore." Soon after this R. Elazar entered the study hall and
taught: "A person should always be pliant as the reed, and not as hard like
a cedar. And it was for this reason the reed merited that of it should be
made a pen for the writing of the Torah scrolls, tefillin, and mezuzot."
(Babylonian Talmud, Taanit 20a-20b; based on an ArtScroll translation).

41
Elijah Helping the Poor

In later stories, Elijah appears, often in disguise, to help the poor. There is an

Elijah story that has become a traditional Jewish hymn, Ish Chassid Hayah, sung at the

conclusion of the Sabbath. Ish Chassid Hayah (There was once a Pious Man), tells the

story of how Elijah helped a desperately poor person – a person who did not have the

money to purchase clothing -- by offering his services as a slave and telling the pious

man to sell him. The pious person sells the slave for a huge sum to a merchant who tells

him that he will go free after he builds him a mansion. The first day, Elijah joins the other

construction workers to build the mansion. That night, Elijah prays to God to help him

out. God sends angels to help out and the building was immediately completed. Elijah

was then able to disappear (Source of the story is Chibbur Yafeh Mehayeshua by Rabbi

Nissim Gaon, 990 -1062 CE). Elijah helps several impoverished pious sages in the

Talmud.

Rabbah bar Avuha met Elijah standing in a non-Jewish cemetery….

Rabbah said to Elijah: “Are you not a Kohen [priest]? Why then is the
master standing here, in a cemetery? [priests are not permitted to make
themselves ritually impure [tamei] by coming into contact with corpses].
Elijah replied: “It seems as though the master has not studied the laws of
purity. For it was taught there in a Baraisa that Rabbi Shimon b. Yohai
states that the graves of non-Jews do not transmit tumah [ritual
impurity]…” Rabbah replied: “Alas, I cannot even make the time to
properly study the four most relevant orders [that deal with everyday
matters], am I then able to study all six orders?” Elijah asked: “And why
are you unable to study all six orders properly?” Rabbah replied: “I am in
dire financial straits.” Elijah then took Rabbah and brought him into Gan
Eden [Paradise] and said to him: “Remove your cloak and gather and take
some of these leaves.” So he gathered the leaves of Paradise. As he was
leaving, he heard it being said: “Who is consuming his portion in the
World to Come as Rabbah b. Abbuha?” When Rabbah heard this, he
shook the leaves out of his cloak and threw them away. Yet, even so,
when he brought his cloak back he discovered that it had absorbed the
fragrance of the leaves of Paradise. He sold the cloak for twelve thousand

42
 dinars which he distributed to his sons-in-law (Babylonian Talmud, Bava
Metzia 114b; based on a translation of ArtScroll).

The Talmudic sages felt that not everyone is worthy to do as well in this world as in the

World to Come. Gan Eden is used as a synonym for Paradise; the term “gan” means garden. This

story shows that the leaves are so fragrant that they are worth 12,000 dinars. Certainly, living an

eternity there is priceless. In this world, the most succulent of fruits have ordinary leaves.

In this story, we will see how far Rabbi Kahana went in order not to sin with an important

woman trying to seduce him.

Rabbi Kahana was selling baskets [used by women for their weaving
tools] when a certain noblewoman propositioned him. Rabbi Kahana said:
“I will first go and adorn myself.” He went up to the roof and hurled
himself from it to the ground. Elijah the prophet came and caught him.
Elijah said: “You have troubled me to come from a distance of four
hundred parasangs to rescue you.” Rabbi Kahana replied: “What caused
me to do it? Is it not my poverty?” [the only job he could find was selling
baskets to women]. Elijah thereupon gave him a chest full of dinars
(Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 40a; based on translations by Soncino
and ArtScroll).

This story presents many halachic problems. Is one required to die to avoid relations in

private with a gentile woman? The ArtScroll commentary (note 6) cites several sources and

concludes that “a person of stature who is respected by the people may sacrifice his life to avoid

a transgression even when he is not obligated to do so when the times call for someone to set an

example and prevent people from sinning.”

The Mishna (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Bathra 7b) states: “We compel an unwilling

resident of a courtyard to help build a gatehouse and a door for the courtyard.” The gatehouse

provides an important benefit for the residents of the courtyard. The guard in the gatehouse

43
would prevent passersby from looking into the courtyard thus protecting their privacy. The

Gemara discusses this law.

The Gemara asks: Is this to say that a gatehouse is beneficial?

But wasn’t there that pious man, with whom the prophet Elijah was
accustomed to speak, who built a gatehouse, and afterward, Elijah did
not speak with him again? Thus, a gatehouse is not a desirable structure.
The Gemara answers: This is not difficult: This, the case presented in the
Mishna, is referring to a gatehouse built on the inside of the courtyard, in
which case the poor can at least reach the courtyard’s entrance and be
heard inside the courtyard; that, the story of the pious man and Elijah,
involves a gatehouse that was built on the outside of the courtyard,
completely blocking the poor’s access to the courtyard’s entrance. No
one will be able to hear the sound of the poor person’s cries (Babylonian
Talmud, Bava Bathra 7b; based on translations by Sefaria.org and
ArtScroll).

This story demonstrates that Elijah cares for the indigent. He will not speak to anyone who does

anything to make life difficult for them.

Elijah liked to help the poor. In the next story, things did not work out very well. The

discussion in the Talmud that precedes the story of Elijah deals whether the ancient Jews, prior

to the destruction of the Temple, worshipped idols in ancient times only because of lust, i.e, as an

excuse to engage in forbidden sexual relations. The Talmud concludes that, at first, that was the

reason the Jews worshipped idols. However, eventually, they started to actually believe in the

pagan deities.

Come and hear a proof that the Jewish people engaged in idol worship for
its own sake and not for the sake of engaging in forbidden sexual relations:
The Torah states (Leviticus 26:30): “And I shall cast your carcasses upon
the carcasses of your idols.” Concerning this verse, the Sages say that
Elijah the Righteous, the prophet, would search for those who were bloated
from hunger in Jerusalem [at the time the First Temple was destroyed by
the Babylonians]. He once found a child who was swollen with hunger and
lying in the garbage. Elijah said to the child: From which family are
you? The child said to him: I am from such and such family. Elijah said to
him: Isn’t there anyone left from that family? The child said to him: No one
is left besides me. Elijah said to him: If I teach you something through
which you will live, will you learn it? The child said to him: Yes. Elijah

44
 said to him: Say every day (Deuteronomy 6:4): “Hear O Israel, the Lord is
our God; the Lord is One.” The child said to him: Be silent! so as not to
allow the mentioning of the name of the Lord (see Amos 6:10). [The child
did not want to even hear the mention of the name of the Lord.]
Immediately, the child removed his god from his bosom and began hugging
it and kissing it, until his stomach burst from hunger, and the statue of his
god fell to the earth and he fell upon it, in fulfillment of that which is stated
(Leviticus 26:30): “And I shall cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of
your idols” (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 63b-64a; translation by
Sefaria.org and ArtScroll).

This story took place after Rabbi Akiva got married and before he left to become a

scholar. Rabbi Akiva and his wife, the daughter of Kalba Savua, were extremely poor. Rabbi

Akiva does eventually get his wife the Jerusalem of Gold ornament.

The daughter of Kalba Savua betrothed herself to R. Akiva [he was then
an ignorant shepherd]. When her father heard thereof, he made a vow
prohibiting her to benefit from his possessions. Then she went and married
him in winter. They slept on straw, and he had to pick out the straw from
his hair. He said to her: “If only I could afford it, I would give you a
golden Jerusalem” [an ornament made of gold with an engraving of
Jerusalem on it]. [Later] Elijah came to them in the guise of a mortal, and
cried out at the door: “Give me some straw, for my wife is in labor and I
have nothing for her to lie on.” Rabbi Akiva said to his wife: “See! There
is a man who lacks even straw.” [Subsequently] she counseled him, 'Go,
and become a scholar.' (Babylonian Talmud, Nedarim 50a; based on a
translation by Soncino).

His wife encouraged him to study; Rabbi Akiva succeeded and became one of the great

scholars of the Talmud. He was one of the Ten Martyrs tortured and executed by the Romans

(died 135 CE). The Midrash relates the story of how Elijah and Rabbi Yehoshua carried Rabbi

Akiva’s bier and brought it to a cave in Antipatris of Caesarea. The cave had a seat, footstool,

table, and lamp so that Rabbi Akiva could continue his studies (Yalkut Shimoni Proverbs 9,

§944).

45
Elijah as Punisher

The Talmud provides an explanation as to why Elijah made the rains stop and caused a

severe drought. The explanation provided is homiletic and based on the juxtaposition of the two

verses. One verse (I Kings 16:34) describes the curse of Jericho. Joshua cursed anyone who

rebuilt Jericho with the death of his children (Joshua 6:26). The next verse (I Kings 17:1)

describes Elijah informing King Ahab that “there will be neither dew nor rain during these years

except by my word.”

It is taught in a Baraita that this includes a prohibition not to build on the

site of Jericho even after changing its name to the name of another city,
and not to build another city elsewhere after giving it the name of Jericho,
as it is written (I Kings 16:34): “Chiel the Bethelite built Jericho; with
Aviram, his firstborn, he laid its foundation, and with his young son Seguv
set up its gates.”
It is taught in a Baraita: From the death of Aviram, his firstborn,
the wicked, it was not expected upon him to learn not to build Jericho, as
Aviram’s death could be attributed to chance. But with the death of Seguv
his youngest son, he should certainly have learned that it was due to
Joshua’s curse that they died. The Gemara asks: What did Aviram and
Seguv do that they are characterized as wicked, and what is the Baraita
saying? The Gemara answers that this is what the Baraita is saying:
From the death of Aviram, his firstborn, that wicked man Chiel should
have learned about the cause of the death of Seguv his young son. By
inference from that which is stated: “With Aviram, his firstborn,” do I not
know that Seguv was his young son? Rather, what is the meaning
when the verse states: “His young son Seguv”? It teaches that he gradually
buried all his sons from Aviram through Seguv, and he should have
suspected that Joshua’s curse caused the deaths.
Ahab was Chiel’s close friend and groomsman. He and Elijah
came to inquire about Chiel’s welfare in the house of mourning. Chiel sat
and said: Perhaps when Joshua cursed, this is what he cursed: Not to build
Jericho even after changing its name to the name of another city, and
not to build another city after giving it the name of Jericho. Elijah said to
him: Yes, that is the curse. Ahab said to Elijah: Now if the curse of Moses
is not fulfilled, as it is written (Deuteronomy 11: 16-17): “And you go
astray and worship other gods,” and it is written: “Then the Lord’s anger
will flare against you, and He will close the heavens, and there will be no
rain.” And that man, referring to himself, established an object of idol
worship on each and every furrow in the kingdom of Israel, and the rain is
so plentiful that it does not allow him to go and worship it; will the curse

46
 of his student, Joshua, be fulfilled? [Ahab refused to believe that the death
of Chiel’s children was due to the curse of Joshua.] Consequently, “And
Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to
Ahab: “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there will be
neither dew nor rain during these years except by my word ” (I Kings
17:1).
Elijah prayed for mercy and they gave him the key to rainfall
enabling him to dictate when it would rain, and he arose and went. It is
written about Elijah (I Kings 17: 2-3, 6): “And the word of the Lord came
to him, saying: Go from here, and turn eastward, and hide in the Wadi
Cherith…And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the
morning.” The Gemara asks: From where did they bring him bread and
meat? Rabbi Yehuda says that Rav says: They brought it from the
slaughterhouse of Ahab.
And it is written (I Kings 17:7): “And it came to pass after some
days, that the wadi dried up because there was no rain in the land.”
Since God saw that there is suffering in the world – the drought had
worsened – and Elijah was insensitive to it, it is written (I Kings 17: 8-9):
“And the word of the Lord came to him, saying: Arise, go to Zarephath,”
to initiate a chain of events that would lead Elijah to return the key to
rainfall to God. And it is written (I Kings 17:17): “And it came to pass
after these matters, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house,
became sick.”
Elijah prayed for mercy, for God to give him the key to the
resurrection of the dead. They said to him from Heaven: Three keys were
not typically passed to an agent: The key to a woman in childbirth, the
key to rainfall, and the key to the resurrection of the dead. You already
have the key to rainfall; do you also request the key to the resurrection of
the dead? People will say: Two keys are in the possession of the student
and one key is in the possession of the Master. Bring Me this key to
rainfall, and take this key to the resurrection of the dead. Due to Elijah’s
request, he was forced to revoke his oath, as it is written (I Kings 18:1):
“Go, appear before Ahab, and I will give rain” (Babylonian Talmud,
Sanhedrin 113a).

Based on the above, Rabbi Yosi said that Father Elijah was hot-tempered.

Rabbi Yosi lectured in Sepphoris that Elijah the Prophet was hot-
tempered. Elijah used to visit him regularly, but after this, he did not
appear for three days. When he came, Rabbi Yosi asked him: “Why did
the master not appear?” Elijah responded: “Because you called me hot-
tempered.” Rabbi Yosi said: “Well, does this incident not prove that the
master is hot-tempered” [by getting upset over such a small matter]
(Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 113b).

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 The Talmud discusses the forbidden marriages. Thus, for example, a Kohain (priest) is

not permitted to marry a divorcee. A Mamzer (the offspring of an adulterous relationship or

incest) is prohibited to Kohanim, Levites, and Israelites. This is what is meant by “not fit.” The

commentaries (e.g. Maharsha) interpret being whipped by God as meaning being afflicted with

various punishments and illnesses.

And Rabba bar Rav Adda says, and some say Rabbi Sala said in the name
of Rav Hamnuna: Whoever marries a woman who is not fit for him, Elijah
binds him to the whipping post, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, whips
him. And a Sage taught: Concerning all of them [Kohanim, Levites, and
Israelites who marry women not fit for them], Elijah writes and the Holy
One, Blessed be He, signs the following: Woe to he who disqualifies his
offspring, and who brings a flaw to his family lineage, and who marries a
woman who is not halachically fit for him to marry. Elijah binds him and
the Holy One, Blessed be He, whips him (Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin
70a; based on translations by Sefaria.org and ArtScroll).

Whoever marries a woman who is fit for him, Elijah kisses him and the
Holy One, Blessed be He, loves him (Derech Eretz Rabbah 1:17)

The Talmud prohibits one from praying in the back of the synagogue and not

facing the front of the synagogue.

A certain individual prayed behind the synagogue and did not turn to face
the synagogue. Elijah the Prophet passed by and appeared to him as an
Arab merchant. Elijah said: “This is how you stand before your
Creator?” Elijah drew a sword and killed him (Babylonian Talmud,
Berachos 6b; based on translations by Sefaria.org and ArtScroll).

Talmudic Sages Who Had Gilui Eliyahu (the Revelation of Elijah)

Using the Talmudic stories above, one can determine that Elijah appeared to the

following sages: R’ Akiva and his wife, R’ Anan, Avuh bar Ihi or Minyamin bar Ihi, Bar Hai

Hai, Berokah Hozaah, R’ Elazar b. Shimon, R’ Elazar b. Parata, R’ Evyatar, R’ Kahana, R’ Meir,

Nachum ish Gamzu, R’ Nassan, R’ Nehorai, Rabbah bar Avuha, Rabbah b. Shila, R’ Shila, R’

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Shimi b. Ashi, R’ Shimon ben Yochai, R’ Yehoshua b. Levi, R’ Yehuda, R’ Yehuda brother of

Sala Chassida, R’ Yehuda HaNasi (Rebbi), R’ Yishmael b. Yosi, and R’ Yosi,

Conclusion

Elijah plays many diverse roles in The Talmud besides being the harbinger of the

Messiah and the scholar who will answer questions that remain in doubt. These include: (a)

miracle worker, rescuer, and healer; (b) discloser of secrets; (c) helper and comforter of the poor;

(d) promoter of social justice; (e) teacher and scholar; and (f) punisher of the wicked.

Elijah becomes an important figure in Jewish folklore and Chassidic tales. Lindbeck

underscores the point that Elijah stories remain popular today (Lindbeck, 2010: pp. 165-170).

She notes: “Clearly, the Jewish world is still charmed and fascinated by the figure of Elijah the

prophet.” One can understand why people would be fascinated by a prophet who disguises

himself as an ordinary person (often as a beggar) and rescues people from dangerous situations

and/or reveals all kinds of secrets would be popular. He is a true superhero for the Jewish people.

The following Chassidic tale has a great deal to say about lessons one can learn from

Elijah.

A chassid went to the Baal Shem Tov in Mezhibuzh and said, “Rebbe, I
want to see Elijah the Prophet.” “It’s simple,” said the Baal Shem. “I’ll
tell you what to do. Get two boxes and fill one with food and the other
with children’s clothes. Then, before Rosh Hashanah, travel to Minsk.
On the outskirts of town, right before where the forest begins, is a
dilapidated house. Find that house, but don’t knock on the door
immediately; stand there for a while and listen. Then, shortly before
candle-lighting time at sunset, knock on the door and ask for
hospitality.”
The chassid went home and told his wife he would be away for
the holiday. “How can you leave your family?” she said. “The children
want their father to take them to the synagogue!” He told her, “I have a
once-in-a-lifetime chance to see Elijah the Prophet!” Finally, she agreed

49
that it was something that he could not pass up. So he went and did as
the Baal Shem Tov told him. He filled the parcels with food and clothing
and went to Minsk, where he found the broken-down house at the edge
of town. He arrived shortly before evening and stood in front of the
door, listening. Inside, he heard children crying, “Mommy, we’re
hungry. And it’s Yom Tov and we don’t even have decent clothes to
wear!” He heard the mother answer, “Children, trust in God. He’ll send
Elijah the Prophet to bring you everything you need!”
Then the chassid knocked on the door. When the woman opened
it, he asked if he could stay with them for the holiday. “How can I
welcome you when I don’t have any food in the house?” she said.
“Don’t worry,” he said, “I have enough food for all of us.” He came in,
opened the box, gave the children the food, and they ate. Then he
opened the other box and the children all took clothes for themselves:
this one a shirt, that one a jacket, the other one a hat. He was there for
two days, waiting to see Elijah the Prophet. He did not even sleep. How
could he sleep? How often do you get a chance to see Elijah the
Prophet? But he saw no one.
So he returned to the Baal Shem Tov and said, “Master, I did not
see Elijah the Prophet!” “Did you do everything I told you?” asked the
Baal Shem Tov. “I did!” he said. “And you didn’t see him?” “No,
Rebbe.” “Are you sure?” “Yes, Rebbe! I didn’t see him!” “Then you’ll
have to return for Yom Kippur,” said the Baal Shem Tov. “Go back
before Yom Kippur, with a box of food, to the same house. Again, be
sure to arrive an hour before sunset, and don’t knock immediately. Wait
for a while and just stand in front of the door, listening.”
The chassid went back to his wife and told her he would be away
for Yom Kippur. “How can you leave your children again?” she asked.
“But the Baal Shem Tov says I’ll be able to see Elijah the Prophet, like
one of the great tzaddikim!” he said, “How can I not go?” His wife
agreed that it was worth going away for two or three days if he could see
Elijah the Prophet.
So he went back to Minsk before Yom Kippur. This time, he
went earlier and stood in front of the door, listening. Inside he heard
children crying, “Mommy, we’re hungry! We haven’t eaten the whole
day! How can we fast for Yom Kippur?” “Children!” said the mother.
“Do you remember you were crying before Rosh Hashanah that you had
no food or clothes? And I told you, ‘Trust in God! He’ll send Elijah the
Prophet, who’ll bring you food and clothing and everything else you
need!’ Wasn’t I right? Didn’t Elijah come and bring you food and
clothing? He stayed with us for two days! Now you’re crying again that
you’re hungry. I promise you that Elijah will come now, too, and bring
you food!”
Then the chassid understood what his master, the Baal Shem
Tov, had meant. And he knocked on the door (Buxbaum, 2018).

50
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