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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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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,
Kennedy & Lawton, 1992). Stories have the ability to arouse passion and teach important
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)
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
(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
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.
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
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
There is an old tradition that the spirit of Elijah appears at everyone’s Pesach Seder.
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
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,
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,
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
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
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
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).
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.
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
A somewhat humorous way of emphasizing that the Messiah will come if the Jewish
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
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
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
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
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 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).
13
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
14
15
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
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
16
17
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
18
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
19
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
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
21
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).
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
22
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).
23
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
24
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
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.
26
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
28
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
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
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
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.
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)
31
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
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
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
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
34
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
There are certain categories of Jews that are limited in whom they may marry. A Mamzer
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.
40
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.
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).
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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.
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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
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
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
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This story demonstrates that Elijah cares for the indigent. He will not speak to anyone who does
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
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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).
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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.”
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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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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
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
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).
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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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
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