Pt2 Joshua’s Ban on Jericho, Hiel’s Losses, and Elijah’s confrontation with Ahab in 1 Kings 16-18 (Sanhedrin 113a-b)

This is the second and final part of a two-part series. Part 1 is here; the outline of the series can be found at Part 1.

R’ Yehuda citing Rav - Elijah’s food during the drought came from Ahab’s slaughterhouse - 1 Kings 17:6

״ויהי דבר ה׳ אליו לאמר:

לך מזה

ופנית לך קדמה

ונסתרת בנחל כרית״.

״והערבים מביאים לו לחם ובשר בבקר וגו׳״.

It is written about Elijah:

“And the word of YHWH came to him, saying:

Go from here,

and turn eastward,

and hide yourself by Wadi Cherith…

And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning” (I Kings 17:2–3, 6).

מהיכא?

אמר רב יהודה, אמר רב:

מבי טבחי דאחאב.

The Talmud asks: From where did they bring him bread and meat?

R’ Yehuda says that Rav says:

They brought it from the slaughterhouse of Ahab.

Because of suffering caused by the drought, God sends Elijah to Zarephath - 1 Kings 17:7–9

״ויהי מקץ ימים

וייבש הנחל

כי לא היה גשם בארץ״.

כיון דחזא דאיכא צערא בעלמא,

כתיב:

״ויהי דבר ה׳ אליו לאמר:

קום לך צרפתה״.

And it is written: “And it came to pass after some days,

that the wadi dried up,

because there was no rain in the land” (I Kings 17:7).

Since God saw that there is suffering in the world and Elijah was insensitive to it,

it is written:

“And the word of YHWH came to him, saying:

Arise,

go to Zarephath” (I Kings 17:8–9),

to initiate a chain of events that would lead Elijah to return the key to rainfall to God.

Three “keys” are not normally given to an agent: childbirth, rain, resurrection; Elijah cannot hold two while God holds one; he must return the key of rain - I Kings 18:1

וכתיב:

״ויהי אחר הדברים האלה

חלה בן האשה בעלת הבית״.

And it is written:

“And it came to pass after these matters,

that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick” (I Kings 17:17).

בעא רחמי למיתן ליה אקלידא דתחיית המתים.

אמרי ליה:

שלש מפתחות לא נמסרו לשליח:

1. של חיה,

2. ושל גשמים,

3. ושל תחיית המתים.

יאמרו:

שתים ביד תלמיד

ואחת ביד הרב!

אייתי הא

ושקיל האי.

דכתיב:

״לך הראה אל אחאב

ואתנה מטר״.

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:

1. The key to a woman in childbirth,

2. the key to rainfall,

3. 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 (=Elijah)

and one key is in the possession of the Master (=God)

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:

“Go, appear before Ahab;

and I will give rain” (I Kings 18:1).

A Galilean before Rav Ḥisda - Parable: Elijah is like someone who slammed his door and lost his key (he caused the drought but then lacked the means to reverse it)

דרש ההוא גלילאה קמיה דרב חסדא:

משל דאליהו,

למה הדבר דומה?

לגברא דטרקיה לגליה

ואבדיה למפתחיה.

A certain Galilean taught before Rav Ḥisda:

There is a parable for the actions of Elijah;

to what is this matter comparable?

It is comparable to a man who slammed his door

and lost his key.

Elijah first prevented the rain from falling, and then no longer had possession of the key to enable it to fall again.

Anecdote - R’ Yosei calls Elijah difficult; his absence for 3 days after being called so demonstrates this trait

דרש רבי יוסי בציפורי:

אבא אליהו קפדן הוה.

רגיל למיתי גביה.

איכסי מיניה תלתא יומי, ולא אתא.

כי אתא,

אמר ליה: אמאי לא אתא מר?

אמר ליה: קפדן קרית לי!

אמר ליה:

הא דקמן,

דקא קפיד מר!

R’ Yosei taught in Tzippori:

Father Elijah, a deferential and affectionate characterization for Elijah the prophet, was difficult.

Elijah was accustomed to coming and revealing himself before R’ Yosei each day.

He was obscured from him for three days and did not come.

When he came again,

R’ Yosei said to him: Why did the Master not come?

Elijah said to him: You denigrated me when you called me difficult.

R’ Yosei said to Elijah:

This example that is before us illustrates the point,

as my Master was being difficult by not coming during those days.

Rav Yosef - “Wicked” whose presence brings wrath refers to thieves - Deuteronomy 13:18

״ולא ידבק בידך מאומה מן החרם״ –

כל זמן שרשעים בעולם —

חרון אף בעולם וכו׳

§ The Mishnah teaches with regard to the verse: “And there shall cleave to your hand nothing of that which was devoted (חרם)” (Deuteronomy 13:18),

as long as the wicked exist in the world —

there is wrath in the world.

מאן רשעים?

אמר רב יוסף:

גנבי.

The Talmud asks: Who are these wicked people mentioned in the Mishnah?

Rav Yosef said:

They are thieves.

Baraita - When a wicked person arrives, wrath comes (Prov 18:3); When he dies, good comes (Prov 11:10); When a righteous person dies, evil comes (Isa 57:1); When a righteous person arrives, good comes (Gen 5:29)

2×2 table (Presence vs. Removal × Wicked vs. Righteous):¹

תנו רבנן:

1. רשע בא לעולם –

   1. חרון בא לעולם,

   2. שנאמר: ״בבוא רשע, בא גם בוז, ועם קלון -- חרפה״.

2. רשע אבד מן העולם –

   1. טובה באה לעולם,

   2. שנאמר: ״ובאבד רשעים -- רנה״.

3. צדיק נפטר מן העולם –

   1. רעה באה לעולם,

   2. שנאמר: ״הצדיק אבד ואין איש שם על לב, ואנשי חסד נאספים באין מבין, כי מפני הרעה נאסף הצדיק״.

4. צדיק בא לעולם –

   1. טובה באה לעולם,

   2. שנאמר: ״זה ינחמנו ממעשנו ומעצבון ידינו״.

A baraita states:

1. When a wicked person comes into the world --

   1. wrath comes into the world,

   2. as it is stated: “When the wicked comes into the world, contempt also comes, and with ignominy -- Reproach” (Proverbs 18:3).

2. When a wicked person is eliminated from the world --

   1. good comes into the world,

   2. as it is stated: “And when the wicked perish -- there is jubilation” (Proverbs 11:10).

3. When a righteous person passes from the world --

   1. evil comes into the world,

   2. as it is stated: “The righteous perishes and no man lays it to heart; and merciful men are taken, none understand that due to the evil the righteous is taken” (Isaiah 57:1)

4. When a righteous person comes into the world --

   1. good comes into the world with him,

   2. as it is stated with regard to Noah: “This is one who shall comfort us for our work and the toil of our hands” (Genesis 5:29).

Appendix - the interpretations in the sugya on 1 Kings, organized in the order of Biblical verses

I Kings 16:34 – The rebuilding of Jericho by Hiel

Baraita: Hiel rebuilt Jericho; deaths of Abiram and Segub fulfill Joshua’s curse.

I Kings 17:1 – Elijah declares drought

Elijah responds to Ahab’s challenge by swearing: “There shall not be dew or rain…” Elijah receives the “key of rain.”

I Kings 17:2–3, 6 – Elijah at Wadi Cherith; ravens bring food

Rav Yehuda citing Rav: The ravens brought meat from Ahab’s slaughterhouse.

I Kings 17:7–9 – The drying of the wadi; God sends Elijah to Zarephath

God saw the suffering and sends Elijah on a path that will return the key of rain.

I Kings 17:17 – The illness of the widow’s son

Leads to Elijah’s request for the “key of resurrection.” Heaven refuses because a human may not hold two of the three keys.

I Kings 18:1 – God sends Elijah back to Ahab with rain

Heaven instructs Elijah to return the key of rain; God will give the rain.

1. From a literary structure perspective, compare my “Pt2 Aggadic Lists of Ten, Seven, Four, and Two Items in Tractate Avot Chapter 5 (Avot 5:1-19)“, section “Lists of 4“, may of which can be similarly logically broken down into a 2x2 grid, as I note there on section “4 character types in Attitudes toward property ownership (5:10)“.