Eliyahu's Flight (Part 2)
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
Source:
If Eliyahu runs away from Izevel to save his life, why does he then ask God to take his life? One approach suggests that Eliyau expected a political...
Eliyahu's Flight (Part 1)
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
Source:
It is unlikely that Izevel sends a warning to Eliyahu about her intention to kill him in order to provide him with an opportunity to escape. Rather, it...
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
Source:
The chiastic structure in chapter 19 utilizes parallels in language, themes, characters and geography in order to highlight Eliyahu’s revelation at Mount...
"God's hand was upon Eliyahu and he ran before Ahav."
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
Source:
Eliyahu runs before Ahav, in the pouring rain, as a demonstration of respect and loyalty. Through this action, on the heels of the cooperation with Ahav...
Why is Eliyahu's Prayer Not Answered Immediately?
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
Source:
The lack of immediate rain demands that Eliyahu pray intensely for rain on behalf of the nation thus reversing his original role as the one who decreed...
"Arise, eat and drink, for there is the sound of rumbling rain"
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
Source:
Eliyahu’s command to Ahav to eat might signify the end of a fast that was declared due to the drought. Alternatively, it might signify Ahav’s...
Ahav's "Return" to the Scene
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
Source:
Ahav’s sudden reappearance at the conclusion of the challenge implies his passiveness throughout the challenge and the killing of the prophets of Ba’al....
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
Source:
“The Lord is God” is the nation’s response to the universal element of the challenge. The capturing of the prophets of Ba’al is their response to the...
"To Whom Shall You Compare Me, That I Shall Equal Him? ֠Says the Holy One"
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
Source:
The use of three Leading Words in the narrative leading up to the climax and their absence in the narrative after the climax makes subtle points of...
Eliyahu's Prayer (Part 4)
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
Source:
Content, style and structure come together to emphasize that the verse describing the descent of the fire of God to Eliyahu’s Altar is the climax of the...
