Agada, Elijah Stories
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Eliyahu Hanavi, Elijah the Prophet in the Agadah, the Stories of the Talmud Biblical background.... He revived the dead, brought and prevented rain, ascended to heaven, made food appear, went to Sinai... very zealous for G-d and His covenant. Elijah in the Talmud Source of Escoteric Knowledge Yoma 19b AND THEY WOULD KEEP HIM AMUSED UNTIL THE TIME FOR THE SLAUGHTERINGWOULD APPROACH. A Tanna taught: They kept him amused neither with the harp nor with the lyre, but with the mouth. What were they singing? Except the Lord build a house, they labour in vain that build it. Some of the worthiest of Jerusalem did not go to sleep all the night in order that the high priest might hear the reverberating noise, so that sleep should not overcome him suddenly. Ithas been taught: Abba Saul said: Also in the country they used to do so in memory of theTemple, but they used to commit sin. Abaye, or, as some say, R. Nahman b. Isaac, interpreted that to refer to Nehardea. For Elijah said to Rab Judah, the brother of R. Sila the Pious: You have said:Why has not Messiah come? Now to-day is the Day of Atonement and yet how many virgins were embraced in Nehardea! He answered: What did the Holy One, blessed be He, say? — He answered: Sin coucheth at the door. — What about Satan? — He answered: Satan has no permission to act asaccuser on the Day of Atonement. Whence [is that derived]? — Rama b. Hama said: Hasatan innumerical value is three hundred and sixty-four, that means: on three hundred and sixty-four days he has permission to act as accuser, but on the Day of Atonement he has no permission to act asaccuser. `ed ixetikc `nei `pci`d `de ,giyn iz` `l i`n` ezixn` ,`ciqg `lq axc deg` dcedi axl edil` dil xn`c (a hi `nei) ...uaex z`hg gztl dil xn` ,xn` i`n d"awd dil xn` .`rcxdpa `zleza dnk lera`e Taanit 22a Rabbi Beroka Hoza'ah (Khuzistan) used to frequent the market at Be Lapat where Elijah often appeared to him.Once he asked [the prophet], is there any one in this market who has a share in the world to come? He replied, No. Meanwhile he caught sight of a man wearing black shoes and who had no thread of blue on the corners of his garment and he exclaimed, This man has a share in the world to come. He [R. Beroka] ran after him and asked him, What is your occupation? And the man replied: Go away and come back tomorrow. Next day he asked him again, What is your occupation? And he replied: I am a jailer and I keep the men and women separate and I place my bed between them so that they may not come to sin; when I see a Jewish girl upon whom the Gentiles cast their eyes I risk my life and save her. Once there was amongst us a betrothed girl upon whom the Gentiles cast their eyes. Itherefore took lees of [red] wine and put them in her skirt and I told them that she was unclean. [R.Beroka further] asked the man, Why have you no fringes and why do you wear black shoes? He replied: That the Gentiles amongst whom I constantly move may not know that I am a Jew, so that when a harsh decree is made [against Jews] I inform the rabbis and they pray [to God] and the decree is annulled. He further asked him, When I asked you, What is your occupation, why did you say to me, Go away now and come back tomorrow? He answered, They had just issued a harsh decree and I said I would first go and acquaint the rabbis of it so that they might pray to God. Whilst [they were thus conversing] two [men] passed by and [Elijah] remarked, These two have a share in the world to come. R. Beroka then approached and asked them, What is your occupation?They replied, We are jesters, when we see men depressed we cheer them up; furthermore when wesee two people quarrelling we strive hard to make peace between them. ,iz`c `nlr xa `wey i`da `ki` dil xn` ,diab edil` giky ded ,htl iac `weya giky ded d`feg `wexa 'x `le ,(micedid bdpnk `ly ,zexegy milrp) inke` ip`qn miiq dedc `xab `eddl `fg ikde ikdc` ,`l dil xn` (` ak ziprz) ...`ed iz`c `nlr xa i`d dil xn` ,dinilba `zlkzc `heg inx Source of Torah Knowledge, Divine torah study Talmud Megilah 15b i`pz edlekk dil xn` ,(ond z` dpinfdy) ikd `care xzq` `ifg o`nk dil xn` ,edil`l dea` xa dax digky` (a eh dlibn) .i`xen` edlekke Esther said to the King: Let the king and Haman come unto the banquet. Our Rabbis taught: What was Esther's reason for inviting Haman? — Rabbi Eleazar said, She set a trap for him, as it says. Let their table before them become a snare. Rabbi Joshua said: She learnt to do so from her father's house, as it says. If thine enemy be hungry give him bread to eat, etc. Rabbi Meir said, So that he should not form a conspiracy and rebel. Rabbi Judah said: So that they should not discover that she was a Jewess. Rabbi Nehemiah said: So that Israel should not say, We have a sister in the palace, and so should neglect [to pray for] mercy. Rabbi Jose said: So that he should always be at hand for her. Rabbi Simeon b.Menassiah said: [She said], Perhaps the Omnipresent will notice and do a miracle for us. Rabbi Joshua b. Korha said: [She said], I will encourage him so that he may be killed, both he and I. RabbanGamaliel said: [She said]. Ahasuerus is a changeable king. Said R. Gamaliel: We still require the Modean, as it has been taught: R. Eliezer of Modi'im says, She made the king jealous of him and she made the princes jealous of him. Rabbah said: [She said], Pride goeth before destruction. Abaye and Raba gave the same reason, saying: [She said], With their poison I will prepare their feast. Rabbah b. Abbuha came across Elijah and said to him, Which of these reasons prompted Esther to act as she did? He replied: [All] the reasons given by all the Tannaim and all the Amoraim. xfgy cnln ,iper xeka jizxga sqka `le jiztxv dpd aizkc i`n xfrl` 'xl l"`e ,id id xal edil` dil xn` (a h dbibg) .zeipr `l` `vn `le l`xyil ozil zeaeh zecn lk lr d"awd Talmud Hagigah 15b opax edlekc ediinetn `zrny xn`w il xn` ,d"awd ciar `w i`n dil xn` ,edil`l `liy xa dax digky` (a eh my) ...xn`w `l xi`n 'xc dinetne Rabbah b. Shila [once] met Elijah. He said to him: What is the Holy One, blessed be He, doing? He answered: He utters traditions in the name of all the Rabbis, but in the name of R. Meir he does not utter. Rabbah asked him, Why? — Because he learnt traditions at the mouth of Aher. Said[Rabbah] to him: But why? R. Meir found a pomegranate; he ate [the fruit] within it, and the peel he threw away! He answered: Now He says: Meir my son says: When a man suffers, to what expression does the Shechinah give utterance? ‘My head is heavy, my arm is heavy’. If the HolyOne, blessed be He, is thus grieved over the blood of the wicked, how much more so over the blood of the righteous that is shed. Talmud Ketubot 106a Thereupon he sent him to R. Nahman to whom he also dispatched [the following message:] ‘Will the Master try [the action of] this man, for I, Anan, am disqualified from acting as judge for him’. ‘Since he has sent me such a message’, [R. Nahman] thought, ‘he must be his relative’ — An orphans’ lawsuit was then in progress before him; and he reflected: The one is a positive precept and the other is also a positive precept. but the positive precept of shewing respect for the Torah must take precedence. He, therefore, postponed the orphans’ case and brought up that man's suit. When the other party noticed the honour he was shewing him he remained speechless. (he lost his gumption) [Until that happened] Elijah was a frequent visitor of R. Anan whom he was teaching the Order of Elijah. but as soon as he acted in the manner described [Elijah] stayed away. He Spent his time in fasting, and in prayers for [God's] mercy, [until Elijah] came to him again; but when he appeared he greatly frightened him. Thereupon he made a box [for himself] and in it he sat before him until he concluded his Order with him. And this is [the reason] why people speak of the Seder Eliyyahu Rabbah and the Seder Eliyyahu Zuta (big or small). `rae `ziprza aizi ,wlzqi` ikd carc oeik ,edil`c xcq dil ipzn dedc diab iz`c edil` libx ded opr ax epiide ,dixciq dil wit`c cr dinw aizie `zeaiz care ,(elidad) izera dil ziran ded `z` ik ,`z`e ingx (` ew my) .`hef edil` xcq ,(daizl uegn cnly) dax edil`c xcq ixn`c Talmud Gittin 6b Commenting on the text, And his concubine played the harlot against him, R. Abiathar said that the Levite found a fly with her, and R. Jonathan aid that he found a hair on her.