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Daf Ditty 13: Elijah not welcome Erev Shabbes

If your dispersed ones will be unto the end of the heaven, from there the Memra (Logion) of the Lord your God shall gather you by the hand of Elijah, the high priest and from there He shall bring you near by the hand of the King Messiah

Targum Ps.-Jonathan to Deut 30:4

not a crumb of leavened or unleavened bread and no fell

no water sprang out of the bunker’s wall the last potato was gone

we sat and we munched chunks of potato-peels more bitter than herbs

we didn’t dare to sing and open the door for Elijah

we huddled and prayed while pillars of clouds massed above our heads

and pillars of fire loomed like blazing traps

Passover Night 1942 by Yala Korwin

1

And if you wish, say instead: When Rav said that the is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, he ruled in accordance with the opinion of this tanna, as it was taught in a baraita: With regard to the fourteenth of that occurs on , one does not remove leaven on eve in the usual manner. Rather, one removes everything leavened before Shabbat, and one burns ritually impure teruma: Teruma in abeyance, whose purity is uncertain, and even any pure teruma that he does not require for his . And one leaves from the pure leaven food for two meals, the meal at night and the one in the morning, in

2 order to eat and finish until four hours of Shabbat morning. This is the statement of Rabbi Elazar ben Yehuda of Bartota, who said it in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua.

The Sages said to him: One should not burn pure teruma, as perhaps those who can eat it will be found on Shabbat, and he will have retroactively violated a prohibition by burning pure teruma unnecessarily. Instead, one places the teruma aside, and if no one is found to eat it, he feeds it to the dogs or renders it null and void in his heart. He said to them: They already sought people to eat the teruma and they did not find any other priests in the city to eat it. They said to him: Perhaps those priests who could eat the teruma on that Shabbat slept outside the wall of the city and will enter the city on Shabbat morning, at which point they could eat the teruma.

He said to the Sages: According to your statement, that you take into account this unlikely scenario, one should not even burn teruma in abeyance, as perhaps Elijah the Prophet will come on Shabbat and establish prophetically that the teruma is not ritually impure, and render it ritually pure. They said to him: That possibility is no source of concern, as the Jewish people have already been assured that Elijah will come neither on a Friday nor on the eve of a Festival, due to the exertion involved preparing for the upcoming holy day. Consequently, Elijah will certainly come neither on Friday, nor on Shabbat itself, which is Passover eve.

RASHI

Summary

3 There is a dispute regarding the fourteenth of Nissan that falls on Shabbos whether terumah that is tahor should be burned.

If the fourteenth of Nissan falls on Shabbos, Rabbi Elazar ben Bartosa said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua that we eliminate all before Shabbos, and we burn foods of terumah that are tamei, suspended or tahor. From the food that is tahor we leave over food that is enough for two Shabbos meals which one can eat for the first four hours of the day.

The Chachamim disagree and they maintain that the terumah that is tahor should not be burned on the thirteenth of Nissan, because he can feed the terumah to guests who are Kohanim, and if there are no guests, he can feed the terumah to dogs owned by Kohanim on Shabbos or he can nullify the chametz. Even if no guests are found, there may be guests who stayed outside the walls of the city but who are within the two-thousand-amah techum of the city and they are permitted to walk into town. Rabbi Elazar ben Yehudah countered that if this is the case, then even foods that were suspended should not be burned, because Eliyahu may arrive and he will rule that the foods are tahor.

The Chachamim, however, maintain that Eliyahu does not arrive on the eve of Shabbos or Yom Tov because the Jewish People are preoccupied with their Shabbos or Yom Tov preparations. The Halacha follows the opinion of Rabbi Elazar ben Yehudah. (13a) 4. A man deposited chametz with Yochanan Chakukaah and mice pierced the bag and Rebbe told Yochanan to sell the chametz in the market.

A man deposited a bag full of chametz with Yochanan Chakukaah. The eve of Pesach arrived, and mice had pierced the bag and the chametz was flowing out. Yochanan came before Rebbe to inquire if he should sell the chametz as it had minimal value at that time. The first four hours Rebbe told Yochanan to wait, and in the fifth hour Rebbe told Yochanan to sell the chametz in the market. This is in accordance with the opinion of , who maintains that chametz is permitted in the fifth hour, but Yochanan could not take the chametz for himself as this would arouse suspicion.

Destroying Tithe

Our Daf quotes a baraita that brings the teaching of Rabbi Elazar ben Yehuda ish Bartota in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua regarding erev Pesah that falls on Shabbat. In such a case the hametz must be destroyed on Friday, leaving just enough for the Shabbat meal.

Rabbi Elazar taught that all hametz should be burned on Friday, including tithes – whether or not they were tahor (ritually pure) – and food for two meals on Shabbat should be left from non- teruma hametz that must be finished before four hours into the day on Shabbat morning.

The baraita records the following conversation that took place in response to Rabbi Elazar’s teaching:

4 Q. Why should the tithes be burned on Friday? Perhaps we will find kohanim on Shabbat who could have eaten them, and it will turn out that the tithes were burned for no reason, which is forbidden? A. Before burning them we looked for people who could eat the tithes, and did not find anyone.

Q. Perhaps there are such kohanim that slept outside the walls of , and tomorrow they will enter the city?

A. Were we to worry that someone might come tomorrow, then we should also refrain from burning teruma that is a safek (doubt), i.e. that we are unsure about its status since it may have become tameh (ritually defiled), because perhaps Eliyahu ha-Navi will come tomorrow (Shabbat) to herald the arrival of the Messiah, and he will be able to tell us whether the teruma became tameh or not.

They said to him: That possibility is no source of concern, as the Jewish people have already been assured that Elijah will come neither on a Friday nor on the eve of a Festival, due to the exertion involved preparing for the upcoming holy day. Consequently, Elijah will certainly come neither on Friday, nor on Shabbat itself, which is Passover eve.

According to tradition, Eliyahu will not come to rule with regard to questions of halakha. Nevertheless, the case of teruma that may have become tameh can be resolved by Eliyahu because it is a question of establishing the facts in a specific case, not a question of establishing a halakhic ruling.

While the baraita discusses whether or not it is appropriate to burn teruma on the day before erev Pesah, it does not deal directly with the question of burning regular hametz (). According to many the conclusion that needs to be reached is obvious – if we can burn teruma, then we can certainly burn hullin. Some argue, however, that we are allowed to burn the teruma only because it is available solely to a limited number of people – namely, kohanim – to eat.

Hullin, however, can be eaten by anyone, so it is likely that someone will come tomorrow who would be willing to eat the hametz. Therefore, we should not destroy it until the latest possible time.

Dr Ariel writes:1

Classical Jewish texts depict a Messiah who will come to redeem the Jewish people, gather the exiled to the land of , and rule over a prosperous nation, and relate other more detailed (and diverse) traditions about the Messiah’s arrival as well as the conditions of the messianic era.2

The Arrival of the Messiah

1 https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-messianic-age-in-judaism/ 2 Excerpted and reprinted with the permission of Schocken Books, a division of Random House, Inc., from What Do Believe?

5 The rabbis speculated on the conditions under which the Messiah was likely to appear.

He will not arrive on the , since that would require people to violate the Sabbath in welcoming him [Babylonian Pesahim 13a]. [The prophet] Elijah [who is supposed to usher in the messianic age] will arrive no later in the week than Thursday, leaving room for the Messiah to arrive by Friday. Elijah will announce the arrival of the Messiah from Mount Carmel in the [ Pesahim 3:6].

Many rabbis believed that the Messiah would arrive suddenly on the eve of Passover, the first redemption, which serves as a model of the final redemption [Mekilta de-, Pischa 14].

Corruption and Degradation Will Precede Redemption

One statement from the time of the rabbis describes the era leading up to the Messiah in the darkest terms of societal corruption:

“In the footsteps of the Messiah, arrogance [chutzpah] will increase; prices will rise; grapes will be abundant but wine will be costly; the government will turn into heresy; and there will be no reproach. The meeting place [of scholars] will become a bordello; the Galilee will be destroyed; the highland will lie desolate; the border people will wander from city to city and none will show them compassion; the wisdom of authors will stink; sin-fearing people will be detested; truth will be missing; young men will humiliate the elderly; the elderly will stand while the young sit; sons will revile their fathers; daughters will strike their mothers, brides will strike their mothers-in-law; and a man’s enemies will take over his house. The face of the generation is like the face of a dog! Sons have no shame in front of their fathers; and on whom can one depend? Only upon our father in heaven [ 9:15].”

This era will be characterized by God’s war against Gog and Magog and other catastrophic events. Another statement, which may date from the time of the Hadrianic persecutions (132-35 C.E.), offers the dark assessment that the Messiah will arrive in a period when Jews collaborate with their enemies, Torah learning disappears, poverty increases, and religious despair deepens:

“The son of David will not arrive until informers are everywhere. Another view: Until there are few students left. Another view: Until the last coin is gone from the pocket. Another view: Until people despair of redemption…as if there is no support or help for Israel [BT 97a].”

Some sages predicted that the Messiah would not arrive until Israel observed the commandments more fully:

“Rabbi Judah said in the name of Rav: If all Israel had observed the very first Sabbath, no nation or tongue would have ever ruled over her…Rabbi Yohanan said, following Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai: Were Israel to observe two punctiliously, they would be redeemed immediately [BT Shabbat 118b].”

6 Some rabbis believed that the arrival of the Messiah had no relation either to political and societal events or to individual actions. They believed that there were a finite number of souls destined to enter the world and reside within human bodies. When the supply of fresh souls was exhausted, the Messiah would arrive [BT 62a;BT 5a;BT 13b] […]

Converting to in the Messianic Age

A central question that preoccupied the rabbis was how the messianic age would differ from the present age.

One concern was that many would convert to Judaism at the last moment just in order to participate in the new age. Some sages concluded, therefore, that “converts are not received in the days of the Messiah,” just as they were not welcome in the days of David and Solomon [BT Yevamot 24b].

A dispute arose among the rabbinic sages about the desirability of encouraging Gentiles to convert to Judaism. While most welcomed converts, others raised doubts about their sincerity. Rabbi Helbo, who mistrusted the sincerity of converts, stated that “converts are more difficult for Israel than a sore [BT Niddah 13b].” Others suspected that converts might not remain loyal during the messianic era. They decided that converts could be accepted, but with difficulty because they were likely to revert to their former ways in the heat of the messianic upheavals [BT Avodah Zarah 3b].

Specific Features of the Messianic Age

Foreign nations would not be obliterated in the messianic era. Nations such as Rome would come to the Messiah to pay tribute to him, but their appeals for favor would be rejected [BTPesahim 118b].

Some rabbis faced the messianic age with anticipation, others with dread. One viewpoint suggested that knowledge of Torah would continue to decline in the messianic age: “A bad announcement was conveyed to Israel at that moment. In the future, the Torah will be forgotten [Mekilta de-Rabbi Ishmael, Pischa 12].”

Others forecast that in “the future era, the and academies of will be transported to the Land of Israel [BT 29a].”

Still others held that humans would take on a new appearance: some thought that man would achieve a height of 160 feet, while another suggested he might double that. There is no suggestion that the Messiah himself is a wonder worker, but many sages believed that the messianic age would be a time of wonders. Women would give birth painlessly, hens lay eggs continuously, and food appear in abundance [BT Shabbat 30b].

There were controversies about the nature of the messianic era. Followers of the sage maintained that it would be similar to their own era, except that the Jewish people would be returned to Israel and the Davidic monarchy restored. Samuel saw “no difference between this world and the messianic age other than subjugation to dispersions [BT Shabbat 63a].”

7

Others, such as Rabbi Eliezer, believed that the next era would be unprecedented and qualitatively different. This debate represented the two poles of Jewish belief about the messianic era. One view sees it in terms of normal human existence under conditions of Jewish political independence; the other as something wholly new that defies prediction.

During the messianic era, the Messiah will reign victorious and rebuild the Temple. He will restore the priesthood to the Temple, and the traditional sacrifices will be reinstated. The return to the golden age of the Jewish people will be complete. Many popular Jewish prayers express this messianic longing for the rebuilding of the Temple and above all for the return to Zion. Perhaps even more than the coming of the Messiah, traditional Judaism has sought this dream of the return to Zion.

The Jewish people will be complete.

Many popular Jewish prayers express this messianic longing for the rebuilding of the Temple and above all for the return to Zion. Perhaps even more than the coming of the Messiah, traditional Judaism has sought this dream of the return to Zion.

Too Busy for Mashiach

Rabbi Jay Kelman writes:3

3 https://www.torahinmotion.org/discussions-and-blogs/eiruvin-43a-too-busy-mashiach

8

One of the educational goals of the Sages--especially as the exile wore on--was was to instill a belief in the coming of the Mashiach. They did so by the use of such terms as, "it shall be put aside until Eliyahu comes", used in unresolvable monetary disputes; or Teiku, which literally means that the issue shall stand [unanswered], becoming an acronym for Tishbi yetaretz kushiot vbaayot ("Eliyahu will resolve questions and problems").

These terms resonated with faith and hope for the future. They could not be meant literally, as a prophet may not be called upon to resolve disputes of Jewish law. That is the realm of our Sages, who must rely on their intellect and not on the word of G-d. Eliyahu is not coming to "make pure and impure...but rather to bring peace to the world, as it says: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord; and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers" (Malachai 3:23- 24; Mishna 8:7).

The fourth chapter or Eiruvin has as its main theme the issue of techumim, the restriction on traveling more than 2,000 amot outside the city limits, and the mechanism by which we can double that limit. In discussing its many details, the Talmud (Eiruvin 43a) raises the question as to whether the prohibition of travelling beyond the techum applies if someone is travelling at a height of more than 10 handbreadths (approximately 1 metre) above ground level[1]. In an era before plane travel, the Talmud explains that this could happen one of two ways: either a person could have kefizat haderech-i.e., he could high-jump his way to his destination--or, more simply, he could travel on a boat that rides high above the waterline.

In debating this issue, the Talmud records the case of one who takes a vow to become a on the day when the "son of David" (Mashiach) comes; perhaps he is afraid of getting drunk from joy upon Mashiach's arrival, and needs the power of a vow to stop himself. The Talmud rules that it would be permissible to drink wine on Shabbat and Yom Tov, but wine would be forbidden on weekdays. The deduces that it must be that the law of techumim does apply, even at a height of more than 10 handbreadths--thus making it impossible for the Mashiach to come on Shabbat, as he will be coming from outside the techum. Therefore, since the Mashiach can't come on Shabbat due to his inability to travel, the one who took the vow may drink all the wine he wants.

The Gemara rejects this line of reasoning. Maybe the laws of techumim do not apply, and the Mashiach could travel and, in theory, arrive on Shabbat.

However, we have a tradition that Eliyahu Hanavi will come the day before, to announce the coming of the Mashiach on the morrow. Since Eliyahu did not come on Friday, we can rest assured that Mashiach will not come on Shabbat; and hence, the potential Nazir can drink all the wine they desire. Of course, the Gemara notes that this advance warning should also apply on a weekday; so why not allow one to drink wine at all times? As long as Eliyahu did not come yesterday, the one who took the vow can surely drink wine today.

The Gemara responds that perhaps, Eliyahu will come and appear before the beit din hagadol (Supreme Court), but most will still be unaware of his arrival. While it is true that Eliyahu

9 could come quietly on a Friday, "it has already been promised to the Jewish people that Eliyahu will not come on the eve of Shabbat, and not on the eve of Yom Tov, because of the burden". People are busy on Fridays, and erev Yom Tov is a very inconvenient time to have to greet Eliyahu and prepare for the Mashiach (wow!!).

So, while the laws of techumim may not apply, there is no worry that Eliyahu will come on Friday to herald the arrival of the Mashiach on Shabbat; and hence, the one who took the vow can drink wine to his heart's content.4

This, to me, is a most fascinating passage. What appears to be a technical discussion about the laws of walking on Shabbat and a potential Nazir drinking wine turns into a conversation about redemption, peace, and the coming together of the generations.

Morris Faierstein writes:5

In the talmudic-midrashic literature, traditions about Elijah and the future return of Elijah are widely found.6

Almost all scholars who have written on Elijah as fore- runner have cited the talmudic-midrashic Elijah passages. Rather than dealing with each text separately, which would be cumbersome, we will deal with the whole corpus of return of Elijah traditions in the talmudic-midrashic literature. In the majority of rabbinic texts which refer to Elijah's return his task is to resolve those questions and halachic problems which the rabbis could not agree upon or for which they had no answer. This concept is epitomized by the term teyqtP6 which ends eighteen talmudic discussions.47 Teyqu came to mean "the Tishbyite will resolve difficul- ties and problems."

More explicit statements such as "Let it be left until Elijah comes"48 or "Let no one touch them until Elijah comes"49 are also found in talmudic literature.50 In the last of tractate Edduyoth (8:7), which Klausner considers "the principal passage concerning the mission of Elijah in the Messianic age,"51 Elijah also acts as the ultimate arbiter. He is to decide questions of genealogy and the ritual purity of certain families. In addition to being the final arbiter, Elijah has other functions. In one tradition he will be responsible for the resurrection of the dead,52 and in another he will restore three vials containing the manna, oil for anointing, and water for purifying menstruous women.53

In these passages there is no mention of the Messiah or of the relation between the return of Elijah and the coming of the Messiah. There is a belief that the return of Elijah will be one of the features

4 Most fascinatingly, the Gemara says that such reasoning does not apply to the Mashiach himself. Once he arrives, other nations will seek to become our servants and will gladly take care of all necessary preparations, allowing us to greet the Mashiach.

5 https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/3265536.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A80cc85b2af19b232629f9eea3f32b502 Why do the Scribes Say That Elijah Must Come First Morris M. Faierstein Journal of Biblical Literature Vol. 100, No. 1 (Mar., 1981)

6 These traditions have been collected by M. Friedmann (Ish-),43 S. M. Segal,44 and Strack- Billerbeck.45

10 of the messianic age, but his return is independent of the Messiah's coming. That is, there is no reason why the Messiah cannot come before Elijah. Indeed, the tenor of these passages is that the Messiah will come before the return of Elijah. There is only one passage in talmudic-midrashic literature which knows of the concept that Elijah will herald the coming of the Messiah.

In an anonymous baraitha54 we find the following:7

Come and hear: [If a man said] Let me be a on the day which the son of David comes,55 he may drink wine on Sabbaths and festival days, [43b] but it is forbidden to drink wine on any of the weekdays. Now, if it is granted that the law of Sabbath limits is applicable, it is quite intelligible why the man is permitted [to drink wine] on Sabbaths and festival days; but if it be contended that the law of Sabbath limits is inapplicable why [it may be asked] is it permitted [for the man to drink wine] on Sabbaths and festival days?-There the case is different since Scripture said, Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet etc. and Elijah surely did not come on the previous day. If so, even in the case of weekdays, [the drinking of wine] should be permitted on any day since Elijah did not come assume that he appeared before the high court, then why should we not here also assume that he appeared before the high court?-Israel has long ago been assured that Elijah would not come either on Sabbath eves or on festival eves owing to the people's pre-occupation. Assuming that as Elijah would not come the Messiah also would not come, why should not [the drinking of wine] be permitted on a Sabbath eve?-Elijah would not, but the Messiah might come because the moment the Messiah comes all will be anxious to serve Israel.5

It is questionable whether this one passing reference can be seen as significant support for the Elijah as forerunner hypothesis. The evidence this text provides is both scanty and contradictory. Its existence must be noted, but it is too flimsy a foundation on which to support the idea that Elijah as forerunner of the Messiah was widely known or accepted in rabbinic circles. The discussion about this passage is best ended with teyqu, it stands unresolved.

The other references to Elijah as forerunner of the Messiah are found in midrashim edited after the close of the talmudic canon (500 C.E.). In Pesiqta Rabbati, a medieval on the festivals, a statement is found that "three days before the Messiah comes, Elijah will come and stand upon the mountains of Israel and weep and lament upon them."57 A similar sentiment is expressed in Pirqe de Rabbi Eliezar, a midrash edited in the eighth century C.E. Here we read that Israel will not be redeemed until they repent, and they will not do the great penance until Elijah returns.58 As with the targumic material there is no reliable way of dating these traditions independently of the texts in which they are found. They must therefore be set aside evidence for the Elijah as forerunner hypothesis, since these texts, in their present form, are too late to reflect accurately traditions current in the first century.

In our search through the talmudic-midrashic literature we have found only three statements which know of the concept that Elijah will be the forerunner of the Messiah. Of these, two must be excluded from consideration because of the late date of the texts in which they are found. These

7 in b. Erubin 43a-b

11 are the passages in Pesiqta Rabbita and Pirqe de Rabbi Eliezer, leaving us with the one passage in b. Erubin 43a-b. From this one statement we can conclude that this idea was known in some rabbinic circles, yet it does not tell us how widely this idea was known or accepted. From its context, a passing reference in a debate on the laws of Sabbath limits (Erubin) which have no eschatological import, significant conclusions may not be drawn. The evidence is scanty and can be twisted in opposite directions.

The relative silence of the rabbinic sources which have been preserved tends toward the negative conclusion that the idea of Elijah as forerunner of the Messiah was not widely known or accepted in rabbinic circles. On the other hand, the rabbinic dictum which says, "'we have not seen it' is not acceptable as proof '67 must be kept in mind. That a specific tradition has not been preserved in a given source or preserved only in one place is not conclusive proof that it was not more widely known.8

8 Elijah the Prophet: The Guard Dog of Israel Chana Shacham-Rosby, Jewish History volume 30, pages165–182(2016)

12

Why Sing About Elijah After Shabbat?

Orach Chayim 295

RAMA: And it is our custom to say and to remember Elijah the Prophet on Motzei Shabbos, to pray that he will come and announce the redemption. (Tur)

13 Yehuda Shurpin writes:

There is a widespread custom to sing hymns or at least make mention of the prophet Elijah on motzei Shabbat (Saturday night). As the Code of Jewish Law (above) describes, by mentioning Elijah’s name, we are praying that he “come and proclaim the redemption.”1 But what is the connection between Elijah the Prophet and Saturday night?

First Chance to Come

The basic rationale is that Elijah the Prophet is described by the prophet Malachi as the harbinger of the arrival of Moshiach and the final redemption.2

The Talmud states that Elijah will not come on a Friday so as not to disturb the Jewish people while they are in the midst of their Shabbat prep.3 Additionally, there is a prohibition against traveling beyond a certain limit on Shabbat (, 2,000 amot outside of the city), and according to the view that this applies to non-terrestrial journeys as well (i.e., traveling higher than ten handbreadths off the ground), Elijah could not come on Shabbat either.4

Based on this, once Shabbat has passed, and Elijah can come once again, we mention his name as a prayer that he should indeed come and announce the redemption.5

Interestingly, the Rebbe challenged the notion that Elijah cannot come on Shabbat. He noted that if one took a Nazirite vow to start on the day that Moshiach comes, he could be a Nazir on Shabbat as well,6 indicating that Moshiach (who follows Elijah) could possibly come on this day.

In a fascinating exchange with Rabbi Pinchas Menachem Alter (later to become the Rebbe of Gur) the Rebbe noted that we pray for Moshiach to come each day, including Shabbat. When asked how that fits in with the above statements about Elijah’s coming, the Lubavitcher Rebbe replied that Elijah is destined to answer many of the outstanding complicated questions that the sages have.7 “Certainly he will be able to come [on Shabbat] and answer how it fits as well.”

Regarding the tradition that Moshiach would not come on Friday, the Rebbe commented: “Certainly the Jews won’t have any complaints if he did come on erev Shabbat, even if it means that they will prepare less food for Shabbat.”

Rabbi Pinchas Menachem replied (and the Rebbe agreed) that it is not only the Jews who are in exile; G-d, too, is in exile, and He certainly would not have any complaints if Elijah came on erev Shabbat!8

He Who Sings Praise Under the Tree

Another reason given for this custom is that it is brought in the name of the Midrash that every motzei Shabbat, Elijah enters the Garden of Eden, sits beneath the Tree of Life, and records the merits of the Jews, especially the merits of those who were careful to keep Shabbat holy.9

14 Making Differentiations

Havdalah, the prayer that demarcates the end of Shabbat and the start of the work week, means “separation.” Indeed, its text praises G-d who “separates between the holy and the mundane, between light and dark, between Israel and the nations, between the seventh day and the six days of activity.”

This connects to Elijah, who according to some opinions,10 will be tasked with differentiating and clarifying the lineage of Jewish families.11

One More Shabbat and Moshaich Will Come

According to tradition, if all Jews keep just one Shabbat, Moshiach will come. Thus, at the conclusion of Shabbat, we turn to G-d saying: We kept Shabbat, now please send Elijah to herald the redemption.

What to Say

There are different customs regarding how the name of Elijah is invoked. Some say his name a certain number of times (e.g., they say “Eliyahu Hanavi'' 40 times, “Eliyahu Hatishbi” 40 times, “Eliyahu Hagiladi” 40 times, and then recite each one again three times, concluding with “Eliyahu Hanavi,” for a total of 130 times. They then conclude with “bimiheira yavo eileinu im Moshiach ben David,” “he will speedily come to us with Moshiach ben David”).12 Others recite every verse in Scripture that mentions him by name,13 while many simply sing or recite a hymn that mentions his name. Mentioning Elijah on motzei Shabbat is said to be a remedy (segulah) for forgetfulness and brings forth blessings for a successful week.14

Of course, the main point is that we start off the weekday with a fervent prayer that Elijah herald the final Redemption. May it be speedily in our days!

FOOTNOTES 1. , Orach Chaim 295. Shulchan Aruch Harav, Orach Chaim 295:5. 2. See Malachi 3:23. 3. Talmud, 43b. 4. Ibid. 5. Tur, Orach Chaim 295; Magen Avraham, Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 295:1; Shulchan Aruch Harav, Orach Chaim 295:5. 6. See , Hilchot Nezirut 4:11. 7. See Zohar 28a and Shalah, Torah Shebaal Peh, Tav. 8. See Torat Menachem 5742, vol. 2, p. 674; for more on this, see Shaarei Geulah, vol. 1, ch. 7. 9. Shabbat quoted in Elya Raba 295:9; Kaf Hachaim 295:19.

15 10. Others however write that that will not be the reason for his coming, rather it will be to establish peace within the world (See Mishnah Ediyot 8:7; Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Melachim 12:2). 11. Abudraham, Seder Tefilot Lemotzai Shabbat. 12. See Elya Rabbah 295:7; see also Kaf Hachaim 295:20 and Ketzot Hashulchan 100, fn. 3. 13. See Tur, Orach Chaim 299. 14. Ibid.

Pennina Schram writes:9

Many years ago, it happened that there was a good couple who lived in Baghdad. The husband studied Torah and performed mitzvot, giving charity to the poor and helping whoever needed work. The wife, too, was a good woman, distributing charity and offering hospitality to anyone who knocked on their door. They had one son, and the parents taught him the ways of God and to follow the Commandments, as they did.

When the son grew old enough to marry, his parent arranged a marriage with a good family who had a beautiful and learned daughter. At the wedding, everyone, the rich and the poor, were invited to celebrate in the simchah.

However, as time went on, the couple still had no child. It was hard for them to see other young couples with their babies. At night they wept bitter tears because they had no child to hold in their arms. During the day they saw the looks of pity in the faces of the people, and they would go out into the marketplace or only when it was necessary.

It was soon to be Pesach. They prepared everything according to the tradition. On the night of the first seder, they read the . As she heard the words of from Egypt, the wife began to cry. Her husband looked up and saw her tears, and he understood why she was weeping. He spoke gentle words to her and, as he had said to her often before, he once again repeated, "My wife, do not worry. HaKadosh Barukhu, the Holy One Blessed Be He, will not forget us. We will have a child."

Suddenly they heard a tapping at the door. When the husband opened the door, they saw a weary traveler. Without hesitation, the couple invited this old man to enter and to join them for the seder. They sat and recited the Haggadah together and ate together, enjoying a lively discussion about the story of the Exodus.

When the old man got up to leave, the couple invited him to stay the night. But he insisted that he had to leave. And as he rose from his place, he did not thank the couple but spoke these words

9 "A Blessing in Disguise" from 'Tales of Elijah the Prophet' by Peninnah Schram, pages 133-135

16 instead: "I asked HaKadosh Barukhu that I may merit to visit you next Pesach at the seder and that your table will be filled with disorder at the time."

The couple was astonished at this and even somewhat angry that this traveler would say such an ungracious "thank you." However, they did not want to offend him, since he was their guest and they had offered him hospitality with their whole hearts, without a thought for a reward or a "thank you."

Soon after Pesach, the wife knew that she was expecting a child. A beautiful child was born three months before the next Pesach, and they knew great joy.

When Pesach arrived, the couple once again sat down to begin the seder and the reading of the Haggadah. This time they held a baby on their laps, and the child behaved like all children do. He wiggled and laughed, he reached for the glass of wine, and he pulled at the tablecloth, he tore a page from the Haggadah, and he squealed when he threw a plate down. And what did the parents do? They behaved like all new parents. They laughed with joy, and watched with laughter, and spoke with delight at their child's "work." And the seder was in disorder and certainly not b'seder.

Suddenly there was again a tapping on the door. And when they opened the door, the couple saw the same traveler who had come the year before. They recognized him and again invited him in. But suddenly, as they stared at the man and also at the table, they recalled his words, his "thank you," and understood for the first time that those words had really been a blessing.

The couple began to talk at the same time, thanking the old man for his blessing, which had come true, and asking for forgiveness because they had regarded his words in a different light.

And the old man smiled with a beautiful smile and said, "There is no need to ask my forgiveness. How could you have understood my words at the time? May you be worthy to bring your child to study Torah and do good deeds and to bring your child to the ."

And the old man disappeared.

Then the couple understood that the traveler had been the Prophet Elijah, may his name be remembered for good.

17 “Eli Eliyahu:” The Piyyut and its Melodies

Adi Koren, Or Dotan, Avigail Harel, Nave Klil Hachoresh, Clement Robert, Courtney Blue, Yaniv Dery, Noam Peleg, Sonja Wiedemann write:10 The piyyut “Eli Eliyahu” is attributed to Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra, considered one of the last great poets of the Spanish “Golden Age” of Hebrew poetry. Ibn Ezra was born in Tudela, Spain in 1089 and died around 1164. During these years there were wars and vicissitudes in Spain which greatly affected the Jewish communities there. In 1140 Ibn Ezra immigrated to Italy, and from there to France and to other parts of Christian Europe. Toward the end of his life he wandered to England, and most likely passed away there. Throughout his traveling years in various locales, Ibn Ezra wrote Biblical commentary, poetry, research on Hebrew grammar, writings concerning Jewish thought (including philosophy and various scientific fields) and also translated important books of the time into Hebrew.[1] Performance Context “Eli Eliyahu” is sung on Saturday night as part of the havdalah (separation) ceremony. Havdalah is a liturgical event which includes four consecutive blessings, the final one being the central blessing officially ending the Sabbath. The ceremony symbolically “separates” between the Sabbath and the following weekdays, “separating between sacred and mundane (ha-mavdil bein kodesh le-hol),” (a formula that also appears as an addition to the fourth blessing in the Amidah prayer of the Arvit (evening) service following the Sabbath). The nusah (prayer style) of the blessing, as it is printed today in siddurim (prayer books), was formulated among the Babylonian sages during the Talmudic period.[2] Before the Havdalah blessings it is customary to add a sequence of verses, and to occasionally add free and impromptu baqqashot (requests) for the success of household members. Like other Jewish liturgical rituals, the havdalah ceremony is embellished by piyyutim (religiously-themed poems) that are sung after the recitation of the blessings. These piyyutim often contain themes such as the yearning for redemption, which sharpens with the coming of the Sabbath and with the departure of the additional “soul at rest,” which is traditionally granted to believers during the Sabbath. Therefore, a prominent motif in these songs is the figure of Elijah the Prophet (Eliyahu), whose arrival symbolizes the coming of the Messiah.[3] Here it is also possible to interpret the requests for redemption on Saturday night (Motzaei Shabbat) as a reward for observance of the Sabbath. As Rabbi David Abudraham writes, “Therefore we say to the Lord, we have observed the Sabbath, now send us Elijah the Prophet.” In addition, it is accepted that Elijah will not arrive on the evening of the Sabbath; therefore, Saturday night is a time for renewed expectations. These piyyutim also soften the transition from the Sabbath to the six days of the week, an aid in extending the special atmosphere of the Sabbath through to the beginning of the “secular” weekdays. Like most havdalah piyyutim, “Eli Eliyahu” is concerned with the coming of Elijah the Prophet and the redemption of Israel from its enemies. The paytan (poet) pictorially describes the suffering of his people, Elijah the Prophet among them, in contrast to the success of those who despise the

10 https://www.jewish-music.huji.ac.il/content/%E2%80%9Celi-eliyahu%E2%80%9D-havdalah-piyyut-and-its-melodies

18 people of Israel, and includes a prayer for revenge and salvation. Through artistic means, the author integrates Biblical references within the piyyut: “Beautiful fat-fleshed / and graze” (v.5) -- “[...] and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass.” (Genesis 41:2); “Our Rock, give them poisonous water” (v. 6) -- “See, I will make this people eat bitter food and drink poisoned water.” (Jeremiah 9:14); “they raise / their voices and weep” (v.9) -- “Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.” (Genesis 29:11); among others. Thus, this piyyut suits the atmosphere of a baqqasha for Motzei Shabbat. It is performed by Sephardic and Eastern (Oriental) Jews in a variety of melodies and textual variations. Text Sources The text is ancient and appears in a Cairo Geniza manuscript (T-S 8H.15), beginning: Eli Eliyahu ha-navi havenah.[4] It is worth noting that these ancient sources do not explicitly attribute the piyyut to R. Abraham Ibn Ezra.

Geniza manuscript (T-S 8H.15)

19 A testimony to the wide dispersion of Eli Eliyahu is its assiduous printing in prayer books and piyyut collections published in many diverse locations and periods. Among the early printings that should be emphasized is “Seder Tefillah” (Amsterdam, 1661). Another proof of the piyyut's wide dispersion is its appearance in “Ne’imot be-Yeminkha Netzah” (Jerusalem 1902), a collection compiled according to the custom of the Jews of Crimea[5]

[1] Abraham Ibn Ezra, Shirim. Ed. Israel Levin. Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv University, 2011, 29-35. [2] Naphtali Weider, The Formulation of Jewish Liturgy in the East and West. Vol. 1. Jerusalem, Yad Itzhak Ben Zvi, 1998, 114- 115. (in Hebrew) [3] Rappel, Yoel. The . 210; Greenberg, Irving (Yitzhak). The Jewish Way. (Reuven Mass 2010), 148. [4] We would like to thank Ms. Sarah Cohen of the Ezra Fleischer Geniza Research Institute of Poetry for the help in locating the text in its earliest source. [5] For references to additional sources see, Israel Davidson, Otsar ha-Shira veha-Piyut (Thesaurus of Medieval Hebrew Poetry) from the time of the signing of the Holy Writ until the beginning of the Enlightenment, (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society Press, 1933), 256.

Elijah in the Time of Corona – A Passover Poem

20 Rick Lupert writes:11

I In the age of closed doors and mandated distance I tried ordering Matzah online. The only single boxes, (because with only two of us eating matzah with gluten in it, we don’t need the five-pack) were labeled not kosher for Passover. Who in their right mind wants to eat matzah when it’s not Passover? We barely want to eat it when it is Passover. I don’t think we worried about this when we ran out of Egypt. We took what we could and kept our eye on freedom. We’re doing what we can in this nouveau Goshen. Even if the rabbis didn’t have their eyes on it there will be Matzah on my plate tonight.

II An Instacartress is bringing wine to our house. She wants to see my ID. I want to tell her Manischewitz wine is awful, shouldn’t count as actual alcohol and is tradition! I show her my ID and now have the raw materials I need to make harosetz, as well as have a little drop for Elijah when the time comes. I wonder if Elijah will be wearing an N95 mask this year? They’re saying the rest of us should wear cloth masks and leave the N95s for first responders… but Elijah has to go to a lot of houses so maybe he has special dispensation. This year, FOR SURE, no tongue kissing Elijah. I’m not even sure about opening the door. A plague has come to Van Nuys and I’ve got nothing to slather on the doorway.

11 https://jewishjournal.com/commentary/blogs/from-the-lupertverse/313912/elijah-in-the-time-of-corona-a-passover-poem/

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