Reviewing: “Becoming Elijah: Prophet of Transformation” by Daniel C. Matt. Yale University Press/Jewish Lives series. 2022. English. Hardcover. 248 pages. ISBN-13: 978-0300242706.
He may be the prophet you are most connected to but don’t know too much about.
We sing about him at the conclusion of every Shabbos, right before we start Havdalah.
We anticipate his arrival at each Seder and prepare a cup of wine for him.
We reserve a chair for him at every brit.
He is the subject of two Haftorahs in our yearly cycle and the dramatic finale of one of the stories is echoed in a spirited responsive reading at the conclusion of our Yom Kippur Neilah davening.
For contrast—Moshe Rabbeinu’s story encompasses four out of the five books of the Torah and Isaiah’s prophecies run 66 chapters, while this prophet’s story runs all of two chapters in the Book of Melachim Aleph. Yet Moshe is mentioned but once, in passing, at the Seder and Isaiah receives no serenades or invitations to Jewish lifecycle events.
I’m talking of course about Eliyahu HaNavi, Eliyahu HaTishbi, Eliyahu HaGiladi, the herald of the Moshiach. His name is on our tongue often, yet how well do we really know him?
In a remarkably informative and readable book, built on a mountain of wide-ranging sources, Daniel C. Matt introduces us to Elijah in all his characterizations and various guises. Matt’s scholarly and heavily footnoted book looks closely at Elijah in five dimensions—his story in Navi, the evolution of his identity and accounts of his continuing activities in the Gemara and Midrash, how he is understood in Kabbalah, the way he has been “adopted” in Christianity and Islam, and how observant Judaism has developed rituals to accentuate our hope for Elijah’s reappearance as the forerunner of the Moshiach.
“Becoming Elijah” introduces us first to Elijah in Melachim as a zealous prophet who rails against the rampant idolatry of his era, chastising commoners and kings for their failure of fidelity to core principles of faith. As Matt describes: “In his first Biblical appearance, Elijah springs out of nowhere, fully formed—with no mention of his parents or birth or his prophetic call, without any introduction or narrative setting … he thrusts himself upon King Ahab of Israel, delivering an ominous threat: Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘By the life of HaShem, G-d of Israel, whom I have served, there will be no rain or dew these years except by my word’” (1 Melachim 17:1). [Quote from page 8 in “Becoming Elijah.”]
Matt thoughtfully reviews Elijah’s many confrontations with King Ahab and his foreign queen, Jezebel, and their son, King Ahaziah; the miracles he experiences in the desert and the miracles he directs to support a widow and her son, and later to resuscitate the deceased son; his public contest with the priests of Baal on Har Carmel; his desert vision of cataclysms of nature and the Kol Demamah Dakka (Still, Small Voice) where Hashem’s presence is evident; and the conclusion of his prophetic career, when he appoints two kings, designates Elisha as his prophetic successor, and is swept up by a chariot of fire and a whirlwind, transported alive to heaven.
In the chapter on Elijah’s transformation in the Talmud and Midrash, Matt shares a wealth of stories that chronicle the prophet’s post-whirlwind career as an elusive, expert teacher of elite students of Torah and resolver of disputes, itinerant ethical instructor and occasional savior of Jews in distress. He also details different Midrashim that account Elijah’s roles in the days preceding Moshiach’s arrival.
The chapter on Elijah in Kabbalah highlights Elijah’s inspirations to scholars seeking enlightenment, his visits to other scholars in distress, and the unique nature of his post-corporeal identity. It relates as well how Elijah served as a frequent inspiration to Shabbeti Tsevi, the false Messiah who arose in the mid-1600s in Turkey, amassed many followers, and later converted under compulsion to Islam and died in 1676.
In “Elijah and the Daughters of Judaism,” Matt shares how both Christianity and Islam have embraced traditions that have their roots in the stories and legends of Elijah. In Christianity, he is mentioned in the New Testament and his appointment of Elisha is echoed in the manner Jesus designates his disciples. Elijah’s legacy in Christianity is most evident in the establishment of the Carmelite order, which traces its origins to Elijah’s term in a cave on Har Carmel. [See pages 120-122].
In Islam, Elijah’s influence can be seen in the figure of al-Khidr, “the Verdant One,” a legendary immortal figure who offers blessings and religious instruction to others. In one notable passage, Matt relates a story in the Qur’an of a nameless servant of Allah (believed to be al-Kidhr) who allows Moshe to follow him as he makes three interventions that appear puzzling and unjust; he later explains how each is a reflection of Divine justice. This story appears to be the inspiration for a strikingly similar tale that is now a popular story about Elijah, published a few hundred years after the Qur’an was written, by North African Scholar Nissim Gabon. [See pages 124-126].
In “Rituals of Anticipation,” Matt looks at the current customs in observant Judaism that are tied to Elijah and outlines their development, variations, and the explanations attached to them. In a final chapter, Matt notes the transformation of Elijah from zealous prophet to illuminating teacher, savior and advocate for the People of Israel. He quotes Rav Avraham Kook: “Originally, before he was sweetened, he perceived acutely the depth of ugliness and contamination in which this lowly world is immersed. Therefore he blazed with zeal to eradicate the spirit of impurity and those clinging to it. After being sweetened, he perceives every spark of holiness in this world and redeems it.” [Page 149].
This is a phenomenal book, which brings the character and centuries-long growth of Elijah into light in a compelling and coherent way. While readers will notice that the author does not write from a frum perspective, and some passages require observant readers to make their own judgments, this does not detract from the wide breadth of scholarship and the comprehensive depiction of one of the most vivid prophets of our Mesorah.
Don’t just take my enthusiastic recommendation. In November, The Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks-Herenstein Center, based at Yeshiva University, selected “Becoming Elijah” as the winner of the inaugural Rabbi Sacks Book Prize for 2022. As the center’s announcement stated: “The prize recognizes a book published in 2022 deeply sourced in Jewish texts that also reflects a broad appeal within and beyond the Jewish community. The selections are in keeping with the scholarly legacy of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and in consultation with the Rabbi Sacks Legacy Trust.”
By Harry Glazer
