Parshat Ki Tisa
Among the most compelling rivalries—described in all of Tanach—is the conflict between Eliyahu HaNavi and the Israelite king, Achav. The text describes Achav’s wickedness as being worse than that of any previous Israelite king as he openly worshiped foreign gods, especially Baal. The king’s behavior, promoted by his Phoenecian queen, Izevel, helped spread the practice of idolatry throughout the northern kingdom, corrupting the masses and angering Hashem. And so, as the 17th perek of Melachim Aleph opens, we read the very first act of Eliyahu, that of decreeing a drought (and its subsequent famine) that would be broken only by his word alone.
Our haftarah opens, at the beginning of perek 18—according to Ashkenazic practice—when, in the third year of the drought, Hashem calls upon the Navi to appear before Achav so that Hashem would then break the drought. After meeting with the defiant king, Eliyahu arranges for a vivid display of God’s power, gathering all of Israel to Har HaCarmel to witness his confrontation with the false prophets of Baal. There, in dramatic fashion, God answers the Navi’s prayers by sending down a fire from heaven to consume Eliyahu’s sacrificial offering from upon the temporary mizbeach. In an emotional display, the gathered throngs fall to the ground and proclaim, “Hashem is the (true) God!”
The connection of this selection from the neviim to the events depicted in today’s parsha is quite clear. Like Moshe, reacting to the idolatrous worship of the Egel HaZahav, Eliyahu also strikes out against the idolaters of his time; like Moshe, Eliyahu punishes those who served the false god and, like Moshe, Eliyahu brings the people back to the worship of the true God. But the similarities between these two spiritual giants go beyond this one story. After the sin, Moshe “exiled” himself from his people by placing the Ohel Moed outside of the Israelite camp while, after Israel widespread practice of idolatry, Eliyahu was sent into “exile” from the people throughout the years of drought. Moshe stayed atop Har Sinai for 40 days and nights, without eating or drinking while Eliyahu walked for 40 days and nights without eating or drinking to reach Har Sinai. Moshe was forced to flee a king for fear of his life, while Eliyahu was forced to flee a queen (Izevel) for fear of his life. The similarities between the two are quite numerous (you might try to think of some yourselves!).
But the similarities do not bring to a similar conclusion. Moshe succeeded in his mission to end idolatry within the nation (with the exception of the sin of Baal Peor) and led the people to the promised land. Sadly, Eliyahu, did not succeed in leading the people back to the worship of God, for soon after the dramatic contest at Har HaCarmel, he is chased out of Shomron as the nation returns to pagan worship. Ultimately, Eliyahu is taken from this world with his mission unfulfilled—but with the promise that he would yet return to complete his job.
It is the prophet Malachi who ends his prophecies—and closes the era of prophecy—with the promise that God will send Elijah as a harbinger of messianic times. And how fitting that is! It was Moshe, who informed the nation of their soon-to-be redemption from the exile in Egypt and their return to the land of their fathers. It will be Eliyahu who informs the nation of their redemption from their galut and their return from the Diaspora to the land of their fathers.
Hopefully, we will soon hear the approaching footsteps of Eliyahu—the harbinger of our complete redemption.
Rabbi Neil Winkler is the rabbi emeritus of the Young Israel of Fort Lee, and now lives in Israel.
