Könige I 18:31 Midrasch: Pesikta Rabbati, Aggadat Bereshit & Bereshit Rabbah

And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be your name (41:18:31). May our Rabbis teach us that Rosh Chodesh, which began to be in Hanukkah, since there are no Musafin prayers in Hanukkah, whoever prays the Musafin prayer, what should be mentioned about Hanukkah? Our Rabbis taught us that Rabbi Simon, in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua, said that Rosh Chodesh, which began to be in Hanukkah, even though there is no Musafin in Hanukkah, but in the Rabach, should be mentioned about Hanukkah in the Musafin prayer. Shabbat, which began to be in Hanukkah, even though there is no Musafin in Hanukkah, but in the Shabbat, should be mentioned about Hanukkah in the Musafin prayer. And where does he mention in the confession: You have found all the miracles that the Holy One, blessed be He, did for Israel and will do for them through the merit of the tribes, even the Temple will be built through the merit of the tribes, as it is said, Jerusalem is built (Psalms 122:3). What did he write after him that there were tribes there (Ibid. 4) and likewise everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created through the merit of the tribes? The Tribes (Genesis) [Genesis] You find twelve months in the year, twelve constellations in the sky, twelve hours of the day and twelve hours of the night, said the Holy One, blessed be He, even the upper and lower ones, I did not create but by the merit of the tribes, for thus it is written, all these my hands have made (Isaiah 66:2). By the merit of all these, the tribes of Israel are twelve (Genesis 49:28) (hence the twelve constellations, twelve hours). Therefore, when Elijah came to bring Israel under the wings of the Shekhinah, he took twelve stones for the number of the tribes and built them an altar from the number of what he completed with the prophet. And Elijah took twelve stones for the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob: [And Elijah took twelve stones] Thus began Rabbi Tanchuma (Yerushalmi) [in Rabbi Abba] And by the prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt (Hosea 12:14) this is Moses, and by the prophet Nishem (Ibid.) this is Elijah. You find two prophets who stood up for Israel from his tribe. Of Levi, Moses was the first and Elijah the last (redeemed) [and both redeemed] Israel by mission. Moses redeemed them from Egypt by mission. And now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh, etc. (Exodus 3:10) and Elijah redeemed them for the future to come by mission. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet, etc. (Malachi 3:23) Moses, who redeemed them from Egypt at first, did not yet return and became enslaved in Egypt. And Elijah, when he redeemed them from the fourth generation of Edom, did not yet return and become enslaved, but [it is] eternal salvation. And the origin of Moses and Elijah is similar to each other in every way. Moses is a prophet. Elijah is a prophet. Moses is called a man of God (Deuteronomy 33:1) and Elijah is called a man of God (1 Kings 17:18) Moses went up and Elijah went up, as it is said, And it came to pass in the ascension, that Elijah (Ibid. 2:21) and Moses killed the Egyptian, and Elijah killed Hiel, and blamed Baal and died (Hosea 13:1) Moses (was confused) [We were deceived] by a woman by the daughter of Jethro, they called him and he ate bread (Exodus 2:20) and Elijah (was confused) [We were deceived] by the woman, "Please bring me a loaf of bread" (1 Kings 17:11) Moses fled from Pharaoh and Elijah fled from Jezebel Moses fled and came to a well and Elijah fled and came to a well as it is written and he arose and went etc. and came to Beersheba (Ibid. 19:3) Moses and the cloud covered him six days (Exodus 24:16) and Elijah went up in a whirlwind and was in the ascension etc. (2 Kings 2:1) Of Moses it was said whether these as many as men should die (Numbers 16:29) and of Elijah the Lord God of Israel lives [before whom I have stood] if there will be [these years] dew and rain except according to my word (1 Kings 17:1) in Moses and the Lord passed over him (Exodus 34:6) And in Elijah, and behold, the Lord passed by (1 Kings 19:11) in Moses, and he heard the voice (Numbers 7:59) and in Elijah, and behold, a voice came to him, etc. (1 Kings 13) Moses gathered Israel to Mount Sinai, and Elijah gathered them to Mount Carmel, Moses in the forest of Obadiah, 7:15, "Put every man his sword on his thigh, etc. (Exodus 32:27) and Elijah in the forest, 7:15, and he seized the prophets of Baal and slaughtered them. Moses was jealous, who is for the Lord to me (I Kings 32:26) and Elijah was jealous, and Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me, please" (1 Kings 18:30) Moses was buried in a cave, and I put you in the cleft of the rock (Exodus 33:22) and Elijah was buried in a cave, and he spent the night there, as it is written, and he came to the cave and spent the night there (1 Kings 19:9) in Moses and he came to the mountain of God (Exodus 3:1) and in Elijah and he came to the mountain of God (Kings 32:1) 8) Moses came to the wilderness and Elijah came to the wilderness and he was walking into the wilderness (Isa. 4:11). Moses spoke with him through an angel and the angel of the Lord appeared to him (Exodus 3:2) and Elijah through an angel and behold, it was an angel (Kings 5:11). Moses stayed forty days and forty nights without eating or drinking, and so Elijah walked in the strength of that eating for forty days. Moses set up the sundial on this day, saying, "I will put away your fear," etc. (Deuteronomy 2:30). And Elijah set up the sundial today, "Today know that you are God in Israel." (1 Kings 18:36). Moses prayed for Israel, "Do not destroy your people and your inheritance." (Deuteronomy 9:26). And Elijah prayed for Israel, "Hear me, O Lord, hear me," and "And you have turned back," etc. (Kings 37). When Moses prayed for Israel, he grasped the right of the fathers, remembering Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Exodus 32:13). And so did Elijah, "The Lord is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel" (Kings 1:11). 36) Moses, the Israelites received from him the love of the place where all the word of the Lord was done and heard (Exodus 24:7) and Elijah received from him the love of the place where it is said, "The Lord is God" (Kings 39). Moses made a tabernacle in the house of the seed, and Elijah made a way (interpretation of a path) in the house of the seed. In one thing we have seen, Moses is greater than Elijah, whom Moses said to, "And you are here, stand by me" (Deuteronomy 5:28) and to Elijah, "What are you doing here, Elijah" (1 Kings 19:9). Moses brought down the fire, and Elijah brought down the fire. When Moses brought down the fire, all Israel stood and watched (it). And all the people saw it and were amazed (Leviticus 9:24) [And Elijah and all the people saw it and fell on their faces] (1 Kings 18:39) Moses built an altar and Elijah built an altar. Moses called the name of the Lord (the altar) [for the altar] and called his name there. The Lord did miracles (Exodus 17:15) and Elijah there the altar of the Lord and placed the stones in the name of the Lord (1 Kings 32). When Moses built the altar, he built it with twelve stones, as it is said: And Elijah took twelve stones [and]: [And Elijah took twelve stones and] Isaiah 65:5 (to Israel) The heavens are my throne and the earth is my footstool (Isaiah 66:1) At the end of Isaiah's prophecy, this verse was prophesied, and when was it prophesied in the days of Manasseh, because Manasseh had brought the image into the temple, Isaiah began to prophesy to Israel and said to them, "Why do you boast about me in this house that you have built for me? The upper and lower do not hold my glory. And this house that you have built for me, I need what house that you will build for me (there)?" Nebuchadnezzar is coming and destroying it and exposing you. Immediately Manasseh was angry with him and said to them, "Seize him." They ran after him to seize him. He fled from before them. The cherub itself opened and swallowed him up. Rabbi Yitzchak, son of Hanina, son of Papa, said:

[4] Another explanation: When it was time to present the meal offering (1 Kings 18:36) And why did Elijah not say the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, but said the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel? It is because Elijah knew that the Israelites had sunk after the Baal and did not know who God was anymore. If Elijah had prayed and said the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, they would have said that there were three gods. Therefore, he mentioned only one, "the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel." If you cannot do it for the sake of the patriarchs, do it for the sake of the tribes, as it says, "Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your inheritance" (Isaiah 63:17). Similarly, it says, "And Elijah took twelve stones (according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel), according to the number of the tribes of the children of Jacob" (1 Kings 18:31), and Elijah said, "Today, you shall know" (1 Kings 18:36). Leave to me what you did for Egypt, as it is written, "And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord" (Exodus 14:4), and leave to me what you did for our ancestors, as it says, "And the nations shall know that those who are left around you" (Ezekiel 36:36). And leave to me what you will do in the future, as it says, "And I shall sanctify myself, and I shall be known before the eyes of many nations" (Ezekiel 38:23). At that time, you are the God in Israel, and I am your servant" (1 Kings 18:36). If you cannot do it for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, do it to make known that I am your servant. I have already told them, "Behold, I am sending you Elijah the prophet" (Malachi 3:23). If you do it now, they will believe what you will do with me. And I have done according to your words (1 Kings 18:36), and I have done it for your name's sake. All these people did it for the sake of Baal, but I did it for you. So please do not let me be ashamed. Answer me, O Lord, answer me. (1 Kings 18:37). Answer me with fire, answer me with water, answer me in this world, answer me in the future world, answer me through the prophets of Ba'al, answer me through the prophets of Asherah. And if you do so, we will sing before you, as David said: "I will thank you for you have answered me and you have become my salvation" (Psalm 118:21).

[2] Another interpretation: "Like a thread of scarlet [are your lips]. This refers to the time when God said to the Israelites, "How long will you continue to celebrate Passover?" (I Kings 18:21). Your speech is also beautiful when God said, "The God who answers by fire is the true God" (1 Kings 18:24), and immediately all the people responded and said, "The matter is good" (1 Kings 18:24). Your speech is also beautiful when you declared to the Israelites, "The Lord is God, the Lord is God" (1 Kings 18:39), like the cluster of pomegranates. This refers to the generation that had little merit, yet they were beloved like the pomegranate, because of what they did when they gathered at Mount Carmel, as it is said, "And now, send and gather to me all of Israel at Mount Carmel" (1 Kings 18:19). Like the Tower of David is your neck. This refers to the altar that was built, as it is said, "And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down" (1 Kings 18:30), which was a source of healing for Israel. A thousand shields refer to the merit of the tribes, as it is said, "And Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe of the sons of Jacob" (1 Kings 18:31). All the rulers of the mighty refer to the merit of the patriarchs that was mentioned, and not because of Elijah himself. Rather, all the rulers of the mighty are dependent only on this Tower, and what is this Tower? It is Abraham, for all prayers are dependent on him. Moses said, "Remember Abraham" (Exodus 32:13), David said, "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever this attitude and thought in the hearts of Your people" (1 Chronicles 29:18), and Elijah also said, "And Elijah approached and said, 'O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel'" (1 Kings 18:36). Therefore, a thousand shields are dependent on him."