וַיָּ֨שָׁב מֵאַחֲרָ֜יו וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־צֶ֧מֶד הַבָּקָ֣ר וַיִּזְבָּחֵ֗הוּ וּבִכְלִ֤י הַבָּקָר֙ בִּשְּׁלָ֣ם הַבָּשָׂ֔ר וַיִּתֵּ֥ן לָעָ֖ם וַיֹּאכֵ֑לוּ וַיָּ֗קָם וַיֵּ֛לֶךְ אַחֲרֵ֥י אֵלִיָּ֖הוּ וַיְשָׁרְתֵֽהוּ׃ (פ)
And he returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.
Duties of the Heart
And therefore the ascetics would leave their relatives and homes and go to the mountains, in order to focus their hearts in the service of G-d. Likewise, the prophets, during the era of prophecy, would leave their homes and live in solitude to fulfill their duties to the Creator, as you know from the story of Eliyahu's meeting with Elisha, which it is said of Elisha "twelve pairs of oxen were before him, and he was with the twelfth" (Melachim I 19:19). And as soon as Eliyahu hinted to him a small hint (to come with him), he understood him and said "Let me, please, kiss my father and my mother, and I will go with you", and afterwards, "and he went after Eliyahu and ministered to him".
Duties of the Heart
Among them, the story of Elisha when Eliyahu passed by him, as written: "And he went from there and he found Elisha, the son of Shafat, as he was plowing; twelve yoke were before him and he was with the twelfth. And Eliyahu passed over unto him, and cast his mantle upon him" (Melachim 19:19), and Elisha dropped everything and followed Eliyahu as written: "And he left the oxen and ran after Eliyahu and said: 'Let me, please, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you'..." (Melachim 19:20). Likewise, this was the practice of the disciples of the prophets in that generation and in previous ones, that they renounced occupying themselves with affairs of this world and neglected their physical well-being by going out to deserts in order to devote their souls and minds to G-d.