פירוש על מלכים א 19:27

So may the gods do. As you have done to the prophets of the Baal.

Juniper. Genevrier, in O.F.

And he said, “It is enough.” [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “My long life is enough,¹According to the opinion that Eliyahu is Pinchos, Aharon’s grandson, he was over 500 years old at this time. until when will I be confused like this?”

Hot coals. Hot coals, and similarly, “and in his hand was a hot coal [רצפה].”²Yeshayahu 6:6.

To the cave. That is the cleft of the rock where Moshe stood.³Shemos 33:22. The cave that Eliyahu entered is “the cleft of the rock” in which Moshe stood while God’s Divine Presence passed.⁴See Maseches Megillah 19b and Rashi there.

They have demolished Your Altars. [I.e.,] the private altars that were built in the Name of Heaven,⁵See above 18:30 and Rashi there. for the altar of the Beis [Hamikdosh] was in Yerusholayim.⁶Eliyahu intimated that God should take vengeance against the Bnei Yisroel.—Ralbag

And a great wind. [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “a camp of angels of the wind.”

In the earthquake. [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “a camp of angels of earthquake.

Fire. [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “a camp of angels of fire.”

A calm quiet. [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “a voice of those praising quietly,” but regarding the prophets of the [other] nations, it states, “Silence and a voice I heard,”⁷Iyov 4:16. there was silence to the praising. But I heard, it is a voice coming out of the silence, rentesment, in O.F., but the voice itself is not heard.

He wrapped his face. [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “and he wrapped his face,”⁸In the same manner that Moshe covered his face at the “burning bush” in Shemos 3:6. and so it states, “wrapped up [לוטה] in a cloth.”⁹I Shmuel 21:10.

You should anoint as prophet in your place. [God said,] “I do not want your prophecy, because you plead for the prosecution of My children.¹⁰Alternatively, “you should appoint another prophet in your place because you had asked to die, and for God to take your soul,” in v. 4 above.—Radak

Elisha will kill. We do not find that Elisha killed anyone but the forty-two children through the bears in Yericho.¹¹See II Melochim 2:24. Alternatively, the hunger in Shomron was initiated by Elisha’s curse, as implied in II Melochim 6:31.—Ralbag

Go back. From following me.¹²Eliyahu was testing Elisha’s resolve.—Radak

For what have I done to you. That you should follow me.

He cooked the meat for them. He cooked for them the meat, so do Dunash and Menachem explain, and so did [Targum] Yonoson render [בשלם] as two words [בשיל להון]. But I say, that it is unnecessary to divide it into two words, and what is the meaning of “בשלם הבשר”? He cooked the two oxen, their flesh, for צמד is a minimum of two.

And he gave it the people. He made a feast out of great joy.