Midras 1 Raja-raja 18:25: Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Midrash Tanchuma & Bamidbar Rabbah

(Numb. 34:2:) WHEN YOU COME INTO THE LAND. [What is written above on the matter (in Numb. 33:52)? YOU SHALL DISPOSSESS ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND FROM BEFORE YOU.] This text is related (to Job 35:11): WHO TEACHES US THROUGH THE BEASTS OF {THE} EARTH.²²The midrash understands the verse in this sense, although a more usual translation WOULD BE WHO TEACHES US MORE THAN THE BEASTS OF THE EARTH. He said to Israel: Learn from the bull of Elijah; for in the hour that Elijah said (in I Kings 18:25) TO THE {WORSHIPERS} [PROPHETS] OF BAAL: CHOOSE ONE BULL FOR YOURSELVES AND PREPARE IT FIRST, at that very hour the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred {and fifty} prophets of Asherah gathered together and were unable to budge its foot from the ground.²³Tanh., Numb. 10:8; Numb. R. 23:9. Look at what is written there (in vs. 23): LET THEM GIVE US TWO BULLS…. Elijah said to them: Choose two bulls for yourselves, twins from the same mother, who are being fattened at the same manger. Cast lots over them, one for the Name (i.e., the Holy One) and one for Baal. They choose the one bull for themselves. Now Elijah's bull kept following him; but as for that bull which had been assigned to the name of Baal, all those prophets of Baal plus the prophets of Asherah assembled to move <even> its foot from the ground, and were unable to do so, until Elijah began to say <to it> for them: Go with them. The bull answered and spoke to Elijah before the eyes of all the people by saying to him: My colleague and I came out of the same womb, and we grew up in the same pasture at the same feeding trough. That one was assigned to the portion of the Holy One, and the name of the Holy One is sanctified through him. So have I been assigned to the portion of Baal to provoke my creator? Elijah said to him: Go with them, and do not let them find an excuse. Just as the name of the Holy One is being sanctified through this one with me, so will it be sanctified through you. He said to him: Now that you have given me this advice, I swear that I will not move from here until you deliver me into their hand. Thus it is stated (in vs. 26): SO THEY TOOK THE BULL THAT HE GAVE TO THEM AND PREPARED IT. And who gave it to them? Elijah. You also learn that Elijah said to them (in vs. 25): CHOOSE ONE BULL FOR YOURSELVES. Then at the end <of the verse> is written (ibid. cont.): AND THEY TOOK THE BULL WHICH HE HAD GIVEN THEM. It is therefore stated (in Job 35:11): WHO TEACHES US THROUGH THE BEASTS OF <THE> EARTH. (Ibid., cont.:) AND {YOU MAKE} [HE MAKES] US WISE THROUGH THE BIRDS OF THE HEAVENS.²⁴The midrash understands the verse in this sense, although a more usual translation would be AND HE MAKES US WISER THAN THE BIRDS OF THE HEAVENS. The Holy One said: Learn <a lesson> from the ravens who fed Elijah, of whom it is stated (in I Kings 17: 4, 6): AND I HAVE COMMANDED THE RAVENS TO FEED YOU THERE… [SO THE RAVENS BROUGHT HIM BREAD AND MEAT….] From where did they bring him (in vs. 6) BREAD AND MEAT IN THE MORNING, AND BREAD AND MEAT IN THE EVENING? From Jehoshaphat's table, because those ravens did not want to enter Ahab's house to take anything from the table of that evil man for this righteous man. <They would not go there> because his house was full of idolatry. Ergo (in Job 35:11): {YOU MAKE} [HE MAKES] US WISE THROUGH THE BIRDS OF THE HEAVENS. The Holy One said to Israel: Learn from the bull and from the ravens, and do not turn unto idols to look at them. {Thus it is stated} [Where is it shown? From what they read on the matter} (in Numb. 33:52): YOU SHALL DISPOSSESS ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND.

(Numb. 34:2:) “When you come into the land.” What is written above the matter (in Numb. 33:52)? “You shall dispossess all the inhabitants of the land from before you.” This text is related (to Job 35:11), “Who teaches us through the beasts of earth [....]”²²The midrash understands the verse in this sense, although a more usual translation WOULD BE WHO TEACHES US MORE THAN THE BEASTS OF THE EARTH. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Learn from the bull of Elijah; for in the hour that (in I Kings 18:25) ‘Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first,”’ at that very hour the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred (and fifty) prophets of Asherah gathered together and were unable to budge its foot from the ground.”²³Numb. R. 23:9. Look at what is written there (in vs. 23), “Let them give us two bulls….” What did Elijah do? He said to them, “Choose two bulls for yourselves, twins from the same mother, who are being fattened at the same trough. Cast lots over them, one for the name (i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He,) and one for Baal.” And [so] they choose one bull for themselves. Now Elijah's bull kept following him; but as for that bull which had been assigned to the name of Baal, all those prophets of Baal plus the prophets of Asherah assembled to move [even] its foot from the ground, and were unable to do so, until Elijah began to say [to it] for them, “Go with them.” The bull answered and spoke to Elijah before the eyes of all the people and said to him, “My colleague and I came out of the same womb, and we grew up in the same pasture at the same feeding trough. That one was assigned to the portion of the Holy One, blessed be He, and the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is sanctified through him. So have I been assigned to the portion of Baal to provoke my Creator?” Elijah said to him, “Go with them, and do not let them find an excuse. Just as the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is being sanctified through this one with me, so will it be sanctified through you.” He said to him, “Now that you have given me this advice, I swear that I will not move from here until you deliver me into their hand.” Thus it is stated (in vs. 26), “and they took the bull that he gave to them and prepared it.” And who gave it to them? Elijah. You also learn that Elijah said to them (in vs. 23), “Let them give us two bulls,” and he also said to them (in vs. 25), “Choose one bull for yourselves.” Then at the end [of the verse] is written (ibid. cont.), “and they took the bull which he had given them.” It is therefore stated (in Job 35:11), “Who teaches us through the beasts of [the] earth.” (Ibid., cont.:) “And He makes us wise through the birds of the heavens.”²⁴The midrash understands the verse in this sense, although a more usual translation would be AND HE MAKES US WISER THAN THE BIRDS OF THE HEAVENS. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Learn [a lesson] from the ravens who fed Elijah, of whom it is stated (in I Kings 17:6), ‘So the ravens brought him bread and meat […].’ From where did they bring him [it]? From Jehoshaphat's table, because those ravens did not want to enter Ahab's house to take anything from his table for this righteous man. [They would not go there] because his house was full of idolatry.” Ergo (in Job 35:11), “He makes us wise through the birds of the heavens.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Learn from the bull and from the ravens, and do not turn unto idols to look at them.” Where is it shown? From what they read on the matter (in Numb. 33:52), “You shall dispossess all the inhabitants of the land.”

“For you are coming” – “you shall dispossess all the inhabitants of the land from before you” (Numbers 33:52). This is what the verse said: “Who teaches us through the animals of the earth and makes us wiser from the birds of the heavens” (Job 35:11). “Who teaches us through the animals of the earth” – the Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘Learn from Elijah’s bull, as when Elijah said to the Baal worshippers: “Choose one bull for yourselves, and prepare it first, as you are many, [and call in the name of your god, but do not place fire.]” (I Kings 18:25), four hundred and fifty prophets of the Baal and four hundred and fifty prophets of the Ashera gathered, but they were unable to move its legs from the ground.’ See what is written there: “Let them give us two bulls, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood, but let them not place fire, and I will prepare one bull” (I Kings 18:23), and I will cut it into pieces, “and I will not place fire” (I Kings 18:23). What did Elijah do? He said to them: Select two identical bulls from one mother that grew in one pasture, and cast lots upon them, one to the Lord and one to the Baal. All the prophets of the Baal and the prophets of the Ashera gathered. But they could not move its feet until Elijah began and said to it: ‘Go with them.’
The bull answered and said to him before the eyes of the entire people: ‘I and my counterpart emerged from one womb, from one cow, and we grew in one pasture, but its lot was to be the portion of the Omnipresent, and the name of the Holy One blessed be He is sanctified through it, and my lot is to be the portion of the Baal, to anger my Creator.’ Elijah said to it: ‘Bull, bull, have no fear. Go with them, so they will not find a pretext, as, just as the name of the Holy One blessed be He is sanctified upon the one that is with me, so it is sanctified upon you.’ It said to him: ‘This is what you counsel me? I take an oath that I will not move from here until you deliver me into their hand,’ as it is stated: “They took the bull that he gave them” (I Kings 18:26). Who gave it to them? It was Elijah. You learn from Elijah, who said to them: “Let them give us two bulls” (I Kings 18:23), and he also said to them: “Choose one bull for yourselves, and prepare it first” (I Kings 18:25), but ultimately it is written: “They took the bull that he gave them” (I Kings 18:26) – that is why it is written: “Who teaches us through the animals of the earth” (Job 35:11).
“And makes us wiser from the birds of the heavens” (Job 35:11) – the Holy One blessed be He said: Learn from the ravens that provided for Elijah, as it is stated: “I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there” (I Kings 17:4). From where did they bring him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat at night? It was from the table of Yehoshafat. Those birds did not want to enter the house of that wicked one, Ahab, to take anything out from his table for that righteous one, because there were idols in his house. That is, “and makes us wiser from the birds of the heavens.” The Holy One blessed be He said: Learn from Elijah’s bull and from the ravens, and “do not turn to false gods” (Leviticus 19:4) to look at them. From where is it derived? It is from what is written regarding this matter: “You shall dispossess all the inhabitants of the land from before you…[and destroy all their molten images]” (Numbers 33:52).