Midrash su II Re 13:26

(Fol. 7) The Holy One, praised be He! does not cause an offense to be brought through the beast of the righteous; for R. Phineas b. Yair was going to ransom captives. While on his way he approached the rivulet Ginnay, so he said to the Ginnay, "Divide for me thy waters so that I should be able to cross over thee." The Ginnay replied: "Thou art going to do the will of thy Creator and I am going to do the will of my Creator; as far as thou art concerned there is a doubt whether you will accomplish or whether you will not accomplish [thee ransoming of the captives], but I am surely accomplishing [the will of my Creator, hence I cannot stop from performing my duty for thy sake]." R. Phineas thereupon said to the Ginnay: "If thou wilt not divide thyself then I shall issue a decree that no water shall pass through thee forever." Consequently the Ginnay divided its water. There was with him a certain man carrying wheat for the Passover. Phineas said to the Ginnay: "Divide thyself also for that man who is engaged in a meritorious act." The Ginnay divided itself. There was also an Arabian merchant who had joined them and R. Phineas said to the Ginnay: "Divide thyself also for the sake of him, so that he should not have to say, Is it proper thus to do to a fellow-traveler?" Thereupon the Ginnay divided itself [once more]. R. Joseph said: "Behold, that this man was even greater than Moses and the sixty Myriads [of Israelites]; for there (in connection with Moses and Israel) it happened only once, while here it was divided thrice." But perhaps here also it was divided only once and he merely prayed [to the Ginnay not to return his waters until the three had passed]? We must therefore say that he meant that he was equal to Moses and sixty Myriads [of Israelites]. R. Phineas happened to stop at a certain inn where they placed barley before his ass. The donkey, however, refused to eat. (Ib. b) They shook it apart; still the animal did not eat it. They then cleaned it and still the animal did not eat it. R. Phineas then said to them: "Perhaps it was not taken off the Levetical portion of the grain, hence how should she eat." He then added and said: "This poor creature is going to perform the will of her Creator and ye tried to feed her with Tebel?" Rabbi, having been informed [of his coming] went out to meet him. The former said to the latter: "May we get your consent to partake of a meal at my house." "Yes," came the reply. The face of Rabbi began to shine [because of joy]. R. Phineas then remarked to Rabbi: "It seems to me that you took me as one who made a vow not to enjoy anything from Israel [which does not belong to me]. The fact is that I hold Israel as a Holy Nation [one worthy to benefit others]; however, there are some who desire [to treat others] but cannot afford, and again there are others who could afford [to treat others] but who have no desire and the passage says (Pr. 23, 6) Eat though not the bread of him that hath an evil eye; neither desire thou his dainties. For as one that hath reckoned within himself, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee. You, however, are willing that others should enjoy from your wealth and you have also the means. Nevertheless now I am in a hurry to fulfill a meritorious act but on my return I shall visit you. On his way back, when he came [to visit Rabbi] it happened so that he entered through a door from which he noticed white mules were standing [in Rabbi's stables]. He then said: "The angel of death is in the house of this man, and shall I partake of a meal with him?" Rabbi, having been informed that R. Phineas was coming, went out to greet him [and when he heard the reason of his refusal to enter Rabbi's house] he offered to sell the mules. But R. Phineas refused it quoting (Lev. 19, 14) Nor put a stumblingblock before the blind. Rabbi suggested that he should renunciate the ownership of the mules, but he again refused to give his consent because they might increase their damages [by being ownerless] . "I shall mutilate their hoofs [to render them harmless]," pleaded Rabbi. "This would cause pain to the animals," came the objection. "I shall then kill them," pleaded Rabbi. "This is prohibited (Deut. 20, 19) Thou shalt not destroy," came the objection. He begged him very persistently [to accept the invitation] when a mountain sprang up and separated them. Rabbi thereupon began to cry and said: "If the righteous are so great while alive how much the more are they great after their death; for R. Chama b. Chanina said: 'The righteous are great after their death even more so than during their lives, as it is said (II Kings 13, 21) And it came to pass as they were burying a man, that, behold, they saw the band; and they cast down the man into the sepulchre of Elisha; and as the man came and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and rose up on his feet.' " R. Papa then said to Abaye: "Perhaps this happened in order to fulfill the blessing of Elijah, as it is written (Ib. 2, 9) I pray the, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me?" Whereupon he answered: "If this is the case then how will you explain the following Mishna which says that the above mentioned man only stood upon his feet but he did not go to his house [hence it was merely to have him removed from the sepulchre of Elisha]? But in what respect was the blessing of Elijah fulfilled? This is as R. Jochanan said: "In that which he cured the leprosy which is equal to death, as it is said (Num. 12, 12) Let her not, I pray, be as one dead." R. Joshua b. Levi said: "Why are the mules called Yemim? Because their terror is thrown upon man; for R. Chanina said: 'Never in my life did a man ask me concerning a wound caused by a white mule and he should remain alive.' " But do we not see that they do remain alive; we must therefore say that he meant they can never be cured. But again do we not see that such are cured? We must therefore say that he refers to such mules which have white legs.

(Gemara) Had he only one cow? Behold, Rab, and according to some, R. Juda in the name of Rab said that "Twelve thousand calves were the yearly tithes of R. Elazar b. Azariah's herds?" We are taught that "The cow [mentioned in the Mishnah] was not his own, but his neighbor's, and because he did not protest against such an act, it was therefore credited to him." Rab and R. Chanina, R. Jochanan and R. Chabiba, studied together, in the entire Order of Mo'ed (Festivals). Wherever this combination of authorities appears, some eliminate R. Jochanan and insert R. Jonathan. [They said:] "He who has the power to protest [against wrong] in his house and does not do so, will be seized for [the sin of] every one in his house. In the city [where his protest would prevail] he will be seized for the sin of every one in his city. In the entire world [if his protest would be heeded and he does not protest] he will be seized for the sin of the entire world." "And the princes of the exile," said R. Papa, "will be seized for the sin of all Israel, just as R. Chanina said: What means the passage ( Is. 3, 14.) The Lord will enter into Judgment with the elders of His people and their princes. If the princes sinned, (Fol. 55a), what fault have the elders in it? Because the elders did not protest against the princes.'" R. Juda was sitting before Samuel when a certain woman came in, complaining; Samuel paid no attention to her. R. Juda said to him: "Is the master unaware of the passage (Pr. 21, 13.) Whoso stopped his ears from listening to the cry of the poor, he also will cry himself, but shall not he answered." Whereupon Samuel said to him: "Keen scholar, thy chief (I) shall be punished with cold water! but thy chief's chief (the prince of the exile) with boiling water. Behold, Mar Ukba, the chief of the judges sits here [and it is his duty to attend], for it is written (Jer. 21, 12.) O house of David thus hath the Lord said. 'Exercise justice every morning and deliver him, etc' [only to those who have power to do justice]." R. Zeira said to R. Simon: "Let the master reprove those princes of the exile." Whereupon R. Simon responded: "They would pay no heed." "Even if they do not pay heed yet the master ought to reprove them," said R. Zeira, "for R. Acha, the son of R. Chanina, said: 'Never did the Holy One, praised be He! issue a benevolent decree and reconsider it and substitute a bad one, except in the instance written (Ez. 9, 4.) And the Lord said unto him. Pass through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and inscribe a mark upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and who complain because of all the abominations which are done in the midst of it, i.e., the Holy One, praised be He! said unto Gabriel, 'Go and set the sign Tov. in ink upon the foreheads of the righteous, that the destroying angels may have no power over them.' Whereupon the attribute of justice pleaded before the Holy One, praised be He! thus saying, 'Sovereign of the universe, what is the difference between these and the others?' 'These,' said the Lord, 'are perfectly righteous people and the others are grossly wicked people.' Again the attribute of justice pleaded 'Sovereign of the universe, it was their duty to warn them [against wicked actions] and they did not do so.' Whereupon God answered: 'It is revealed and known to me that if they warned them, they would not have heeded them.' Again Justice pleaded: 'Sovereign of the universe, this was known unto Thee, but was it known unto them?' Therefore it is written [immediately following] The aged, young, and little children and women shall ye slay and destroy, but come not near any man upon whom ye find the mark, and from my sanctuary shall ye begin. And it is written (Ib.) Then they began with the elders who were before the house.'" R. Joseph recited [a Baraitha] "Do not read Mikdashi (my sanctuary) but Mimkudashai (those who are holy), i.e., they are the men who fulfilled the whole Torah from the Aleph (the first letter) until the Tov (the last letter); soon [after this is written (Ib.) And behold! six men came from the north, and every man with his weapon of destruction in hand; and one man in the midst of them was clothed in linen, with the paraphernalia of a writer by his side, and placed himself beside the copper altar. Did then the copper altar exist at that time? The Holy One, praised be He! said unto them: "Begin from the place where they used to sing before me [with copper instruments], i.e., from the Levites." And who are the six men [mentioned in the above passage]? R. Chisda said they are Anger, Wrath, Rage, Destruction, Devastation, and Ruin. Why was the letter Tor used? Rab said: "The letter Tov may be explained [as the initial] for both, to live, and to die." And Samuel said: "[The Tov means] Tama (the end), i.e., it has ended [the privilege of relying upon] the merits of our ancestors (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob)." Resh Lakish said the Tov in the last letter on the seal of the Holy One, praised be He! for R. Chanina said: The inscription on the seal of the Holy One, praised be He! is Emeth (Truth)." R. Samuel b. Nachmeini said: "The Tov refers to the men who fulfilled the whole Torah from the Aleph (the first letter) until the Tov (the last letter)."Since when did [the privilege of relying upon] the merits of our ancestors end? Rab said: "Since the days of Hosea b. Be'eri (the prophet); as it is said (Hos. 2, 12.) I will lay bare her disgrace before the eyes of her lovers, and no man shall deliver her out of my hands." Samuel said: "Since the days of Chazel, as is said (II Kings 13, 22.) But King Chazel of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoachaz; and it is written further. And the Lord became gracious unto them, and had mercy on them and turned His regard unto them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and would not destroy them and he cast them not off from His presence even until now." R. Joshua b. Levi said: "Since the days of Elijah, as it is said (I Kings 18, 36.) And it came to pass at (the time of) the perpetual evening-offering, that Elijah, the prophet, came near, and said, 'O Lord, God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, this day let it be known, etc.'" R. Jochanan said: "Since the days of Hezekiah, as it is said (Is. 9, 6.) For the increase of the government and for peace without end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to establish if and to support it through justice and righteousness, from henceforth and unto eternity, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this."

Until the time of Abraham there was no mark of old age, and anyone who wanted to talk to Abraham spoke to Isaac, or vice versa, [since their appearance was the same]. Then Abraham prayed, and the mark of old age was visible, as it is said (Ib. 47) And Abraham was old. Until the time of Jacob there was no sickness [death occurred suddenly]. Then Jacob prayed that sickness should come before death; as it is said (Ib. 48, 1) Behold, thy father is sick. Until the time of the prophet Elisha there was no one who was cured of sickness. But Elisha prayed and was cured; as it is said (II Kings 13) Elisha was sick of the sickness where he had to die, which signifies that previously he was sick and was cured. Our Rabbis were taught: "Three times was Elisha sick; first at the time he discharged Gechazi from his service, secondly when he set the bears on the children, and the third time when he died."

“So I saw the wicked buried and come; they would go from a holy place, but would be forgotten in the city where they acted like that; this, too, is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 8:10).
“So I saw the wicked buried and come.”³⁴The midrash interprets this as referring to someone wicked who died and came back to life. Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon said: If it is regarding the dead of Ezekiel³⁵See Ezekiel chap. 37. that the verse is speaking, but is it not already stated “the wicked,” and they were nothing other than righteous? If it is regarding the son of the woman from Tzorfat,³⁶See I Kings chap. 17. but is it not already stated “buried,” and he was not buried? If it is regarding Tzidkiya ben Kenaana that the verse is speaking,³⁷The midrash is identifying Tzidkiya ben Kenaana, a false prophet, as the wicked man whose remains were thrown into the prophet Elisha’s burial cave, and touched Elisha’s remains (see II Kings 13:21). The wicked man got up on his feet and moved away so that he would not be buried with Elisha. but is it not already stated “and come”? But he did not come [fully back to life]; rather, “It was as they were burying a man…and he came to life” (II Kings 13:21) – could it be that it was forever? The verse states: “He stood on his feet” (II Kings 13:21) – this teaches that his standing was only temporary, merely to separate him from that righteous one. What is “and come [vava’u]”? Rabbi Shmuel said: Their sun set and they were purified; this is as it is stated: “The sun will set [uva] and he will be purified” (Leviticus 22:7).³⁸Rabbi Shmuel interprets the verse as referring not to the dead who come alive, but to those who are ritually impure and then become pure. Rabbi Levi said: “All the days of the wicked, he trembles [mitḥolel]” (Job 15:20) – he is dead [met] and a corpse [veḥalal], just as you say: “You are a wicked corpse [ḥalal]” (Ezekiel 21:30).
Another matter, it is referring to proselytes who come and repent. “They would go from a holy place” – because they went to a holy place, these are the synagogues and study hall. “But would be forgotten in the city” – their wicked deeds will be forgotten. “Where they acted like that” – and the good deeds that they performed in the city will be found. “This, too, is vanity.” Rabbi Yitzḥak said: This is not vanity, but it is vanity that they do not come on their own. Rabbi Bon said: The righteous went there and then they came, e.g., Joseph to Asenat, Joshua to Raḥav, Boaz to Ruth, and Moses to Ḥovav.³⁹In each case a gentile became a righteous convert, but only through direct contact with a righteous individual. Rabbi Aḥa said: It is vanity only that the people do not come and sanctify themselves under the wings of the Divine Presence.

Rabbi Azariah said: Know thou the efficacy of charity. Come and see from the instance of Shallum, son of Tikvah, who was one of the important men of his generation, giving charity every day. What did he do? He filled the bottle with water, and sat at the entrance of the city, and he would give water to every person who came on the way, restoring his soul to him. On account of the charity which he did, the Holy Spirit rested upon his wife, as it is said, "So Hilkiah the priest… went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, the son of Tikvah" (2 Kings 22:14). Originally his name was "the son of Sachrah"; just as thou dost say, "Merchandise is better than the circulation of money" (Prov. 3:14). One Scripture text || says, "The son of Sachrah." When her husband died, the charitable deeds of her husband ceased, and all Israel went forth to show loving-kindness to Shallum, son of Tikvah. But they spied the band, and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha, and he came to life, as it is said, "And as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived" (2 Kings 13:21); and afterwards he begat Chanameel, as it is said, "Behold, Chanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee" (Jer. 32:7).

And thus do you find with Chizkiyahu, king of Judah, who taught all of Torah to Israel and called them "sons," viz. (II Chronicles 29:11) "My sons, now be not lax." And just as disciples are called "sons," so is the master called "father," viz. (II Kings 2:12) "And Elisha saw (Eliyahu being borne aloft) and he cried out 'My father, my father — the chariot of Israel and its riders!'" And he saw him no more, and he took hold of his own garments, etc." And it is written (Ibid. 13:14) "And Elisha fell ill with the illness of which he would die, and Yoash the king of Israel came down to him and wept before him, crying 'My father, my father!'"

"and they that turn the many to righteousness (will shine) as the stars forever": Just as the stars are high and exalted above all mortals, so, the righteous. And just as the light of the stars can be seen from one end of the world to the other, so, the light of the righteous. And just as the stars are sometimes revealed and sometimes concealed, so, the righteous. And just as there are innumerable "coteries" of stars, so, there are innumerable coteries of the righteous. If Israel do the will of the L-rd, they are like the stars; if not, they are like the dust. And thus is it written ((II Kings 13:7) "for the king of Aram had destroyed them and made them like the dust for threshing."