Midrash sa 2 Mga Hari 3:14: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition) & Bamidbar Rabbah

R. Joshua b. Karcha: "In reward of what have you lived so long?" He answered him: "Does it grieve you that I live so long?" He replied: "Rabbi, it is a study, and I want to learn it from you." He replied: "I never in my life looked into the face of a wicked man; for R. Jochan, in the name of R. Simon b. Jachai, said: "It is prohibited for a man to look in the face of a wicked man, as it is said (II Kings 3, 14) Surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehosaphat the King of Judah, I would not look toward thee nor see thee.'" Raba said: "From here (Prov. 18, 5) It is not good to favor the countenance of the wicked." When R. Joshua b. Karcha was dying, Rabbi asked him: "Bless me!" He said to him: "May it be His will that you should reach the half of my age." "And not your whole age?" said Rabbi to him. Whereupon he replied: "And what will your sons do? Will they tend sheep?" The disciples or R. Zera and, according to others, the disciples of R. Adda b. Ahaba asked him: "Whereby have you merited to live long?" He answered: "I never was angry in my house; I never walked in front of my superior, I never thought of Divine subjects in unclean alleys; I never walked four cubits without studying the Torah nor without Phylacteries; I never slept in the house of learning neither a sound sleep nor a nap: I never rejoiced when my neighbor was in misfortune, and I never called my fellowmen by nicknames."

(Ib. b) R. Juda said, in the name of Rab: "Whoever is arrogant, if he be a sage, his wisdom will depart from him: and if he be a prophet, his prophecy will depart from him. That his wisdom will depart from him, if he be a sage, can be inferred from the case of Hillel, for the master said [above] , 'he began to reproach them,' and immediately after, when they asked him a law, he said, 'I heard, but I have forgotten it.' If he be a prophet, his prophecy will depart from him; this may be gathered from the case of Deborah [the prophetess]; for it is written (Jud. 5, 7) Desolate were the open towns in Israel; they were desolate, until that I arose, Deborah, thus I arose a mother in Israel; and it is written (Ib. ib. 12) Awake, awake, Deborah, awake, awake, utter a song, [which signifies that the prophecy left her and she had to awaken herself]." R. Simon b. Lakish said: "A man who becomes excited, if he be a sage, will have his wisdom depart from him; and if he be a prophet, will have his prophecy depart from him. That his wisdom will depart from him, if he be a sage, we infer from Moses, concerning whom it is written (Num. 31, 41) And Moses was excited against the officers of the host; and [after this] it is written, And Elazar the Priest said, etc. From this it may be inferred that the law escaped Moses' memory and therefore Elazar had to say it. That his prophecy will depart from him, if he be a prophet, we infer from Elisha, concerning whom it is written (II Kings 3, 14) Were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee; and [after this] it is written. But now bring me a musician; and it came to pass, when the musician played, and the inspiration of the Lord came upon him, [which shows that he had to seek the inspiration]." R. Mani b. Patish said: "A man who becomes excited will be removed from greatness even if it had been predestined for him by Heaven. Whence do we deduce this? From Eli'ab concerning whom it is written (I Sam. 17, 28) And Eli'ab's anger was incited against David, and he said, etc.; and when Samuel went to anoint a king, from among the sons of Jesse, concerning all others [who were rejected] it is written (Ib. 17, 8-10) This one hath the Lord not chosen [in the past tense]. But concerning Eli'ab, it is written (Ib. ib., 7) But the Lord said unto Samuel, 'Regard not his appearance, nor the height of his stature, because I have rejected him,' [in the present tense]. From which it may be inferred that I rejected him now although I had intended to choose him."

Another matter: “Assail the Midianites” – because I wrote: “When you besiege a city many days to wage war against it to seize it, you shall not destroy its trees” (Deuteronomy 20:19) – but to these, you shall not do so, but rather, destroy their trees. Likewise you find that when Yoram king of Israel went out to wage war against Moav, “They went around on a route of seven days; there was no water for the camp or for the animals” (II Kings 3:9), they began weeping. “The king of Israel said: Alas, as the Lord has summoned these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moav” (II Kings 3:10). Yehoshafat responded to him: “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord through him? One of the servants of the king of Israel replied and said: Elisha son of Shafat is here, who poured water over the hands of Elijah” (II Kings 3:11) – to inform of the wickedness of Yoram, who did not acknowledge him, as it was only Yehoshafat who acknowledged him: “Yehoshafat said: The word of the Lord is with him. The king of Israel and Yehoshafat [and the king of Edom] descended to him” (II Kings 3:12). Why is “king” not stated here regarding Yehoshafat? It is to inform you of the humility of that righteous one, who did not wish to descend before the prophet in royal garments, but rather as a common, God-fearing man. Some say: It is because the decree was issued that he would be killed with Ahab;⁹Yehoshafat was saved from the decree by his prayer (Matnot Kehuna; see I Kings 22:32). from that moment the verse began counting the reign of his son. That is why king is not written.
In reward for having descended before the prophet, they merited witnessing all the miracles. When Elisha saw them he said to the king of Israel: “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother” (II Kings 3:13), as he had never in his life consulted him. He began pleading before him: “The king of Israel said to him: Nay, for the Lord has summoned these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moav” (II Kings 3:13). “Elisha said: As the Lord of hosts, before whom I stand, lives, were it not that I honor the presence of Yehoshafat king of Judah, I would not look at you, and I would not see you. Now bring me a musician.… [And he said:].… So said the Lord: You will not see wind, and you will not see rain, but this ravine will be filled with water, and you and your livestock…will drink” (II Kings 3:14–17). He gave them water, which they needed. Moreover, he said to them: ‘The Moavites are in your hand’; “He will deliver Moav into your hand. You shall smite every fortified city…and you will fell every good [tov] tree, stop all springs of water” (II Kings 3:18–19). They said to him: ‘The Torah said: “You shall not destroy its trees” (Deuteronomy 20:19), and this is what you say?’ He said to them: ‘Regarding all the nations he commanded this matter, but this [nation, Moav,] is inconsequential and contemptible,’ as it is stated: “This is trivial in the eyes of the Lord; He will deliver Moav into your hand” (II Kings 3:18), as He said: “You shall not seek their peace or their welfare [tovatam]” (Deuteronomy 23:7) – these are their good [tovot] trees. That is why it is stated: “Assail the Midianites.”