[הנה אנכי שלח לכם את אליה הנביא לפני בוא יום יהוה הגדול והנורא]
(22) Be mindful of the Teaching of My servant Moses, whom I charged at Horeb with laws and rules for all Israel. (23) Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome, fearful day of the LORD. (24) He shall reconcile parents with children and children with their parents, so that, when I come, I do not strike the whole land with utter destruction. [Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome, fearful day of the LORD.] (NJPS)
And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers; lest I come and smite the land with utter destruction. (OJPS)
What questions could you ask about the phrase in bold?
He will turn the hearts of the parents on the children. Like "with" the children. And the other one too.
What question does Radak answer?
And he will turn the hearts of the fathers. To the Holy One of Blessing.
What question does Rashi answer?
והשיב, והוא ישיב את כל העולם בתשובה, עד שהבנים שהודחו מתורת אבותיהם ישיב לב הבנים אל אבותיהם לחזור אל הדת ותורת אבותם, ועי"כ ישיב לב אבות על בנים
And he will turn. He will turn the entire world in repentance, until the children who were removed from the Torah of their parents, will turn the hearts of the children to their parents to return to the religion and the Torah of their parents, and by way of this, the hearts of the parents will be turned to the children.
What question(s) does Malbim answer?
(5) Trust no friend, Rely on no intimate; Be guarded in speech With her who lies in your bosom. (6) For son spurns father, Daughter rises up against mother, Daughter-in-law against mother-in-law— A man’s own household Are his enemies.
What relationship do you see between this passage and ours?
(2) I have shown you love, said the LORD. But you ask, “How have You shown us love?” After all—declares the LORD—Esau is Jacob’s brother; yet I have accepted Jacob.
How literally or metaphorically should we read this verse?
(ו) בֵּ֛ן יְכַבֵּ֥ד אָ֖ב וְעֶ֣בֶד אֲדֹנָ֑יו וְאִם־אָ֣ב אָ֣נִי אַיֵּ֣ה כְבוֹדִ֡י וְאִם־אֲדוֹנִ֣ים אָנִי֩ אַיֵּ֨ה מוֹרָאִ֜י אָמַ֣ר ׀ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת לָכֶם֙ הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ בּוֹזֵ֣י שְׁמִ֔י וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם בַּמֶּ֥ה בָזִ֖ינוּ אֶת־שְׁמֶֽךָ׃
(6) A son should honor his father, and a slave his master. Now if I am a father, where is the honor due Me? And if I am a master, where is the reverence due Me?—said the LORD of Hosts to you, O priests who scorn My name. But you ask, “How have we scorned Your name?”
(17) And on the day that I am preparing, said the LORD of Hosts, they shall be My treasured possession; I will be tender toward them as a man is tender toward a son who ministers to him.
How do these three verses from Malachi suggest we should read our verse?
(8) But you have turned away from that course: You have made the many stumble through your rulings; you have corrupted the covenant of the Levites—said the LORD of Hosts.
How might this verse suggest an alternative way of reading our verse?
How are the three ways we can interpret parents and children in this verse related to Passover?