Hanging out with the Haggadah, Part 2 2022/5782

(17) When Ahab caught sight of Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” (18) He retorted, “It is not I who have brought trouble on Israel, but you and your father’s House, by forsaking the commandments of the LORD and going after the Baalim. (19) Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, together with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”^-b
(20) Ahab sent orders to all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. (21) Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you keep hopping between two opinions?^-c If the LORD is God, follow Him; and if Baal, follow him!” But the people answered him not a word. (22) Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only prophet of the LORD left, while the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men. (23) Let two young bulls be given to us. Let them choose one bull, cut it up, and lay it on the wood, but let them not apply fire; I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and will not apply fire. (24) You will then invoke your god by name, and I will invoke the LORD by name; and let us agree:^-d the god who responds with fire, that one is God.” And all the people answered, “Very good!” (25) Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull and prepare it first, for you are the majority; invoke your god by name, but apply no fire.” (26) They took the bull that was given them; they prepared it, and invoked Baal by name from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and none who responded; so they performed a hopping dance about the altar that had been set up. (27) When noon came, Elijah mocked them, saying, “Shout louder! After all, he is a god. But he may be in conversation, he may be detained, or he may be on a journey,^-e or perhaps he is asleep and will wake up.” (28) So they shouted louder, and gashed themselves with knives and spears, according to their practice, until the blood streamed over them. (29) When noon passed, they kept raving^-f until the hour of presenting the meal offering. Still there was no sound, and none who responded or heeded. (30) Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come closer to me”; and all the people came closer to him. He repaired the damaged altar of the LORD. (31) Then Elijah took twelve stones, corresponding to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob—to whom the word of the LORD had come: “Israel shall be your name”— (32) and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD. Around the altar he made a trench large enough for two seahs of seed. (33) He laid out the wood, and he cut up the bull and laid it on the wood. (34) And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it over the burnt offering and the wood.” Then he said, “Do it a second time”; and they did it a second time. “Do it a third time,” he said; and they did it a third time. (35) The water ran down around the altar, and even the trench was filled with water. (36) When it was time to present the meal offering, the prophet Elijah came forward and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel! Let it be known today that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your bidding. (37) Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God; for You have turned their hearts backward.”^-e (38) Then fire from the LORD descended and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the earth; and it licked up the water that was in the trench. (39) When they saw this, all the people flung themselves on their faces and cried out: “The LORD alone is God, The LORD alone is God!” (40) Then Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal, let not a single one of them get away.” They seized them, and Elijah took them down to the Wadi Kishon and slaughtered them there.

We pour the cup of Eliyahu and open the door.

Pour your wrath upon the nations that did not know You and upon the kingdoms that did not call upon Your Name! Since they have consumed Ya'akov and laid waste his habitation (Psalms 79:6-7). Pour out Your fury upon them and the fierceness of Your anger shall reach them (Psalms 69:25)! You shall pursue them with anger and eradicate them from under the skies of the Lord (Lamentations 3:66).

...If you have anger, pour it out on the nations who do not know You and the families of earth who do not call out in Your Name, for indeed Israel, even though they have sinned before You, did not remove themselves from Your jurisdiction at all, and they did not mix with another people, rather, they are separated from all idolatry and they keep up with most of the mitzvoth and call in Your Name, and pray before You, and even though there hearts are not firm, they will return in te'shuvah, for indeed their hope is not lost, and there is still goodness among them. - Radak

Accepted

Completed is the Seder of Pesach according to its law, according to all its judgement and statute. Just as we have merited to arrange it, so too, may we merit to do [its sacrifice]. Pure One who dwells in the habitation, raise up the congregation of the community, which whom can count. Bring close, lead the plantings of the sapling, redeemed, to Zion in joy.

Next year, let us be in the built Jerusalem!