Dive Deep Into the True Qualities of Izevel

The first time Izevel is mentioned in all of Tanach is in this pasuk. The pasuk describes how Izevel is being taken as wife by Achav. After it says that Achav took Izevel as a wife it says he went and worshipped the Baal. Does Izevel influence or encourage Achav to engage with avodah zara?

This midrash gives us a deep understanding into the character of Izevel: from here we learn that Izevel was an extremely influential person. Within the first year of Izevel being in Achav's house, Achav began to worship idols. He learned about idolatry from Izevel, she was the one to teach him. This commentary from Tanya Debbie Eliyahu Rabbah 9 seems to suggest that Achav only did avodah zara because he was under Izevel’s influence. She was the drive behind Achav straying from the ways of Hashem.

Izevel must have also been influenced to do avodah zara . Who caused Izevel to be such an idol worshipper that she influenced others?

Izevel was the daughter of an idol serving priest and she had 70 sons. Izevel learned her beliefs from her father's house and that is what led her to pass her beliefs on.

Since Izevel did not believe in Hashem and His prophets, she took those strong beliefs and killed the prophets of Hashem.

We see from this pasuk that Izevel was strong in her beliefs and only believed in avodah zara. As a way to show her strong beliefs, and eliminate anyone who preached Judaism and helped the Jews, she killed those who were against avodah zara and those who worshipped Hashem. This shows the evil and wicked person that she was. She was intolerant to the Jews, whose religion she did not believe in, and in her evil ways decided to kill all of the prophets of Hashem, the Jewish G-d.

There is still something positive to learn from Izevel’s actions even though they were mostly evil, as seen by her death threat to Eliyahu. There is a silver lining that can be seen from Izevel’s death threat. She gave Eliyahu the opportunity to flee and run away from her so that she would not have to kill him. She was generous in this way, and although she did give him a death threat, she allowed him to get away, and thus essentially saved him from being murdered.

Izevel continues to have a huge influence on Achav. Izevel knew that she could turn him back to his evil ways. This proves that Izevel was the reason for Achav being evil. She was so wicked and persuasive that she continued to influence Achav to do bad. When she knew that Achav was believing in Hashem, she instantly knew that she could influence him to return back to his evil ways. Through the fact that it is she who is returning him to his evil ways, it must be that she is evil and was the original one who turned him to evil in the first place.

From this passuk we see that Izevel cares deeply about her husband. She notices that he won't eat because he is upset about something. Izevel learns that the reason Achav was upset was because Navot would not give him his vineyard. Izevel made it her mission to get this vineyard for Achav. This situation shows a positive trait of Izelvel. She truly did care for Achav and she was willing to do what it took to make him happy.

From this one can determine that Izevel cares not only about her husband Achav, but also about the kingship in general. She is telling Achav that he must take charge and take action now, because Navot has went against him and he must show Navot that he is in power. Izevel cares about power, as seen from this Pasuk.

We see from here that Izevel was a planner and she made sure that her desires were achieved. She wrote all the letters in Achav's name and she signed the letter with the ring of the King. This also shows that she was the one controlling Achav—she sent the letters in his name, and it was she who devised a plan to kill Navot.

Izevel called for a fast because she knew that would lead to a gathering and that is exactly what she wanted. This shows that Izevel was conniving and smart. She knew that when everyone would gather she would have witnesses to prove that Navot was guilty, and therefore he could be killed, and Achav would be able to receive the vineyard. Izevel devised a well thought out plan in order to get the vineyard from Navot. She was smart and knew how to plan well, but she used these attributes to do evil.

Although throughout numerous perakim and pesukim the readers are shown the devious traits of Izevel we see that Izevel did have kind traits as well. Her actions of clapping for a bride and groom and walking behind the body of a dead person. These positive traits of Izevel are the traits that led Hashem to spare her. The parts of her body that did kindness were not destroyed by the dogs.

Key Takeawyas:

1. Izevel was manipulative, calculated, and evil person. She caused Achav to be an idol worshipper and she caused many people from Bnei Yisroel to lose a connection with Hashem.

2. Izevel cared tremendously for Achav. She also brought happiness to newlyweds and respected those who passed away by walking behind them. These were all positive traits of Izevel and it shows that she was not entirely bad.

We learn from this that every character in Tanach is complex. There were bad people who did good things, but there were also those who were good and sinned as well. We see from Izevel that Hashem rewards and punishes those according to their actions. Izevel was killed because of her evilness, but parts of her body were spared because of her kindness.