Elijah In Talmud & Midrash

One time our Rabbis were sitting and discussing where Elijah came from. Some of them said: "He came from the seed of Rachel." Some said: "He came from the seed of Leah." While they were sitting and discussing the matter, Elijah came and stood before them. he said to them, "My Rabbis, I am surely from the seed of Rachel! Is it not written as follows in the genealogy of Benjamin: Adashah, Elijah, and Zichri were the sons of Jeroham?" (1 Chronicles 8:27)

...It once happened that Rabbi Akiva was imprisoned in jail and Rabbi Yehoshua the Garsi, his student, was serving him. [On] the eve of the holiday, [the latter] departed from him and went to his house. Eliyahu came and stood at the entrance of his house. He said to him, "Peace be unto you, my teacher." He said [back] to him, "Peace be unto you, my teacher and master." He said to him, "Is there nothing that you require? He said to him, "I am a priest and I have come to tell you that Rabbi Akiva has died in jail." ...

§ The Gemara relates another story about the righteousness of common people. Rabbi Beroka Ḥoza’a was often found in the market of Bei Lefet, and Elijah the Prophet would often appear to him. Once Rabbi Beroka said to Elijah: Of all the people who come here, is there anyone in this market worthy of the World-to-Come? He said to him: No....In the meantime, two brothers came to the marketplace. Elijah said to Rabbi Beroka: These two also have a share in the World-to-Come. Rabbi Beroka went over to the men and said to them: What is your occupation? They said to him: We are jesters, and we cheer up the depressed. Alternatively, when we see two people who have a quarrel between them, we strive to make peace. It is said that for this behavior one enjoys the profits of his actions in this world, and yet his reward is not diminished in the World-to-Come.

It is related about two Sages, Avuh bar Ihi and Minyamin bar Ihi, that one of them was accustomed to give his waiter from every type of food that he ate, while the other one would give him only one of the types of food that he ate. The Gemara says: Elijah spoke with this Sage, but Elijah did not speak with that Sage, since he did not act with piety and caused his waiter to suffer. Similarly, the Gemara relates an incident with regard to two pious men, and some say they were Rav Mari and Rav Pineḥas, the sons of Rav Ḥisda: One Sage would give the waiter something to eat before the meal, and the other Sage would give the waiter something to eat after the guests had eaten. With regard to the one who gave it to him earlier, Elijah spoke with him. But with regard to the one who gave it to him later, Elijah did not speak with him.

...Elijah, remembered for good, and Rabbi Joshua son of Levi were reclining and studying together ...

...It was taught: If a group of Jews are threatened by heathens who declare, "surrender one of yourselves and will kill him; and if not, we will kill all of you" - they should all be killed and not surrender on should of Israel. But if {they} specified a particular person..., they should surrender him and not all be killed....

Ulla son of Qosher was wanted by the government. He arose and fled to Rabbi Yehoshua sone of Levi at Lydda, and officers were dispatched after him. Rabbi Yehoshua son of Levi went to him and urged him [to surrender], saying, "Better that you should be killed rather than that the whole community be punished on account of you." [Ulla] was persuaded and was handed over to them.

Now, Elijah used to speak with Rabbi Yehoshua, but once he did this, Elijah stopped coming to him. Yehoshua fasted thirty days, and finally Elijah appeared to him. Yehoshua asked him, "Why were you absent, Master?"

He replied, "Am I a companion of informers?"

Yehoshua said, "But is this not a Tannaitic statement: "If a group of Jews are threatened, "surrender on of yourselves and we will kill him; an if not, we will kill all of you" - they should all be killed and not surrender one should of Israel. But if they specified a particular person..., they should surrender him and hot all be killed?"

Elijah replied, "Is the Mishnat hasidim? This should have been done by another, not you!"

The Gemara relates: Rabba bar Sheila found Elijah the prophet, who had appeared to him. He said to Elijah: What is the Holy One, Blessed be He, doing? Elijah said to him: He is stating halakhot transmitted by all of the Sages, but in the name of Rabbi Meir He will not speak. He said to him: Why? He replied: Because he learned halakhot from the mouth of Aḥer. He said to him: Why should he be judged unfavorably for that? Rabbi Meir found a pomegranate and ate its contents while throwing away its peel. He said to him: Indeed, your defense has been heard above. Now God is saying: My son, Meir, says: When a person suffers, e.g., by receiving lashes or the death penalty at the hands of the court, how does the Divine Presence express itself? Woe is Me from My head, woe is Me from My arm, as God empathizes with the sufferer. If the Holy One, Blessed be He, suffers to such an extent over the blood of the wicked, how much more so does He suffer over the blood of the righteous that is spilled.

And Rabbi Evyatar found Elijah the prophet and said to him: What is the Holy One, Blessed be He, doing now? Elijah said to him: He is currently engaged in studying the episode of the concubine in Gibeah. Rabbi Evyatar asked him: And what is He saying about it? Elijah said to him that God is saying the following: Evyatar, My son, says this and Yonatan, My son, says that. It is seen here that God saw fit to cite the statement of Rabbi Evyatar. Rabbi Evyatar said to him: God forbid, is there uncertainty before Heaven? Doesn’t God know what happened? Why does He mention both opinions? Elijah said to him: Both these and those are the words of the living God, ...

(1) ...Another explanation. “Three days before the Messiah arrives, Elijah comes and stands atop the mountains of Israel, crying and mourning over them... and his voice is heard from one end of the world to the other. Afterward he says to them, "Peace has come to the world!"... On the second day he comes and stand atop the mountains of Israel and says, "Goodness has come to the world."... On the third day he comes and says, "Salvation has come to the world." ... At that moment, the Holy Blessed One displays Her Glory and Dominion to all inhabitants of the world and redeems Israel.

(10) He replied, “I am moved by zeal for the ETERNAL, the God of Hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and put Your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they are out to take my life.”

(17) The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "Art thou better than thy fathers?" Esau sought to slay Jacob, but he fled before him, as it is said, "And Jacob fled into the field of Aram" (Hos. 12:12). Pharaoh sought to slay Moses, who fled before him and he was saved, as it is said, "Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. And Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh" (Ex. 2:15). Saul sought to slay David, who fled before him and was saved, as it is said, "If thou save not thy life to-night, to-morrow thou shalt be slain" (1 Sam. 19:11). Another text says, "And David fled and escaped" (1 Sam. 19:18). Learn that everyone, who flees, is saved. Elijah, may he be remembered for good, arose and fled from the land of Israel, || and he betook himself to Mount Horeb, as it is said, "And he arose, and did eat and drink" (1 Kings 19:8). There the Holy One, blessed be He, was revealed unto him, and He said to him: "What doest thou here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:9). He answered Him, saying: "I have been very zealous" (1 Kings 19:10). (The Holy One, blessed be) He, said to him: Thou art always zealous ! Thou wast zealous in Shittim on account of the immorality. Because it is said, "Phineas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was zealous with my zeal among them" (Num. 25:11). Here also art thou zealous. By thy life ! They shall not observe the covenant of circumcision until thou seest it (done) with thine eyes.