[I Kings, 18:46–19:21]
“The hand of the Lord had come upon Elijah, etc.” [18:46]. The prophecy came upon Elijah and he girded his loins and he ran before king Ahab. Though he was an evildoer, he did this out of respect for the kingship. He had once been a king.1Yalkut Shimoni, I Kings, Remez, 217.
“Ahab told Jezebel” [19:1]. Ahab told his wife that Elijah had killed all the false prophets. Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, sent a messenger to Elijah. Tomorrow, I will have you killed, like you did to the false prophets. Elijah saw that this was a danger. He went to Beer Sheva and left his servant in Beer Sheva. Elijah himself went into the wilderness and sat under a tree. He asked God that he should die. He said, am I better than my fathers?
“He lay down and slept under a broom bush, etc.” [19:5]. Elijah lay down and fell asleep. An angel came quickly, woke him, and said, wake up and eat. Elijah saw a cake baked on coals and a small jug of water. He ate and drank and lay down again. The angel came again and said to him, get up and eat. You have a long journey before you. Elijah immediately ate and drank and he went with this food that he had eaten this time, forty days and forty nights until he reached Mount Horeb. From that food, his body did not digest the food for the whole forty days and forty nights and he was satiated from this food. He came there, to a cave, and the word of the God came to him. The cave was the rock where the Holy One had spoken and appeared to Moses. The Holy One asked Elijah. What are you doing here? Elijah responded, I could not behold the false prophets and was zealous and killed them. This caused that I had to run away since they killed many good prophets through Jezebel. I have been left alone and they desired to kill me. Though more prophets survive, they are hidden in a cave. They are all righteous, but Elijah said, because they are hidden, it is as if they did not exist in the world and I alone am here. He said: You Elijah should go out and stand on the mountain before God, who will pass over you. There was a strong wind that was tearing out mountains and breaking strong rocks. The Holy One was not in the wind and the Holy One was also not in the great storm. Afterwards, there was a great fire and the Holy One was not in it. However, after the fire there was a low voice and Elijah understood that this was the Holy One. When Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his mantle and stood at the door of the cave. The Holy One said to Elijah: go home again to the city of Damascus and you should anoint Hazael as king of Aram.
“You should also anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi, etc.” [19:16]. You should make Jehu king over Israel and Elisha the son of Shaphat you should make a prophet in your stead. Since you desire to die, you must make another prophet.
Our sages say that Elijah spoke much evil against Israel because they had committed many sins. Therefore, the Holy One did not want to have Elijah as a prophet, and said that he should make Elisha a prophet. When Israel continued to commit sins, the Holy One did not want that one should speak ill against Israel, just like a father who covers the disgraces of his son.2Yalkut Shimoni, I Kings, Remez, 218.
“Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill” [19:17]. They should kill all those who worship foreign gods and those evildoers that Hazael will let live will be killed by Jehu, and Elisha will kill what Jehu lets live. One should help the other to clean out those who serve foreign gods.
“I will leave in Israel seven thousand, etc.” [19:18]. I will leave seven thousand in Israel, those who have not bowed down to the foreign gods and the mouth that has not kissed the foreign gods.
“He set out from there and found Elisha, etc.” [19:19]. Elijah found Elisha, who was plowing with twelve pair of oxen. There were eleven servants who were guiding eleven pair of oxen and Elisha was guiding the twelfth pair of oxen. Elijah took his mantle and threw it over Elisha. That is to say, he laid his garment over him. He wanted that he should go with him, and Elijah took back his garment.3Radak, I Kings, 19:19.
“He left the oxen and he ran after Elijah” [19:20]. Elisha left the oxen standing and ran after Elijah. He said to Elijah: I want to go and kiss my father and my mother and then I will follow you. Elijah said to him, go.
“He turned back from him and took the yoke of oxen, etc.” [19:21]. Elisha turned back, took the pair of oxen and slaughtered them. He did not want to take time to chop wood to cook the meat and he took the wood [of the yoke] and cooked the meat and fed it to the same people who had been plowing. These people accompanied him on his way. They ate and afterwards, Elisha followed Elijah and became his servant.