Daily Tanach Thursday Sefer Melachim 2 Chapter 2 Part 7: Elisha curses the lads who mock him, and they die

* The article below is an excerpt from the above Sefer
  1. Elisha curses the lads who mock him, and they die:
  • A group of lads poke fun at Elisha: Elisha traveled from Jericho to the city of Bet El. While he was traveling on the road a number of young lads [who were empty of mitzvah fulfillment[1]] came out of the city and poked fun at him, calling him bald and saying, “Go away, Baldy; go away, baldy!” [They were upset that he had purified the polluted waters of Jericho, as they had made income through providing pure water to the townspeople, and now that their water was purified, they lost their source of income.[2]]
  • Elisha curses the lads: Elisha turned around and saw the lads who insulted him [that no good will come out of them or their descendants[3]], and he cursed them in the name of G-d.
  • Two beers devour 42 lads: After this occurred, two female beers came out of the forest and tore apart forty-two lads from amongst the group.
  1. Elisha travels to Mount Carmel and from there to Samaria:
  • Elisha traveled from the city of Beit El to Mt. Carmel, and from there he returned to the city of Shomron.

 

[1] Rashi 2:23

[2] Rashi 2:23; Sotah 46b

[3] Rashi 2:24; Sotah 46b

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