Daily Tanach Tuesday 6th Shevat, Sefer Melachim 2 Chapter 6 Part 1: Elisha and his miracles to protect him from Aram

1.      The students of Elisha find a new area of learning near the Jordan and the miracle that was performed by him in that location:

• The students of Elisha complain that there is not enough space in the study hall: The prophet students who were disciples of Elisha said to him that the area where they sit before him to learn [i.e. their study hall] is too narrow for all the students to fit in. [When Geichazi was a servant of Elisha, he made it difficult for students to come to Elisha and therefore there was always enough space for the few students who managed to stay. However, after Geichazi was banished from before Elisha, many students came and there was not enough room for all of them.[1]]
• The Jordan is chosen as the new study location: The students thus suggested to Elisha that they travel to the Jordan and have every student take for himself from there a beam of wood in order to prepare for themselves a place to sit. Elisha acquiesced to the request of the students and let them go. One of the students then asked Elisha for him to come together with them to the Jordan, and Elisha agreed to this request as well.
• The chopping of the trees by the Jordan: Elisha went with them, and they arrived to the Jordan, and cut down the trees [to make seats for them to sit on].
• A student’s axe blade falls in the river: One of the students who was in the midst of chopping the beam from the tree lost the blade of his axe during one of his chops, and the blade fell into the water of the Jordan River. The student cried out in anguish to his master Elisha saying that he had borrowed the axe from another person [and does not have the money to pay him back[2]].
• Elisha miraculously floats the axe blade from the bottom of the river: Elisha asked his student as to where the blade had fallen, and the student showed him the spot in the river where it fell. Elisha proceeded to cut off a piece of wood and he then threw it into that spot of the river. After the wood was thrown into the river the axe blade miraculously floated on top of the water. Elisha then instructed his student to take the blade from the river. And so, the student stretched out his hand and took it.

[1] Rashi 6:1

[2] Rashi 6:5