Daily Tanach Wednesday Sefer Melachim 1 Chapter 18: Achav and Eliyahu meet, and a showdown is agreed to take place

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  1. Achav and Eliyahu meet, and a showdown is agreed to take place:
  • Ovadia went towards Achav and he told him of Eliyahu’s arrival. So, Achav went towards Eliyahu. When Achav saw Eliyahu, he said to him, “Is that you, the destroyer of Israel?” Eliyahu responded that, “It is not me who has forsaken Israel, but you and your father’s house, since you have forsaken the commandments of Hashem, and worshipped the Baal.”
  • Eliyahu asks for a showdown to be set up between the prophets of Baal and Hashem: Eliyahu said to Achav: Gather all of the Jewish people to Mount Carmel, and gather all the 450 prophets of the Baal and the 400 prophets of the Asherah who eat at Izevel’s table.

 

  1. The showdown between the prophets of Baal and Eliyahu by Mount Carmel:
  • Achav summoned all of the Jewish people, and gathered the prophets to Mount Carmel.
  • Eliyahu taunts the people to pick a side and stop worshipping both Baal and Hashem: Eliyahu then said to all of the people, “Until when will you remain between idolatry and service of G-d? If Hashem is G-d, then follow Him, and if the Baal, then go after him.” The people did not respond one word. Eliyahu then again spoke to the people saying, “I alone have remained a prophet to Hashem, while the prophets of the Baal are four hundred and fifty men.”
  • Eliyahu offers the Jewish people an experiment to reveal who is the true G-d: Eliyahu said to the Jewish people and the prophets of the Baal: “Let us take two bulls, from which they will choose one bull for themselves and cut it up and place it on the wood but will not light it afire. I will then prepare the second bull, and I will also put it on the wood but will not light it afire. You will then call in the name of your deity, and I will call in the name of Hashem to bring down a fire to consume the sacrifice. Now, the G-d that will answer with fire, will be declared as the true G-d.” When the people heard of the above offer from Eliyahu they all accepted it and agreed that it is a good option.
  • So Eliyahu said to the prophets of the Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first since you are the majority. Now, do not light it afire and rather call in the name of your deity, for him to bring fire from the heavens.”

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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