Eliyahu HaNavi

This post is in honor of my brother's first yartzheit. May his neshamah have an aliyah today. Moshe left us too early. May his zechuyot stand for his toddler daughters forever.

While my brother was on his deathbed on Shabbat Ki Tisa, already in a coma 7 days, I leined for him the parshah from a Chumash. The last Divrei Torah that entered his ears were the Haftarah of Eliyahu HaNavi at Mount Carmel. The last verse of the Haftarah serves to teach us about Eliyahu HaNavi's role.

מלכים א יח:לט - וירא כל-העם ויפלו על פניהם, ויאמרו ה' הוא האלקים ה' הוא האלקים

Melachim 1 18:39 - And the nation saw and they fell on their faces and they said Hashem is the Elokim, Hashem is the Elokim.

Eliyahu HaNavi's actions at Mount Carmel had a profound response. Hashem is the Elokim.

The name Hashem is representative of the Right, Spiritual Reality.

The name Elokim is representative of the Left, Physical Reality.

The Gematria of my name, son of my father's name, is equal to a single verse in the Torah.

שמות ו:ב - וידבר אלקים אל משה ויאמר אליו אני השם

Shemot 6:2 - Elokim spoke to Moshe and he said to him I am Hashem.

Perhaps it was fitting that he passed away davka on that Motzaei Shabbat, leaving Ki Tisa as his last parshah, with me in that hospital room leining for him. But alas cheshbonot are for Hashem.

It is the lonely job of Eliyahu HaNavi to make people realize the folly of turning Hashem and Elokim in to two separate domains. Eliyahu HaNavi is said to come between Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben Dovid. He comes between 2 different Geulot. It is his job to teach us that we are to appreciate both, to strive for perfection in both. If we write off one, we are not truly ready for the other. There is so much in this world that tries to convince us otherwise, but we must remain steadfast in our advance in both worlds.

We are in the final footsteps, and we must be careful not to go astray.