Questions About Bible People - Part 2
Q. I was just wondering why in Jeremiah 15:1 Shmuel was put on the same level as Moshe, when talking about them interceding for Bnai Yisrael? Many thanks!
A. Why do we talk about Washington and Lincoln in the same breath? Even though they lived far apart, in radically different times, each was a great leader in his own generation. Similarly, while Moshe may have been in a league of his own, Shmuel was the greatest leader in the time of the Judges. This isn't the only place these two leaders are compared favorably; see, for example, Psalms 99:6.
As far as the reference in Jeremiah specifically goes, Rashi on this verse explains that both Moshe and Shmuel had to pray for mercy on behalf of the people, and they both had to exhort the people to repent. He cites Exodus chapter 32 about Moshe and I Samuel chapter 7 about Shmuel. So, the reference is to things that, historically, both leaders did.
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Q. What can you tell me about Eliyahu?
A. Eliyahu was a navi who came from Toshav (making him a Tishbi) and who lived in Gilad (making him a Giladi). He opposed the wicked king Achav (Ahab) of Israel. Eliyahu was taken to Heaven alive and was succeeded by his student Elisha. You can read about him from I Kings 17 through the end of the sefer.
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Q. I have a question about Hashem’s view of Elihu, in Iyov. Hashem was angry against Eliphaz and his two friends because they had “not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Iyov has” (ch. 42:7). Elihu had also condemned Iyov, though, just like Eliphaz had: “Iyov ought to be tried to the limit, because he answers like wicked men...” (34:36). Hashem did not condemn Elihu’s assessment of Iyov, however. Why did Hashem find Elihu’s accusations again Iyov acceptable, but not those of Eliphaz and his two friends?
A. Thanks for your question. Rashi on that very pasuk explains. It's a long Rashi so I won't quote the whole thing. In explaining the nature of God's complaint to Elifaz, it concludes, "...at the end when you were silenced and defeated before him, you should have consoled him as Elihu did." So, there was a substantive difference between Elihu and the others even if there was also overlap.
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Q. [Name of lecturer] mentioned that Ovadia was a part of the rebuilding of the second beis hamikdash with Ezra and Nechemia. Didn't Elisha hanavi help Ovadia's widowed wife in Melachim beis? How do the two make sense? Is it possible for Ovadia to live so long if he was alive during Achav's reign?
A. Thank you for your question. I have cc'd [name of department]. If anyone can reach out to [name of lecturer] for clarity, it is they. I can contribute this, though: the date of Sefer Ovadyah is not overtly given in the text. Different Midrashim can disagree as to the timing. A famous example of this is Sefer Iyov. The Gemara in Baba Basra (14a) records a multi-way difference of opinion as to when the story takes place, with opinions ranging from the time of Avraham to the early second Temple period. Sometimes the text simply isn't explicit, so different authorities may rely on context clues (or a mesorah) to place the events.
I hope this helps!
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Rabbi Jack's book Ask Rabbi Jack is available from Kodesh Press and on Amazon.com.