Chapter 17

1And Elijah the Tishbite of the settlers of Gilead said to Ahab, "As the Lord, the God of Israel, whom I serve, lives, if there will be during these years dew or rain except according to my word."   אוַיֹּאמֶר֩ אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּ֜י מִתֹּשָׁבֵ֣י גִלְעָד֘ אֶל־אַחְאָב֒ חַי־יְהֹוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֚י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָמַ֣דְתִּי לְפָנָ֔יו אִם־יִהְיֶ֛ה הַשָּׁנִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה טַ֣ל וּמָטָ֑ר כִּ֖י אִם־לְפִ֥י דְבָרִֽי:
And Elijah the Tishbite: from a land named Toshav.   וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלִיָּהוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּי: מֵאֶרֶץ (סְפָרִים אֲחֵרִים: שֵׁם הָעִיר) שֶׁשְּׁמָהּ תּוֹשָׁב.
As the Lord… lives: Why was this placed here? For Elijah and Ahab went to console Hiel in his mourning. Said Ahab to Elijah, "Is it possible that the disciple’s curse was fulfilled while Moses our teacher’s curse was not fulfilled, as it is said: (Deut. 11:15) “And you will turn and worship other gods, and bow down to them, the Lord’s wrath will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the heaven.” Now, all Israel are worshipping idols, and the rains are not being withheld." Immediately, Elijah… said…   חַי ה': לָמָּה סְמָכוֹ כָּאן, אֶלָּא שֶׁהָלְכוּ אֵלִיָּהוּ וְאַחְאָב לְנַחֵם אֶת חִיאֵל בְּאֶבְלוֹ, אָמַר אַחְאָב לְאֵלִיָּהוּ: אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁקִּלְלַת הַתַּלְמִיד נִתְקַיְּמָה, וְקִלְלַת משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ לֹא נִתְקַיְּמָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְסַרְתֶּם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם לָהֶם, וְחָרָה אַף ה' בָּכֶם וְעָצַר אֶת הַשָּׁמָיִם, וַהֲרֵי כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹבְדִין עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְאֵין גְּשָׁמִים נֶעֱצָרִים, מִיָּד וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלִיָּהוּ וְגוֹ'.
2And the word of the Lord came to him saying.   בוַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלָ֥יו לֵאמֹֽר:
3"Go from here and you shall turn eastward and hide in the brook of Cherith, which is before the Jordan.   גלֵ֣ךְ מִזֶּ֔ה וּפָנִ֥יתָ לְּךָ֖ קֵ֑דְמָה וְנִסְתַּרְתָּ֙ בְּנַ֣חַל כְּרִ֔ית אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַיַּרְדֵּֽן:
and hide: from Ahab and Jezebel.   וְנִסְתַּרְתָּ: מִפְּנֵי אַחְאָב וְאִיזֶבֶל.
4And it shall be from the brook you shall drink and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.   דוְהָיָ֖ה מֵהַנַּ֣חַל תִּשְׁתֶּ֑ה וְאֶת־הָעֹרְבִ֣ים צִוִּ֔יתִי לְכַלְכֶּלְךָ֖ שָֽׁם:
5He went and did as the word of the Lord, and he went and resided in the Brook of Cherith which is before the Jordan.   הוַיֵּ֥לֶךְ וַיַּ֖עַשׂ כִּדְבַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֑ה וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ וַיֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ בְּנַ֣חַל כְּרִ֔ית אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַיַּרְדֵּֽן:
6And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and from the brook did he drink.   ווְהָעֹרְבִ֗ים מְבִיאִ֨ים ל֜וֹ לֶ֚חֶם וּבָשָׂר֙ בַּבֹּ֔קֶר וְלֶ֥חֶם וּבָשָֹ֖ר בָּעָ֑רֶב וּמִן־הַנַּ֖חַל יִשְׁתֶּֽה:
7And it came to pass after a time that the brook dried up because there was no rain in the land.   זוַיְהִ֛י מִקֵּ֥ץ יָמִ֖ים וַיִּיבַ֣שׁ הַנָּ֑חַל כִּ֛י לֹֽא־הָיָ֥ה גֶ֖שֶׁם בָּאָֽרֶץ:
the brook dried up: in order that that he know the necessity of rain and trouble himself to go into exile, for it was displeasing to the Holy One, Blessed be He, that Israel should live in hunger.   וַיִּבַשׁ הַנַּחַל: כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּדַע צֹרֶךְ הַגְּשָׁמִים וְיַטְרִיחַ לְגַלּוֹת, שֶׁהָיָה קָשֶׁה בְּעֵינֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל שְׁרוּיִין בְּרָעָב.
8And the word of the Lord came to him saying.   חוַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלָ֥יו לֵאמֹֽר:
9"Arise, go to Zarephath which belongs to Zidon and sojourn there. Behold I have commanded a widow there to feed you."   טק֣וּם לֵ֚ךְ צָרְפָ֙תָּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְצִיד֔וֹן וְיָשַׁבְתָּ֖ שָׁ֑ם הִנֵּ֨ה צִוִּ֥יתִי שָׁ֛ם אִשָּׁ֥ה אַלְמָנָ֖ה לְכַלְכְּלֶֽךָ:
to Zarephath: the name of a city.   צָרְפָתָה: שֵׁם הָעִיר.
Behold I have commanded there: in My household that a widow shall feed you there.   צִוִּיתִי שָׁם: בְּפָמַלְיָא שֶׁלִּי, שֶׁתְּכַלְכֶּלְךָ שָׁם אִשָּׁה אַלְמָנָה.
10And he rose and went to Zarephath, and he came to the entrance of the city, and behold there was a widow gathering wood. He called her and said, "Please take to me a little water in a vessel and I shall drink."   יוַיָּ֣קָם | וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ צָרְפַ֗תָּה וַיָּבֹא֙ אֶל־פֶּ֣תַח הָעִ֔יר וְהִנֵּֽה־שָׁ֛ם אִשָּׁ֥ה אַלְמָנָ֖ה מְקשֶׁ֣שֶׁת עֵצִ֑ים וַיִּקְרָ֚א אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר קְחִי־נָ֨א לִ֧י מְעַט־מַ֛יִם בַּכְּלִ֖י וְאֶשְׁתֶּֽה:
Please take to me a little water: He did not recognize the widow concerning whom the Holy One, Blessed be He, had told him. He learned from Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, (Gen. 24:15), and said, The one who gives me water is the widow.   קְחִי נָא לִי מְעַט מַיִם: הוּא לֹא הָיָה מַכִּיר בָּאַלְמָנָה שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְלָמַד מֵאֱלִיעֶזֶר עֶבֶד אַבְרָהָם, וְאָמַר: אוֹתָהּ שֶׁתִּתֵּן לִי מַיִם לִשְׁתּוֹת, הִיא הָאַלְמָנָה.
11And she went to take, and he called her and said, "Take to me a morsel of bread in your hand."   יאוַתֵּ֖לֶךְ לָקַ֑חַת וַיִּקְרָ֚א אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר לִֽקְחִי־נָ֥א לִ֛י פַּת־לֶ֖חֶם בְּיָדֵֽךְ:
12And she said, "As the Lord your God lives, if I have a cake, [nothing] but a handful of flour and a little oil in a flask. Behold, I am gathering two pieces of wood and I will come and make this for myself and for my son, and we will eat it, and we will die."   יבוַתֹּ֗אמֶר חַי־יְהֹוָ֚ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ אִם־יֶשׁ־לִ֣י מָע֔וֹג כִּ֣י אִם־מְלֹ֚א כַף־קֶ֙מַח֙ בַּכַּ֔ד וּמְעַט־שֶׁ֖מֶן בַּצַּפָּ֑חַת וְהִנְנִ֨י מְקשֶׁ֜שֶׁת שְׁנַ֣יִם עֵצִ֗ים וּבָ֙אתִי֙ וַעֲשִׂיתִ֙יהוּ֙ לִ֣י וְלִבְנִ֔י וַאֲכַלְנֻ֖הוּ וָמָֽתְנוּ:
a cake: Heb. מעוג [like עוגה, a cake].   מָעוֹג: כְּמוֹ עוּגָה.
[nothing] but a handful: Jonathan rendered: the palm of a handful.   מְלֹא כַף: תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: מְלֵי פִּיסַת יְדָא.
in a flask: bouteille in French, [a bottle,] as it is stated regarding Saul, “the jug (צפחת) of water that was at his head” (I Sam. 26:16).   בַצַּפָּחַת: ביטויל"א בְּלַעַ"ז (בַּקְבּוּקוֹן), כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּשָׁאוּל: צַפַּחַת הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר מֵרַאֲשׁוֹתָיו.
and we will die: From then on, we will die of hunger.   וָמָתְנוּ: מִשָּׁם וּלְהַלָּן נָמוּת בָּרָעָב.
13Elijah said to her, "Do not fear. Come and do as you said, but first make for me a small cake from there and bring it out to me, and for you and your son make last.   יגוַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלֶ֚יהָ אֵלִיָּ֙הוּ֙ אַל־תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י בֹּ֖אִי עֲשִֹ֣י כִדְבָרֵ֑ךְ אַ֣ךְ עֲשִׂי־לִ֣י מִ֠שָּׁם עֻגָ֨ה קְטַנָּ֚ה בָרִאשֹׁנָה֙ וְהוֹצֵ֣את לִ֔י וְלָ֣ךְ וְלִבְנֵ֔ךְ תַּעֲשִֹ֖י בָּאַחֲרֹנָֽה:
but first make for me a small cake: There is a Midrash Agadah in Gen. Rabbah (why he wanted his cake first) on the verse: "And Leah said, 'Good fortune has come'" (Gen. 30: 11).   עֻגָה קְטַנָּה בָרִאשֹׁנָה: מִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה יֵשׁ, (לָמָּה בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה) בְּוַתֹּאמֶר לֵאָה בָּגָד.
14For thus has spoken the Lord, the God of Israel, 'The pitcher of flour shall not end nor will the flask of oil be diminished until the day the Lord gives rain upon the land.' "   ידכִּ֣י כֹה֩ אָמַ֨ר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כַּ֚ד הַקֶּ֙מַח֙ לֹ֣א תִכְלָ֔ה וְצַפַּ֥חַת הַשֶּׁ֖מֶן לֹ֣א תֶחְסָ֑ר עַ֠ד י֧וֹם תֵּת־ (כתיב תֵּתן־) יְהֹוָ֛ה גֶּ֖שֶׁם עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה:
15She went and did as Elijah had said, and she and he and her household ate [many] days.   טווַתֵּ֥לֶךְ וַתַּעֲשֶֹ֖ה כִּדְבַ֣ר אֵלִיָּ֑הוּ וַתֹּ֧אכַל הִֽיא־ (כתיב הִֽוא־) וָה֛וּא (כתיב וָה֛יּא) וּבֵיתָ֖הּ יָמִֽים:
16The pitcher of flour did not end neither did the flask of oil diminish as the word of the Lord which He had spoken through Elijah.   טזכַּ֚ד הַקֶּ֙מַח֙ לֹ֣א כָלָ֔תָה וְצַפַּ֥חַת הַשֶּׁ֖מֶן לֹ֣א חָסֵ֑ר כִּדְבַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֶּ֖ר בְּיַ֥ד אֵלִיָּֽהוּ:
17And it was after these happenings, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; and his illness was very serious until no soul was left within him.   יזוַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה חָלָ֕ה בֶּן־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה בַּעֲלַ֣ת הַבָּ֑יִת וַיְהִ֚י חָלְיוֹ֙ חָזָ֣ק מְאֹ֔ד עַ֛ד אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־נֽוֹתְרָה־בּ֖וֹ נְשָׁמָֽה:
the son of the woman: became ill in order that he should need the key of Resurrection of the dead, as it is stated at the end of the Agadah of chapter Chelek (San. 113a).   חָלָה בֶּן הָאִשָּׁה: כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּצְטָרֵךְ לְמַפְתֵּחַ שֶׁלתְּחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים, כִּדְאִיתָא בְשִׁלְהֵי אַגַּדְתָּא דְּחֵלֶק.
18And she said to Elijah, "What is there between me and you, man of God, that you have come to me to cause my sins to be remembered and to kill my son?"   יחוַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ מַה־לִּ֥י וָלָ֖ךְ אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים בָּ֧אתָ אֵלַ֛י לְהַזְכִּ֥יר אֶת־עֲו‍ֹנִ֖י וּלְהָמִ֥ית אֶת־בְּנִֽי:
to cause my sin to be remembered: Before you came, the Heavenly Tribunal would weigh my deeds and the deeds of the people of my city, and I was worthy of a miracle. Since you have come, here, I am not counted as anything since my righteousness is not noticeable. And similarly, concerning Lot scripture states: “And I am not able to flee to the mountain” (Gen. 19:19) to Abraham, for my merit will not be remembered in comparison to his.   לְהַזְכִּיר אֶת עֲוֹנִי: עַד שֶׁלֹּא בָּאתָ אֵלַי, הָיוּ שׁוֹקְלִין מַעֲשַׂי וּמַעֲשֵׂה עִירִי, וְהָיִיתִי רְאוּיָה לְנֵס, מִשֶּׁבָּאתָ לְכָאן, לֹא נֶחְשַׁבְתִּי לִכְלוּם, וְאֵין צִדְקָתִי נִכֶּרֶת (סְפָרִים אֲחֵרִים: נִזְכֶּרֶת), וְכֵן בְּלוֹט הוּא אוֹמֵר: וְאָנֹכִי לֹא אוּכַל לְהִמָּלֵט הָהָרָה, אֵצֶל אַבְרָהָם, שֶׁלֹּא תְּהֵא זְכוּתִי נִזְכֶּרֶת אֶצְלוֹ.
19And he said to her, "Give me your son." And she took him from her bosom, and she brought him up to the upstairs chamber where he was living, and he lay him on his bed.   יטוַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלֶ֖יהָ תְּנִֽי־לִ֣י אֶת־בְּנֵ֑ךְ וַיִּקָּחֵ֣הוּ מֵחֵיקָ֗הּ וַֽיַּעֲלֵ֙הוּ֙ אֶל־הָעֲלִיָּ֗ה אֲשֶׁר־הוּא֙ ישֵׁ֣ב שָׁ֔ם וַיַּשְׁכִּבֵ֖הוּ עַל־מִטָּתֽוֹ:
20And he called to the Lord and said, "O Lord my God, also on the widow with whom I am sojourning have You brought evil, to kill her son?"   כוַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶל־יְהֹוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔י הֲ֠גַם עַל־הָאַלְמָנָ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֨י מִתְגּוֹרֵ֥ר עִמָּ֛הּ הֲרֵע֖וֹתָ לְהָמִ֥ית אֶת־בְּנָֽהּ:
21And he prostrated himself on the boy three times, and he called to the Lord and said, "O Lord, my God, restore please the soul of this child within him."   כאוַיִּתְמֹדֵ֚ד עַל־הַיֶּ֙לֶד֙ שָׁל֣שׁ פְּעָמִ֔ים וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶל־יְהֹוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔י תָּ֥שָׁב נָ֛א נֶֽפֶשׁ־הַיֶּ֥לֶד הַזֶּ֖ה עַל־קִרְבּֽוֹ:
And he prostrated himself: Heb. ויתמודד, from an expression of מדה, a measure, i.e., he prostrated himself upon him.   וַיִּתְמֹדֵד: מִלְּשׁוֹן מִדָּה, נִשְׁתַּטַּח עָלָיו.
22And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Elijah and the child's soul returned within him, and he lived.   כבוַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּק֣וֹל אֵלִיָּ֑הוּ וַתָּ֧שָׁב נֶֽפֶשׁ־הַיֶּ֛לֶד עַל־קִרְבּ֖וֹ וַיֶּֽחִי:
23And Elijah took the child and he brought him down from the upstairs chamber to the house, and he gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, "See, your son is alive."   כגוַיִּקַּ֨ח אֵלִיָּ֜הוּ אֶת־הַיֶּ֗לֶד וַיֹּרִדֵ֚הוּ מִן־הָעֲלִיָּה֙ הַבַּ֔יְתָה וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֖הוּ לְאִמּ֑וֹ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ רְאִ֖י חַ֥י בְּנֵֽךְ:
24And the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a Man of God and the word of the Lord that is in your mouth, is true."   כדוַתֹּ֚אמֶר הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ אֶל־אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ עַתָּה֙ זֶ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתִּי כִּ֛י אִ֥ישׁ אֱלֹהִ֖ים אָ֑תָּה וּדְבַר־יְהֹוָ֥ה בְּפִ֖יךָ אֱמֶֽת: