Jewish History

The passing of Eliyahu HaNavi witnessed by his student, Elisha HaNavi. The miracles performed by Elisha. Shimush – service to a Torah scholar is greater than study. Speaker: Rabbi Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld z”l.

03:57 – The cape of Eliyahu HaNavi.

10:26 – Elisha HaNavi enters the city of Yericho (Jericho).

18:35 – The impurity of long hair at the back of a man’s head.

25:19 – Tzedakah (charity) should never be accepted from a non-Jew to support a talmid chocham (Torah scholar).

26:54 – Elisha HaNavi performed 16 miracles, while Eliyahu HaNavi performed 8.

*28:14 – Yehoram, son of King Achav, forms an alliance and goes out to fight Moav, but his troops don’t have enough water. Story of the greatness of Elisha HaNavi when water poured forth from his hands on Har Carmel.

37:53 – Sipurey Masiyos – the power of music. [Klop at 39:12.]

39:36 – Elisha HaNavi and the miraculous river that supplied water for the armies of Yehoram and Yehoshofat.

00:00 – Yizavel has Navos murdered so that her husband, King Achav, can take possession of his land. The death of Achav.

22:55 – The Maharshah encounters an incarnation of Achav.

24:07 – Story of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai z”l killing an incarnation of Achav named Yehuda ben Gerim. This account shows how Hashem allows atonement for even the worst sins and every person a chance to return to Him, even if it takes many lifetimes, chas v’shalom (may Hashem protect).

29:50 – The reign of Achaziah, son of Achav.

35:56 – Introduction to the departure of Eliyahu HaNavi to enter Olam Habah (the Next World) alive. Only nine people left this world without experiencing death.

00:00 – King Achav defeats Ben Hadad, King of Assyria, but lets him live. Achav is rebuked by a prophet.

05:38 – “One who puts his armor on for battle should not boast as one who takes it off.” (1 Melachim/Kings 20:11)

21:46 – Eliyahu HaNavi and Elisha.

29:52 – How Reb Shimon became Rebbe Nachman’s servant in Olam Habah (the Next World).

00:00 – Review of the confrontation between Eliyahu HaNavi and the priests of Baal. On Yom Kippur, the last words we say before the final sounding of the shofar are “Hashem Hu HaElokim“. We also say these words on Yom Kippur Katan (the last day of each lunar month).

02:23 – Meaning of “Hashem Hu HaElokim” according to the gemara.

09:17 – The Baal Shem Tov HaKodesh explains שִׁוִּיתִי יְהוָה לְנֶגְדִּי תָמִיד “I place Hashem before me always” (Tehillim/Psalms 16:8).

10:45 – Eliyahu HaNavi honors Achav’s position as king of Israel. A king cannot forego his honor.

14:14 – The evil of Achav was worse than that of Yeravam ben Navat.

15:46 – The honor due a king of Israel. A person receives a position of honor in this world only after it’s decided in Heaven.

17:51 – Achav was a gilgul (incarnation) of Cain.

*18:31 – An incident from the life of the MaHarShah that illustrates his greatness. He detects an incarnation of Achav.

29:44 – Yizavel (Jezebel) threatens the life of Eliyahu HaNavi so he flees. He travels 40 days and 40 nights without food or drink until he arrives at Har Sinai.

32:49 – Eliyahu HaNavi enters the cave on Sinai where Moshe Rabeynu stood when the 13 Midos of Hashem’s Kindness were revealed to him. He hears the kol demama daka – the Voice of Hashem is one of softness and kindness. Hashem gives Eliyahu three tasks to fulfill before he dies.

35:44 – Because he didn’t defend Am Yisrael, Eliyahu is told to appoint Elisha as a prophet in his stead. Eliyahu is also told that he will have to be present at every Bris Milah, to testify to the purity and loyalty of the Jewish People.

Melachim 1 – Lesson 06 – Eliyahu HaNavi and the Key to Rain

Melachim 1 – Lesson 05 – Strife Between the Kingdoms of Israel; The Curse of Rebuilding Yericho; Eliyahu HaNavi vs. Achav – The Era of Miracles Begins

00:00 – Yeravam ben Navat promoted idol worship in Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel).

02:58 – The Zohar HaKodesh ends with the final statements of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai z”l about Yeravam ben Navat.

06:42 – Pirkei Avos – the honor due a talmid chochom. Hashem is more careful about the honor of a tzaddik than He is about His Own Honor.

07:08 – Yeravam asks Addo haNavi to pray for him.

10:35 – Why did a false prophet merit receiving a true prophecy with regard to Addo’s death? He honored the mitzvah of haknassas orchim (hospitality).

14:52 – Why did the lion not attack the mule that Addo had ridden? Why did it not attack the false prophet?

19:11 – The false prophet later merited Divine Protection because he risked his life to rescue the body of Addo HaNavi. This incident took place when Yoshiyahu HaMelech was ridding Eretz Yisrael of idol worship by relocating old burial sites.

22:02 – Hashem Himself tries to bring Yeravam back to teshuvah, out of respect for his great achievements in Torah study.

*33:18 – Yeravam asks Hashem “Who will go first?” in Gan Eden (Paradise). What’s the difference between Teshuvah (return to Hashem) out of love vs. for reward? What kind of Baal Teshuvah can “stand where a tzaddik cannot stand”?

35:35 – The Zohar HaKodesh brings another reason why Yeravam didn’t want to accept Hashem’s offer of reward: he didn’t want the shekhina to “walk last”.

39:29 – Closing blessings.

00:00 – Why, after centuries of tears and prayers, has the final geulah (redemption) not yet arrived? As long as Am Yisrael lacks unity, the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple) cannot be rebuilt.

03:50 – It’s forbidden to speak loshon hara (slander) against Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel).

08:09 – Achieving unity within even a small group of Jews is the key to establishing harmony within the entire People of Israel. The ARIzal tested his students in this unity, and they failed. Disputes between Jews led to the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash.

12:47 – The importance of shmiras haloshon – guarding one’s speech.

14:57 – Midrash brings a moshol (allegory) about how misusing speech can bring about a person’s downfall. “Life and death are within the power of the tongue.”

18:53 – Stories about perfected speech. Rebbe Nachman’s Taanis dibur (not speaking) during the first day of Rosh HaShanah.

22:59 – A recent Breslover chasid who excelled in perfected speech was known as the “Silent Reb Nachman”. He was a close student of Rabbi Avraham (Kokhav-Lev) Sternhartz z”l. He spoke no mundane words for fifty years.

25:46 – To speak against the Land of Israel or its Jewish inhabitants is like speaking against the Shekhina (Divine Presence of Hashem).

26:45 – The confrontation between Shlomo HaMelech (King Solomon) and the king of the demons, Ashmidai. The division of the Kingdom of Israel after the reign of Shlomo HaMelech began when Yeravom ben Nevat (Jeroboam, from the tribe of Ephraim) spoke disrespectfully against Shlomo HaMelech.

29:32 – Achiya HaShiloni, one of the greatest prophets who ever lived, was the teacher of Eliyahu HaNavi (Elijah the Prophet). Foreseeing that the Kingdom of Israel would be split, he offered the rulership of ten of the tribes to Yeravom ben Nevat.

33:21 – After Shlomo HaMelech’s passing, his son Rechavam became king. Yeravom ruled over ten tribes and misled them into idol worship.

05:16 – Hashem offers to grant Shlomo HaMelech (King Solomon) one special request.

08:23 – The days of the week correspond to the sefiros (spiritual levels).

10:23 – Shlomo HaMelech chooses to ask for a “heart that hears/discerns”. Since he chose a wise request, Hashem grants him far more. The king awakens from his dream with the ability to understand the languages of animals, plants, and the natural world.

13:16 – One of Shlomo HaMelech‘s first acts as king was to gather together the People of Israel for tefilah (prayer).

*15:17 – Our tefilos today do not rise vertically, they rise horizontally because they need to travel to makom hamikdash (the site of the Holy Temple) before they ascend. This location is the shaar hashamayim (gateway to heaven).

18:46 – The Zohar HaKodesh brings an illustration about how the satan (evil inclination) operates in our generation.

21:35 – Rebbe Nachman emphasizes that Shlomo HaMelech took 700 wives and 300 concubines in order to convert them.

22:45 – Shlomo HaMelech judges between two mothers arguing over the ownership of a child.

32:09 – The throne of Shlomo HaMelech had supernatural qualities that enabled him to elicit the truth from witnesses in disputes.

36:30 – During the reign of Shlomo HaMelech, Israel was at peace. He lived to the age of 62, ruling 40 years.

Audio Player

00:00 – In his later years, Dovid HaMelech took Avishag as a concubine. He already had the permitted number of wives but he did not divorce any of his previous wives in order to marry her because 1) the Torah does not favor divorce, although it’s permitted; and 2) this union was not physical.

03:55 – Adam HaRishon gave 70 years of his own life to Dovid HaMelech. Why that number?

07:12 – There are ten sefiros (levels) of kedusha (holiness): three upper levels and seven lower. Adam gave 70 years corresponding to the seven lower sefiros.

08:37 – However, since these 70 years were spiritually incomplete, the tikkun (correction/completion) of these years came from: Avraham Avinu (five years), Yaakov Avinu (28 years), and Yosef HaTzaddik (37 years). Why did Yosef give so many years, while no years were given by Yitzchak?

11:18 – There are two moshiachs (anointed king of Israel): Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben Dovid.

13:40 – Dovid HaMelech lived 70 years, passing away in the afternoon of his 70th birthday, (Shavuos).

15:18 – On Dovid HaMelech‘s last day, he spoke with his son Shlomo (Solomon) to insure that Adonyahu and Yoav would not be able to take over the kingdom.

16:58 – Nasan HaNavi (Nathan the Prophet) advises Dovid HaMelech‘s wife, Basheva (Batsheva) to intercede on behalf of her son Shlomo.

19:42 – Dovid HaMelech‘s final words and requests.

21:14 – Shlomo HaMelech‘s first acts as king included fulfilling his father’s commands to bring Yoav and Shimi Ben Gera to justice.

*23:51 – Yoav fled to the mishkan (tabernacle), but it did not serve as a sanctuary. Dovid HaMelech had placed a curse on Yoav and his family, but that curse eventually plagued the descendants of Dovid. Whoever wishes evil for another endangers himself. It is better to be cursed than to curse.

24:56 – Shmiras HaLoshon (guarding one’s speech) is a central Torah law. Speech has irrevocable power, and misusing it brings serious and far-reaching consequences, even for a tzaddik and his descendants.

31:29 – Adonyahu asks permission to marry Avishag.

*39:03 – Shlomo HaMelech (King Solomon) was crowned while his father, Dovid HaMelech (King David), was still alive. A question of Torah law arises when Dovid HaMelech is nistalek (passes away) on Shabbos, when it is forbidden to move a dead body.

How the expression “Better to be a live dog than a dead lion” alludes to the fact that tefilas chatzos (the midnight prayer) counteracts negative forces.

How Dovid HaMelech‘s histalkus on Shabbos can strengthen our faith that a tzaddik never abandons Am Yisrael (the People of Israel).