Elijah's Twelve Stones and the Parallel Lives of Moses and Elijah

Pesikta Rabbati 4:1

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be your name" (1 Kings 18:31). Let our master teach us: when the New Moon falls on Chanukah, since there is no Additional prayer on Chanukah, one who prays the Additional prayer — must he mention Chanukah? Our masters taught us, Rabbi Simon said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua: when the New Moon falls on Chanukah, although the Additional prayer is recited only for the New Moon and not for Chanukah, he must mention Chanukah in the Additional prayer; and where does he mention it? In the thanksgiving blessing. You find that all the miracles the Holy One, blessed be He, did for Israel, and will do for them, are by the merit of the tribes. Even the Temple is destined to be rebuilt by the merit of the tribes, as it is said, "Jerusalem, that is built" (Psalms 122:3); and what is written after it? "There the tribes went up" (Psalms 122:4). And everything the Holy One, blessed be He, created, He created by the merit of the tribes: you find twelve months in the year, twelve constellations in the firmament, twelve hours in the day and twelve hours in the night. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I created even the upper and lower worlds only by the merit of the tribes. Therefore, when Elijah came to bring Israel near beneath the wings of the Divine Presence, he took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes and built them into an altar. "And Elijah took" — thus Rabbi Tanchuma opened: "And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel up out of Egypt" (Hosea 12:14) — this is Moses; "and by a prophet was he preserved" — this is Elijah. You find two prophets arose for Israel from the tribe of Levi, Moses first and Elijah last, and both redeem Israel: by Moses' mission He redeemed them from Egypt, and Elijah will redeem them in the time to come, as it is said, "Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet" (Malachi 3:23). Moses, who redeemed them from Egypt first, they returned and were enslaved again; but Elijah, when he redeems them from the fourth kingdom, from Edom, they will return to slavery no more, for it is an everlasting deliverance. And you find that Moses and Elijah are equal to each other in every matter. Moses a prophet, Elijah a prophet. Moses was called "man of God," Elijah was called "man of God." Moses went up on high, Elijah went up on high, as it is said, "when the LORD took up Elijah." Moses fled from Pharaoh, Elijah fled from Jezebel; Moses fled and came to a well, Elijah fled and came to a well. Of Moses it is said, "the LORD passed by before him" (Exodus 34:6), and of Elijah, "behold, the LORD passed by" (1 Kings 19:11). Moses "heard the voice" (Numbers 7:89), and to Elijah "behold, there came a voice" (1 Kings 19:13). Moses gathered Israel to Mount Sinai, Elijah gathered them to Mount Carmel. Moses destroyed idolaters, "put every man his sword by his side" (Exodus 32:27), and Elijah destroyed idolatry, seizing the prophets of Baal and slaughtering them. Moses was a zealot, "who is on the LORD's side, let him come to me" (Exodus 32:26), and Elijah was a zealot, "come near to me" (1 Kings 18:30). Moses fasted forty days and forty nights without eating or drinking, and so too Elijah went in the strength of that food forty days. Moses brought down fire, and Elijah brought down fire. Moses built an altar, and Elijah built an altar. In one matter we find Moses greater than Elijah: to Moses He said, "stand here by Me" (Deuteronomy 5:28), but to Elijah, "what are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:9). When Moses built an altar he built it of twelve stones, and Elijah likewise — "And Elijah took twelve stones." "And Elijah took twelve stones" — this is what Scripture says: "The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool" (Isaiah 66:1). The prophet uttered this in the days of Manasseh; for when Manasseh brought the idol into the Sanctuary, Isaiah began to prophesy to Israel: why do you boast to Me of this House you built Me? The upper and lower worlds do not contain My glory, and this House you built Me — do I need it? "What house will you build Me?" Behold, Nebuchadnezzar will come up and destroy it and exile you. Manasseh grew angry and they pursued Isaiah to seize him; he fled, and a carob tree opened its mouth and swallowed him. Rabbi Isaac said: Manasseh brought sawyers and sawed through the carob tree, and the blood flowed, as it is written, "Manasseh shed very much innocent blood" (2 Kings 21:16). When Elijah saw the power of the merit of the tribes — that Israel merited the Temple's building only by their merit — when he came to Mount Carmel to draw Israel near beneath the wings of the Divine Presence, he took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes and built them into an altar.

Themes

ElijahMosesTribes

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