Another matter: “Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates [shelaḥayikh]” – the Holy One blessed be He is destined to transform your rejected ones [shiluḥayikh] into a pomegranate orchard in the future. What is that? This is Elijah of blessed memory, as we learned there: There was a family from Beit Tzereifa on the eastern side of the Jordan, and the people of Zion admitted it by force, and there was another that they rejected by force.155The family from Beit Tzereifa was of tainted lineage and should not have been allowed to freely marry other Jews, but the leaders of that time forcefully prevented publicity of this fact.
A different family was of pure lineage, but their reputation was besmirched and they became known as being of tainted lineage. In circumstances like these, Elijah will come to purify, to impurify, to reject, and to admit. Rabbi Yehuda said: To admit and not to reject. Rabbi Shimon said: [Elijah will come] to resolve disputes.
The Sages say: Not to admit and not to reject, but to bring peace in the world, as it is stated: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet.… and he will turn the heart of the fathers to the children [and the heart of the children to their fathers]” (Malachi 3:23–24).