Then the word of the Lord came to him, He said to him, “Why are you here, Elijah? He replied, “I am moved by zeal for the Lord, the God of Hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and put Your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they are out to take my life. (I Kings 19:9-10).

The lone figure of Elijah dominates Rembrandt’s sketch almost to the total exclusion of all else. A few pen strokes clue the viewer in to the mountain in the background. The sullen expression on the face of the prophet may indicate that he is unmoved by the theophany at Horeb through which God prevails upon him to have compassion and return to his people.

Despite his scintillating performance on Mount Carmel, Elijah may not rest on his Laurels. Jezebel is after him and has sent her henchmen to run him out of town. His fortunes have been reversed and he is now fleeing for his life. In his wanderings he reaches the mountain of revelation and witnesses a dramatic theophany reminiscent of Moses’ revelation at Mount Horeb.

The sounds replayed themselves in his mind. A crash of lightening and the crackling of fire had broken the oppressive silence. The sudden gasp of all those assembled was followed by the soul-stirring chorus — “The Lord alone is God. The Lord alone is God.” As he stood atop Mount Carmel, Elijah, nostalgically, identified with Moses at Horeb, beaming, as the people of Israel exclaimed, “We will do and we will listen”.

Recovering from an exhilarating, yet exhausting day, Elijah settled in for the night when suddenly he heard a rapping at his door. Messengers of Queen Jezebel had arrived with a threat, sealed by an oath to her pagan gods; “Elijah, tomorrow you shall die”.

Overcome by disbelief at his staggering reversal of fortune, Elijah realized he must flee for his life. Where should he go? He must run to Beer Sheba in the far reaches of the Southern kingdom of Judah. There he would be out of harm’s way. From there he would leave everything behind, and wander into the desert to die.

Elijah set out on the journey thinking it was his last, however, God had other plans. Weary, he fell asleep and was miraculously awakened by an angel who encouraged him to eat and drink. This meal nourished him with the energy necessary to walk forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb. Unbeknownst to Elijah, he was being taken to Moses’ mountain of revelation.

Midrashic literature is replete with numerous examples of Elijah’s actions echoing those of Moses:

You will find that Moses and Elijah are equated on all levels. Moses was a prophet as was Elijah, Moses was called the man of God and Elijah was called the man of God, Moses made a heavenly ascent and Elijah made a heavenly ascent… Moses had God pass all His glory before him and so too Elijah had God’s glory pass before him… Moses was shielded in a cave (in the cleft of the rock) and Elijah was hidden in a cave, Moses came to the Mountain of God and Elijah came to the Mountain of God, Moses went to the desert and Elijah went to the desert, Moses went forty days and forty nights without eating or drinking so too Elijah walked with the strength of a meal for forty days and forty nights…Moses inspired Israel to accept the love of God; “All that God has spoken, we shall do and we shall listen”, Elijah inspired Israel to love God; “The Lord alone is God.”
(Pesikta Rabbati 4:3):

Despite the many similarities there was one essential difference between these two leaders. Moses pleaded with God not to destroy the people of Israel after the sin of the golden calf. He prayed for God to remit their sins, demonstrate mercy and attenuate punishment. Elijah, on the other hand, was not able to summon compassion. He held fast to his position, maligning the people for their intransigence rather than defending them.

After a long journey, Elijah arrived at Mount Horeb. It was here that he encountered the Almighty:

Then the word of the Lord came to him. He said to him, “Why are you here, Elijah?” He replied, “I am moved by zeal for the Lord, the God of Hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, torn down Your altars, and put Your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they are out to take my life.” (I Kings19: 9)

God initiated the discussion by asking Elijah, “Why are you here? His intention was to help Elijah understand why he had come to Mount Horeb. Elijah, self-absorbed, responded by expressing his personal outrage, at the hopelessness of Israel. He felt alienated and alone. Subconsciously, he questioned his self worth and the effectiveness of his leadership. In an effort to shift the focus, God appeared to him through a symbolic theophany at Horeb. The stage was set for a repeat performance of God’s revelation to Moses at Horeb. At Horeb that Moses pleaded to understand the ways of God in dealing with humankind and came to accept the limitations of his understanding:

O let me behold Your Presence! And He answered, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim before you the name Lord, and I will grant the grace that I will grant and show the compassion that I will show. But, “He said, “You cannot see My face, for man may not see Me and live.” And the Lord said, “See, there is a place near Me. Station yourself on the rock and, as My Presence passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and shield you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen. (Exodus 33:18-23)

Moses was granted a glimpse of God’s essence. The elusive nature of the divine defies man’s grasp. However, God’s presence was described in terms of grace and compassion. Moses assimilated these virtues and engaged in imitatio Dei, as he manifested great compassion toward his nation. Elijah, at Horeb did not openly demand God to reveal His Presence, but God symbolically demonstrated his attributes through a personal theophany to Elijah:

Come out,” He called, “and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And lo, the Lord passed by. There was a great and mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks by the power of the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind — an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake — fire; but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire — a still small voice. (I Kings 19:9-12)

Elijah was positioned on the mountain before the Lord. The divine presence passed before him in the form of God’s natural forces of wind, earthquake and fire, followed by a still small voice. God’s immanence was experienced in the contrast between forcefulness and gentleness — justice versus compassion. God was hopeful that Elijah would intuit the response of his mentor Moses; swallow his righteous indignation, humbly accept his limited understanding, and petition for the forgiveness of his nation.

God addressed Elijah once more: “Why are you here Elijah”? The rabbis piped in the script we would have liked to hear:

Why do you think I have brought you here Elijah? So that you should say to the Master of the Universe these are your children, your beloved sons, the sons of Abraham Isaac and Jacob who do Your will in this world. But not only did he not say this rather he exclaimed, “I am moved by zeal for the Lord, the God of Hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant. (Tanna devei Eliahu Zuta 8).

Yet startlingly, Elijah parrots his initial response verbatim:

I am moved by zeal for the Lord, the God of Hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, torn down Your altars, and put Your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they are out to take my life. (I Kings19: 9)

His rigid outlook had not changed. He felt alone and threatened. Rather than evoking mercy, Elijah reached the end of the road. He was incapable of accepting the people with their faults, unable to make any concessions.

Midrash Song of Songs Rabbah describes the frustrating impasse as follows:

I am moved by zeal for the Lord the God of Hosts for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant — God said to him My covenant? Perhaps it is your covenant?!? They have torn down Your altars? He said to him My altars? Perhaps they are your altars?!? And put your prophets to the sword? And he said to him My prophets? What do you care? Elijah I cannot tolerate your prophecy! (Song of Songs Rabbah 1:38)

This remarkable passage paints Elijah as far more stringent than the Lord Himself in his expectations of the people. Elijah was renowned for championing the honor of the Lord. His disdain for the people did not allow him to serve them without, as he saw it, compromising his fidelity to God. The time had come for God to appoint another man for the job

The theopany at Horeb is veiled in mystery. It is described through a series of negations; God is not in the wind, not in the earthquake, nor in the fire. God’s closeness is felt in the still small voice. This notion is poignantly described in the following talmudic tale wherein the divine presence is experienced through silence:

Rav Sheshet (who was blind) heard that all the people went out to see the king. He too arose and went out with them. A heretic and ex-pupil said to him: The whole pitchers go to the river but where do the broken ones go? He said to him, Now you will see that I know more than you. They heard the sound of shouting. They said to him the king is coming. Rav Sheshet said to them: No. They heard more shouting and said the king is coming. Rav Sheshet said to them. No. Then they heard a still small voice. Said Rav Sheshet Now indeed the king is coming. They said to him How do you know. He replied: The royalty of this world is like that in heaven and how do we know that it is so with the heavenly royalty. For it is written: Come out, He called, “and stand on the mountain before the Lord. And lo, the Lord passed by. There was a great and mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks by the power of the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind — an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake — fire; but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire — a still small voice. (Berachot 58a)

But what was the nature of the still small voice? Ostensibly, it was an absence rather than a presence. Or perhaps as Rashi suggests it was ‘une voix retentissaente’ – an echo; suggesting that man merely experiences reverberations of the divine.

Perhaps the key to unlocking the cryptic still small voice is the contrast with the powerful forces, which preceded it — wind, earthquake and fire. Elijah, a proponent of unequivocal divine justice was reminded through the still small voice of divine compassion. His moralizing fury was side stepped by God’s mercy, acceptance and understanding.

The lesson of Horeb was the last lesson of leadership Elijah was offered. The dramatic zeniths of Mount Carmel are few and far between. They serve to spontaneously inspire the masses but require follow through. God’s message to the prophet Elijah was that true leadership is in the ongoing challenges; the quiet moments of the every day. Patience and compassion, compromise and concession endow great leaders the forbearance to guide the people of Israel despite their shortcomings.

1. Pesikta Rabbati is a medieval midrash on the festivals of the year.

2. Imatatio Dei is the theological notion of man’s obligation to imitate God and His actions. The idea is found often in the Pentateuch where we are instructed to walk in His ways (Lev. 19:2, Dt. 10:12, 11:22, 26:17). The concept is expounded upon in talmudic literature in b. Shabbat 133b where we are told to exhibit mercy, forbearance and kindness– just as He is mercy and compassionate so must we be. In b. Sotah 14a the gemara outlines specific areas. Just as He clothes the naked, visits the sick, comforts the mourners and buries the dead so must we.

3. Tanna d’vei Eliahu Zuta is also called Seder Eliahu . It is distinctive in midrashic literature insofar as it has an expressed moral aim to explicate divine precepts such as Torah, prayer, repentance, and other religious values.

4.   Song of Songs Rabbah is an aggadic midrash written by Amoraim in the land of Israel. It exegetically reviews Song of Songs chapter by chapter, verse by verse and word by word.

5. The rabbinic text Mehkilta de Rabbi Ishmael ( masekhet d’pisha bo I) describes three prophets as follows: “You find three prophets; one championed the honor of the father (God) and the son (Israel), one championed the honor of the father and not of the son, and one championed the honor of the son and not of the father. Jeremiah championed the honor of the father and the son… Elijah championed the honor of the father and not the son…Jonah championed the honor of the son and not the father.