Episode 18: Rabbi Alex Israel "Kings & Prophets"

Rabbi Israel discusses the distinctions between the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, and what our approach should be towards understanding these seemingly contradictory accounts. Find out how these factors into the story of Rehoboam. In the opening chapter of Kings, he offers two approaches for understanding the Avishag story. Discover the perplexities in the opening narrative of Kings, the two approaches the Rabbi utilizes to make better sense of all the details and peculiarities of these chapters. Additionally, the initial positive assessment of King Solomon in chapters 3, 4, and 5 make it hard to process his eventual descent into sin in chapter 11. How are we to appraise his positive persona in the earlier chapters with the knowledge of his downward spiral into sin? The Sages argued about what the sin was — how do we read these Aggadot and Midrashim? Lastly, Elijah the Prophet has become a symbol in Jewish life. According to our tradition, he "visits" each and every circumcision ceremony, is felt at the Seder table, and heralds the coming of the Messiah. His biblical persona, however, is rather different. Elijah is a zealot — demanding, agitated, passionate, and impatient. In Rabbi Israel's book, he outlines the different approaches of how to understand his fiery persona. Is Elijah a mouthpiece for God or are his actions of his own accord — or dare we say, even in protest to God? Why does Elijah fall into despair after the successful display on Mount Carmel, and how are we to understand God’s cryptic words to try lift Elijah back up? After Elijah fails to internalize God's call to change his ways, God effectively retires Elijah as a Prophet, but not before having him take on young Elisha as a protege. In his book, the Rav provides a brilliant POV regarding that first meeting between Elijah and Elisha. What are the nuances in that first encounter that clue us in to Elisha’s character, and why did God want Elisha to assume Elijah’s role? We explore Elijah’s famous end scene when he goes up in a whirlwind, with the narrative coming full circle, and how the Elijah in TaNaKh evolved into the Elijah in the later traditions.