Parshas Ki Sisa
M'lochim I 18:1

by Rabbi Dovid Siegel

This week's haftorah reveals to us Hashem's indescribable love for Hispeople and our inseparable relationship with Him. The setting is one ofmassive spiritual decline in which most of the Jewish nation was involvedin some facet of idolatry. After three years of severe famine and droughtHashem instructed Eliyahu Hanavi to appear before the Jewish King Achav.This wicked leader together with his idolatrous wife were gravely at faultfor the Jewish people's decline. Eliyahu faithfully fulfilled his missionand, at the risk of his life, challenged Achav and his idolatrousprophets to a crucial demonstration at Mount Carmel. Eliyahu, the onlyknown remaining prophet of Hashem represented Hashem while the otherprophets represented their false deities. Each would attempt to offer asacrifice and whoever received a response from above would be proven thereal prophet.After several futile attempts of the false prophets Eliyahu steppedforward to prove, once and for all, the authenticity of Hashem. Eliyahufilled a ditch with water, thoroughly drenched his altar and offered hisbullock to Hashem. Hashem responded in a miraculous fashion and sent afire which received the sacrifice, consumed the altar and even dried thewater in the ditch. This clear demonstration convinced the Jewish peoplethat Hashem was the exclusive power of the world and after this experiencethey forsook their idolatrous ways.

This incredible experience is unparalleled in all of Jewish history. Itsuniqueness is due to the fact that this sacrifice was, under normalcircumstances, a violation of a serious Torah prohibition. The Torahsternly warns us against offering a sacrifice to Hashem outside the BaisHamikdash. Once erected, the Bais Hamikdash served as the exclusive sitefor sacrificial purposes. And yet, at this crucial moment of truthEliyahu involved the Jewish people in a sacrifice on Mount Carmel, onenormally punishable by death. Chazal, in resolution of this perplexingissue, quote a Torah passage which states, "To him (the prophet) you shallhearken." (Dvorim 18:15) This passage establishes the precedent that anunequivocally authoritative prophet may temporarily order the violation ofa Torah commandment. In fact, Eliyahu's sacrifice on Mount Carmel iscited as the prime example for this principle. But, the question begs tobe asked, "Why was it necessary to violate a Torah principle at thisjuncture? Wouldn't this clear demonstration result from the ordinarysacrificial procedure in the Bais Hamikdash?"

In search for an insight to this let us focus on a specific reference inthis week's haftorah. The Scriptures, in describing Eliyahu's altar say,"And Eliyahu took twelve stones corresponding to the twelve tribes ofYaakov about whom Hashem said, 'Yisroel will be your name.'" (18:31) Rashi(ad loc.) comments on the relevance of the name Yisroel here. He quotesthe Midrash which explains that Yaakov Avinu foresaw this sacrificialprocedure transpiring on Mount Carmel. In fact, this vision was shown toYaakov at the exact moment of his name change from Yaakov to Yisroel.Hashem told Yaakov, "A nation and an assembly of nations will emerge fromyou." (Breishis 35:11) Rashi (ad loc.) explains that the moment will comefor the Jewish people to resemble the nations of the world. They willoffer a sacrifice outside the Bais Hamikdash and Hashem will accept itwith pleasure.

The above reference suggests a mysterious relationship between the nameYisroel and this sacrifice on Mount Carmel. For one, this revelationtranspired at the exact moment Yaakov received his new name Yisroel. Inaddition, the Haftorah seems to focus on this name change as a prelude tothe miracle of Eliyahu's sacrifice. A careful analysis of the name Yisroelwill reveal its hidden dimension and its association to the sacrifice onMount Carmel.

The Torah, in explaining the name Yisroel, states, "For you (Yaakov) havebecome a prince unto E-l." (Breishis 32:29) The name Yisroel actuallyincludes within itself the name of Hashem suggesting an essentialrelationship between Hashem and His people. And as is reflected by theessence of a name, this relationship continues to exist under allcircumstances and at all times.

With this insight we can now appreciate the sacrifice on Mount Carmel andthe necessity for its deviation from the ordinary sacrificial procedure.During Eliyahu's days, the Jewish people's perceived their relationshipwith Hashem as one confined to the Bais Hamikdash itself. When theyapproached Hashem in His sanctuary His presence could be truly sensed.However outside of Yerushalayim no tangible presence of Hashem could befelt and, in their minds, no relationship existed. This pervertedperspective resulted in the Jewish people's reverting to idolatry fortheir sense of security.

But now, the time had finally arrived for the Jewish people to realizeHashem's presence everywhere and to appreciate their relationship with Himoutside of the Bias Hamikdash. To facilitate this, Eliyahu accepted thedifficult task of revealing this truth and offered a sacrifice outside ofthe Bais Hamikdash proper. He reasoned that Hashem's response would provethat His relationship transcended the physical boundaries of Yerushalayim.Hashem could even be found on Mount Carmel at a time when the Jewishpeople appeared like a foreign nation. Hashem responded warmly anddisplayed His presence at Mount Carmel by accepting this "foreign"sacrifice. Through this the Jewish people were convinced that their nameYisroel was the true representation of their relationship with Hashem. Astheir name suggests Hashem maintains an inseparable relationship with Hispeople whenever and wherever they may be found.

Text Copyright © 1998 Rabbi Dovid Siegel and Project Genesis, Inc.
The author is Rosh Kollel of Kollel Toras Chaim of Kiryat Sefer, Israel.