Chorev Part 5b: Revelation in a "Small, Silent Voice" (11-14) (continued)
Now we can explore the meaning of God's revelation in the context of our narrative.
In a previous shiur we quoted the Midrash that understands this revelation to Eliyahu as a reminder of the revelation at Sinai and the receiving of the Torah. This perspective admittedly serves to connect this revelation with the main subject of our narrative – the ongoing debate between God and His prophet (the purpose of the revelation being to remind Eliyahu of the merit of
We may raise two difficulties in relation to this approach. First, the revelation at Sinai (Shemot 19) actually lacks the sharp distinction between the noises and the fire, on the one hand, and the actual revelation of God, on the other, that we find in our chapter. Second, the above approach connects the revelation to the plot of the story in a secondary way, but we have the sense that this revelation contains a direct and central argument in the ongoing debate between God and Eliyahu.
Let us now examine the approaches of two commentators whom we quoted in a previous shiur in explaining the first dialogue between God and Eliyahu, and we will see how each of them molds his interpretation of the present revelation in such a way as to adapt it to the interpretation of the previous dialogue.
The Malbim, we recall, interprets God's question as a rebuke to the prophet for being "here" - in the desert - rather than amongst the people, guiding them and prophesy for them. He also interprets Eliyahu's response to mean, "I cannot be a prophet guiding and rebuking this nation, because I am consumed with zealousness in light of their evil deeds." The Malbim pursues the same idea further, interpreting the prophetic revelation here as a rebuke to Eliyahu and as instruction to him as to how to act as a prophet among the people. God's rebuke is already lurking in the question, "What do you seek here, Eliyahu?" In the revelation it becomes overt and explicit, with a response to Eliyahu's preceding words (as interpreted by the Malbim):
He showed him that God is not to be found in the camp of wind, earthquake and fire; [He is to be found] only in a small, silent voice. From this God's emissaries and prophets are to learn that they should not "raise a storm," nor cause the earth to quake, nor cause fire to burn (as Eliyahu did in his zealousness for the Lord of Hosts – by shutting up the heavens and by slaughtering the prophets of Ba'al). God sends His prophets to go to [the people] with a silent voice – (i.e.,) to draw the nation with cords of love and with soft words.
The Ralbag, on the other hand, interpreted Eliyahu's words, "I have been exceedingly zealous…" as a quest for revenge upon
So the blessed God told him to go out and stand at the mountain, before God… And it would appear that God did this so that Eliyahu would ask for mercy upon
And after the wind came – an earthquake; this was destructive, it is a phenomenon that overturns countries, and once again we are told that God was not in the earthquake, just as we read concerning the wind. And following the earthquake – a fire, which is even more destructive. There, too, we read that God was not in the fire, for the same reason that we discussed above.
The Ba'al ha-Metzudot, who interprets Eliyahu's words, "I have been exceedingly zealous for God", in the same way as the Ralbag does – i.e., as a demand for revenge on Israel – also goes on to understand the revelation in a similar way:
He was shown the Divine glory, which did not pass over in a wind or in the earthquake or in a fire, but rather in a small, silent voice, FOR HE DESIRES KINDNESS AND DOES NOT AROUSE ALL OF HIS ANGER, to come in [the form of] wind or an earthquake or fire.
According to the Malbim, the wind, the earthquake and the fire - and, in contrast to them, the small, silent voice – are a METAPHOR as to the improper and proper attitudes towards
In a future shiur we will hopefully return to the discussion of the significance of God's revelation to Eliyahu, and discover a new facet to it.
Translated by Kaeren Fish
We will return with more shiurim after Sukkot. Till then, may we hear only besorot tovot.
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