King Yehoram blamed the prophet Elisha for a famine in the besieged city Shomron. Elisha prophesized sudden abundance, but the king’s deputy refused to believe the people would be saved because of their many sins. The prophecy came true, and God miraculously drove the enemy away. The deputy saw the miracle but was trampled to death, teaching us that we must never try to predict how God judges His people.
This article is an extract from Rabbi Chaim Drukman’s book, “Step by Step,” an enlightening discussion of the process of redemption that is taking place in our generation. (Adapted and translated by Moshe Goldberg)
King Yehoram Threatens Elisha
When Elisha was a prophet, Ben Hadad, king of Aram, laid siege to the city of Shomron, leading to a severe famine:
And there was a great famine in Shomron, and the siege was so long that a donkey’s head cost 80 silver coins, and a quarter of a kav of ‘divyonim’ cost five silver coins. (Melachim II 6:25)
The hunger was so great that even a donkey’s head was very expensive. Radak illustrates how severe the situation was:
The head of a donkey - This is meant literally - impure animals were eaten because of the famine.
Divyonim - Droppings from doves... The people would light fires using pigeon dung because they did not have wood.
And we are told about even more horrible events:
And behold, the king of Yisrael walked along the wall. And one woman cried out to him, saying, “Help me, my king!” And he replied, “Let God help you!” The king said, “What is your problem?” She replied, “This woman proposed to me, ‘Let us take your son and eat him today, and tomorrow we will eat my son.’ And we cooked my son and ate him. And the next day, I said to her, ‘Give me your son and we will eat him!’ But she hid her son from me!”
When the king heard this, he tore his clothing and continued walking along the wall. And the people saw the sackcloth within upon his flesh. And he said, “I swear by God’s name that Elisha ben Shafat will lose his head today!” (Ibid. 6:26-31)
On the Ninth of Av, we weep as part of the Kinot: “If women eat their offspring, their suckling child - woe is to me!” That was exactly what happened in Shomron! And look at the king’s reaction: Who is responsible for the situation? The prophet! The king does not consider his own many sins; instead, he blames the prophet, Elisha! He sends messengers to kill Elisha:
Elisha sat at home, and the elders sat with him. He sent a man ahead of him before the messenger came to him, and he said to the elders, “Did you see that the murderer’s son has sent messengers to chop off my head? See, when the messenger comes, close the door on him, do you not hear the sound of his master following him?” (Ibid. 6:32)
Elisha prepares for the messenger, and he knows the king will soon follow.
The king is Yehoram, Achav’s son. Radak blames Achav for Navot’s death, even though it was his wife Izevel who actually had Navot executed, while Achav remained silent and benefited from her deed.
Elisha’s Prophecy
In the end, the king lets Elisha live. Elisha’s message is a prophecy of salvation for the besieged people:
And Elisha said, “Listen to the word of God! Here is what God has declared: At this time tomorrow, one se’ah of flour will sell for a shekel and two se’ah of oats for one shekel at the gate of Shomron. (Ibid. 7:1)
This is remarkable. Elisha prophesies that there will be great abundance very soon in the city - on the very next day, at the same hour at which he speaks. And the story continues:
The king’s deputy replied to the man of God, leaning on his hand, and he said, “Behold, God makes windows in the sky; can anything like this happen?”
Elisha said, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it!” (Ibid. 7:2)
The king’s deputy is not willing to accept the prophecy. Is it possible for such great abundance to materialize in such a short time?
The passage moves on from the city to events outside. Four lepers sitting at the entrance of the gate try to decide what to do. They will starve if they stay where they are. In the end, they decide to surrender to the enemy, on the chance they will be allowed to live. They arrive at the Aram camp and are surprised to find it deserted. The passage reveals to us what had happened:
God made a sound of chariots, horses, and a great army in the Aram camp. And each man said to his brother, “Behold, the king of Yisrael has hired the kings of the Hittites and Egypt to attack us!” And they rose up and fled in the evening, abandoning their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, leaving the camp just as it was, and they fled for their lives. (Ibid. 7:6)
As He had promised, the Holy One, Blessed be He, caused the enemy to flee, abandoning their camp just as it was - with all their equipment, food, and treasures. The surprised lepers returned to the gates of the city and told the guards about the abandoned camp. The gates of Shomron were opened wide and famished crowds rushed outside to take the spoils from the camp.
Elisha’s prophecy was fulfilled; Shomron filled with abundance in a single day!
And what about the skeptical deputy? When the people rushed out to the enemy camp, the king sent the deputy to stand guard near the gate, and the hungry crowds trampled him as they raced out of the city. Thus, Elisha’s prophecy was fulfilled to the letter: You will see it with your eyes, but you will not eat from it.
Lessons from this Story
First of all, who was involved in performing this miracle? Who told the king that the enemy camp was abandoned? Four lepers. The Sages tell us they were Geichazi and his three sons (Sanhedrin 107b). Elisha banished Geichazi, his former assistant, because of his lies and evil deeds, and he cursed him and his sons with leprosy - yet they play a role in the great salvation of Yisrael!
Let us also take a closer look at the king’s deputy, who evidently did not believe in God’s ability to rescue the people. Could it be that he did not have faith in God’s power? The Sages see something very different:
Rabbi Yehudah Halevi ben Rabbi Shalom said: Behold, God makes windows in the sky - He said to them: Will God perform miracles for this evil generation, whose deeds are similar to the generation of the Flood, about which it is written, And the windows of the heavens opened up (Bereishit 7:11)? (Torah Sheleimah, Noach 54, based on a manuscript of the Midrash)
The deputy believed in the Creator’s powers. He had no doubt that God can do whatever He wants. But the deputy had no faith in Yisrael! He did not believe that the Holy One, Blessed be He, would perform a miracle for Jews who had sinned - people “similar to the generation of the Flood.” How could it be that God would perform a miracle and come to their rescue?
So the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him: How dare you accuse my children? As is written, “And he replied: You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it!” What happened in the end? The people trampled the deputy, and he died. (Ibid.)
We end with the profound words of the Vilna Gaon (commentary on Tikunei Zohar, Tikun 21, 57b): “God hates anyone who points out his children’s guilt, even if he is a holy person!”