Becoming Elijah: Prophet of Transformation (Jewish Lives)

those who discover his spark within. Over the centuries, he has tamed his fanaticism but never lost his passion, which he channels into mending himself, his people, and the world.

This is the meaning of: Look, I am sending to you [Elijah the prophet]—for the word sending is in the present tense, because it is constantly so, in each person and at all times.

the zealot is destined to reappear as the ultimate reconciler, restoring harmony between the generations.

Since he can disguise himself as anyone—from a royal minister to a slave—one of the lessons he imparts is that whomever we encounter might be Elijah and should be treated accordingly. His greatest miracle is transforming how people act toward one another.

In the words of the twentieth-century mystic Abraham Isaac Kook, “Originally, before he was sweetened, he perceived acutely the depth of ugliness and contamination in which this lowly world is immersed. Therefore he blazed with zeal to eradicate the spirit of impurity and those clinging to it. After being sweetened, he perceives every spark of holi

The axiom of faith inspired by Elijah is affirmed amid one’s final spoken words.

His eternal zeal now impels him to care deeply for all of Israel—not only those who faithfully keep the Sabbath, but even those suffering in hell.

In the words of the kabbalist Moses Cordovero, “The closest that divinity can possibly come to humanity is the mystery of Elijah.”

Elijah represents the possibility of deliverance, either immediately or finally when he will escort the Messiah.