Elisha's Nasty Temper

[Shermana]

When Elisha called down Fire from Heaven on the troops sent to retrieve him, and cursed the youths (not "small kids") who were insulting him on his way to be viciously mauled by she-bears, was this condoned by G-d? Did G-d just do whatever he asked for since he was a prophet? Was this something those people deserved and Elisha was simply implementing the justice, through asking Him?

 

[rusra02]

When Elisha called down Fire from Heaven on the troops sent to retrieve him, and cursed the youths (not "small kids") who were insulting him on his way to be viciously mauled by she-bears, was this condoned by G-d? Did G-d just do whatever he asked for since he was a prophet? Was this something those people deserved and Elisha was simply implementing the justice, through asking Him?

I believe in both instances, gross disrespect for God's representative was shown, and justly punished.

 

[Shermana]

I believe in both instances, gross disrespect for God's representative was shown, and justly punished.

This is the Judaism DIR, but I do agree with your opinion, and is in fact what I am going for...however, would this mean that those who grossly disrespect those who teach what God wants to be known would be also liable to such punishment?

 

[Levite]

When Elisha called down Fire from Heaven on the troops sent to retrieve him, and cursed the youths (not "small kids") who were insulting him on his way to be viciously mauled by she-bears, was this condoned by G-d? Did G-d just do whatever he asked for since he was a prophet? Was this something those people deserved and Elisha was simply implementing the justice, through asking Him?

I've never liked Elisha. I think this awful misuse of his power as a navi is unjustifiable.

I have heard some say that Elisha, like many of our other great leaders and patriarchs, is shown to be terribly fallible, with a great range of human failings, to remind us that no one, however spiritually potent, is perfect. There may or may not be something to this, but to my mind, it's not enough.

The best take-away lesson for these stories I've heard actually comes from my father: he says that the story of Elisha is there to illustrate to us that a person can be a great leader, can be a great talmid chacham (sage), can even be gifted with ruach hakodesh, and that doesn't mean that they are a tzaddik, much less even a mensch. And to remind us that power does not equal justice.

 

[Shermana]

But what was Elisha's power in the first place? Was God responding to his requests? Obviously Elisha wasn't doing it out of his own power, right?

 

[Levite]

But what was Elisha's power in the first place? Was God responding to his requests? Obviously Elisha wasn't doing it out of his own power, right?

There is a disagreement about how different nevi'im accomplish different miracles. Sometimes the miracles seem to be either God Himself acting, and the navi only marking the action as or before it occurs. Sometimes the miracles seem to be the navi asking God to do something, which then He does. But sometimes it seems like in giving the navi ruach hakodesh, God has essentially lent the navi a certain extra power, and it is within the navi's discretion to use it as he sees fit to further his mission agenda, so to speak.

My supposition from a traditional context would be that Elisha fit the lattermost category.

Though it's hardly a popular idea from a traditional point of view, it could also be that, in addition to whatever miracles associated with nevuah a navi does, such an individual could be a worker of magic in their own right, as well. Most of the commentators don't approve of magic, and so when it appears in the narrative, they try to read it as miracles. Some-- but not all-- of the Rabbanim felt similarly. But it seems like some of the nevi'im, avot (patriarchs), and other people in the Tanach did know how to accomplish magic of one sort or another-- or so the stories make them out to be. I personally find much more satisfying the idea that the positive things Elisha does are miracles or miraculous deeds done with ruach hakodesh, while these sorts of unjust uses of power represent his own magic at work.