PROPHET Jews leave door open for Elijah

DALLAS MORNING NEWS
At every Passover Seder, Elijah's the one with the special wine goblet. At every Jewish circumcision, he's the one with the special chair. And at the end of every Sabbath, he's the one Jews pay tribute to in song.
He's a prophet, miracle worker, and champion of the poor. He's an ethical role model and solver of centuries-old disputes over Jewish law.
He's also the only prophet the Bible never says died.
Still, when it comes to biblical superheroes, Elijah the Tishbite is among the most colorful.
Scriptures say he turned a river dry, called down fire from heaven and healed a dying boy.
When his time came to leave Earth, Elijah calmly stepped into a fiery chariot sent to fetch him. He "ascended in a whirlwind into heaven," according to II Kings 2:11.
Passover is Elijah's busiest time because he's expected at every Jewish home for Seder meals, which commemorate the Exodus from Egypt. Tradition calls for families to leave a door open and pour a glass of wine for the popular prophet.
During the Seder, families eat symbolic foods such as bitter herbs and recount the biblical story of how Moses parted the Red Sea and led the Israelites to freedom more than 3,000 years ago. Elijah played no role in the Exodus -- he was born five centuries later.
Role in redemption
Still, he's integral to Passover because some Seder prayers focus on future redemption. Jews believe the Book of Malachi indicates that it's Elijah who will one day announce the advent of their long-awaited Messiah.
"We literally leave the door open for him to return to herald the redemption," said Rabbi Ari Perl of Congregation Shaare Tefilla in Dallas. "He is a very powerful symbol as the prophet who is now the figure of hope for the world."
Elijah's story is told in the books of Kings. As a prophet, he was a staunch monotheist who railed against the Baal worshippers supported by King Ahab and Queen Jezebel in the northern kingdom of Israel.
This led to a showdown on Mount Carmel, where Elijah challenged the Baal prophets to call down fire from heaven to burn their sacrifice, which had been placed on an altar. When they failed, Elijah's water-soaked sacrifice was consumed by fire the moment he prayed to God.
Covenant with God
Afterward, Elijah ordered the hundreds of Baal prophets to be killed. Queen Jezebel vowed revenge. Elijah fled at once out of fear, the Bible says. But when the "word of the Lord" came to him and asked why he was on the run, Elijah said it was because the Israelites had forsaken their covenant with God.
Because of that statement, post-biblical writings said that God ordered Elijah to witness all Jewish circumcisions, which represent the covenant between God and Israel (Genesis 17:10-13).
Today, at every bris there's a special chair for Elijah, who's sometimes called the "angel of circumcision."
"We treat Elijah as an honoree," said Rabbi David Shawel, a Dallas area mohel, the ritual circumciser.
At the recent bris of Noah Solomon Hoch in Dallas, the ceremony began by placing the baby in the empty chair.
"Elijah will hold the baby and give testimony to God that Jews are faithful to the covenant," Rabbi Shawel explained to those gathered.
Stories about Elijah abound by the hundreds in Jewish folklore and rabbinical literature. Over time, the prophet was assigned new roles, from miracle worker to moral guide.
"Because he never died, Jewish tradition has always held that he comes back to perform miracles for us," said Rabbi Jordan Parr of Adat Chaverim in Plano, Texas.
Tales of Elijah
One folk tale has Elijah visiting the home of a destitute couple at their Seder. Because they welcome him, he rewards them with wealth and comfort for the rest of their lives. In another story, Elijah changes the bandages of the poor.
"He becomes the model of proper behavior," Rabbi Parr said.
Elijah is also seen as a bridge figure between heaven and earth, who can easily travel back and forth. In one story, he tells a sage what God was doing the very moment the sage was praying.
Legend has it that Elijah also will settle ancient rabbinic disputes never resolved. These are noted by the word "teyku" in the Talmud, an authoritative body of Jewish law. Some sages linked "teyku" to Tishbe, Elijah's place of origin or family.
One of those disputes is over whether four or five cups of wine are required at the Seder. They now drink four. Another cup is poured but remains untouched. That cup, of course, is Elijah's.
Historical figure
Bible scholars generally agree that Elijah was a historical figure, but that biblical writers assigned miracles and superhuman powers to him to prove he was a prophet sent by God. (Some, of course, believe the stories happened literally as described in the Bible.)
The biblical parallels between Moses and Elijah are striking. Both men parted a body of water and encountered God on Mount Sinai, also known as Mount Horeb, where they spent 40 days.
Elijah is also revered by Christians and Muslims. But his role isn't nearly as prominent in those faith traditions, and he's viewed differently, too.
A ninth-century Muslim commentary says Elijah became so distraught at one point that he prayed for death. Instead, a fiery horse -- sans chariot -- rode off with the prophet. Then God wrapped him in feathers.
"He flew with the angels," said Gordon Newby, an Islam specialist at Emory University in Atlanta. "He was considered half-man, half-angel."
The New Testament places Elijah and Moses at the Transfiguration, during which the garments of Jesus became intensely white.
"When Elijah comes, there will be no mistaking it," said Rabbi Perl of Dallas. "He will usher in a redemptive age where things are much simpler and clear."