The frequent meetings between Elijah and the teachers of the law of the
Talmudic time were invested with personal interest only. Upon the
development of the Torah they had no influence whatsoever. His relation
to the mystic science was of quite other character. It is safe to say
that what Moses was to the Torah, Elijah was to the Kabbalah.
His earliest relation to it was established through Rabbi Simon ben
Yohai and his son Rabbi Eliezer. For thirteen years he visited them
twice daily in their subterranean hiding-place, and imparted the
secrets of the Torah to them. (98) A thousand years later, Elijah again
gave the impetus to the development of the Kabbalah, for it was he that
revealed mysteries, first to the Nazarite Rabbi Jacob, then to his
disciple of the latter, Abraham ben David. The mysteries in the books
"Peliah" and "Kanah," the author Elkanah owed wholly to Elijah. He had
appeared to him in the form of a venerable old man, and had imparted to
him the secret lore taught in the heavenly academy. Besides, he led him
to a fiery rock whereon mysterious characters were engraved, which were
deciphered by Elkanah.
After his disciple had thus become thoroughly impregnated with mystical
teachings, Elijah took him to the tomb of the Patriarchs, and thence to
the heavenly academy. But the angels, little pleased by the intrusion
of one "born of woman," inspired him with such terror that he besought
Elijah to carry him back to earth. His mentor allayed his fears, and
long continued to instruct him in the mystical science, according to
the system his disciple has recorded in his two works. (99)
The Kabbalists in general were possessed of the power to cite Elijah,
to conjure him up by means of certain formulas. (100) One of them,
Rabbi Joseph della Reyna, once called upon Elijah in this way, but it
proved his own undoing. He was a saintly scholar, and he had conceived
no less a purpose than to bring about the redemption of man by the
conquest of the angel Samael, the Prince of Evil. After many prayers
and vigils and long indulgence in fasting, and other ascetic practices,
Rabbi Joseph united himself with his five disciples for the purpose of
conjuring up Elijah. When the prophet, obeying the summons, suddenly
stood before him, Rabbi Joseph spoke as follows: "Peace be with thee,
our master! True prophet, bearer of salvation, be not displeased with
me that I have troubled thee to come hither. God knows, I have not done
it for myself, and not for mine own honor. I am zealous for the name
and the honor of God, and I know thy desire is the same as mine, for it
is thy vocation to make the glory of God to prevail on earth. I pray
thee, therefore, to grant my petition, tell me with what means I can
conquer Satan." Elijah at first endeavored to dissuade the Rabbi from
his enterprise. He described the great power of Satan, ever growing as
it feeds upon the sins of mankind. But Rabbi Joseph could not be made
to desist. Elijah then enumerated what measures and tactics he would
have to observe in his combat with the fallen angel. He enumerated the
pious, saintly deeds that would win the interest of the archangel
Sandalphon in his undertaking, and from this angel he would learn the
method of warfare to be pursued. The Rabbi followed out Elijah's
directions carefully, and succeeded in summoning Sandalphon to his
assistance. If he had continued to obey instructions implicitly, and
had carried out all Sandalphon advised, the Rabbi would have triumphed
over Satan and hastened the redemption of the world. Unfortunately, at
one point the Rabbi committed an indiscretion, and he lost the great
advantages he had gained over Satan, who used his restored power to
bring ruin upon him and his disciples. (101)
The radical transformation in the character of Kabbalistic teaching
which is connected with the name of Rabbi Isaac Loria likewise is an
evidence of Elijah's activity. Elijah sought out this "father of the
Kabbalistic Renaissance," and revealed the mysteries of the universe to
him. Indeed, he had shown his interest in him long before any one
suspected the future greatness of Rabbi Isaac. Immediately after his
birth, Elijah appeared to the father of the babe, and enjoined him not
to have the rite of circumcision performed until he should be told by
Elijah to proceed. The eighth day of the child's life arrived, the
whole congregation was assembled at the synagogue (102) to witness the
solemn ceremonial, but to the great astonishment of his fellow-townsmen
the father delayed it. The people naturally did not know he was waiting
for Elijah to appear, and he was called upon once and again to have the
ceremony take place. But he did not permit the impatience of the
company to turn him from his purpose. Suddenly, Elijah, unseen, of
course, by the others, appeared to him, and bade him have the ceremony
performed. Those present were under the impression that the father was
holding the child on his knees during the circumcision; in reality,
however it was Elijah. After the rite was completed, Elijah handed the
infant back to the father with the words: "Here is thy child. Take good
care of it, for it will spread a brilliant light over the world." (103)
It was also Elijah who in a similar way informed Rabbit Eliezer, the
father of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tob, the father of him whose name is
unrivalled in the annals of the Hasidic Kabbalah that a son would be
born to him who should enlighten the eyes of Israel. This Rabbi Eliezer
was justly reputed to be very hospitable. He was in the habit of
stationing guards at the entrances to the village in which he lived,
and they were charged to bring all strangers to his house. In heaven it
was ordained that Rabbi Eliezer's hospitable instincts should be put to
a test. Elijah was chosen for the experiment. On a Sabbath afternoon,
arrayed in the garb of a beggar, he entered the village with knapsack
and staff. Rabbi Eliezer, taking no notice of the fact that the beggar
was desecrating the Sabbath, received him kindly, attended to his
bodily wants, and the next morning, on parting with him, gave him some
money besides. Touched by his kind-heartedness, Elijah revealed his
identity and the purpose of his disguise, and told him that, as he had
borne the trial so well, he would be rewarded by the birth of a son who
should "enlighten the eyes of Israel." (104)