Lindbeck, Elijah and the Rabbis

TALES RETOLD: Elijah's women (Caren Schnur Neile, Florida Jewish Journal).

The Talmud is the written record of the spoken conversations and questions, teachings and stories of the Sages. It documents a Jewish oral tradition that continues in one form or another to the present day.

One of the most prominent characters in Rabbinic literature is Elijah, who appears in many guises, serving as herald, mediator, adviser and teacher. According to Dr. Kristen Lindbeck at Florida Atlantic University, Elijah's duties include protecting travelers, helping those in financial distress, and devising useful stratagems.

In her book "Elijah and the Rabbis: Story and Theology," Dr. Lindbeck recounts oral Elijah tales from the Babylonian Talmud, with a few exceptions. "The Seven Good Years" first appeared in a tenth-century midrash from Israel. Like all oral narrative, every retelling is different. The following is my own, closely based on that of Dr. Lindbeck. Pay close attention to the role of the farmer's wife ...

This book was noted earlier here.