Abraham Isaac and Israel

The haftara of Parshat Ki Tissa relates the dramatic confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Ba’al [I Kings 18:19-39], and includes details of Elijah’s repair of the altar of God:

And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of God came, saying: “Israel shall be your name.” [I Kings 18:31]

Radak (Rabbi David Kimchi [1160-1235]) comments that Elijah’s choosing twelve stones teaches that all twelve tribes must be united. Based upon Radak’s comment, we can assume that the words “according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob” were spoken by Elijah himself.

The final phrase of the verse (which, apparently is a parenthetic comment, added by the prophet Jeremiah, who authored the Books of Kings, [Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 14b]) mentioning that God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, seems superfluous. Our Sages [Breishit Rabba 35:10] understood that this phrase conveys God’s approval of Elijah’s actions on Mount Carmel, despite the fact that once the Temple was dedicated by King Solomon, sacrifices may not be brought on any altar, save that of the Temple. (See Rashi on the verse.)

Perhaps the phrase also hints that the Kingdom of Israel will be reunited with the Kingdom of Judah, and implies that once again, all twelve tribes will offer their sacrifices upon the altar of the temple in Jerusalem.

It is clearly not by chance that Elijah himself referred to Israel rather than Jacob:

And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening offering, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said: “O God, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel, and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.” [I Kings 18:36]

As Yehuda Kiehl noted in Da’at Mikra on the verse, this is one of only four times in the entire Bible in which the names of the Forefathers include “Israel” rather than “Jacob.” Significantly, the first instance is in the parasha, when Moses completed his plea to God to save the Israelites after the sin of the golden calf:

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them: “I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.” [Exodus 32:13]

Our classical commentators (see, for example, Radak quoted above) note that the name Israel implies a higher level of power and authority than the name “Jacob,” since the Holy Land was conveyed to the nation in perpetuity in the name of Israel. Thus, echoing Moses, Elijah invoked the name “Israel” to imply to all the assembled citizens of the Kingdom of Israel that it is only through devotion to their own traditions and rejecting the false gods imposed upon them by the evil queen Jezebel that they can truly realize their national potential. [I Kings 18:21]