Even Izevel had some Good in Her

I just came across this wonderous midrash. The midrash came to explain why Izevel (Jezebel)'s skull, feet and palms remained after her corpse was devoured by dogs (Melachim 2:9:35). According to the midrash, which appears in multiple sources, including Pirkei De'Rabbi Eliezer and Yalkut Shimoni,

"Whence do we learn (the duty of) showing loving-kindness to mourners? From Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal. The palace of Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, was near the market-place. When any corpse was carried through the market-place, she would go forth from her palace, and she clapped with the palms of her hands and praised with her mouth, and she followed the corpse ten steps. Concerning her, Elijah, be he remembered for good, prophesied (and said): "In the portion of Jezreel shall the dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel" (2 Kings 9:36). But over the limbs which were (employed in) showing loving-kindness, the dogs had no power, as it is said, "And they went || to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands" (2 Kings 9:35)."

 Izevel is often thought of as the epitome of evil in Tanach: An idol-worshiping, deceitful, manipulative, murderous foreign woman. However, in this midrash, the sages found a glint of goodness in her: She would regularly join in funeral processions for the traditional 10 paces, and (l'havdil between the deceased and the living), would also join in celebrating wedding processions with the customary 10 paces.

Comments

  1. In a different vein, too, we see some good in her, in that she warned Eliyahu to "get out of Dodge" after having killed her idolatrous priests (Melachim 1:19:2), rather than just having him killed on the spot.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pre-Islamic Arabian Dust Worship

The Girgeshites

Compilation of names of nameless figures in Tanach