Melachim II Perek 6

• Elisha’s students moved to the Yarden because they needed more space for learning.

Rashi, Radak: Gaichazi would turn students away from learning by Elisha. Now that Gaichazi was gone, there was an increase in Torah learning because more students had come to learn by Elisha.

• The steel piece of a student’s ax flew off into the Yarden as he was building a new home.

• Elisha performed a miracle by taking a piece of wood and throwing it into the Yarden. The steel piece of the ax miraculously reappeared.

• The king of Aram thought that there was an informer in his army. Every time the king of Aram would create a hiding place in order to defeat Yehoram, king of Yisrael, Elisha would reveal the king’s plan.

• The king of Aram was told that Elisha was the one who informed Yehoram of his plans, as Elisha even knows the private conversations between husband and wife.

• The king of Aram surrounded Elisha’s town in an attempt to kill him.

• Elisha’s attendant became frightened.

• Elisha prayed that Hashem should open his attendant’s eyes, spiritually. (Rashi)

• The attendant opened his eyes and saw that the mountain was surrounded by horses and chariots of fire.

• Elisha prayed for the enemy’s eyes to be blinded.

• Elisha then misdirected the army to go to Yehoram, instead of to him.

• Elisha prayed for their blindness to be lifted.

• Elisha told Yehoram not to kill them, but to feed them bread and water.

• Aram stopped attacking Yisrael for a period of time.

• At a later point, the king of Aram laid siege to Yisrael.

• The famine was so great that two women ate their own children.

• Upon hearing the news, Yehoram was distraught and started returning to Hashem.

• Yehoram blamed Elisha for the event.

Da’as Sofrim: Yehoram understood that the only way for the famine to be lifted was through the prayer of Elisha. Therefore, Yehoram blamed Elisha for not praying for the generation.

• Elisha told the elders not allow entry to Yohoram’s messenger, as Yehoram was an “evil king.”

• The king’s messenger told the king that the devastation of the famine came from Hashem, as payment for all of their sins.