Dear Rabbanim:
I would like to share with you a thought expressed by Rabbi Fraund. When the Bat Kol mentioned that everyone return and not Aher , it only meant Aher and not Elisha Ben Abouha. He had two personnalities , this why the Bat Kol mentioned only Aher and Elisha.
Elisha ,the Sadik of Torah and Mezvots can return if he make Teshuva ,but no Aher . This is perhaps why , Aher wanted to kill the last boy ( # thirteen) who was staterring when reciting the posuk he learned in school, and sounded like Elisha name. Also, this we are on the topic of Kabalah , once again it is not accidental that the Parsha of this week talks about the Sulam that Yaacov saw in the dream . Torah Shebchtav and Torah Shebape are all connected and not separated.Best Regards & Good Shabath.
Shabtai Nachshon, Toronto, Canada
Thank you very much! I heard further from Rav Yehuda Landy that an additional allusion to this is what is written (by Tosfos, citing the Yerushalmi) regarding Rebbi Meir who found Acher riding a horse "behind the area of the Kodesh Kadoshim, on Yom Kipur that fell on Shabbos." This implies that on the one hand, Acher was drawn towards the holiness of the Aron ha'Bris that was contained inside of the Kodesh Kadoshim (this was his personality of "Elisha," which comes from the Hebrew words which mean "Hash-m should save [him]"). On the other hand, it was his heretical side ("Acher") who was riding a horse on Yom Kipur that fell on Shabbos.
(I have a slight question on this approach, though, because Tosfos suggests in SOtah 12a that whenever the Gemara cites an opinion of the "Acherim," it is referring to Rebbi Meir who heard that opinion from Acher. According to the above approach, the Gemara should not call him "Acher[im]" when citing his words of Torah. However, Tosfos eventually rejects that approach, for other reasons.)
Mordecai
A few comments,
With regard to the comments ofShabtai Nachshon. Another interpertation 13 is the numerical value of Echod the extreme
opposite of Acheir, which he was called because he thought that there were 2 Rishuyois R"L.
Thank you very much! I heard further from Rav Yehuda Landy that an additional allusion to this is what is written (by Tosfos, citing the Yerushalmi)regarding Rebbi Meir who found Acher riding a horse "behind the area of the Kodesh Kadoshim, on Yom Kipur that fell on Shabbos." This implies that on the one hand, Acher was drawn towards the holiness of the Aron ha'Bris that was contained inside of the Kodesh Kadoshim (this was his personality of "Elisha," which comes from the Hebrew words which mean "Hash-m should save [him]"). On the other hand, it was his heretical side ("Acher") who was riding a horse on Yom Kipur that fell on Shabbos.
Bpashtus he wanted to show his rebellion on the day of "Achas" Bashonoh and Shabbos which is an Eidus and by the Kodeh Hakodoshim, (Ubiloshon Hayerushalmi "Yoda Koichee Umorad Be"), this is also why "Okar Pugloh Mmeishroh" which is akin to "Kotzas Bntiois" on Shabbos.
Umisaymim Btoiv, Kol Tuv
Yitzchok Zirkind
In the Yerushalmi it actually says "Chutz m'Elisha ben Avuyah, who knew My strength and rebelled against Me" (Yerushalmi Chagigah 2:1).