Kabbalah Library
Zohar for All, Volume 10
A Certain Woman of the Wives of the Sons of the Prophets
343. It is written, “A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, ‘Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord.’” This is the wife of Ovadiahu, who was appointed over the house of Ahab King of Israel. When Ovadiahu went to Elijah, Elisha recognized him.
344. Can it be that at that time, Elisha still did not serve Elijah, since only afterwards it is written that Elisha began to serve him? However, he was already serving him, and there are no before and after in the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. This is why it is written, “and you know that your servant feared the Lord,” Elisha certainly recognized him from the time when Ovadiahu went to Elijah.
345. She shouted to Elisha since at the time when Ovadiahu died, Ahab died, and King Yehoram took Ovadiahu’s two sons. What did she do? She went wailing and shouting and crying to the cemetery, stood by his grave and cried out, “God fearing, they are doing so and so to your orphans.”
346. Ovadiahu was told, “But your wife is standing by the grave and crying on your grave.” What did he do? He went to Hezekiah and said to him, “I have had enough of the matters of this world.” He went to the patriarchs and said, “I have so and so.” They said to him, “We have already heard her outcries, go to Prophet Elijah.”
347. In the meantime, she returned and wailed and cried out over his grave. He said to her, “Listen, poor one, go to Elisha, and he will give you advice.” She promptly went to Elisha.
348. How do the dead speak with one another in their graves? After all, their souls are standing in a different place. It is written, “The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him.” He went to Rabbi Bon. He said, “The question stands so, meaning it is a strong question, and now a word in two than silence without anything.”
The world says, “A word in a rock, and silence in two,” meaning that if a word is worth a rock, then silence, not saying a word, is worth two rocks.
Rabbi Bon says that now it is opposite from what the world says, but rather speaking in two than silence in nothing. This means that the word, meaning speaking and answering the question, is worth two rocks, and silence about it is worth nothing.
