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We Do Not Bury a Rasha Next to a Tzadik (Sanhedrin 47a)

גדודמלכים ב יג, כא: ת-ה א ו א ר הנ ה שיא ם י ר ב הי הם ק י ליכו ש תא-שיא צמתה ע ש י א ג ה ך ל ש לי בר א ק

:יל ר קם על- יח י ש לי  א

The Gemara (Chulin 7b) learns from this story (of the bones being revived after touching the bones of 

Elisha) that Tzadikim are even greater after their death more than in their lifetime. (In Elisha’s

lifetime, he revived the child of the Shunamite woman after prayer and a procedure which brought thechild slowly back to life. In his death, the revival was immediate.) Aruch L’ner questions that this miracle

seems to only enforce the concept that a Rasha should not be buried next to a Tzadik. And he answers that

it would have only been necessary for Elisha to expel the body from his grave. However, since Elisharevived the man this teaches the concept that a Tzadik is greater after their death than in their lifetime.

 So who was this man that was revived from the dead?

 Rashi explains that the man was a Rasha, a false prophet mentioned earlier in the chapter. The earlier story

was that Edo, a true prophet, had been sent to Bais El to warn Yeravam ben Nevat not to sacrifice to

Avodah Zarah on the altar that he had built there. Yeravam started to raise his hand to grab Edo but amiracle occurred to damage his hand. Afterwards Yeravam invited Edo to share a meal, but Edo refused

saying HaShem had commanded him not to eat or drink while in Bais El. After Edo left, one elderly false

 prophet ran after Edo and reached him resting under a tree. The false prophet invited Edo to come eat withhim at his house. Edo said he was not able to do so at the command from HaShem. The false prophet said

I am also a prophet and HaShem said that Edo should come eat at this house. Edo believed him and went

and ate with the false prophet. After eating, Edo left and continued on his way. Since he did not obey thecommand of HaShem, he was punished. A lion came and killed him. The false prophet, upon hearing

what happened, went and buried Edo. Then, the false prophet commanded his children upon his death to

 bury him next to Edo’s grave, thinking perhaps that would spare his bones from being burnt. After many

years the false prophet died and his children went to bury him next to Edo. On the way, they were scared by a troop of enemy soldiers and fled, throwing the body of the false prophet onto the grave of Elisha.

Yalkut Shimoni mentions that the false prophet was Yonasan ben Gershon ben Moshe, who did teshuvah on

the day that Edo died. Ein Yaakov explains that even though he did teshuvah he had too much “baggage”to be buried with Elisha. However, since Edo facilitated his teshuvah he was allowed to be buried next to

that Tzadik. (Edo was not on the same level as Elisha since he failed to fully obey Hashem’s command.)Maharitz Chayos (in the name of the Yerushalmi) says this false prophet was Michah, who was saved by

Moshe and later built an idol as mentioned in Shoftim. Thus, he would have lived at least 700 years from

the time of the Exodus until after the death of Elisha.Medrash on Shir HaShirim states the false prophet was Amaeziah was served as “Cohen” at the altar 

established for idol worship in Bais El.Medrash Shor states that he was not a Rasha, but was the son of the Shunamite woman that Elisha has

already revived from the dead. On the way to his burial, they threw his body into the grave of Elisha and

again he was revived and walked away to be buried near by. Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer states that this person was not a false prophet or even a Rasha; rather he was a Tzadik.

Elisha revived him to life and he went back to his home and fathered a son. Rabbi Azaryah says one needs

to know the power of Tzedakah from this story. This man’s name was Meshulam ben Tikvah and he wasone of the great people of his generation. Every day he would take barrels of water and food to the gates of 

the city and provide for the travelers that came to the city. And as a reward for these acts of Tzedakah, he

merited for ruach hakodesh to came to his wife, Chuldah. (In the story with Elisha’s bones, he was referred

to as a man, implying a man who had a famous wife that eclipsed him and only Chuldah is such a woman

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in the book of Kings). And after his revival Meshulam fathered a child whom he named  (which isחנמאל

an acrostic for  קברלליאממפניח )