- Yehoshua’s קללה for rebuilding Yericho is fulfilled, Eliyahu withholds rain by obtaining its key
A Baraisa relates that Yehoshua’s curse against rebuilding Yericho included rebuilding the city under a different name, or building another city and calling it Yericho. חיאל did the latter, and with the death of Aviram, his firstborn, he laid the foundation, and with Seguv, his youngest, he set up its gates, in fulfillment of Yehoshua’s curse. The Gemara darshens שהיה מקבר והולך מאבירם עד שגוב – that he was burying his children continuously from Aviram until Seguv as he built the city. אחאב, a friend of חיאל’s, and Eliyahu came to חיאל’s mourning house. After Eliyahu confirmed that these tragedies resulted from Yehoshua’s curse, אחאב remarked that Moshe said there would be no rain if they would worship foreign gods, yet despite Achav setting up idols on every furrow, there was so much rain that he could not go bow to them! If even Moshe’s curse had not been fulfilled, לווטתא דיהושע תלמידיה מקיימא – would the curse of his talmid Yehoshua be fulfilled?! Eliyahu immediately swore there would be no more rain without his word. בעי רחמי והבו ליה אקלידא דמטרא – He beseeched [Hashem for] mercy, and the key to rain was given to him.
- שלש מפתחות לא נמסרו לשליח, Eliyahu returns the key for rain to perform תחיית המתים
The Gemara describes the extreme drought brought on by Eliyahu, and after Hashem saw their suffering, He sent Eliyahu to צרפת, where a widow provided for his needs. Her son became ill and died, and Eliyahu beseeched Hashem to give him the key of תחיית המתים, but he was told: “שלש מפתחות לא נמסרו לשליח – three keys were not given over to an agent: של חיה ושל גשמים ושל תחיית המתים – the key of birth, of rain, and of resurrection. יאמרו שתים ביד תלמיד ואחת ביד הרב – Should they say, ‘Two keys are in the disciple’s hand, and one in the Master’s hand’? Give back the key of rain, and then take the key of תחיית המתים.” Hashem then told Eliyahu to inform Achav that He would bring rain, ending the drought.
A certain Galilean darshened before Rav Chisda, that this incident of Eliyahu can be compared לגברא דטרקיה לגליה – to a man who locked his door, ואבדיה למפתחיה – and then lost his key and could not open it. Eliyahu was not the one to open the door he had locked, having relinquished the key.
- רשע\צדיק בא לעולם, רשע\צדיק אבד מן העולם
A Baraisa states: רשע בא לעולם – when a wicked person comes to the world, חרון בא לעולם – Hashem’s anger comes to the world, based on a passuk. רשע אבד מן העולם – When a wicked person is lost from the world, טובה באה לעולם – goodness comes to the world, as the passuk says: ובאבד רשעים רנה – when the wicked perish there is joy. צדיק נפטר מן העולם – When a righteous person is lost from the world, רעה באה לעולם – misfortune comes to the world, as the passuk says: הצדיק אבד ואין איש שם על לב – the righteous man has perished, but no man pays attention, ואנשי חסד נאספים באין מבין – and men of kindness are gathered in without anyone understanding, כי מפני הרעה נאסף הצדיק – that it is because of the impending misfortune that the righteous person was gathered in. צדיק בא לעולם – When a righteous person comes to the world, טובה באה לעולם – goodness comes to the world, as the passuk says (about נח’s birth): זה ינחמנו ממעשנו ומעצבון ידינו – this one will relieve us from our work and from the toil of our hands.