From: utzoo!decvax!yale-com!leichter
Newsgroups: net.religion
Title: Re: John The Baptist revisited
Article-I.D.: yale-com.1142
Posted: Mon Mar 28 09:28:40 1983
Received: Tue Mar 29 04:02:31 1983
References: dadla-b.394

Re:  Elijah being reincarnated.
There is one interesting issue involved here:  Elijah - at least according to
Jewish readings of the text - never died!  I don't have the quotation available,
but he was carried off to heaven in a (golden?) carriage, still quite alive -
a unique attribute of his.

Particularly appropriate at this time of year:  At the Passover Seder, and extra
cup of wine is set out "for Elijah"; at one point in the Seder, the front door
is opened to let him in.  (This is mainly a game - one of many - to keep the
children interested; I don't know of any deep significance assigned to it, and
I don't think there is even an explicit reference to the custom in the Haggadah
(the book of prayers used for the Seder).  A prayer is said while the door is
open, but as best as I can recall it's a general welcome and praise of God.)

Anyway...the Jewish tradition that says that Elijah will return with/as the
Messiah does not require reincarnation as such (although there are other
traditions, quite vague, that seem to imply it; the dead are promised "a place
in the next world" which may or may not be the world after the coming of the
Messiah, etc.  Jewish tradition on this has never been very clear.
							-- Jerry
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