Eliyahu on Mount Carmel (Part 4)

Eliyahu builds the altar with twelve stones, and his actions are reminiscent of the altar that Moshe constructed at Sinai. Moshe created a covenant between the nation and God concerning the commandments of the Torah, while Eliyahu created a covenant concerning the recognition and acceptance of God. The reference to Ya’akov-Yisrael is meant to create a dividing line between the twelve tribes of Israel and the foreign elements that are threatening the unity and uniqueness of the nation.