Preceding the festivals (lit., calamities) of idolaters [for] three days it is forbidden to transact business (lit., take and give) with them, to lend them articles or to borrow articles from them, to lend them money or to borrow money from them, to repay a debt to them or to accept repayment from them. R’ Yehudah says: We may accept repayment from them, since this causes him distress. They said to him: Even though it causes him distress now, he rejoices afterwards.

R' Yehoshua said: I have a tradition from Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai who heard it from his teacher and his teacher from his teacher [as] a law [taught orally] to Moses at Sinai, that Elijah will not come to declare impure or pure, to distance or to draw near; rather, [Elijah will act] to distance those who were drawn near through force, and to draw near those who were dis-tanced by force. There was a family [by the name of] Tzerifah on the east bank of the Jordan and Ben Tzion distanced [its members] by force, and there was another [family] there and Ben Tzion drew them near with force. Like these, Elijah will come to declare impure or pure, to distance or draw near. R' Yehudah says: [He will come] to draw near but not to distance. R' Shimon says: [He will come] to reconcile the differences of opinion. And the Sages say: [He will come] neither to distance nor to draw near but only to make peace in the world. As it states: Behold, I send you Elijah the Prophet etc. [before the coming of the great and awesome day of Hashem]. And he will reconcile the hearts of the fathers to the sons and the hearts of the sons to the fathers.