
The sage Rav Anan made a ruling that a Jew who observes the commandments but worships idols may be relied upon to properly slaughter meat and one may eat of his slaughter. As support the scholars brought the verse “The ravens brought him [the prophet Elijah, who had fled Achav] bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening” (I Kings 17:6). From whence did the raven bring the meat? One of the sages, Rav Judah, said that they brought the meat from Achav’s slaughterhouse — and Achav kept the commandments whilst worshiping idols. This means that Elijah ate meat which Achav slaughtered and that meat slaughtered by an idolater is acceptable. The scholars replied that Elijah’s consumption is not proof, as he ate at the command of the Lord. The scholars asked: Who were the ravens which brought meat to Elijah? Answer: They were actual ravens. The scholar Rav Ada son of Minyomi suggested that they were two men named Orev [Raven]. We have found, in the Scriptures, that Orev can be a person’s name, “And they captured two princes of the Midianites, Orev and Zeeb” (Judges 7:25). The scholars replied: It is not reasonable that both men who brought meat to Elijah had the unusual name of Orev. The scholars then asked: Perhaps these were two men who came from the place known as Orev? Answer: Were they people who had come from a place named Orev they would have been called Orevi’im based on their place of origin. Since they are called orvim, we see they were actual ravens.
(Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Chulin 4b-5a)