{"id":62178,"date":"2019-09-02T10:04:28","date_gmt":"2019-09-02T07:04:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=62178"},"modified":"2023-03-28T17:48:46","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T14:48:46","slug":"the-torn-cloak-reprised","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-torn-cloak-reprised\/","title":{"rendered":"The Torn Cloak, Reprised"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[366,923,839,885,680],"acf":{"old_id":"62178","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":34243,"related_cahpter":"298","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Once again, a kingdom is torn from its king","content":"

In our comments to 1 Samuel 15, we discussed whether Samuel or Saul tore one or the other\u2019s cloak. While we decided that Saul tore Samuel\u2019s cloak inadvertently, we also considered the possibility that the tearing was deliberate. In that context, we entered verses 29-30 of the present chapter into evidence:<\/span><\/p>\n

During that time, Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem and the prophet Ahijah of Shiloh met him on the way. He had put on a new robe; and when the two were alone in the open country, Ahijah took hold of the new robe he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once again, we have one robe, two parties, and four possibilities, since each party might have torn his own robe or that of his fellow. Once again, the exegetes are divided. Yosef Kara (whose position usually reflects that of Rashi who, curiously, offered no resolution to this dilemma) inferred from Ahijah\u2019s tearing \u201cthe new robe he was wearing\u201d that it was his own, while Radak openly acknowledged \u201ceither Ahijah or Jeroboam, it is indeterminate.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Outstanding, in this respect, is the commentary of Yosef Ibn Kaspi, a contemporary of Ralbag and a fellow Proven\u00e7al, who disambiguated the verses and provided an explanation for the tearing of the cloak:<\/span><\/p>\n

Most correctly, [the robe] belonged to Ahijah, since it was customary for prophets to wear a cloak. Furthermore, the verse [30] calls it \u201cthe new robe he was wearing\u201d and does not call it \u201cJeroboam\u2019s robe\u201d as [the next verse] addresses him [explicitly] as \u201che said to Jeroboam.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Moreover, those who were unblemished [spiritually] were unconcerned about tearing their clothing\u2014even if it is new and expensive\u2014and, in general, they are unaffected by incurring financial loss in the pursuit of spiritual perfection\u2026 While it would have been sufficient to do all this verbally, [action] is a more effective way to make an impression on the minds of the observers and listeners.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whatever the case actually was, the symbolism\u2014both here and in 1 Samuel\u2014is the same: the undamaged robe represents wholeness; tearing it reflects separation and dissolution. Just as Samuel was signifying the rending of Saul\u2019s kingdom and its transfer to David, Ahijah, by distributing ten parts of the robe to Jeroboam, was giving him the lion\u2019s share of the Kingdom of Israel, while retaining only a minor portion for the Davidic dynasty.<\/span><\/p>\n

Image: Gerard Hoet, Ahijah’s prophecy to Jeroboam, 1728<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":62179,"id":62179,"title":"1kings11-Ahijahs_and_Jeroboam","filename":"1kings11-Ahijahs_and_Jeroboam.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings11-Ahijahs_and_Jeroboam.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-torn-cloak-reprised\/1kings11-ahijahs_and_jeroboam\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"1kings11-ahijahs_and_jeroboam","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":62178,"date":"2019-09-02 07:04:14","modified":"2021-12-26 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