{"id":55619,"date":"2018-07-09T17:42:46","date_gmt":"2018-07-09T14:42:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wall\/wall-223\/"},"modified":"2022-12-13T13:42:18","modified_gmt":"2022-12-13T11:42:18","slug":"wall-223","status":"publish","type":"wall","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wall\/wall-223\/","title":{"rendered":"chapter-Prophets-Judges-12"},"parent":0,"template":"","acf":{"type":"chapter","wall_id":"223","date":"20260707","book":"Judges","chapter":"12","chapter_main_number":"223","books_group":"Prophets","posts":[{"order":1,"id":"55661","color":"#f8ebe3","size":"1","name":"Judges Chapter 12 - Read by Norma Fire ","post_title":"Judges Chapter 12 - Read by Norma Fire","slug":"judges-chapter-12-read-by-norma-fire","old_id":"55661","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34686,"post_title":"Soundcloud","slug":"soundcloud","old_id":"34686","first_name":"","last_name":"","description":"","short_description":"","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34656,"alt":"","title":"491","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","width":300,"height":300,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","medium_large-width":300,"medium_large-height":300,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","large-width":300,"large-height":300,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","1536x1536-width":300,"1536x1536-height":300,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","2048x2048-width":300,"2048x2048-height":300,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","post_full_size-width":300,"post_full_size-height":300,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","home_baner-width":300,"home_baner-height":300}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"223","type_929":"4","show_author_image":true,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":"","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"JPS Audio Bible","tile_main_caption":"Judges 12","tile_main_caption_size":"2","tile_sub_caption":"read by Norma Fire","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":"","tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/929-bible\/JPS_Audio_Bible_Judges_Chapter_12_read_by_Norma_Fire","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Judges","chapter":"12","chapter_main_number":"223","date":"20260707","wall_id":"223"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":2,"id":"109849","color":"#f6edf6","size":"1","name":"Jephthah And His Unconcern For Taboos ","post_title":"Jephthah And His Unconcern For Taboos","slug":"jephthah-and-his-unconcern-for-taboos","old_id":"109849","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":78133,"post_title":"Josh Blechner","slug":"josh-blechner","old_id":"78133","first_name":"Josh ","last_name":"Blechner ","description":"Josh first finished the Tanach during Yeshiva in Mevaseret Zion. He and his daughter studied the Tanach again for her bat mitzvah. Josh has taught many classes on Tanach throughout the years and currently in the New Rochelle 929 group. When not studying for 929, Josh works as an in-house lawyer in New Jersey.","short_description":"Josh has taught many classes on Tanach throughout the years and currently in the New Rochelle 929 group, and is an in-house attorney in New Jersey. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":78134,"alt":"","title":"josh blechner","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","width":276,"height":351,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner-236x300.jpg","medium-width":236,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","medium_large-width":276,"medium_large-height":351,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","large-width":276,"large-height":351,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","1536x1536-width":276,"1536x1536-height":351,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","2048x2048-width":276,"2048x2048-height":351,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","post_full_size-width":276,"post_full_size-height":351,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","home_baner-width":276,"home_baner-height":351}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"223","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"It is now officially the worst of times\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

One of the unique characteristics of Charles Dickens was his creative use of character names. Names like Bayham Badger and Miss Havisham gave life and character traits for his characters. Perhaps Dickens got the idea from the story of Jephthah. The name Jephthah means \u201copen [up],\u201d and Jephthah\u2019s story is about taboos that he broke or \u2018opened up\u2019 for the first time. In chapter 12, according to some opinions, Jephthah followed through with his promise to sacrifice his daughter. This decision broke an extreme taboo in Israel against human sacrifice. The idea that God would want Jephthah\u2019s daughter killed shook the foundations of society such that the people mourned the date for years after.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In chapter 12 he breaks another taboo. The people of Ephraim had blustered before about not being included in the battles of the Judges. Under Gilad they were quite upset. Gilad mollified them by claiming they were helpful by acting as \u2018closers.\u2019 He did not go and attack them. Even Deborah took umbrage with the lack of assistance from certain tribes with the battle of Sisera, but she did not attack other tribes. At the end of Joshua, Phineas leads an army to confront the outer tribes for building an altar. However, the show of force may have been a negotiating tactic as not a single arrow is shot. He does not attack them. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

In chapter 12, Jephthah has no patience for the people of Ephraim. Instead, he opens up the taboo of one tribe taking out their anger on another through battle. He even sets up toll booths to block and kill members of a fellow tribe. Later on in Judges, the floodgates will open with another tribe almost wiping them out. The Judge is supposed to be someone who leads by example. Jephthah, despite his battlefield expertise ends up hurting the Israelites by opening them up to further downfall.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

After Jephthah it was no longer the best of times. It was now the worst of times.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":59637,"alt":"","title":"2sam2-joab-abner fighting","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam2-joab-abner-fighting.jpg","width":690,"height":444,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam2-joab-abner-fighting-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam2-joab-abner-fighting-300x193.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":193,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam2-joab-abner-fighting.jpg","medium_large-width":690,"medium_large-height":444,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam2-joab-abner-fighting.jpg","large-width":690,"large-height":444,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam2-joab-abner-fighting.jpg","1536x1536-width":690,"1536x1536-height":444,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam2-joab-abner-fighting.jpg","2048x2048-width":690,"2048x2048-height":444,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam2-joab-abner-fighting.jpg","post_full_size-width":690,"post_full_size-height":444,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam2-joab-abner-fighting-653x420.jpg","home_baner-width":653,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Jephthah And His Unconcern For Taboos","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"It is now officially the worst of times","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":59637,"alt":"","title":"2sam2-joab-abner fighting","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam2-joab-abner-fighting.jpg","width":690,"height":444,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam2-joab-abner-fighting-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam2-joab-abner-fighting-300x193.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":193,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam2-joab-abner-fighting.jpg","medium_large-width":690,"medium_large-height":444,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam2-joab-abner-fighting.jpg","large-width":690,"large-height":444,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam2-joab-abner-fighting.jpg","1536x1536-width":690,"1536x1536-height":444,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam2-joab-abner-fighting.jpg","2048x2048-width":690,"2048x2048-height":444,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam2-joab-abner-fighting.jpg","post_full_size-width":690,"post_full_size-height":444,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam2-joab-abner-fighting-653x420.jpg","home_baner-width":653,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Judges","chapter":"12","chapter_main_number":"223","date":"20260707","wall_id":"223"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"759","name":"Taboo","old_id":"1159"},{"term_id":"792","name":"Tribes","old_id":"1192"}]},{"order":3,"id":"55787","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Suffering S(h)ibboleth ","post_title":"Suffering S(h)ibboleth","slug":"suffering-shibboleth","old_id":"55787","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":54356,"post_title":"Robert Alter","slug":"robert-alter","old_id":"54356","first_name":"Robert ","last_name":"Alter","description":"Robert Alter is the Class of 1937 Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley, where he has taught since 1967. He has written over twenty books, focusing on such topics as the European novel from the 18th century to the present, contemporary American fiction, and modern Hebrew literature. He has also written extensively on the literary aspects of the Bible. His most recent work is his monumental three volume translation of the entire Hebrew Bible - The Hebrew Bible, W. W. Norton & Co., 2019 - from which the selections in 929 are taken. ","short_description":"Robert Alter is the Class of 1937 Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley, and author of the three-volume translation of the entire Hebrew Bible - The Hebrew Bible, W. W. Norton & Co., 2019.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":54357,"alt":"","title":"robert alter","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","width":184,"height":275,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","medium-width":184,"medium-height":275,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","medium_large-width":184,"medium_large-height":275,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","large-width":184,"large-height":275,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","1536x1536-width":184,"1536x1536-height":275,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","2048x2048-width":184,"2048x2048-height":275,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","post_full_size-width":184,"post_full_size-height":275,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","home_baner-width":184,"home_baner-height":275}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"223","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Like Jephthah, what comes out of the mouths of fugitives - leads to death","post_main_content_content":"

12:6 \u201cAnd they would say to him, \u2018Say, pray, shibboleth,\u2019 and he would say \u2018sibboleth,\u2019 and he would not manage to pronounce it right, and they would seize him and and slaughter him at the fords of the Jordan. And at that time forty-two thousand of Ephraim fell.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In contrast to the English use of \u201cshibboleth,\u201d here it is a password. The necessary inference is that in the dialect of Hebrew spoken by the Ephraimites, <\/span>sh<\/span><\/i> was pronounced as <\/span>s<\/span><\/i>. The Hebrew word can mean either stream or stalk of grain, but, given the proximity to the Jordan, the former sense is more likely. One might note that what comes out of the mouths of the fugitives leads to death, as was the case with Jephthah\u2019s vow.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

From: Robert Alter, <\/span>The Hebrew Bible, <\/span><\/i>vol. 2: Prophets, W. W. Norton & Co., 2019, ad loc.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":54890,"alt":"","title":"Alter-Cover","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","width":1200,"height":693,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-300x173.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":173,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-768x444.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":444,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1024x591.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":591,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","1536x1536-width":1200,"1536x1536-height":693,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","2048x2048-width":1200,"2048x2048-height":693,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1200x693.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":693,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-727x420.jpg","home_baner-width":727,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"From Robert Alter's Bible Translation and Commentary","tile_main_caption":"Suffering S(h)ibboleth","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Like Jephthah, what comes out of the mouths of fugitives - leads to death","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":54890,"alt":"","title":"Alter-Cover","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","width":1200,"height":693,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-300x173.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":173,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-768x444.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":444,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1024x591.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":591,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","1536x1536-width":1200,"1536x1536-height":693,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","2048x2048-width":1200,"2048x2048-height":693,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1200x693.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":693,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-727x420.jpg","home_baner-width":727,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Judges","chapter":"12","chapter_main_number":"223","date":"20260707","wall_id":"223"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":4,"id":"55833","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Fragile Egos and Ancient Sibling Rivalry ","post_title":"Fragile Egos And Ancient Sibling Rivalry","slug":"fragile-egos-and-ancient-sibling-rivalry","old_id":"55833","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":55294,"post_title":"Sarah Gordon","slug":"sarah-gordon","old_id":"55294","first_name":"Sarah ","last_name":"Gordon ","description":"Sarah Gordon is the Director of Student Activities and Experiential Education at Ma\u2019ayanot Yeshiva High School, where she teaches Talmud and a course on Contemporary Israel. She holds dual MA degrees in Jewish Education and Modern Jewish History from Yeshiva University. She is currently pursuing an Ed.D through Azrieli Graduate School as a Wexner Fellow and Davidson Scholar. She lives with her husband in Washington Heights in NYC.","short_description":"Sarah Gordon is the Director of Student Activities and Experiential Education at Ma\u2019ayanot Yeshiva High School","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":55295,"alt":"","title":"sarah gordon","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/sarah-gordon.jpeg","width":640,"height":640,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/sarah-gordon-150x150.jpeg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/sarah-gordon-300x300.jpeg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/sarah-gordon.jpeg","medium_large-width":640,"medium_large-height":640,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/sarah-gordon.jpeg","large-width":640,"large-height":640,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/sarah-gordon.jpeg","1536x1536-width":640,"1536x1536-height":640,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/sarah-gordon.jpeg","2048x2048-width":640,"2048x2048-height":640,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/sarah-gordon.jpeg","post_full_size-width":640,"post_full_size-height":640,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/sarah-gordon-420x420.jpeg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"223","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"The sons of Joseph show us that it\u2019s time to get a king...","post_main_content_content":"

This chapter opens with the men of Ephraim complaining that Jephthah did not invite them to join in the battle against the Ammonites, \u00a0threatening to burn down Jephthah's house in retribution (12:1). Later on, the men of Ephraim insult the tribe of Manasseh, calling them, \"nothing but fugitives from Ephraim,\" stating that \"being in Manasseh is like being in Ephraim\" (12:4).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Malbim (Rabbi Meir Leibush Wisser of 19th century Poland) explains that Ephraim thought it improper for Manasseh to have chosen a leader and act as the spokespeople of the tribe of Joseph. Manasseh, already divided into smaller tribal halves, should have appropriately deferred to Ephraim on leadership decisions. In other words, they should have known their proper place!<\/span><\/p>\r\n

This incident is not the first time the tribe of Ephraim has a problem with leaders from Manasseh asserting themselves, as they also express anger to Gideon in Chapter 8 about being excluded from the fight with the Midianites. The text clarifies Gideon's lineage as coming from the humblest clan in Manasseh, and him being the youngest in his father's household (6:15).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

This entire power struggle is fascinating in light of the fact that originally, Manasseh was the firstborn and rightful leader, and was only replaced by Ephraim through Jacob's blessing and reversed hands, which gave Ephraim precedence over his older brother (Genesis 48). Joseph unsuccessfully tried to stop the blessing, well aware of the dangers that can come from favoring a younger son over an older one.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Perhaps Ephraim's knowledge that they were initially not meant for leadership led them to feel threatened and assert their authority over their now supplanted older brother. Ironically, Ephraim's challenge triggers Jephthah's sense of inferiority and status as an outsider, sparking a brutal massacre of the people of Ephraim. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

This entire episode highlights the challenges of tribal-specific leadership, and the need for a future monarch who can consolidate all tribes, including the sons of Joseph, into one unified kingdom.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: Rembrandt - Jacob Blessing the Children of Joseph<\/em> \/ wikipedia<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":40420,"alt":"","title":"Jacob Blessing Ephraim and Manasseh, by Rembrandt","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Rembrandt_-_Jacob_Blessing_the_Children_of_Joseph_-_WGA19117.jpg","width":2961,"height":2487,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Rembrandt_-_Jacob_Blessing_the_Children_of_Joseph_-_WGA19117-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Rembrandt_-_Jacob_Blessing_the_Children_of_Joseph_-_WGA19117-300x252.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":252,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Rembrandt_-_Jacob_Blessing_the_Children_of_Joseph_-_WGA19117-768x645.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":645,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Rembrandt_-_Jacob_Blessing_the_Children_of_Joseph_-_WGA19117-1024x860.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":860,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Rembrandt_-_Jacob_Blessing_the_Children_of_Joseph_-_WGA19117.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1290,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Rembrandt_-_Jacob_Blessing_the_Children_of_Joseph_-_WGA19117.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1720,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Rembrandt_-_Jacob_Blessing_the_Children_of_Joseph_-_WGA19117-1200x1008.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":1008,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Rembrandt_-_Jacob_Blessing_the_Children_of_Joseph_-_WGA19117-500x420.jpg","home_baner-width":500,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Fragile Egos And Ancient Sibling Rivalry","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"The sons of Joseph show us that it\u2019s time to get a king...","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":40420,"alt":"","title":"Jacob Blessing Ephraim and Manasseh, by Rembrandt","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Rembrandt_-_Jacob_Blessing_the_Children_of_Joseph_-_WGA19117.jpg","width":2961,"height":2487,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Rembrandt_-_Jacob_Blessing_the_Children_of_Joseph_-_WGA19117-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Rembrandt_-_Jacob_Blessing_the_Children_of_Joseph_-_WGA19117-300x252.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":252,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Rembrandt_-_Jacob_Blessing_the_Children_of_Joseph_-_WGA19117-768x645.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":645,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Rembrandt_-_Jacob_Blessing_the_Children_of_Joseph_-_WGA19117-1024x860.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":860,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Rembrandt_-_Jacob_Blessing_the_Children_of_Joseph_-_WGA19117.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1290,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Rembrandt_-_Jacob_Blessing_the_Children_of_Joseph_-_WGA19117.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1720,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Rembrandt_-_Jacob_Blessing_the_Children_of_Joseph_-_WGA19117-1200x1008.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":1008,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Rembrandt_-_Jacob_Blessing_the_Children_of_Joseph_-_WGA19117-500x420.jpg","home_baner-width":500,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Judges","chapter":"12","chapter_main_number":"223","date":"20260707","wall_id":"223"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"402","name":"Leadership","old_id":"802"},{"term_id":"523","name":"Joseph","old_id":"923"},{"term_id":"792","name":"Tribes","old_id":"1192"},{"term_id":"835","name":"King","old_id":"1235"}]},{"order":5,"id":"55824","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Shibboleth: Trouble with Border-Crossings ","post_title":"Shibboleth: Trouble With Border-Crossings","slug":"shibboleth-trouble-with-border-crossings","old_id":"55824","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34243,"post_title":"Moshe Sokolow","slug":"moshe-sokolow","old_id":"34243","first_name":"Moshe","last_name":"Sokolow","description":"Dr. Moshe Sokolow is Associate Dean of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Yeshiva University, and teaches a weekly class in parashat hashavu`a at Lincoln Square Synagogue. He is the author of TANAKH: An Owner\u2019s Manual (Jerusalem: Urim\/Ktav, 2015).\r\n\r\n","short_description":"Dr. Moshe Sokolow is Associate Dean of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Yeshiva University","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34244,"alt":"","title":"sokolow","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","width":302,"height":300,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow-300x298.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":298,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","medium_large-width":302,"medium_large-height":300,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","large-width":302,"large-height":300,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","1536x1536-width":302,"1536x1536-height":300,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","2048x2048-width":302,"2048x2048-height":300,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","post_full_size-width":302,"post_full_size-height":300,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","home_baner-width":302,"home_baner-height":300}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"223","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"From the West Bank to the West Wing","post_main_content_content":"

Our chapter includes a most idiosyncratic episode. During a domestic battle that left an untold number of Ephraimites dead, the survivors needed to cross the Jordan back to their own (western) bank. The Gileadites, in an attempt to hamper that crossing, came up with a ruse that enabled them to distinguish between the Ephraimites, their opponents, and legitimate border crossers. They required everyone to recite the word <\/span>shibboleth<\/span><\/i>, which the Ephraimites, due to a particular speech defect, were unable to properly articulate. When they tried, it came out as <\/span>sibboleth<\/span><\/i>; and, with their true identities revealed, they were executed (v.6).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

A reasonable question to pose (to an otherwise unreasonable situation) is why was <\/span>shibboleth<\/span><\/i> chosen from among all the words in Hebrew that are spelled with the letter <\/span>shin<\/span><\/i>? The answer starts with the realization that it has two meanings in Hebrew. In addition to the prevalent meaning of a sheaf (of grain), it is used poetically to mean a stream (of water). Since the Ephraimite refugees were attempting to cross a river, the use of this word is not inappropriate.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Another reasonable question might be, did Ephraimites alone exhibit this defect and why? Logic would imply that it was exclusive to them because otherwise it would not have been an effective criterion. As to why it affected them, Radak already speculated on that, writing: \u201cPerhaps the climate (<\/span>avir<\/span><\/i>) of their territory caused it, just as people in France pronounce <\/span>shin<\/span><\/i> as <\/span>sav<\/span><\/i>.\u201d (In speculating about tribal peculiarities in general, recall that in chapter 3 we encountered unusually left-handed Benjaminites.)<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Shibboleth was put to similar use in another historical circumstance. According to John Cleveland\u2019s 1658 account of the Watt Tyler rebellion in England, \u201cThey had a shibboleth to discover them, he who pronounced <\/span>Brot<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Cawse<\/span><\/i> for Bread and Cheese had his head lopt off.\u201d More recently, season 2 episode 8 (2000) of The West Wing<\/em>, in which Chinese claiming to be Christians had to validate their religious identities, was appropriately entitled \u201cShibboleth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":55825,"alt":"","title":"jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk.jpg","width":552,"height":368,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk.jpg","medium_large-width":552,"medium_large-height":368,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk.jpg","large-width":552,"large-height":368,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk.jpg","1536x1536-width":552,"1536x1536-height":368,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk.jpg","2048x2048-width":552,"2048x2048-height":368,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk.jpg","post_full_size-width":552,"post_full_size-height":368,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk.jpg","home_baner-width":552,"home_baner-height":368}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Shibboleth: Trouble With Border-Crossings","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"From the West Bank to the West Wing","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":55825,"alt":"","title":"jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk.jpg","width":552,"height":368,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk.jpg","medium_large-width":552,"medium_large-height":368,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk.jpg","large-width":552,"large-height":368,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk.jpg","1536x1536-width":552,"1536x1536-height":368,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk.jpg","2048x2048-width":552,"2048x2048-height":368,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk.jpg","post_full_size-width":552,"post_full_size-height":368,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shibboleth-stream-stalk.jpg","home_baner-width":552,"home_baner-height":368}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Judges","chapter":"12","chapter_main_number":"223","date":"20260707","wall_id":"223"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"361","name":"Hebrew language","old_id":"761"},{"term_id":"444","name":"History","old_id":"844"},{"term_id":"792","name":"Tribes","old_id":"1192"}]},{"order":6,"id":"55835","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"The Danger Within ","post_title":"The Danger Within","slug":"the-danger-within","old_id":"55835","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34245,"post_title":"Rachel Sharansky Danziger","slug":"rachel-sharansky-danziger","old_id":"34245","first_name":"Rachel Sharansky","last_name":"Danziger","description":"Rachel Sharansky Danziger is a Jerusalem-born writer and speaker who blogs about Judaism, parenting, and life in Israel. She currently lives in Boston, where she teaches about storytelling in the bible and the subversive depths of Hebrew words.\r\n","short_description":"Rachel Sharansky Danziger is a Jerusalem-born Boston-based writer and speaker about Judaism, parenting, and life in Israel. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34246,"alt":"","title":"RSDanziger","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/RSDanziger.jpg","width":1171,"height":1769,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/RSDanziger-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/RSDanziger-199x300.jpg","medium-width":199,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/RSDanziger-678x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":678,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/RSDanziger-678x1024.jpg","large-width":678,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/RSDanziger.jpg","1536x1536-width":1017,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/RSDanziger.jpg","2048x2048-width":1171,"2048x2048-height":1769,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/RSDanziger-794x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":794,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/RSDanziger-278x420.jpg","home_baner-width":278,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"223","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"As long as the Israelite house remains divided in their own eyes, it truly cannot stand","post_main_content_content":"

\u201cWhy did you march to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you?\u201d exclaim the men of Ephraim after Jephthah\u2019s war, just as they did in Gideon\u2019s days. \u201cWe\u2019ll burn your house down over you!\u201d (12:1).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

This is a shocking threat, and an especially cruel one at this particular moment: Jephthah, as we saw in Judges 11, is newly out of homes to burn or spare. He was cast out from his first home by his brothers years earlier, when they pointedly declared \u201cThou shalt not inherit in our father's home.\u201d (Judges 11:2) And it was he, himself, who had (metaphorically) brought down his new home more recently, by destroying his only daughter, \u2018the first to come forth and greet him from the doors of his home\u2019. Like the bramble from Yotam\u2019s parable about another broken family, Jephthah was the source of the fire that burned those under his care.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Ephraimites\u2019 choice of words proves as self-destructive as Jephthah\u2019s own in his infamous vow: like him, they bring about their own demise. Jephthah, the man who already brought down his own home, has nothing to lose or protect. He has no reason to be cautious, to placate and flatter like Gideon, who spoke of \u201cthe gleaning of Ephraim\u201d as better than his vintage (8:2). The man whose words doomed his own daughter, is more than willing to force the Ephra\u05dfmites to say the word \u2013 \u2018sibboleth\u2019 \u2013 that will doom them to be slain. The man who never knew a brother\u2019s love is more than willing to fight his Israelite brothers now. The man who was cast out from his home by his own kin is more than willing to burn the metaphorical Israelite home upon them all.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Jephthah\u2019s story reminds us that the true threat to this home never came from the outside. External enemies come and go in Judges, but the real danger always lies within. Jephthah and the Ephraimites bring their own homes down in verbal acts of self-destruction; the Israelites, likewise, doom themselves to suffer through their failure to unite. In Judges 1 they set out to wage separate wars of conquest. In later chapters they often refuse each other aid. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

They perceive themselves as tribes first and Israelites second, and this self-perception brings about their failures: fighting their enemies separately, they can\u2019t complete their conquests nor keep their enemies persistently at bay. As long as the Israelite house remains divided in their own eyes, it truly cannot stand.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":55836,"alt":"","title":"jud12-house_divided","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-house_divided.jpg","width":278,"height":247,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-house_divided-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-house_divided.jpg","medium-width":278,"medium-height":247,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-house_divided.jpg","medium_large-width":278,"medium_large-height":247,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-house_divided.jpg","large-width":278,"large-height":247,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-house_divided.jpg","1536x1536-width":278,"1536x1536-height":247,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-house_divided.jpg","2048x2048-width":278,"2048x2048-height":247,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-house_divided.jpg","post_full_size-width":278,"post_full_size-height":247,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-house_divided.jpg","home_baner-width":278,"home_baner-height":247}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"The Danger Within","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"As long as the Israelite house remains divided in their own eyes, it truly cannot stand","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":55836,"alt":"","title":"jud12-house_divided","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-house_divided.jpg","width":278,"height":247,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-house_divided-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-house_divided.jpg","medium-width":278,"medium-height":247,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-house_divided.jpg","medium_large-width":278,"medium_large-height":247,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-house_divided.jpg","large-width":278,"large-height":247,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-house_divided.jpg","1536x1536-width":278,"1536x1536-height":247,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-house_divided.jpg","2048x2048-width":278,"2048x2048-height":247,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-house_divided.jpg","post_full_size-width":278,"post_full_size-height":247,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-house_divided.jpg","home_baner-width":278,"home_baner-height":247}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Judges","chapter":"12","chapter_main_number":"223","date":"20260707","wall_id":"223"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"561","name":"Brothers","old_id":"961"},{"term_id":"598","name":"Israelites","old_id":"998"},{"term_id":"792","name":"Tribes","old_id":"1192"}]},{"order":7,"id":"55827","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Shibboleth \u2013 Then and Now ","post_title":"Shibboleth \u2013 Then And Now","slug":"shibboleth-then-and-now","old_id":"55827","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33877,"post_title":"Marc Bregman","slug":"marc-bregman","old_id":"33877","first_name":"Marc","last_name":"Bregman","description":"Marc Bregman received his Ph.D. from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1991. He taught at the Hebrew Union College (Jerusalem), The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Schechter Institute for Judaic Studies in Jerusalem, and at the Ben-Gurion University in Beer Sheba, Israel. During 1993 he was Visiting Associate Professor at Yale University, and during 1996 he was the Stroum Professor of Jewish Studies and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle. During 2005, Bregman served as the Harry Starr Fellow in Judaica at Harvard University and was awarded a Teaching Fellowship at the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He also has served as Forchheimer Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Humanities at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is the author of The Tanhuma-Yelammedenu Literature: Studies in the Evolution of the Versions (Gorgias Press, 2003). In 2006, Bregman was appointed the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, where he also headed the program in Jewish Studies, until 2013. Bregman retired from UNCG as of July 31, 2017. He has now returned to Jerusalem where he is continuing his research and teaching activities.","credit":"","image_url":"","short_description":"Marc Bregman is the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies emeritus, at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro.","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33878,"alt":"Marc Bregman","title":"Marc Bregman","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","width":361,"height":488,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-222x300.jpg","medium-width":222,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","medium_large-width":361,"medium_large-height":488,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","large-width":361,"large-height":488,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","1536x1536-width":361,"1536x1536-height":488,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","2048x2048-width":361,"2048x2048-height":488,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","post_full_size-width":361,"post_full_size-height":488,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-311x420.jpg","home_baner-width":311,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"223","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"What if it was the Brooklynites chasing the Manhattanites to the Brooklyn Bridge? They have a woyd for it...","post_main_content_content":"

Our chapter continues the story of Jephthah, who now leads the Gileadites to capture the fords of the Jordan, preventing the Ephraimites from re-entering the Promised Land. When a suspected Ephraimite would try to cross back over the Jordan, the men of Gilead questioned his tribal identity. If he denied being from the tribe of Ephraim, they told him to say \u2018shibboleth.\u2019 Since Ephraimites were known to not be able to correctly pronounce the sound \u201csh\u201d, in this and similar words, anyone saying \u2018sibboleth\u2019 was killed (Judges 12:5-6). Based on our biblical narrative, since the 17<\/span>th<\/span> century, the English word \u201cshibboleth\u201d has come to indicate a \u201cpassword\u201d or slogan used by a particular group but regarded by others as empty of real meaning.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

According to the Jewish assyriologist, E.A. Speiser (BASOR 85\/1942), the pronunciation of the initial sound in the Hebrew word \u201cshibbolet\u201d was a geographically determined dialectical difference, the boundary of which was the River Jordan. On the basis of comparative Semitic linguistics, Speiser theorizes that it may have actually been the Gileadites who retained an ancient form of the Hebrew word \u201cshibbolet\u201d that they pronounced \u201ctubbult\u201d, but which other Hebrew speakers in Biblical Palestine pronounced \u201cshibbolet\u201d, as indicated in our Scriptural text. In this context, however pronounced, the \u201ctest-word\u201d meant \u201cstream of flowing water\u201d (compare Psalms 69:2-3), appropriately referring to the Jordan River that the Ephraimites sought to cross. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

To illustrate his point, Speiser creatively imagines a riot that could have broken out at a sporting event at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn. The Brooklynites chase the Manhattanites to the Brooklyn Bridge. Those who pronounced the word \u201cword\u201d as \u201cwoyd\u201d according to the Brooklynese pronunciation were identified as Brooklyn fans. While others, identified in this way as Manhattan fans, found this escape route blocked to them and apparently suffered the consequences.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The close relationship between \u201cSh\u201d and \u201cS\u201d is basic to the Hebrew language, which represents both these phonemes in unvocalized texts with a single Hebrew letter, pronounced in some words as \u201cSh\u201d and in others as \u201cS\u201d. Biblical words written with the letter pronounced \u201cS\u201d, called \u201cSin\u201d, are sometimes written in later Hebrew with a different Hebrew letter, \u201cSamekh\u201d, always pronounced \u201cS\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The \u201cSh-S\u201d shift, at the basis of our biblical text, is a linguistic phenomenon exemplified by the comparison of Hebrew to Greek \u2013 the latter having no letter to represent the \u201cSh\u201d phoneme. This led to Hebrew \u201cshabbat\u201d being transliterated into Greek as \u201csabbaton\u201d, which led to Latin \u201csabbatum\u201d, and subsequently to English \u201csabbath\u201d. Similarly, in other Western European languages, the originally Hebrew word \u201cshabbat\u201d was transliterated as Spanish \u201csabado\u201d and Italian \u201csabato\u201d. By the same linguistic process, the Hebrew name \u201cShelomo\u201d became our Anglicized \u201cSolomon\u201d and Arabic \u201cSuleiman\u201d, all of which etymologically suggest \u201cman of Peace [Shalom]\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In our day, mispronunciation of the phoneme \u201csh\u201d as \u201cs\u201d has been regarded as a \u201cfunctional speech disorder\u201d. This usually resolves itself by about age five, but sometimes continues on into adulthood -- as apparently with the Biblical Ephraimites.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":55828,"alt":"","title":"jud12-shin-sin","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shin-sin.png","width":300,"height":224,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shin-sin-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shin-sin-300x224.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":224,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shin-sin.png","medium_large-width":300,"medium_large-height":224,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shin-sin.png","large-width":300,"large-height":224,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shin-sin.png","1536x1536-width":300,"1536x1536-height":224,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shin-sin.png","2048x2048-width":300,"2048x2048-height":224,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shin-sin.png","post_full_size-width":300,"post_full_size-height":224,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shin-sin.png","home_baner-width":300,"home_baner-height":224}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Shibboleth \u2013 Then And Now","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"What if it was the Brooklynites chasing the Manhattanites to the Brooklyn Bridge? They have a woyd for it...","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":55828,"alt":"","title":"jud12-shin-sin","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shin-sin.png","width":300,"height":224,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shin-sin-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shin-sin-300x224.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":224,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shin-sin.png","medium_large-width":300,"medium_large-height":224,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shin-sin.png","large-width":300,"large-height":224,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shin-sin.png","1536x1536-width":300,"1536x1536-height":224,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shin-sin.png","2048x2048-width":300,"2048x2048-height":224,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shin-sin.png","post_full_size-width":300,"post_full_size-height":224,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-shin-sin.png","home_baner-width":300,"home_baner-height":224}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Judges","chapter":"12","chapter_main_number":"223","date":"20260707","wall_id":"223"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"377","name":"Speech\/words","old_id":"777"},{"term_id":"798","name":"language","old_id":"1198"}]},{"order":8,"id":"55838","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Tribe Over Nation: Cracks In The Unity ","post_title":"Tribe Over Nation: Cracks In The Unity","slug":"tribe-over-nation-cracks-in-the-unity","old_id":"55838","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":54871,"post_title":"Hannah Vorchheimer","slug":"hannah-vorchheimer","old_id":"54871","first_name":"Hannah ","last_name":"Vorchheimer ","description":"Hannah Vorchheimer is a senior at SAR High School. After spending her gap year in Migdal Oz, she will attend Barnard College. ","short_description":"Hannah Vorchheimer is a senior at SAR High School. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":54991,"alt":"","title":"Hannah Vorchheimer","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Hannah-Vorchheimer.jpeg","width":480,"height":480,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Hannah-Vorchheimer-150x150.jpeg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Hannah-Vorchheimer-300x300.jpeg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Hannah-Vorchheimer.jpeg","medium_large-width":480,"medium_large-height":480,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Hannah-Vorchheimer.jpeg","large-width":480,"large-height":480,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Hannah-Vorchheimer.jpeg","1536x1536-width":480,"1536x1536-height":480,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Hannah-Vorchheimer.jpeg","2048x2048-width":480,"2048x2048-height":480,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Hannah-Vorchheimer.jpeg","post_full_size-width":480,"post_full_size-height":480,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Hannah-Vorchheimer-420x420.jpeg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"223","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Grammatical form and psychological content","post_main_content_content":"

After Jephthah's victory against the Ammonites, the men of the tribe of Ephraim impassionately expressed their frustration that they were not called upon to fight alongside Jephthah. \u00a0In the verse that describes the exchange, there is a grammatical perplexity. The verse begins by using two verbs in singular form to describe the actions of the tribe of Ephraim: <\/span>vayetza\u2019k<\/span><\/em>,<\/span><\/i> \u201cthey screamed\u201d (in singular) and <\/span>vaya\u2019avor<\/span><\/em>,<\/span><\/i> \u201cthey crossed\u201d (in singular). However, once the men begin speaking with Jephthah, the verb form switches to plural: <\/span>vayomru<\/span><\/em>, \u201cthey said\u201d (in plural).What can be inferred from \u00a0this interesting use of grammar to gain insight into the mentality of the nation, and specifically, the tribe of Ephraim?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The singular verbs represent the small signs of unity still present within the nation. The men of Ephraim were engaged in unifying activities: they were moving together as one and shared one common goal (despite it becoming problematic later on). While at first glance, this seems positive for the nation, there is one glaring issue with this pattern. Once the tribe begins to interact with people outside of their tribe (such as Jephthah), the verb form immediately shifts to the plural. Jephthah had just successfully defeated the nation\u2019s greatest enemy, the comment that should have emerged from their lips ought to have been one of praise and gratitude. Instead it is one of selfishness that further chips away the unity of the nation by placing their own tribe\u2019s agenda ahead of the goal of the \u201cteam\u201d, uniting together post victory. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

However, in order to preserve the fragments of unity, the tribe of Ephraim should take a lesson from the very first verb pattern in the chapter: try to act as one cohesive unit with everyone (including those beyond the tribe) and put the nation\u2019s goal first. Perhaps then the nation and their unity will remain intact. <\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":55839,"alt":"","title":"jud12-part-whole","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-part-whole.jpg","width":1920,"height":1357,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-part-whole-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-part-whole-300x212.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":212,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-part-whole-768x543.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":543,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-part-whole-1024x724.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":724,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-part-whole.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1086,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-part-whole.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1357,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-part-whole-1200x848.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":848,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-part-whole-594x420.jpg","home_baner-width":594,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Tribe Over Nation: Cracks In The Unity","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Grammatical form and psychological content","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":55839,"alt":"","title":"jud12-part-whole","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-part-whole.jpg","width":1920,"height":1357,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-part-whole-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-part-whole-300x212.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":212,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-part-whole-768x543.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":543,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-part-whole-1024x724.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":724,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-part-whole.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1086,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-part-whole.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1357,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-part-whole-1200x848.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":848,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud12-part-whole-594x420.jpg","home_baner-width":594,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Judges","chapter":"12","chapter_main_number":"223","date":"20260707","wall_id":"223"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"545","name":"Tribe","old_id":"945"},{"term_id":"594","name":"Unity","old_id":"994"}]},{"order":9,"id":"109867","color":"#f6edf6","size":"1","name":"The Tanakh Podcast-Ju12 ","post_title":"The Tanakh Podcast-Ju12","slug":"the-tanakh-podcast-ju12","old_id":"109867","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33692,"post_title":"Alex Israel","slug":"33692-2","old_id":"33692","first_name":"Alex","last_name":"Israel","description":"Alex Israel teaches Tanakh at the Pardes Institute, Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi and Matan, Jerusalem. His first book \"I Kings - Torn in Two\" was published in 2013. See his website www.alexisrael.org, and his podcasts at https:\/\/elmad.pardes.org\/ and https:\/\/tanachstudy.com\/ \r\n","credit":"","image_url":"","short_description":"Alex Israel teaches Tanakh at the Pardes Institute, Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi and Matan, Jerusalem.","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33693,"alt":"","title":"alex israel","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/alex-israel.jpg","width":1657,"height":2500,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/alex-israel-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/alex-israel-199x300.jpg","medium-width":199,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/alex-israel-679x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":679,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/alex-israel-679x1024.jpg","large-width":679,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/alex-israel.jpg","1536x1536-width":1018,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/alex-israel.jpg","2048x2048-width":1357,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/alex-israel-795x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":795,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/alex-israel-278x420.jpg","home_baner-width":278,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"223","type_929":"4","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":"","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"The Tanakh Podcast","tile_main_caption":"Judges 12: Jephthah's Shibboleth","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"A bloody civil war: at crossing points over the Jordan, brothers trap and execute brothers. Jephthah is remembered for murdering not only his daughter but 42,000 Israelites.","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":108885,"alt":"","title":"-635baf915f04f--635baf915f050tanakh podcast - Alex Israel.JPG","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/10\/635baf915f04f-635baf915f050tanakh-podcast-Alex-Israel.JPG.jpg","width":350,"height":352,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/10\/635baf915f04f-635baf915f050tanakh-podcast-Alex-Israel.JPG-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/10\/635baf915f04f-635baf915f050tanakh-podcast-Alex-Israel.JPG-298x300.jpg","medium-width":298,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/10\/635baf915f04f-635baf915f050tanakh-podcast-Alex-Israel.JPG.jpg","medium_large-width":350,"medium_large-height":352,"large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/10\/635baf915f04f-635baf915f050tanakh-podcast-Alex-Israel.JPG.jpg","large-width":350,"large-height":352,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/10\/635baf915f04f-635baf915f050tanakh-podcast-Alex-Israel.JPG.jpg","1536x1536-width":350,"1536x1536-height":352,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/10\/635baf915f04f-635baf915f050tanakh-podcast-Alex-Israel.JPG.jpg","2048x2048-width":350,"2048x2048-height":352,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/10\/635baf915f04f-635baf915f050tanakh-podcast-Alex-Israel.JPG.jpg","post_full_size-width":350,"post_full_size-height":352,"home_baner":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/10\/635baf915f04f-635baf915f050tanakh-podcast-Alex-Israel.JPG.jpg","home_baner-width":350,"home_baner-height":352}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/0egpH4AUxcFCzB1ezEwBzd","tile_link_for_pay":"0","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Judges","chapter":"12","chapter_main_number":"223","date":"20260707","wall_id":"223"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"589","name":"audio","old_id":"989"},{"term_id":"857","name":"podcast","old_id":"1257"}]},{"order":10,"id":"55645","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"A Lesson on the Daily Chapter - Judges 12 ","post_title":"A Lesson on the Daily Chapter - Judges 12","slug":"a-lesson-on-the-daily-chapter-judges-12","old_id":"55645","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":49542,"post_title":"Ya\u2019akov Trump","slug":"yaakov-trump","old_id":"49542","first_name":"Ya\u2019akov ","last_name":"Trump","description":"Rabbi Ya\u2019akov Trump serves as the Associate Rabbi of the Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst. Rabbi Trump has been involved in many community wide projects including being hub coordinator of the Shabbos Project in the Five Towns-Far Rockaway the Five Towns Drug Awareness panel. Rabbi Trump teaches Halacha at the Shulamith High School for girls. He and his wife, Malka, and children live in Lawrence.","short_description":"Rabbi Ya\u2019akov Trump serves as the Associate Rabbi of the Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":49543,"alt":"","title":"yaakov trump","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/yaakov-trump-e1550238540514.jpg","width":1476,"height":1898,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/yaakov-trump-e1550238540514-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/yaakov-trump-e1550238540514-233x300.jpg","medium-width":233,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/yaakov-trump-e1550238540514-768x988.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":988,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/yaakov-trump-e1550238540514-796x1024.jpg","large-width":796,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/yaakov-trump-e1550238540514.jpg","1536x1536-width":1194,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/yaakov-trump-e1550238540514.jpg","2048x2048-width":1476,"2048x2048-height":1898,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/yaakov-trump-e1550238540514-933x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":933,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/yaakov-trump-e1550238540514-327x420.jpg","home_baner-width":327,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"223","type_929":"4","show_author_image":true,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":"","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"929 Audio","tile_main_caption":"A Lesson on the Daily Chapter- Judges 12","tile_main_caption_size":"2","tile_sub_caption":"","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":"","tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/trumprabbi\/shoftim-12","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"2","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Judges","chapter":"12","chapter_main_number":"223","date":"20260707","wall_id":"223"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":11,"id":"55791","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Points to Ponder - Judges 12 ","post_title":"Points to Ponder - Judges 12","slug":"points-to-ponder-judges-12","old_id":"55791","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":38102,"post_title":"929-English","slug":"929-english","old_id":"38102","first_name":"","last_name":"929-English","description":"","short_description":"","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":38333,"alt":"","title":"\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","width":1513,"height":860,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-300x171.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":171,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-768x437.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":437,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-1024x582.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":582,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","1536x1536-width":1513,"1536x1536-height":860,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","2048x2048-width":1513,"2048x2048-height":860,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-1200x682.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":682,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-739x420.png","home_baner-width":739,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"223","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":"

    \r\n\t
  1. Spot the differences, and the significance.<\/em> If you didn\u2019t get it yet that the quality of leadership is going south, note the differences in the response from Gideon (8:2) and Jephthah (here, verses 3-4) to the carping of the Ephraimites, who let\u2019s face it, are also not exactly displaying nobility of character.<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. Persecuted on account of their accent.<\/em> Ok, maybe not persecuted because of their accent, but the fact that Ephraimites can\u2019t say \u201csh\u201d and so pronounce the word \u201cshibboleth\u201d as \u201csibbolet\u201d leads to their undoing...<\/li>\r\n\t
  3. Status symbols.<\/em>The little we know about the \u201clittle judges\u201d is their probably high social status, reflected in the sheer quantity of their progeny.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>","post_main_content_image":{"id":86314,"alt":"","title":"Points to ponder","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":1000,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":1000,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":1000,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":1000,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"Judges 12","tile_main_caption":"Points to Ponder","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Insights and questions for personal reflection and group discussion","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":86314,"alt":"","title":"Points to ponder","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":1000,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":1000,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":1000,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":1000,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Judges","chapter":"12","chapter_main_number":"223","date":"20260707","wall_id":"223"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false}],"hide_acf":true,"home_image":false,"home_posts":false,"home_posts_title":"","posts_home":[],"static_cube_title":"","static_cube_brief":"","static_cube_color":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall\/55619"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/wall"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}