{"id":55622,"date":"2018-07-09T17:42:48","date_gmt":"2018-07-09T14:42:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wall\/wall-1045\/"},"modified":"2022-12-16T11:01:11","modified_gmt":"2022-12-16T09:01:11","slug":"wall-1045","status":"publish","type":"wall","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wall\/wall-1045\/","title":{"rendered":"weekend-from-20221211-to-20221217"},"parent":0,"template":"","acf":{"type":"weekend","wall_id":"1045","date_from":"20221211","date_to":"20221217","book":"Judges","books_group":"Prophets","posts":[{"order":1,"id":"39091","color":"#effaea","size":"1","name":"The Sale of Joseph: Who's To Blame? ","post_title":"The Sale of Joseph: Who's To Blame?","slug":"the-sale-of-joseph-whos-to-blame","old_id":"39091","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33859,"post_title":"Avidan Freedman","slug":"avidan-freedman","old_id":"33859","first_name":"Avidan","last_name":"Freedman","description":"Rabbi Avidan Freedman is the Rabbi of Hevruta, the Shalom Hartman Institute's post high school program for Israelis and North Americans, and an educator in the institute's high school. He is an activist advocating for moral limits on Israeli arms exports, and on behalf of African refugees, and a proud husband and father of 5. He received his rabbinical ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in New York, and from the Israeli chief rabbinate.","credit":"","image_url":"","short_description":"Rabbi Avidan Freedman is the Rabbi of Hevruta, the Shalom Hartman Institute's post high school program for Israelis and North Americans, and an educator in the institute's high school. ","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33860,"alt":"Avidan Freedman","title":"Avidan Freedman","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365.jpg","width":856,"height":1024,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-251x300.jpg","medium-width":251,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-768x919.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":919,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-856x1024.jpg","large-width":856,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365.jpg","1536x1536-width":856,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365.jpg","2048x2048-width":856,"2048x2048-height":1024,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-800x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":800,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-351x420.jpg","home_baner-width":351,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"37","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Jewish tradition ultimately calls them all - and us - to account","post_main_content_content":"

If in yesterday's chapter, we saw an extreme example of assuming responsibility, the aim of today's chapter seems to be to diffuse responsibility as much as possible. The mystery of who exactly is responsible for the sale of Joseph does not begin with the inner contradictions found at the end of the chapter. The storyline as a whole works to complicate the moral question of responsibility. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Who shall we blame? Jacob, who causes the brothers' hatred by his favoritism for Joseph, rebukes Joseph for his dreams, and then sends him off alone to encounter them? Joseph, who doesn't know how to take the hint when his brothers stop talking to him, and continues to share his provocative dreams with them? The anonymous brothers who suggest killing him, Reuven who suggests throwing him into the pit, Judah who suggests selling him, or any one of the multiple groups of merchants named as involved in his sale? \u00a0Or shall we pin the blame on the mysterious man who plays a crucial role in bringing Joseph to his brothers' hands?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Perhaps the text is making the same point that Joseph will make to his brothers at the end of the story. No one actor can be held responsible for what happened. Every decision, every action, every player, was guided by a Divine hand.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

But while this can be an inspiring perspective to adopt, it's also deeply problematic for what it says about human agency and responsibility. The tribes kidnapped and sold their brother- will they be applauded for contributing to the Divine plan? Ultimately, Jewish tradition is relentless in its quest for responsibility, and the powerful liturgical recitation of<\/span> Eleh Ezkerah<\/span><\/a> has a roman emperor calling the Jewish leaders of his generation to task for the brothers' sin, and the Divine decree concurring.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":103424,"alt":"","title":"-6240c7745d714--6240c7745d715gen37-joseph brothers pit.jpg","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/09\/6240c7745d714-6240c7745d715gen37-joseph-brothers-pit.jpg.jpg","width":446,"height":473,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/09\/6240c7745d714-6240c7745d715gen37-joseph-brothers-pit.jpg-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/09\/6240c7745d714-6240c7745d715gen37-joseph-brothers-pit.jpg-283x300.jpg","medium-width":283,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/09\/6240c7745d714-6240c7745d715gen37-joseph-brothers-pit.jpg.jpg","medium_large-width":446,"medium_large-height":473,"large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/09\/6240c7745d714-6240c7745d715gen37-joseph-brothers-pit.jpg.jpg","large-width":446,"large-height":473,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/09\/6240c7745d714-6240c7745d715gen37-joseph-brothers-pit.jpg.jpg","1536x1536-width":446,"1536x1536-height":473,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/09\/6240c7745d714-6240c7745d715gen37-joseph-brothers-pit.jpg.jpg","2048x2048-width":446,"2048x2048-height":473,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/09\/6240c7745d714-6240c7745d715gen37-joseph-brothers-pit.jpg.jpg","post_full_size-width":446,"post_full_size-height":473,"home_baner":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/09\/6240c7745d714-6240c7745d715gen37-joseph-brothers-pit.jpg-396x420.jpg","home_baner-width":396,"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":"The Sale of Joseph: Who's To Blame?","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Jewish tradition ultimately calls them all - 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[Judah] sells his brother into slavery and deceives his father into thinking his son is dead. But Judah will <\/span>actually<\/span><\/em> lose not one, but two sons, in quick succession, in the very next chapter. We\u2019re told that Judah\u2019s eldest Er is \u201cevil in the sight of the Lord and the Lord slew him\u201d (Gen. 38:7); next Onan, asked by his father to \u201craise up seed to his brother\u201d refused to act as a brother should \u2026\"and the Lord and he slew him also\u201d (Gen. 38:9\u201310).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Again, we have an increasingly intensified measure-for-measure scenario. Onan\u2019s failure to serve as brother is very like the failure of his father, Judah, to act as a true brother, which in turn, was like his own father, Jacob\u2019s failure to treat his own brother in a brotherly way. Indeed, thus far in Genesis, from the time of the very first set of brothers, Cain and Abel, we have found no individual even remotely willing to serve as a \u201cbrother\u2019s keeper.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

But what is remarkable within Judah is that change\u2014genuine human change\u2014takes place. Judah redeems himself. And with Judah, the book of Genesis moves from being primarily a narrative of human beings in relation to God to becoming a narrative of human beings in relation to one another. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are the great patriarchs; Judah becomes a great human being\u2014not only the forefather but the archetype of his nearly larger-than-life descendant, David.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

From being the man who masterminded the sale of his brother into slavery, Judah becomes the ideal of a \u201cbrother\u2019s keeper.\u201d The great transformation in him begins with a life-changing encounter with his resourceful daughter-in-law, Tamar. Robert Alter has demonstrated the resonance of the word \u201crecognition\u201d in the narratives of Joseph and his brothers and Judah and Tamar (<\/span>The Art of Biblical Narrative<\/span><\/em>). <\/span>Haker-na<\/span><\/em> \/ \u201cPlease recognize the coat,\u201d the brothers demand of their father (Gen. 37:32): <\/span>haker-na<\/span><\/em> \/ \u201cRecognize to whom this seal cord and staff belong,\u201d asks Tamar, who has been impregnated by Judah when she\u2019s disguised herself as a harlot by the side of the road (Gen. 38:25)\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cTake her and burn her,\u201d he says when he learns that his daughter-in-law is pregnant. But when she shows him the \u201cseal-cord and staff\u201d of the \u201cman by whom\u201d she \u201chas conceived,\u201d he changes his position (Gen. 38:25). Interestingly, the text in Hebrew says simply <\/span>vayikar yehudah<\/em> <\/span>\/ \u201cand Judah recognized\u201d (Gen. 38:26); the verb here lacks a direct object. Of course, one possible meaning is that he recognized the staff and seal cord, but another is that\u2014seeing his own staff and signet ring out of context, in the hands of the pregnant woman he would so readily have had burned\u2014\u201che recognized\u201d his flawed self. It\u2019s that \u201crecognition\u201d of his own flaws that enables him to become the true \u201cflesh\u201d of his brother, and, in doing so, the true \u201cflesh\u201d (as opposed to spiritual) hero of Genesis.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The words that follow are remarkable: <\/span>tzadkah mememi<\/span><\/em> \/ \u201cShe\u2019s more righteous than I.\u201d Here we have, in Genesis 38, the first instance in the Bible of a person admitting he\u2019s in the wrong. All other accused people either blame someone else\u2014\u201cThat woman you gave me gave me of the tree,\u201d says Adam; \u201cthe snake deceived me,\u201d says Eve (Gen. 3:12\u201313)\u2014or ask rhetorical questions, like Cain\u2019s \u201cam I my brother\u2019s keeper?\u201d (Gen. 4:9).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

(Excerpted and reprinted with permission from the essay \u201c'That We May Live and Not Die': Judah as Life Force of Genesis,\" by Jaqueline Osherow, in:<\/span> Reading Genesis Beginnings<\/span><\/a><\/em>,<\/em> Beth Kissileff, editor, Bloomsbury, 2016, pp.<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>224-226).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

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Place of the Opened Eyes ","post_title":"The Place of the Opened Eyes","slug":"the-place-of-the-opened-eyes","old_id":"39271","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":36663,"post_title":"Beth Kissileff","slug":"beth-kissileff","old_id":"36663","first_name":"Beth ","last_name":"Kissileff ","description":"Beth Kissileff is the editor of the anthology Reading Genesis (2016 - https:\/\/www.bloomsbury.com\/us\/reading-genesis-9780567381521), and the forthcoming Reading Exodus, and the author of the novel Questioning Return - https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Questioning-Return-Novel-Beth-Kissileff\/dp\/1942134231. \r\nHer journalism appears in many publications; she has taught most recently at the University of Pittsburgh. Visit her online at www.bethkissileff.com. ","short_description":"Beth Kissileff is the editor of the anthology Reading Genesis (Bloomsbury\/ T and T Clark, 2016) , a journalist and teacher.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":36664,"alt":"","title":"BethKissileff","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/BethKissileff-e1533157952224.jpg","width":3478,"height":3200,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/BethKissileff-e1533157952224-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/BethKissileff-e1533157952224-300x276.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":276,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/BethKissileff-e1533157952224-768x707.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":707,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/BethKissileff-e1533157952224-1024x942.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":942,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/BethKissileff-e1533157952224.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1413,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/BethKissileff-e1533157952224.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1884,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/BethKissileff-e1533157952224-1200x1104.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":1104,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/BethKissileff-e1533157952224-456x420.jpg","home_baner-width":456,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"38","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Tamar is the rare Biblical woman able to make right a situation in which she has been wronged and to be publicly acknowledged","post_main_content_content":"

Tamar is a character who does not believe her fate is sealed and that she has no say in planning a destiny for herself.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In chapter 38, the childless twice-widowed Tamar opens her eyes, changes her clothes (38:14) and creates a new destiny \u2013 for herself and the Jewish people as a whole. Tamar does not let how others see her determine who she is, and for that reason she is one of the most interesting feminist heroines of Genesis. She comes up with a plan to get what she is owed and a crafty way of executing it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In fact, as Robert Alter pointed out so well in his <\/span>The Art of Biblical Narrative<\/span><\/em>, and as the midrash highlights, one of the linguistic leitmotifs of Genesis 37-50 is \u201crecognition,\u201d who recognizes who and what they see. In Genesis 38, Tamar, on being informed that her father in law Judah is going to Timna for sheep shearing(38:13), goes to a place named \u201cthe opening of the eyes,\u201d <\/span>petach eynaim <\/span><\/em>(38:14)<\/span><\/i>. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Though we credit Tamar with taking the initiative in the relationship, it is actually Judah\u2019s assumptions that trap him. He assumes a woman sitting at the side of the road with a \u00a0covered face must be a woman who is looking for customers and asks to \u201ccome in\u201d (38:16) to her. His suspicions that she is a willing sex worker are confirmed when she asks what he will give her for the privilege (38:16). <\/span><\/p>\r\n

The deed is consummated and readers learn that the episode is a success for Tamar as she becomes pregnant, her quest for a sperm donor from this family successful. (Levirate marriage is later codified in law in Deuteronomy 25:5-10). The oddity here, as in the lack of recognition of Joseph when his brothers meet up with him again (42:7 and 43:24, 44:2 and 44:14-34) is that Judah is unaware of his proximity to his own daughter-in-law. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Once Tamar is visibly pregnant (38:24 tells us three months) Judah is relieved that he now has an excuse to be rid of her.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

But the denouement comes when she shows the pledge he has given her and asks him to \u201crecognize\u201d it. \u00a0Not only does Judah recognize his property he acknowledges, with two words, both Tamar\u2019s just action and his own paternity: <\/span>tzadka mimeni<\/span><\/em>.<\/em> This can mean both \u201cshe is righteous, the child is from me\u201d and \u201cshe is more in the right than I am\u201d (Genesis 38:26).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Tamar is the rare Biblical woman able to make right a situation in which she has been wronged and to be publicly acknowledged, both here in the story and later with her descendants in the book of Ruth (Ruth 4:12) for both her actions and her teachings, and<\/span> seen as a true heroine.<\/span><\/a>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

(Cover art by Ruth Schreiber, courtesy of the artist)<\/em><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":39307,"alt":"","title":"Tamar (Genesis 38)","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamar-Genesis-38.jpg","width":1000,"height":1500,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamar-Genesis-38-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamar-Genesis-38-200x300.jpg","medium-width":200,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamar-Genesis-38-683x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":683,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamar-Genesis-38-683x1024.jpg","large-width":683,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamar-Genesis-38.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":1500,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamar-Genesis-38.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":1500,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamar-Genesis-38-800x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":800,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamar-Genesis-38-280x420.jpg","home_baner-width":280,"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":"The Place of the Opened Eyes","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Tamar is the rare Biblical woman able to make right a situation in which she has been wronged and to be publicly acknowledged","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":39307,"alt":"","title":"Tamar (Genesis 38)","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamar-Genesis-38.jpg","width":1000,"height":1500,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamar-Genesis-38-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamar-Genesis-38-200x300.jpg","medium-width":200,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamar-Genesis-38-683x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":683,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamar-Genesis-38-683x1024.jpg","large-width":683,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamar-Genesis-38.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":1500,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamar-Genesis-38.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":1500,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamar-Genesis-38-800x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":800,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamar-Genesis-38-280x420.jpg","home_baner-width":280,"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":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"38","chapter_main_number":"38","date":"20251021","wall_id":"38"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"304","name":"Ruth Schreiber","old_id":"704"},{"term_id":"337","name":"Ruth","old_id":"737"},{"term_id":"391","name":"In\/Justice","old_id":"791"},{"term_id":"567","name":"Tamar","old_id":"967"}]},{"order":4,"id":"39360","color":"#effaea","size":"1","name":"#HeToo - Joseph as Victim ","post_title":"#HeToo - Joseph as Victim","slug":"hetoo-joseph-as-victim","old_id":"39360","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":39060,"post_title":"Micah Weiss","slug":"micah-weiss","old_id":"39060","first_name":"Micah ","last_name":"Weiss ","description":"Micah Weiss is in his final year of rabbinical school at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. 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","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":39061,"alt":"","title":"micah weiss","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/micah-weiss-e1535868016110.jpg","width":310,"height":416,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/micah-weiss-e1535868016110-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/micah-weiss-e1535868016110-224x300.jpg","medium-width":224,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/micah-weiss-e1535868016110.jpg","medium_large-width":310,"medium_large-height":416,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/micah-weiss-e1535868016110.jpg","large-width":310,"large-height":416,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/micah-weiss-e1535868016110.jpg","1536x1536-width":310,"1536x1536-height":416,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/micah-weiss-e1535868016110.jpg","2048x2048-width":310,"2048x2048-height":416,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/micah-weiss-e1535868016110.jpg","post_full_size-width":310,"post_full_size-height":416,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/micah-weiss-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"39","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"A story to help us shift the balance back towards empathy","post_main_content_content":"

The vast majority of survivors of sexual assault are cisgender women. <\/span>It\u00a0<\/span>is important for women\u2019s stories of gender-based violence to continue to be\u00a0<\/span>uplifted through the #metoo movement. In addition, we should not forget the\u00a0<\/span>many stories of cisgender men, trans, and gender non-conforming people who are\u00a0<\/span>also survivors amongst us.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The story of Joseph\u2019s assault at the hands of Potiphar\u2019s Wife<\/span> in Genesis 39<\/span> is just such a story.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

We could read Joseph as just any old straight man, or we might read his character with an overlay of queerness from the many hints in the Torah and rabbinic literature that Joseph had an extra flair of flamboyance in his gender presentation and sexuality. The Torah particularly focuses on Joseph\u2019s good looks and youth (Genesis 37:2, 39:6). Bereishit Rabbah interprets the emphasis on his youth to say that he liked to fix up his hair, and touch up his eyes to appear good looking. Contemporary readers looking for queer stories in the Torah have read these hints and others to create a reading of Joseph as queer.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Torah may emphasize Joseph\u2019s beauty in his encounter with Potiphar\u2019s Wife, but I read her primary motivating force as the desire to assert power over another, as is the case with most instances of sexual assault. Potiphar\u2019s Wife makes repeated, unwanted sexual advances towards Joseph, culminating in the use of physical force. When Joseph flees, she wields the social and political power she holds over Joseph to accuse him of the very crime she herself has committed. This perpetrator narrative resonates with familiar tropes of victim blaming. Joseph has no voice to defend himself and is thrown in jail.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Whether Joseph was straight, queer, asexual, cis-male or transgender doesn\u2019t matter in the slightest as a reason for his abuse, but these readings do allow the experiences of those not easily seen in the text of the Torah or the public discussion of sexual assault to be more visible. Oftentimes, initial judgments connected to a survivor\u2019s identity and the situation they find themselves in cloud our capacity to listen and leave us overly fixated on the \u201ctruth\u201d of what happened in a claim of sexual assault. This unfortunate default line of inquiry gives great power to our inevitable biases and makes the survivors\u2019 needs invisible. Once we have given so much power to judgment, it is hard to shift the balance back towards empathy. \u00a0The next time you hear someone brave enough to come forward with a story of assault, I encourage you to withhold judgment and ask yourself, \u201chow would Joseph want me to respond to this story if it were his?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Cover art by Elisheva Horowitz, courtesy of the artist.<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":39398,"alt":"","title":"Yoseph's runs from Potifar's wife-G39","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Yosephs-runs-from-Potifars-wife-G39.jpg","width":1500,"height":1175,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Yosephs-runs-from-Potifars-wife-G39-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Yosephs-runs-from-Potifars-wife-G39-300x235.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":235,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Yosephs-runs-from-Potifars-wife-G39-768x602.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":602,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Yosephs-runs-from-Potifars-wife-G39-1024x802.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":802,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Yosephs-runs-from-Potifars-wife-G39.jpg","1536x1536-width":1500,"1536x1536-height":1175,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Yosephs-runs-from-Potifars-wife-G39.jpg","2048x2048-width":1500,"2048x2048-height":1175,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Yosephs-runs-from-Potifars-wife-G39-1200x940.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":940,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Yosephs-runs-from-Potifars-wife-G39-536x420.jpg","home_baner-width":536,"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":"#HeToo - Joseph as Victim","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"A story to help us shift the balance back towards empathy","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":39398,"alt":"","title":"Yoseph's runs from Potifar's wife-G39","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Yosephs-runs-from-Potifars-wife-G39.jpg","width":1500,"height":1175,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Yosephs-runs-from-Potifars-wife-G39-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Yosephs-runs-from-Potifars-wife-G39-300x235.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":235,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Yosephs-runs-from-Potifars-wife-G39-768x602.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":602,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Yosephs-runs-from-Potifars-wife-G39-1024x802.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":802,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Yosephs-runs-from-Potifars-wife-G39.jpg","1536x1536-width":1500,"1536x1536-height":1175,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Yosephs-runs-from-Potifars-wife-G39.jpg","2048x2048-width":1500,"2048x2048-height":1175,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Yosephs-runs-from-Potifars-wife-G39-1200x940.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":940,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Yosephs-runs-from-Potifars-wife-G39-536x420.jpg","home_baner-width":536,"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":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"39","chapter_main_number":"39","date":"20251022","wall_id":"39"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"302","name":"Elisheva Horowitz","old_id":"702"},{"term_id":"363","name":"Midrash","old_id":"763"},{"term_id":"365","name":"Gender","old_id":"765"},{"term_id":"391","name":"In\/Justice","old_id":"791"},{"term_id":"572","name":"Victim","old_id":"972"}]},{"order":5,"id":"55706","color":"#f8ebe3","size":"1","name":"Mistakes Were Made? ","post_title":"Mistakes Were Made?","slug":"mistakes-were-made","old_id":"55706","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":37333,"post_title":"Esther Jilovsky","slug":"esther-jilovsky","old_id":"37333","first_name":"Esther ","last_name":"Jilovsky","description":"Dr Esther Jilovsky is a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. A native of Melbourne, Australia, she comes to the rabbinate with a PhD from the University of London in 2011. A granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, she is the author of Remembering the Holocaust: Generations, Witnessing and Place and co-editor of In the Shadows of Memory: The Holocaust and the Third Generation. \r\n\r\n\r\n","short_description":"Dr Esther Jilovsky is a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":52868,"alt":"","title":"esther jilovsky.jpeg","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/esther-jilovsky.jpeg-1.jpg","width":3581,"height":5371,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/esther-jilovsky.jpeg-1-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/esther-jilovsky.jpeg-1-200x300.jpg","medium-width":200,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/esther-jilovsky.jpeg-1-683x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":683,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/esther-jilovsky.jpeg-1-683x1024.jpg","large-width":683,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/esther-jilovsky.jpeg-1.jpg","1536x1536-width":1024,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/esther-jilovsky.jpeg-1.jpg","2048x2048-width":1365,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/esther-jilovsky.jpeg-1-800x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":800,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/esther-jilovsky.jpeg-1-280x420.jpg","home_baner-width":280,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"221","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Where burros may be boroughs, and vice versa","post_main_content_content":"

My Grandpa\u2019s typewriter was a smart navy blue. The keys sprung on long hinges, each perfectly round like a button, confidently marked with each letter of the alphabet. On the right-hand side, or maybe it was the left, was a round lever that fit naturally in your palm, which he would flick every few seconds to move the cursor to the next line. I remember the soft yet sure clicking of the keys, the satisfying sound of ink stamping paper as each letter became interminably embedded on the page. If he made a mistake \u2013 a typo \u2013 there was no delete button! Fixing it meant reloading the typewriter with a fresh sheet of paper and retyping the entire page again, or winding the typewriter back and overtyping the mistake with an X, or simply accepting the textual error.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Some typos are acceptable to us. Some bother us a little more. In the transmission of ancient manuscripts, carefully copied by scribes, sometimes mistakes were made. The Hebrew letter yud<\/em> might grow longer and resemble a vav<\/em>, or a long final nun<\/em> might become shorter and be mistaken for a vav<\/em>. Or perhaps it was a vav<\/em> in the first place that became a final nun<\/em>. As we read the Book of Judges, our people\u2019s record of the biblical judges who led the people of Israel after they arrived in the promised land, we read about a judge named Ya\u2019ir. Intriguingly, the Bible tells us that: \u2018He had thirty sons [who] rode on thirty <\/span>\u05e2\u05b2\u05d9\u05b8\u05e8\u05b4\u0596\u05d9\u05dd<\/span> \u2018<\/span><\/i>ayarim<\/span><\/em> and they had thirty <\/span>\u05e2\u05b2\u05d9\u05b8\u05e8\u05b4\u0596\u05d9\u05dd<\/span> \u2018ayarim<\/span><\/em>, called Havot-Ya\u2019ir to this very day, which are in the land of Gilead\u2019 (Judges 10:4). The word <\/span>\u05e2\u05b2\u05d9\u05b8\u05e8\u05b4\u0596\u05d9\u05dd ayarim<\/em> appears twice, yet appears to mean something different each time. Literally, \u05e2\u05b2\u05d9\u05b8\u05e8\u05b4\u0596\u05d9\u05dd ayarim<\/em> means \u2018donkeys\u2019 \u2013 which certainly fits for the first instance. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

But what about the second?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Just one letter makes a difference. Most biblical translations designate the second instance to mean \u2018cities\u2019 or \u2018towns\u2019, \u05e2\u05e8\u05d9\u05dd <\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/i>arim<\/span><\/em> in Hebrew. Rashi explains the extra letter yud<\/em> means that \u2018they owned thirty unwalled municipalities\u2019. Yet, perhaps as the venerable <\/span>Brown-Driver- Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon<\/span><\/em> suggests, it is a textual error or word play (see page 746 for the details). The <\/span>JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh<\/span><\/em> translates it as \u2018rode on thirty burros and owned thirty boroughs\u2019, preserving the homonyms and alliteration in the Hebrew. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Perhaps an ancient scribe added an extra yud<\/em>. Perhaps it was intentional, perhaps it was a clever joke. It is one of those lines that may have a typo, or may be exactly as it\u2019s meant to be. Sometimes, the things we assume to be most wrong, are actually correct.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":55707,"alt":"","title":"jud10-burro","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-burro.png","width":1280,"height":1054,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-burro-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-burro-300x247.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":247,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-burro-768x632.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":632,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-burro-1024x843.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":843,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-burro.png","1536x1536-width":1280,"1536x1536-height":1054,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-burro.png","2048x2048-width":1280,"2048x2048-height":1054,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-burro-1200x988.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":988,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-burro-510x420.png","home_baner-width":510,"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":"Mistakes Were Made?","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Where burros may be boroughs, and vice versa","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":55707,"alt":"","title":"jud10-burro","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-burro.png","width":1280,"height":1054,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-burro-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-burro-300x247.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":247,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-burro-768x632.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":632,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-burro-1024x843.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":843,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-burro.png","1536x1536-width":1280,"1536x1536-height":1054,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-burro.png","2048x2048-width":1280,"2048x2048-height":1054,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-burro-1200x988.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":988,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-burro-510x420.png","home_baner-width":510,"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":"10","chapter_main_number":"221","date":"20260705","wall_id":"221"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"721","name":"Text","old_id":"1121"}]},{"order":6,"id":"55716","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Divine Frustration And Sarcasm ","post_title":"Divine Frustration And Sarcasm","slug":"divine-frustration-and-sarcasm","old_id":"55716","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":"221","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Even God loses patience with Israel\u2019s endless cycles\u2026.","post_main_content_content":"

During the time the nation worshipped idolatrous gods, they were delivered into the hands of the Philistines and Ammon. Obviously distressed by the military onslaught, they turned to God to send them another savior. While the normal cycle dictated a new savior, instead God responds in a very different manner, \u201cYet you have forsaken Me and have served other gods. No, I will not deliver you again, Go cry to the gods you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\r\n

This is surprising, as God isn\u2019t normally the one to express his anger in such a sarcastic way. In fact, in many other places in the Bible, God disapproves of leaders who react in this mocking fashion. In Numbers, after vociferous complaining about water, Moses snaps and retorts to God \u201cDid I conceive all this people, did I bear them, that You should say to me, \u2018Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries an infant,\u2019 to the land that You have promised on oath to their fathers?\u201d (Numbers 11), but God redirects Moses\u2019 line of thinking and helps him find a solution. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

So what could possibly motivate God to react sarcasticallyto the nation? A closer look at several seemingly inconsequential details can assist in understanding this response. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Earlier in the chapter, the Bible recounts the names of a few judges in quick succession with very little detail about their story, as opposed to the long narratives of some of the previous leaders. While this seems like a surface level difference, perhaps it highlights the exasperating nature of the current situation of the Children of Israel. The terse mentioning of these judges emphasizes the numerous amount of times that God sent a savior. It appears that God is growing frustrated with the cyclical nature of \u201csin-invasion-salvation:\u201d no matter how many times God steps in and saves the nation from their enemies, they still are not able to realize their sins that brought their enemies to the front door, and they sin once again. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Rather than just sending another prophet, God challenges them to take a closer look at their ways in order for the nation to institute productive change and rid themselves of this vicious cycle.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":55717,"alt":"","title":"jud10-frustration","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-frustration.jpeg","width":300,"height":296,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-frustration-150x150.jpeg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-frustration-300x296.jpeg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":296,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-frustration.jpeg","medium_large-width":300,"medium_large-height":296,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-frustration.jpeg","large-width":300,"large-height":296,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-frustration.jpeg","1536x1536-width":300,"1536x1536-height":296,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-frustration.jpeg","2048x2048-width":300,"2048x2048-height":296,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-frustration.jpeg","post_full_size-width":300,"post_full_size-height":296,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-frustration.jpeg","home_baner-width":300,"home_baner-height":296}},"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":"Divine Frustration And Sarcasm","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Even God loses patience with Israel\u2019s endless cycles\u2026.","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":55717,"alt":"","title":"jud10-frustration","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-frustration.jpeg","width":300,"height":296,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-frustration-150x150.jpeg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-frustration-300x296.jpeg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":296,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-frustration.jpeg","medium_large-width":300,"medium_large-height":296,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-frustration.jpeg","large-width":300,"large-height":296,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-frustration.jpeg","1536x1536-width":300,"1536x1536-height":296,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-frustration.jpeg","2048x2048-width":300,"2048x2048-height":296,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-frustration.jpeg","post_full_size-width":300,"post_full_size-height":296,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud10-frustration.jpeg","home_baner-width":300,"home_baner-height":296}},"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":"10","chapter_main_number":"221","date":"20260705","wall_id":"221"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"384","name":"God","old_id":"784"},{"term_id":"400","name":"Sin","old_id":"800"},{"term_id":"403","name":"Redemption","old_id":"803"}]},{"order":7,"id":"55729","color":"#f6f5de","size":"1","name":"Foreboding Feeling ","post_title":"Foreboding Feeling","slug":"foreboding-feeling","old_id":"55729","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":36149,"post_title":"Shai Secunda","slug":"shai-secunda","old_id":"36149","first_name":"Shai ","last_name":"Secunda","description":"Shai Secunda occupies the Jacob Neusner chair in Judaism at Bard College, where he directs the Interdisciplinary Study of Religions program. He is the author of The Iranian Talmud: Reading the Bavli in Sasanian Iran (Philadelphia, 2014), and The Talmud\u2019s Red Fence: Menstruation and Difference in Babylonian Judaism and its Sasanian Context (Oxford, 2020), and writes regularly for the Jewish Review of Books on Jewish scholarship and culture.","short_description":"Shai Secunda is a professor of Jewish studies at Bard College, and writes regularly for the Jewish Review of Books on Jewish scholarship and culture. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":36150,"alt":"","title":"Shai Secunda","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Shai-Secunda-e1532842797599.jpg","width":1202,"height":1287,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Shai-Secunda-e1532842797599-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Shai-Secunda-e1532842797599-280x300.jpg","medium-width":280,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Shai-Secunda-e1532842797599-768x822.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":822,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Shai-Secunda-e1532842797599-956x1024.jpg","large-width":956,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Shai-Secunda-e1532842797599.jpg","1536x1536-width":1202,"1536x1536-height":1287,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Shai-Secunda-e1532842797599.jpg","2048x2048-width":1202,"2048x2048-height":1287,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Shai-Secunda-e1532842797599-1121x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":1121,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Shai-Secunda-e1532842797599-392x420.jpg","home_baner-width":392,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"222","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Degas' dramatic artistic vision of Jephthah and his daughter","post_main_content_content":"

Early in his career, Edgar Degas, one of the best-known painters of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, produced a painting entitled <\/span>The Daughter of Jephthah<\/span><\/em>. It was an ambitious work (so ambitious that the artist never managed to fully complete it to his liking) which attempted to pour all of the pathos of the Biblical tale into one tragic moment. Unlike many other depictions of the story, Degas drew Jephthah at the very instant when he realizes the coming calamity \u2013 that it was his daughter who was the first to come first out of his house, and thus it is she who must be offered in sacrifice. Across the frame, we see Jephthah\u2019s daughter, who strangely enough already seems aware that her fate is sealed. Even more unusually, she is surrounded by a group of girls who are already mourning with her \u2013 \u201cthe maidens of Israel to go every year, for four days in the year, and chant dirges for the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite (Judges 11:40).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

It is not clear why Degas collapsed the tragedy of this story into a single frame. But to this viewer, the painting perfectly captures the sense of foreboding in this chapter. From the minute that Jephthah takes his irresponsible, unrestricted oath, that \u201cwhatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me on my safe return from the Ammonites shall be the LORD\u2019s and shall be offered by me as a burnt offering\u201d Judges 11:31),\u201d we sense that this story will end catastrophically.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: Edgar Degas, The Daughter of Jephthah, 1859 \u2013 1860 \/ wikiart<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":55730,"alt":"","title":"Workflow: Sinar HR 43 digital camera back (single and 4 shot modes) connected to a Horseman Digiflex SLR camera using Nikon lenses. 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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":"222","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Did he - or didn\u2019t he? The commentators find a less gruesome possibility","post_main_content_content":"

After the failure of diplomacy to settle the Israelite-Ammonite crisis (vs.12-28), Jephthah was inspired to prepare for battle (29). In so doing, he made a vow: \u201cIf [God] will deliver the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to greet me when I return, whole, from Ammon, will belong to the Lord; I will offer it as a sacrifice\u201d (30-31). <\/span><\/p>\r\n

The upshot is that he is greeted by his daughter, an only child (34).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

While we are told three things about her; namely, \u201cshe never knew a man,\u201d \u201cshe became an ordinance (c<\/em><\/span>hoq<\/span><\/em>) in Israel,\u201d and \u201cfor four days a year, Israelite maidens would lament her\u201d (39-40), her actual fate is unclear. The Talmud and Midrash described Jephthah\u2019s vow as \u201cinappropriate\u201d (<\/span>shelo ke-hogen<\/span><\/em>) and maintained that he was obliged to sacrifice his daughter. They also addressed the question of why he did not simply annul his vow. Since only the high priest can annul the vow of a ruler, they posited a standoff between Jephthah and Phineas, neither of whom would defer to the other (Taanit 4a; Bereishit Rabba<\/span> 60:3).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

This view held sway until the 12th century, when an alternative interpretation was advanced. Abraham Ibn Ezra (cited by Nac\u1e25manides to Leviticus 27: 29) specified that Jephthah\u2019s vow was to be parsed as follows: \u201cWhatsoever emerges from my doorway \u2026 will be dedicated to God, OR offered as a sacrifice\u201d (31). Rather than sacrifice his daughter, Jephthah had her secluded and she remained a virgin her entire life. David Kim\u1e25i offered the identical parsing in the name of his father, Joseph, and it was adopted by Gersonides and Abrabanel, while Nac\u1e25manides rejected it out of hand.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: James Tissot, Jephthah's Daughter<\/em>, c. 1896-1902.<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":55755,"alt":"","title":"Jepthah's Daughters","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-Tissot_Jephthahs_Daughter.jpg","width":1821,"height":3000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-Tissot_Jephthahs_Daughter-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-Tissot_Jephthahs_Daughter-182x300.jpg","medium-width":182,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-Tissot_Jephthahs_Daughter-622x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":622,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-Tissot_Jephthahs_Daughter-622x1024.jpg","large-width":622,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-Tissot_Jephthahs_Daughter.jpg","1536x1536-width":932,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-Tissot_Jephthahs_Daughter.jpg","2048x2048-width":1243,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-Tissot_Jephthahs_Daughter-728x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":728,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-Tissot_Jephthahs_Daughter-255x420.jpg","home_baner-width":255,"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":"The Fate Of Jephthah\u2019s Daughter","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Did he - or didn\u2019t he? 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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":10,"id":"55827","color":"#f6edf6","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":11,"id":"110000","color":"#e0e9ef","size":"1","name":"Samson The Poet ","post_title":"Samson The Poet","slug":"samson-the-poet","old_id":"110000","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":41916,"post_title":"Sandra E. Rapoport","slug":"sandra-e-rapoport","old_id":"41916","first_name":"Sandra E. ","last_name":"Rapoport ","description":"Sandra E. Rapoport is an attorney, Bible teacher, and award-winning author whose books give voice to the women of the Bible. Her third book, Biblical Seductions, was a National Jewish Book Awards Finalist and a Boston Globe Top-Ten Bestseller. Her fourth and most recent book, The Queen & The Spymaster, is a novel based on the story of Esther.","short_description":"Sandra E. Rapoport is an attorney, Bible teacher, and award-winning author of four books on Bible and Midrash.\r\n\r\n","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":41917,"alt":"","title":"sandra rapoport","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sandra-rapoport.jpg","width":150,"height":175,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sandra-rapoport-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sandra-rapoport.jpg","medium-width":150,"medium-height":175,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sandra-rapoport.jpg","medium_large-width":150,"medium_large-height":175,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sandra-rapoport.jpg","large-width":150,"large-height":175,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sandra-rapoport.jpg","1536x1536-width":150,"1536x1536-height":175,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sandra-rapoport.jpg","2048x2048-width":150,"2048x2048-height":175,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sandra-rapoport.jpg","post_full_size-width":150,"post_full_size-height":175,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sandra-rapoport.jpg","home_baner-width":150,"home_baner-height":175}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"224","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"God and Israel\u2019s complex hero\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

If asked to picture him, one might envision the young, muscled Samson tearing open a lion with his bare hands. Or an angry Samson knotting the tails of 300 foxes with lighted torches, setting them to run amok in Philistine fields. Or an outnumbered Samson slaying 1,000 armed Philistines with only the jawbone of an ass. Or the enslaved and blinded Samson, his arms gripping the pillars of the Philistine Temple, pulling it down to kill thousands of his and Israel\u2019s tormentors as well as himself.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

All these images are in chapters 13 through 16, the longest single narrative in the book of Judges. Even knowing Samson\u2019s gory fate\u2014trapped and brutalized while his head is held fast in Delilah\u2019s lap\u2014we are compelled to read every word.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

But there is a singular characteristic of Israel\u2019s flawed superhero that goes largely unnoticed. In the words of David Grossman, author of \u201cLion\u2019s Honey: The Myth of Samson,\u201d it is Samson\u2019s poetic self. This is not the public face of Samson. Yet it is a marvelous quality that threads throughout the narrative.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Remember the lion incident? At his post-wedding feast (Jud.14:14), Samson poses an original riddle to thirty drunk and hostile Philistine groomsmen:\u00a0 \u201c<\/span>Me\u2019 ha-ochel yatza\u2019\u00a0 ma-achal, u-me\u2019az, yatza\u2019 matok<\/span><\/i>.\u201d \u201cFrom the predator emerged food, and from the strong emerged sweetness.\u201d What am I? The Hebrew words and cadence are lyrical and creative, and, essentially, unsolvable, but for his Philistine bride\u2019s betrayal.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Samson\u2019s response to the betrayal is also poetic, albeit crude.\u00a0 \u201cHad you not plowed with my calf, you would not have solved my riddle!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Most readers are too absorbed by the action of the story to even note this surprising, verbal side of Samson. The Tanach is subtly presenting Samson as complex and multi-dimensional. He is not a cartoon cutout. As Grossman says, \u201calmost every time Samson opens his mouth, a surprising bit of poetry pops out.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Upon slaying the 1,000 Philistines with the donkey\u2019s jawbone, Samson sings out a song poem. \u201cWith the jaw of an ass, Mass upon mass! With the jaw of an ass I have slain a thousand men.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Samson\u2019s two prayers to God are uttered when he is near death. In the first prayer (Jud.15:18), after the jawbone incident, Samson holds God to the bargain sealed before his birth. \u201cYou have granted Your servant this great victory; now save me from dying of thirst among the uncircumcised!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Samson\u2019s last words are his second prayer to God (Jud.16:28).\u00a0 \u201cLord God! Please remember me, and give me strength, just this once, to take revenge on the Philistines, if only for one of my two eyes.\u201d Let me be the warrior You created me to be.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

God grants Samson\u2019s prayers.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Samson is more than what he appears; Samson is God\u2019s partner. It is not really a surprise, then, that from the depth of Samson\u2019s strong feelings he composes riddles, poems, songs of thanksgiving, and two eloquent prayers to God. He is God\u2019s and Israel\u2019s complex hero.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":84779,"alt":"","title":"ps64-pen sword","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ps64-pen-sword.jpg","width":738,"height":186,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ps64-pen-sword-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ps64-pen-sword-300x76.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":76,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ps64-pen-sword.jpg","medium_large-width":738,"medium_large-height":186,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ps64-pen-sword.jpg","large-width":738,"large-height":186,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ps64-pen-sword.jpg","1536x1536-width":738,"1536x1536-height":186,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ps64-pen-sword.jpg","2048x2048-width":738,"2048x2048-height":186,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ps64-pen-sword.jpg","post_full_size-width":738,"post_full_size-height":186,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ps64-pen-sword.jpg","home_baner-width":738,"home_baner-height":186}},"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":"Samson The Poet","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"God and Israel\u2019s complex hero","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":84779,"alt":"","title":"ps64-pen sword","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ps64-pen-sword.jpg","width":738,"height":186,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ps64-pen-sword-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ps64-pen-sword-300x76.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":76,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ps64-pen-sword.jpg","medium_large-width":738,"medium_large-height":186,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ps64-pen-sword.jpg","large-width":738,"large-height":186,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ps64-pen-sword.jpg","1536x1536-width":738,"1536x1536-height":186,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ps64-pen-sword.jpg","2048x2048-width":738,"2048x2048-height":186,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ps64-pen-sword.jpg","post_full_size-width":738,"post_full_size-height":186,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ps64-pen-sword.jpg","home_baner-width":738,"home_baner-height":186}},"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":"13","chapter_main_number":"224","date":"20260708","wall_id":"224"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"362","name":"Poetry","old_id":"762"},{"term_id":"384","name":"God","old_id":"784"},{"term_id":"392","name":"Hero","old_id":"792"},{"term_id":"878","name":"Samson;","old_id":"1278"}]},{"order":12,"id":"71218","color":"#faeed8","size":"1","name":"Samson's Annunciation Scene ","post_title":"Samson's Annunciation Scene","slug":"samsons-annunciation-scene","old_id":"71218","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":69185,"post_title":"Elliott Rabin","slug":"elliott-rabin","old_id":"69185","first_name":"Elliott ","last_name":"Rabin","description":"Elliott Rabin is Director of Thought Leadership at Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools, where he edits Prizmah's magazine HaYidion, writes, produces podcasts and manages research projects. He formerly served as Director of Educational Programs for RAVSAK: The Jewish Community Day School Network and Director of Education for the 92nd Street Y\u2019s Makor\/Steinhardt Center. and served as Assistant Editor at Harper\u2019s Magazine. He is the author of two books on Tanakh: The Biblical Hero: Portraits in Nobility and Fallibility (JPS, March 2020), and Understanding the Hebrew Bible: A Reader\u2019s Guide (Ktav). \r\nPhoto by: Adele Rabin","short_description":"Elliott Rabin is Director of Thought Leadership at Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":69187,"alt":"","title":"Elliott Rabin.Photo by Adele Rabin","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Elliott-Rabin.Photo-by-Adele-Rabin.jpg","width":3293,"height":2957,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Elliott-Rabin.Photo-by-Adele-Rabin-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Elliott-Rabin.Photo-by-Adele-Rabin-300x269.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":269,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Elliott-Rabin.Photo-by-Adele-Rabin-768x690.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":690,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Elliott-Rabin.Photo-by-Adele-Rabin-1024x920.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":920,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Elliott-Rabin.Photo-by-Adele-Rabin.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1379,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Elliott-Rabin.Photo-by-Adele-Rabin.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1839,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Elliott-Rabin.Photo-by-Adele-Rabin-1200x1078.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":1078,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Elliott-Rabin.Photo-by-Adele-Rabin-468x420.jpg","home_baner-width":468,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"224","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Demonstrating biting irony and a bad paternal role model\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

Samson\u2019s introduction in Judges 13 presents an example of an annunciation scene, made famous by the birth of Jesus in the New Testament and its hundreds of medieval and Renaissance depictions. A messenger of the Lord (\u201cangel\u201d and \u201cmessenger\u201d are the same word in Hebrew) appears to a barren woman, identified as the wife of Manoah, to inform her that she will have a son. He instructs her to be meticulous with her son\u2019s food and not give him any alcohol to drink, nor cut his hair, for he will be a nazirite (compare Num. 6:1-21). Manoah pleads to God that the messenger return; he does so and repeats his message. Manoah then tries to feed his guest, \u201cfor he did not know that he was an angel of the Lord,\u201d but the angel refuses to eat the food and to tell his name. Subsequently, Manoah makes a burnt offering to God; he and his wife see the angel ascend upon the flames.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

It is hard to understand why, of all the biblical heroes, Samson merits such an entrance. As we shall see, the Bible scarcely depicts him as praiseworthy; he is far from the paradigm of a hero. Rather, Samson\u2019s annunciation in Judges 13 appears to establish a pattern of irony through the striking contrast between the exterior features of the narrative and the interior qualities of the character. The more elaborate the annunciation scene, the less worthy Samson proves to be.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The relationship between his parents is particularly telling with regard to Samson\u2019s future, highly troubled liaisons with the opposite sex. His mother, the unnamed \u201cwife of Manoah,\u201d is repeatedly shown to be more perceptive than her cloddish husband, Manoah. Both times the angel delivers his message, he comes to her, not to Manoah. Even though Manoah pleads for the angel to speak to him, even as he tries to detain him, feed him, find out his name as if the angel were human, the angel will not address him. For all that Manoah hears his wife\u2019s account and speaks at last with the angel, he still \u201cdid not know that he was an angel of the Lord.\u201d Finally, even after Manoah witnesses the angel ascend the flame of the offering, he believes that he and his wife will be punished with death for an illicit glimpse.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

His wife, the level-headed, clear-sighted member of the family, points out the multiple reasons why her husband\u2019s reasoning is fallacious: \u201cHad the Lord meant to take our lives, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and meal offering from us, nor let us see all these things; and He would not have made such an announcement to us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Far from serving as mere comic relief and a foil for his wife, Manoah sets the stage for his son\u2019s own poor judgment and defeat by smarter, cleverer women. He provides a bad model that Samson will utterly and unwittingly follow.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Adapted from <\/span>The Biblical Hero: Portraits in Nobility and Fallibility<\/span><\/em> by Elliott Rabin by permission of the Jewish Publication Society. \u00a92020 by Elliott Rabin.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

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Wedding ","post_title":"The Wedding","slug":"the-wedding","old_id":"55976","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":39523,"post_title":"Ilana Kurshan","slug":"ilana-kurshan","old_id":"39523","first_name":"Ilana ","last_name":"Kurshan ","description":"Ilana Kurshan is the author of If All the Seas Were Ink, winner of the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature.","short_description":"","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":39524,"alt":"","title":"ilana 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Samson made a feast and told a riddle \/ His thirty friends could not figure it out","post_main_content_content":"

That boy, named Samson, grew into a lad<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>He saw a girl in Timnah: \u201cHer I choose<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>To wed. Mom, Dad go get her,\u201d said the cad.<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>His parents sighed: \u201cBut Jews should marry Jews!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\r\n

A lion roared at Samson, and he seized<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>And tore the beast to shreds. He then came back<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>To find the carcass full of honey, bees \u2013<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>\u201cHere mom and dad,\u201d he said. \u201cCome have a snack.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Then Samson made a feast and told a riddle<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>His thirty friends could not figure it out<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>They asked his wife to coax him just a little<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>She said, \u201cWhy won\u2019t you tell me? You\u2019re a lout.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\r\n

His wife said, \u201cWith my husband up I\u2019m fed.\u201d<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>She married one of Samson\u2019s friends instead.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

image: Rembrandt van Rijn, \"The Wedding Feast of Samson\" 1638\u00a0 \/ wikimedia<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":55978,"alt":"","title":"jud14-wedding","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud14-wedding.jpg","width":1024,"height":727,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud14-wedding-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud14-wedding-300x213.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":213,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud14-wedding-768x545.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":545,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud14-wedding-1024x727.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":727,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud14-wedding.jpg","1536x1536-width":1024,"1536x1536-height":727,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud14-wedding.jpg","2048x2048-width":1024,"2048x2048-height":727,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud14-wedding.jpg","post_full_size-width":1024,"post_full_size-height":727,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud14-wedding-592x420.jpg","home_baner-width":592,"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":"Samson Sonnet Sequence II","tile_main_caption":"The Wedding","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Then Samson made a feast and told a riddle \/ His thirty friends could not figure it out","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":55978,"alt":"","title":"jud14-wedding","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud14-wedding.jpg","width":1024,"height":727,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud14-wedding-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud14-wedding-300x213.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":213,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud14-wedding-768x545.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":545,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud14-wedding-1024x727.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":727,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud14-wedding.jpg","1536x1536-width":1024,"1536x1536-height":727,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud14-wedding.jpg","2048x2048-width":1024,"2048x2048-height":727,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud14-wedding.jpg","post_full_size-width":1024,"post_full_size-height":727,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud14-wedding-592x420.jpg","home_baner-width":592,"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":"14","chapter_main_number":"225","date":"20260709","wall_id":"225"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"362","name":"Poetry","old_id":"762"},{"term_id":"522","name":"Marriage","old_id":"922"},{"term_id":"878","name":"Samson;","old_id":"1278"}]},{"order":14,"id":"110052","color":"#f7e9e9","size":"1","name":"Samson The Weakling ","post_title":"Samson The Weakling","slug":"samson-the-weakling","old_id":"110052","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":92960,"post_title":"Calev Ben-Dor","slug":"calev-ben-dor","old_id":"92960","first_name":"Calev ","last_name":"Ben-Dor ","description":"Having grown up in London, Calev Ben-Dor now lives in Jerusalem with his family. He writes and teaches about Israel and Judaism and is involved in a Whatsapp facilitated 929 learning group with members from across the world.","short_description":"Calev Ben-Dor lives in Jerusalem and writes and teaches about Israel and Judaism.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":92962,"alt":"","title":"calev ben dor","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/calev-ben-dor-1.jpg","width":428,"height":414,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/calev-ben-dor-1-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/calev-ben-dor-1-300x290.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":290,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/calev-ben-dor-1.jpg","medium_large-width":428,"medium_large-height":414,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/calev-ben-dor-1.jpg","large-width":428,"large-height":414,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/calev-ben-dor-1.jpg","1536x1536-width":428,"1536x1536-height":414,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/calev-ben-dor-1.jpg","2048x2048-width":428,"2048x2048-height":414,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/calev-ben-dor-1.jpg","post_full_size-width":428,"post_full_size-height":414,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/calev-ben-dor-1.jpg","home_baner-width":428,"home_baner-height":414}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"225","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Contemporary Israel in light of the Samson cycle\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

Vladimir Jabotinsky (1898-1940), the leader of the Revisionist Movement, used the story of Samson as a foil to show how to shake off foreign occupation. For Jabotinsky, the Israelites have been robbed of \u201ctheir land, their speech, their customs, their art, their gods, and finally even of the will to live their lives in their own way.\u201d He reads Samson\u2019s farewell message as\u00a0 including two instructions. The first is to get iron: \u201cThey must give everything they have for iron\u2014their silver and wheat, oil and wine and flocks, even their wives and daughters. All for iron! There is nothing in the world more valuable than iron.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

While Jabotinsky\u2019s comment about iron seems strange, Chapter 13 of Samuel shows that under Philistine rule \u201cNo smith was to be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines were afraid that the Hebrews would make swords or spears.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The second instruction is to crown a king. \u201cA man who will give them the signal and of a sudden, thousands will lift up their hands. So it is with the Philistines, and therefore the Philistines are lords of Canaan.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

For Jabotinsky, if the Israelites want political independence, they need technological prowess and some sort of centralized unified leadership.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\r\n

Eight years after Jabotinsky\u2019s death, the Jewish people regained independence. Following the 6-Day War, the country becomes a regional superpower and they are faced with the challenge of sovereignty. Yet its feelings of fragility remain. Levi Eshkol, then Israel\u2019s Prime Minister, would describe the country, as <\/span>Shimshon der nebech-diker<\/span><\/em>,\u201d \u2018Samson the weakling.\u2019 Despite the Jewish state\u2019s military power, there remained a deep sense of insecurity.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

That insecurity is also touched upon by author David Grossman, who in a psychological reading of Samson, comments on the difference between his physical strength and his seeming emotional weakness: \u201cTo this may be added the well known Israeli feeling in the face of any threat that comes along, that the country\u2019s security is crumbling \u2013 a feeling that also exists in the case of Samson, who in certain situations seems to shatter into pieces, his strength vanishing in the blink of an eye. This kind of collapse, however, does not reflect one\u2019s actual strength, and often carries in its wake an overblown display of force further complicating the situation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

All of this attests, Grossman writes \u201cto a rather feeble sense of ownership of the power that has been attained, and of course, to a deep existential insecurity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

For Grossman, Israel\u2019s feelings of insecurity are not only connected to the very real dangers it faces \u201cbut also to the tragic formative experience of being a stranger in the world, in the Jewish sense of not being \u2018a nation like other nations\u2019, and of the State of Israel as a country whose very existence is conditional, whose future is in doubt and steeped in jeopardy\u2026a feeling that all the nuclear bombs that Israel developed \u2013 in a program once known as the Samson option \u2013 cannot eradicate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

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