Shoftim
Chapter 1: Shimon and Yehudah are successful in their attempts to conquer their parts of Canaan, Otniel marries Calev’s daughter, Achsah, as a reward for conquering Kiryat Sefer, though the other tribes failed to drive out the Canaanites.
Chapter 2: The period of the Judges, which started after Yehoshua’s death, is characterized by cycles of idolatory, chastening and deliverance.
Chapter 3: The Bnei Yisrael (B’Y) intermarry with Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivvites and Jebsites, and worshipped ba’alim and asherah trees. Hashem delivered them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim, the BY cry out to Hashem, and Hashem sends the Judge Otniel son of Kenaz to save them, who conquered Cushan-rishathaim.
The BY continue to sin, so Hashem strengthens Eglon, King of Moav, over Israel, taking Yericho and ruling Israel for 18 years. The BY cry out to Hashem, and Hashem sends Ehud son of Gera to save them, killing Eglon with his special sword, and then conquering Moav. Shamgar, another Judge, also saved the BY during his short reign.
Chapter 4: The BY continued to act improperly, and were then defeated by Jabin, King of Cannaan, (and the genera in his army was Sisera) who oppressed Israel for 20 years. Hashem sent Devorah, the Prophetess, to save the BY, and indeed the BY destroyed Jabin.
Chapter 5: Devorah and Barak sing this song after victory. The song shows how all events are part of Hashem’s plan and are for the benefit of its players, and how the forces of nature joined Israel in battle.
Chapter 6: The BY went back to their sinning ways, and consequently were driven into the hands of Midyan, who severely oppressed them for 7 years. Hashem sent Gideon to save them. Gideon broke the BY’s idols. The chapter ends as Midyan and Amalek invade Israel.
In chapter 2, passuk 7, ‘The people served Hashem all the days of Yehoshua and all the days of the elders who outlived Yehoshua who had seen all the great work of Hashem, that He did for Israel’.
The Radak (as quoted in the Artscroll Tanach) comments that although people erred in not continuing the wars of conquest, they did not turn to sin as long as they remembered the great leaders and miracles that they had witnessed.
Seemingly, according to the Radak, the reason why the Bnei Yisrael did not turn to sin was because they remembered the great leaders and miracles, they did not sin because they brought back to the forefront of their mind the belief they had in Hashem at the time of the miracles that He performed for them, they stored the state of emunah which they once had, and recalled it now in a time of need. This bears a striking resemblance to when Yosef ‘saw his father’s face’ as he decided whether or not to sin with Potiphar’s wife. Yosef recalled in his mind the face of Yaakov, and he refused to sin.
This is one of our many challenges…to store and recall. To store an experience where we feel close to G-d, or a pure state of mind, and recall this moment in times of need, in order to help us rise from lows. As I left Yeshiva, last year, Yonatan (sorry i cant adequately describe him) said to me that as i leave this atmosphere of striving and growth into ‘the real world’, i need to take the ‘picture’ of that atmosphere and carry it with me, so i can bring it out when i need, just as Yosef carried the ‘picture’ of Yaakov in his mind.
Have a great shabbas,
Jonny.
