Yalkut Shimoni on Nach Reader

"And he rose from his seat" (Judges 3:20). Rav Bivai in the name of Rabbi Reuben said: Ruth and Orpah were the daughters of Eglon. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: You showed Me honor and rose from your throne for the sake of My honor. By your life, I will raise up from you a son, and I will seat him upon My throne, as it is said, "And Solomon sat upon the throne of the LORD as king" (I Chronicles 29:23). (It is written in remez 440.)

Ehud son of Gera sustained Israel for eighty years. Subtract from these the eleven years of Eglon king of Moab. In his days was Shamgar son of Anath, at the end of his days. And in the days of Eglon it is said, "And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged" (Ruth 1:1), "and Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died" (Ruth 1:3); and it says, "for it grieves me much for your sakes, for the hand of the LORD has gone out against me" (Ruth 1:13); and it says, "In whatever direction they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil" (Judges 2:15). Nahshon died in the second year after the children of Israel went out from the land of Egypt. Salmon was among those who entered the Land, and he died after Joshua. After him, Deborah and Barak forty years; subtract from these the twenty years of the subjugation under Jabin king of Canaan.

From all the tribes came forth judges and kings, but from the tribe of Simeon arose neither judge nor king, on account of the sin that Zimri committed among the tribes, to teach you how severe sexual immorality is. Othniel son of Kenaz from the tribe of Judah; Ehud from the tribe of Benjamin; Deborah and Barak from Mount Ephraim and Kadesh-Naphtali; Gideon from the tribe of Manasseh, and Abimelech his son after him; Tola son of Puah from the tribe of Issachar; Jair the Gileadite of the villages of Jair from the tribe of Manasseh; and likewise Jephthah of the inhabitants of Gilead; Ibzan of Bethlehem of Judah; Elon from the tribe of Zebulun; Abdon son of Hillel from the tribe of Ephraim; Samson from the tribe of Dan; Eli and Samuel from the tribe of Levi; and from Benjamin came forth kings, and from Judah kings, and from Ephraim Jeroboam, and from Manasseh Jehu son of Nimshi. But Simeon raised up neither judge nor king on account of the sin of immorality. Therefore the Torah set the covenant of circumcision upon the organ of desire, so that the fear of the Omnipresent might restrain a person from committing the sin. For every faculty of perception the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the Torah what to do and what not to do. For the heart: "You shall not go astray after your heart" (Numbers 15:39). For the eyes: "and after your eyes." For the ears: "You shall not take up a false report" (Exodus 23:1). For the mouth: "You shall not eat any abominable thing" (Deuteronomy 14:3). For the tongue: "You shall not take up the name [of the LORD in vain]" (Exodus 20:7); "You shall not swear"; "You shall not lie" (Leviticus 19:11); "You shall not bear false witness" (Exodus 20:13). For the hands: "Do not put your hand with the wicked" (Exodus 23:1). For the sexual organ: "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:13) and you shall not be unchaste. For the feet: "You shall not walk after other gods" (Deuteronomy 8:19). These are the negative commandments. And what to do: it teaches, for the heart, "And you shall put these My words upon your heart" (Deuteronomy 11:18); for the eyes, "Do not forget the things which your eyes saw" (Deuteronomy 4:9); for the ears, "Hear, O Israel, the statutes" (Deuteronomy 5:1); for the tongue, "And you shall teach them diligently to your children" (Deuteronomy 6:7); for the hands, "You shall surely open your hand" (Deuteronomy 15:8); for the sexual organ, "And you, be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 9:7), and it says, "Take wives and beget sons" (Jeremiah 29:6); for the feet, "In all the way which the LORD your God has commanded you, you shall walk" (Deuteronomy 5:30).

"And he mightily oppressed the children of Israel" (Judges 4:3) [literally, "with strength"] with revilings and blasphemies. Therefore he was sentenced to fire, and so forth. (It is written in remez 140.)

And Devorah, was a prophetess. What was she like, that she prophesied about Israel and judged them? Wasn't Pinchas ben Eleazar alive then? I bring Heaven and Earth to bear witness that the Divine Spirit may rest upon a gentile and a Jew, a man and a woman, a slave and a maid—all depends on the deeds of that particular person.

The House of Elyahu teaching was that they said that Devorah's husband was not a scholar. She said to him, let's make wicks and go to the Mikdash in Shilo, and so you will have a place among the greats and you will have a place in the world to come. So she would make wicks and he would bring them to the Mikdash. He had three names: Barak, Michael and Lapidot.

Barak: because his face looked like lightning. Michael: because he diminished himself. Another opinion: he was named after the angel. Lapidot - his wife would make wicks, and his wife thought for long, and decided to make very thick wicks so that their light would be plentiful.

And God said, "Devorah you intended to sustain My light, and so I will make your light great in Judah and Jerusalem in front of the 12 tribes. And to what merit did Lapidot arrive to the World to Come? They say because of his wife Devorah, about whom it is written "The wisest of women built her house" (Prov. 14:1). And regarding Jezebel bat Itba'al "and the fool one destroys it with her hands.

"And Deborah, a prophetess" (Judges 4:4). Of Sarah it says, "the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah" (Genesis 11:29) [Iscah being Sarah, for she gazed (sokhah) with the holy spirit]. Of Miriam it says, "And Miriam the prophetess took" (Exodus 15:20). Of Deborah it says, "And Deborah, a prophetess" (Judges 4:4). Of Hannah it says, "And Hannah prayed" (I Samuel 2:1). Abigail prophesied to David, and so David said to her, "Blessed is your discernment and blessed are you" (I Samuel 25:33). Of Huldah it says, "And Hilkiah went... to Huldah the prophetess" (II Kings 22:14). Of Esther it says, "And Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, wrote" (Esther 9:29).

Rabbi Berekhiah says: There are four that wail, three in the world and one regarding a woman. Woe to the living one who must die. Woe to the man who must grow weak. Woe to the seeing one who must go blind. Woe to the generation whose leader is a woman. "And Deborah, a woman, a prophetess" (Judges 4:4).

"The wife of Lappidoth" (Judges 4:4). Rabbi Yitzchak of the school of Rabbi Ami said: she used to make wicks [lappidim, torches] for the Sanctuary. "And she sat under the palm tree" (Judges 4:5). Rabbi Shimon ben Avshalom said: this was for the sake of avoiding seclusion with a man. Another interpretation: just as this palm tree gives little shade, so too the scholars of that generation were few. Another interpretation: just as this palm tree has only one heart [a single growing point], so too Israel has only one heart, directed toward their Father in heaven. Rav Nachman said: arrogance does not befit women. Two women were prophetesses, and they were arrogant, and their names were unpleasant: one was named Hornet [Deborah, whose name means bee], and one was named Weasel [Huldah, whose name means weasel]. Of the Hornet it is written, "She sent and summoned Barak son of Abinoam" (Judges 4:6), yet she herself did not go to him. Of the Weasel it is written, "Say to the man who sent you" (2 Kings 22:15), and she did not say "to the king who sent you."

Lapidot - Rabbi Itzchak from the House of Rabi Ami: because she made the wicks for the Tabernacle. And she sat under the date palm - Rabbi Shimon be Avshalom: because of yichud. Another explanation: just as the shade of the palm tree is small, so the number of Torah scholars of her time was small. Another opinion: just as a plam tree has only one heart, so in her time Israel was of one heart with their Father in Heaven.

And she sat under a palm tree - as it is not the way of women to seclude themselves at home [with men] and so she sat in the shade of the date palm and taught Torah to the public.

"She sent and summoned Barak" (Judges 4:6). What was Barak's standing alongside Deborah? They said: Barak served the elders all the days of Joshua, and continued serving them after Joshua's death; therefore they brought him and set him beside Deborah. By what means does the Holy One, blessed be He, save Israel? By people who rise early and stay late at the house of prayer and the house of study, and who occupy themselves with Torah every single day continually. And what was the standing of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, that so great a deliverance came through them? They said: Naphtali served our father Jacob, and Zebulun served Issachar and became a host providing for him. And because Barak trusted in the God of Israel and believed in Deborah's prophecy, she gave him a share in the song, as it is said, "Then sang Deborah and Barak" (Judges 5:1). And what was the standing of Jael, that so great a deliverance came through her? They said: she was a worthy woman who did the will of her husband. From here they said: there is no worthy woman among women except a woman who does the will of her husband.

"Has not the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded: Go and draw toward Mount Tabor" (Judges 4:6). Where did He command this? In "You shall utterly destroy them" (Deuteronomy 20:17). Likewise you say: "The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken" (Isaiah 40:5). Where did He speak? "See now that I, even I, am He" (Deuteronomy 32:39). Likewise: "And it shall be when you come into the land" (Exodus 13:5), and where did He speak it? "I will bring you into the land" (Exodus 6:8). Likewise: "This is what the LORD spoke, a holy Sabbath of rest" (Exodus 16:23), and where did He speak it? "On the sixth day they shall prepare" (Exodus 16:5). Likewise: "This is what the LORD spoke, saying, Through those near to Me I will be sanctified" (Leviticus 10:3), and where did He speak it? "There I will meet with the children of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by My glory" (Exodus 29:43). Likewise: "The LORD your God will lay the dread and fear of you" (Deuteronomy 11:25), where did He speak it? "I will send My terror before you" (Exodus 23:27). Likewise: "When the LORD your God enlarges your border" (Deuteronomy 12:20), and where did He speak it? "For I will drive out nations before you" (Exodus 34:24). Likewise: "For the LORD your God has blessed you" (Deuteronomy 15:6), where did He speak it? "You shall be blessed above all peoples" (Deuteronomy 7:14). Likewise: "And the LORD has affirmed you this day" (Deuteronomy 26:18), where did He speak it? "You have affirmed the LORD this day" (Deuteronomy 26:17). Likewise: "And to set you high above all the nations" (Deuteronomy 26:19), where did He speak it? "The LORD will make you the head" (Deuteronomy 28:13). Likewise: "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth" (Isaiah 1:2), where did He speak it? "Give ear, O heavens" (Deuteronomy 32:1). Likewise: "But if you refuse and rebel" (Isaiah 1:20), where did He speak it? "I will bring upon you [the sword]" (Leviticus 26:25). Likewise: "He will swallow up death forever" (Isaiah 25:8), where did He speak it? "I kill and I make alive" (Deuteronomy 32:39). Likewise: "Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD, and I will make you ride [upon the high places]" (Isaiah 58:14), where did He speak it? "He made him ride on the high places of the earth" (Deuteronomy 32:13). Likewise: "Behold, it comes and it shall be done" (Ezekiel 39:8), where did He speak it? "I will make My arrows drunk with blood" (Deuteronomy 32:42). Likewise: "And Israel dwelt, each under his vine" (1 Kings 5:5), where did He speak it? "I will grant peace in the land" (Leviticus 26:6). Likewise: "There shall be no survivor to the house of Esau" (Obadiah 1:18), where did He speak it? "One out of Jacob shall have dominion, and shall destroy the survivor from the city" (Numbers 24:19). Likewise: "And the LORD remembered Sarah as He had said" (Genesis 21:1), where did He say it? "But Sarah your wife" (Genesis 17:19). Likewise: "And the LORD did to Sarah as He had spoken" (Genesis 21:1), where did He speak it? "On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abraham" (Genesis 15:18). Likewise: "And I will sell your sons" (Joel 4:8), where did He speak it? "And he said, Cursed be Canaan" (Genesis 9:25). Likewise: "And the LORD said to you, You shall not return [that way] again" (Deuteronomy 17:16), where did He say it? "For as you have seen Egypt" (Exodus 14:13). Likewise: "Thus says the LORD, Set each man his sword" (Exodus 32:27), where did He say it? "Whoever sacrifices to gods shall be utterly destroyed" (Exodus 22:19). Likewise: "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together" (Isaiah 65:25), where did He speak it? "I will rid the land of evil beasts" (Leviticus 26:6). Likewise: "The nations of which the LORD said, You shall not enter [among them]" (1 Kings 11:2), where did He say it? "You shall not intermarry with them" (Deuteronomy 7:3). Likewise: "Then Solomon said" (1 Kings 8:12), where did He say it? "For I appear in the cloud" (Leviticus 16:2). Likewise: "And they shall be Mine, says the LORD" (Malachi 3:17), where did He say it? "You shall be My treasured possession" (Exodus 19:5). Likewise: "And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD [shall be delivered]" (Joel 3:5), where did He speak it? "And all the peoples of the earth shall see" (Deuteronomy 28:10). Likewise: "And I will also take some of them for priests" (Isaiah 66:21), where did He say it? "The secret things belong to the LORD our God" (Deuteronomy 29:28).

"And Barak said to her: If you go with me, I will go" (Judges 4:8). Rabbi Pinchas in the name of Rabbi Reuven said: two men were primary, yet they made themselves secondary, and so they became secondary. They were Abraham and Barak. Abraham was primary: "And Abram took Sarai his wife" (Genesis 12:5); yet he made himself secondary, as it is said, "Please say you are my sister" (Genesis 12:13), and it is written, "And he treated Abram well for her sake" (Genesis 12:16). Barak, as it is written, "If you go with me, I will go." Rabbi Yehuda says: "If you go with me" to Kedesh, "I will go" with you to Hazor; and if you will not go with me to Kedesh, I will not go with you to Hazor. Rabbi Nechemyah says: if you go with me to the song, I will go with you to the war; and if you do not go with me to the song, I will not go with you to the war. "And she said: I will surely go with you, but the glory will not be yours" (Judges 4:9). Rabbi Reuven said: she said to him, what do you suppose, that the glory of the song was handed to you alone? And he was made secondary, as it is said, "Then sang Deborah and Barak" (Judges 5:1).

From where do we have this matter that people say: "If you lift the burden with me, I will lift it with you; and if not, I will not lift it"? As it is written, "And Barak said to her: If you go with me, I will go" (Judges 4:8).

"And Sisera summoned" (Judges 4:13). Sisera came against them with forty thousand commanders of troops, and each one had a hundred thousand men with him. He was thirty years old, and he had conquered the whole world by his strength. There was no walled city whose wall he did not topple by his voice; and even a wild beast in the field, once he set his voice upon it, could not stir from its place. They said: when he would go down to bathe in the brook of Kishon, he would draw up in his beard enough fish to feed many people. And there were nine hundred horses in his chariotry, and on the return not one of them came back in peace.

"And she covered him with a blanket [semikhah]" (Judges 4:18). Three there were who escaped from transgression, and the Holy One, blessed be He, joined His name to theirs, and these are they: Jael, Joseph, and Palti. Joseph, from where? "He appointed it in Joseph [bihosef] for a testimony" (Psalms 81:6). What is "bihosef"? The letter yod [the divine name] testifies that he did not touch the wife of Potiphar. Jael, from where? "And she covered him with a semikhah." What is "semikhah"? The rabbis here say: a cloth. And the rabbis there say: a coverlet. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: we went over the whole of Scripture and found no object named "semikhah." What then is "semikhah"? "My name is here" [shemi koh] — My name testifies concerning her that this wicked man did not touch her. Palti, from where? One verse says, "And Saul gave his daughter to Palti son of Laish" (1 Samuel 25:44), and another verse says "to Paltiel" (2 Samuel 3:15). Who married her, Palti, and who gave her away, Paltiel? Rather, the name of God [El] testifies concerning him that he did not touch Michal.

"And she opened the skin of milk" (Judges 4:19). Concerning this our rabbis taught: there are nine fluids of a person experiencing a flux [zav]: sweat, foul discharge, and excrement, and the rest. Of all of them these are clean [and do not convey his severe impurity]; the tear of his eye, the blood of his wound, and a woman's milk convey only the impurity of liquids, in the measure of a quarter-log; but his flux, his spittle, and his urine convey severe impurity. The tear of his eye, as it is written, "And You gave them tears to drink [in great measure]" (Psalms 80:6). The blood of his wound, as it is written, "And drink the blood of the slain" (Numbers 23:24) — for what is the difference to me whether he killed him wholly or killed him in part? A woman's milk, as it is written, "And she opened the skin of milk" (Judges 4:19). Wine, from where? As it is written, "Every jar shall be filled with wine" (Jeremiah 13:12).

"Then Deborah sang" (Judges 5:1) is ten times reckoned among the songs (this is written above, in another teaching). And this is what Scripture says: "Yours is the day, Yours also the night" (Psalms 74:16). Yours is the day, praising You; Yours is the night, praising You. Just as the night is under Your authority, so the day is under Your authority. When You work miracles for us by day, the day is Yours; when You work miracles for us by night, the night also is Yours. When You work miracles for us by day, we recite song before You by day, as it is said, "Then Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying" (Judges 5:1). And when You work miracles for us by night, we recite song before You by day, as it is said, "Then Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying." And when You work miracles for us by night, we recite song before You by night, as it is said, "You shall have a song as in the night when a holy feast is kept" (Isaiah 30:29). To You it is fitting to sing by day, and to You it is fitting to sing by night. Why? Because You have established the luminary and the sun (Psalms 74:16).

"When men let grow their hair in Israel, when the people offered themselves willingly" (Judges 5:2). Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: Whoever answers "Amen, may His great Name be blessed" with all his strength, they tear up his harsh decree, as it says, "When men let grow their hair [bifroa pera'ot]" — what is the reason? "When men let grow their hair" [read as: when retribution is loosed and undone] — because "they blessed the LORD" (Judges 5:2). Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: Even if there is in him a trace of idolatry, they pardon him. It is written here "bifroa pera'ot" [when men let grow their hair], and it is written there "for it was uncovered" [ki farua hu] (Exodus 32:25) — [by this verbal link, the loosening of hair recalls the loosened restraint of the golden calf, teaching that even such sin is forgiven].

"I, to the LORD, I will sing" (Judges 5:3). And this is what Scripture says: "As Tabor among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come" (Jeremiah 46:18). When the Holy One, blessed be He, came to give the Torah, Tabor and Carmel heard, abandoned their places, and came; and Carmel swam through the sea. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, "Why do you look askance, O many-peaked mountains?" (Psalms 68:17) — why are you running and contending? You are blemished, as in the matter of which it is said, "or one who is hump-backed or a dwarf" (Leviticus 21:20). "The mountain that God desired for His dwelling" (Psalms 68:17) — this is Sinai. Even so, the Holy One, blessed be He, paid them their reward for the running by which they ran and came: at Tabor, Sisera and his armies fell, and salvation was wrought for Israel upon its summit. Once the enemies of Israel had fallen, it is said of it, "I, to the LORD, I will sing." At Sinai it is said "I [am the LORD]" (Exodus 20:2); and at Tabor it is said "I, to the LORD, I will sing" — said twice. And at Carmel the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, was sanctified, and it was said there, "The LORD, He is God" (1 Kings 18:39), corresponding to "I am the LORD your God."

"LORD, when You went forth from Seir... the clouds also dropped water" (Judges 5:4). Our rabbis taught: With three things the Torah was given — with fire, with water, and in the wilderness. With fire: "and Mount Sinai was altogether in smoke" (Exodus 19:18). With water: "the clouds also dropped water" (Judges 5:4). In the wilderness: "in the wilderness of Sinai" (Numbers 1:1). This is to tell you: just as these are free to everyone in the world, so too the Torah is free to everyone in the world, as it is said, "Take my instruction and not silver" (Proverbs 8:10).

Rabbi Judah son of Rabbi Ilai says: Because Israel was scorched from the heat of the fire from above, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the clouds of glory, "Drip the dew of life upon My children," as it is said, "the clouds also dropped water" (Judges 5:4). And it says, "You poured down a generous rain" (Psalms 68:10). When was all this honor done? When she was lovely among the nations of the world and honored the Torah, as it is said, "and she who tarries at home divides the spoil" (Psalms 68:13). And "spoil" means nothing other than Torah, as it is said, "I rejoice at Your word, as one who finds great spoil" (Psalms 119:162).

"The mountains melted [quaked] from before the LORD" (Judges 5:5). For when the Omnipresent stood and said, "I am the LORD your God," the earth trembled and all the kings of the earth shook in their palaces, as it is said, "The voice of the LORD is in power, the voice of the LORD is in majesty" (Psalms 29:4), "and in His temple all say, Glory" (Psalms 29:9) — until their houses were filled with the radiance of the Divine Presence. At that hour all the nations of the world gathered and came to Balaam. They said to him, "Perhaps the Omnipresent is destroying His world with a flood?" He said to them, "Fools of the world! The Holy One, blessed be He, already swore to Noah that He would not bring a flood upon the world, as it is said, 'For this is to Me as the waters of Noah' (Isaiah 54:9)." They said to him, "A flood of water He will not bring, but He will bring a flood of fire." He said to them, "He will bring neither a flood of water nor a flood of fire. Rather, the Omnipresent is giving the Torah to His people, as it is said, 'The LORD will give strength to His people' (Psalms 29:11)." And when they heard this matter from his mouth, they all turned and went, each to his own place. Therefore the nations of the world were summoned [and held accountable]. And when the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to exact punishment from Seir, He is destined to shake the whole world over its inhabitants.

"The unwalled towns ceased in Israel" (Judges 5:7). Rabbi Samuel bar Nachmani went up from Babylon to ask three things, and he found Rabbi Yochanan, the official of the capital. He said to him: What is the meaning of "The unwalled towns ceased in Israel, they ceased"? He said to him: The small cities that were laid waste in the days of Sisera — once Deborah arose, they became like mothers (Judges 5:7). He further asked him: What is the meaning of "To the LORD our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, for we have rebelled against Him" (Daniel 9:9)? It should have said, "for we have kept His Torah." Rabbi Yochanan said to him: It is well written. In the way of the world, a laborer who works for a householder faithfully, and the householder pays him his wage — what gratitude does the worker owe him? But when does the worker hold him in high esteem? When he does not work for him faithfully, and yet the householder still pays him his wage. He said to him: Have you ever seen in your life servants who rebel against a king, and he still supplies them with their food? He said to him: It is written, "They made a calf at Horeb" — and yet the manna came down for them.

Rabbi Judah said in the name of Rav: Whoever is arrogant — if he is a prophet, his prophecy departs from him; if he is a sage, his wisdom departs from him. That if he is a sage his wisdom departs — from where do we know it? From Hillel. For the master said: He began to provoke them with words. He said to them, "What caused you that I should come up from Babylon and become prince over you? The laziness that was in you, that you did not serve the two great ones of the generation, Shemaiah and Avtalyon." And then he said to them, "This law I heard and forgot" [his own wisdom failed him at the moment of his pride]. That if he is a prophet his prophecy departs — from where do we know it? From Deborah, as it is said, "The unwalled towns ceased... until I, Deborah, arose" (Judges 5:7), and it is written, "Awake, awake, Deborah" (Judges 5:12) [the prophetic spirit had to be roused back to her after she boasted].

"You who ride on white donkeys" (Judges 5:10). The school of Rav Anan taught: these are the disciples of the sages who travel from city to city and from province to province, occupying themselves with Torah, and they make those places shine like noon. "You who sit in judgment" (Judges 5:10) refers to those who sit and render a true judgment in accordance with its truth. "And you who walk" (Judges 5:10) refers to the masters of Scripture; "on the way" refers to the masters of Mishnah; "give voice" refers to the masters of Gemara, whose every conversation is words of Torah.

"You who ride on white donkeys" (Judges 5:10): "white" means nothing other than clean of robbery. "You who sit in judgment" means they establish the matter upon the law. "And you who walk on the way, give voice" refers to the Sanhedrin, upon whom the world leans, and who never have idle talk, as it is said, "Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes" (Judges 5:3). "From the sound of those who divide" (Judges 5:11) refers to those who declare of the impure "impure" and of the pure "pure": the laws of Shabbat, of the festival offerings, of the laws of misappropriation, and the laws concerning what divides a person. "Between the watering places" means those who study and draw out words of Torah. "There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous acts of His leadership in Israel" (Judges 5:11). There was a small town in Israel: they arose and built themselves a synagogue and a house of study and hired themselves a cantor and teachers of children, and many houses of study were found in Israel. And whoever renews words of Torah from his own mouth is regarded as one to whom they are proclaimed from heaven, and they say to him: thus said the Holy One, blessed be He, build Me a house, for its reward is great, as it is said, "They chose new gods" (Judges 5:8).

From here they said: the forty thousand of Israel who gathered and went out to war were leaning upon Him like one who grips a shield and buckler, as it is said, "Was shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?" (Judges 5:8).

"The righteous acts of His leadership in Israel" (Judges 5:11). Rabbi Oshaya said: the Holy One, blessed be He, performed acts of righteousness toward Israel by scattering them among the nations. This is like the case of a certain heretic who said to Rabbi Yehudah the Patriarch: "We are better than you, for of you it is written, 'For six months Joab remained there with all Israel until he had cut off every male in Edom' (1 Kings 11:16), while we have dwelt among you for many years and have done nothing to you." He said to him: "If you are willing, let one student deal with you." Rabbi Oshaya then took him on and said to him: "It is because you do not know how to do it. Shall you kill them all? They are not all within your kingdom. Shall you kill only those who are within your kingdom? Then you would be called a maimed kingdom." He said to him: "By the Capitol of Rome, with this matter we rise and with this matter we fall."

"Arise, Barak, and lead your captives captive" (Judges 5:12). The war is the Holy One's, and the victory is ours, and so on (this is written in remez 724).

"From Ephraim, their root" (Judges 5:14): this is Joshua, as it is said, "And Joshua weakened Amalek" (Exodus 17:13). He rooted his strike into Amalek, as it is said, "For I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek" (Exodus 17:14). "After you, Benjamin" (Judges 5:14): this is Saul, of whom it says, "and put to death man and woman" (1 Samuel 15:3). And likewise Mordecai. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: it is foreseen and revealed before Me that he is destined to decree to destroy, to slay, and to annihilate all the Jews, young and old (Esther 3:13); therefore "put to death man and woman," to fulfill what is said, "and they shall eat of the fruit of their own way" (Proverbs 1:31).

..[With regard to] this did [Jeremiah] say to have it written, 'Surely the shepherd boys will drag away [the evil ones, Edom or Babylonia in defeat].' (Jeremiah 49:20, 50:45) Rabbi Samuel son of Nachmani said, 'We have a tradition in our hands that Esau [i.e., evildoers, identified with Esau, Edom, and Babylonia] will not fall except into the hands of [the tribal descendants of] Rachel's children [i.e., Joseph or Benjamin].

Why? Because if the [other] tribes were to bring suit against Esau, saying, 'Why did you pursue your brother [our ancestor Israel to harm him (see e.g., Genesis 27:41)]? [We, Israel, have a claim against you for this!]' Then he [Esau can] say to them, 'Why did you pursue your brother Joseph [to harm him]? You are no better than I!' But if Joseph should come to him and say, 'Why did you pursue your brother?', he [Esau] will have no answer.

For if Esau were to say '[I pursued him] because he did me evil!' [Joseph could reply,] 'My brothers also requited me with evil, and I requited them with good!' Immediately he [Esau would have to] be silent. And about this is it written, 'See, they are become like straw, Fire consumes them; They cannot save themselves From the power of the flame...' (Isaiah 47:14). 'Behold, they are become like straw' -- this refers to Esau... [Translation incomplete]

Joseph was the younger and merited the birthright, while Esau was the firstborn and lost his birthright. Joseph affirmed the resurrection of the dead, "God will surely remember you" (Genesis 50:25), while Esau denied it, "Behold, I am going to die" (Genesis 25:32). Joseph gave his life for the honor of his mother, "and afterward Joseph drew near with Rachel" (Genesis 33:7), while Esau sought to kill his mother and to destroy her womb. Joseph inquired after the life of his father, "Is your father still alive?" (Genesis 43:27), while Esau said, "Let the days of mourning for my father draw near" (Genesis 27:41). Esau defiled himself with sexual immorality and with the shedding of blood, while Joseph fenced himself in, "but he refused" (Genesis 39:8).

"And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah" (Judges 5:15). This is what Scripture says: "And of the sons of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times" (1 Chronicles 12:33). Rabbi Tanchum says: he knew most of the wisdoms. Rabbi Yose ben Ketzari says: this refers to intercalating the years, as it is written, "and their brethren were at their command" (1 Chronicles 12:33), for all their brethren agreed to the law according to their ruling, and he would answer them with a law given to Moses at Sinai. And likewise Scripture praises him in courts of law in Egypt: "of Yashub, the family of the Yashubites" (Numbers 26:24); "Yashub" means nothing other than a court of law, as it is said, "and they shall come to you as the people come, and they shall sit before you" (Ezekiel 33:31), and it says, "and Jacob was a wholesome man, dwelling in tents" (Genesis 25:27). And from where did Issachar have his livelihood? From Zebulun, who engaged in commerce and fed Issachar, who was a man of Torah, as it is written, "Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea" (Genesis 49:13); and for this reason, "Issachar is a strong-boned donkey" (Genesis 49:14). And when Moses came to bless the tribes, he placed the blessing of Zebulun before the blessing of Issachar, as it is written, "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and Issachar in your tents" (Deuteronomy 33:18). And you find that he was ninth among the tribes yet brought his offering second to the king, as it is written, "On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, brought his offering" (Numbers 7:18). Why? Because he was a man of Torah.

Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: Any woman who openly asks her husband for the matter of the commandment [marital intimacy] will have children the like of whom there were none even in the generation of Moses. For regarding the generation of Moses it is written, "Choose for yourselves men who are wise, understanding, and known" (Deuteronomy 1:13), yet it is written, "So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men and known" (Deuteronomy 1:15) [men who were wise and known], but "understanding" he did not find. Yet concerning Leah it is written, "And Leah went out to meet him and said, You shall come to me" (Genesis 30:16), and it is written [of her descendants], "And of the children of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times" (1 Chronicles 12:32).

Rava said: You will not find a young scholar who renders legal rulings except one who comes from Levi or from Issachar. From Levi, as it is written, "They shall teach Your judgments to Jacob" (Deuteronomy 33:10). From Issachar, as it is written, "And of the children of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times" (1 Chronicles 12:32). And should you say, perhaps also from Judah, as it is written, "Judah is my lawgiver" (Psalms 60:9)? [No, for there it means rulership and kingship.] I am speaking of drawing out a teaching in accordance with the settled law.

Happy is the righteous one and happy is his neighbor. Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, who were positioned next to Aaron and Moses, as it is said, "And those who camped before the Tabernacle on the east" (Numbers 3:38), became great in Torah, as it is said, "Judah is my lawgiver" (Psalms 60:9), and "of the children of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times" (1 Chronicles 12:32), and "from Zebulun those who handle the scribe's pen" (Judges 5:14). But on the south side were the sons of Kehat, and next to them Reuben, Simeon, and Gad, who dwelt with Korah, a man of strife, and they perished with him in his quarrel. From here they said: Woe to the wicked one and woe to his neighbor; good to the righteous one and good to his neighbor.

"Kings came, they fought" (Judges 5:19). Thirty-one kings went with Sisera when he went to make war with Israel, and they were killed with him. Why? Because they craved to drink from the waters of Israel. They begged of Sisera and said, "We beg of you, let us come with you for free, for we crave to fill our bellies from the waters of the Land of Israel," as it is said, "At Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no plunder of silver" (Judges 5:19).

"The brook Kishon swept them away, that ancient brook" (Judges 5:21). You find that when Israel crossed the Sea, the Israelites of that generation were of little faith. They said, "Just as we are coming up on this side, so the Egyptians are coming up on another side." As it is said, "They rebelled at the sea, at the Sea of Reeds" (Psalms 106:7). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the prince of the Sea, "Spit them out onto the dry land." He said before Him, "Master of the universe, is there a servant whose master gives him a gift and then takes it back from him?" He said to him, "I will give you one and a half times their number." He said before Him, "Is there a servant who makes a claim against his master?" He said to him, "The brook Kishon will be a guarantor for Me." At once it spat them out onto the dry land. For with Pharaoh it is written, "six hundred chosen chariots" (Exodus 14:7), while with Sisera it is written, "nine hundred chariots of iron" (Judges 4:13) [one and a half times as many]. Concerning Sisera it is written, "From heaven they fought" (Judges 5:20); when the stars of heaven came down upon them, they descended to cool themselves in the brook Kishon. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the brook Kishon, "Go and pay your pledge to the Sea." Immediately the brook Kishon swept them into the Sea. This is what is written, "The brook Kishon swept them away, that ancient brook" (Judges 5:21), a brook that was a guarantor from of old. At that hour the fish opened their mouths and said, "And the truth of the LORD endures forever" (Psalms 117:2).

"Curse Meroz, said the angel of the LORD" (Judges 5:23). Rav said: From where do we learn that we send a messenger of the court and summon a person to judgment? As it is written, "And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram" (Numbers 16:12). And from where that we summon to judgment? "And Moses said to Korah, You and all your company, be before the LORD" (Numbers 16:16). That a man may be summoned before one greater than himself, as it is written, "before the LORD." That so-and-so and so-and-so are summoned together, as it is written, "you and Aaron" (Numbers 16:16). That we set an appointed time, as it is written, "tomorrow" (Numbers 16:16). That we set a second time after the first, as it is written, "They cried there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he has let the appointed time pass" (Jeremiah 46:17). And from where that if one acts insolently toward the messenger of the court who comes and reports it, this is not regarded as slander? As it is written, "Will you put out the eyes of those men?" (Numbers 16:14). And from where that we place under ban [niddui]? As it is written, "Curse Meroz." That a great man may pronounce it, as it is written, "said the angel of the LORD." And from where that we place under the harsher ban [cherem]? As it is written, "Bitterly curse" (Judges 5:23). That this falls upon one who eats and drinks with the banned person and stands within his four cubits, as it is written, "its inhabitants" (Judges 5:23). And from where that we specify the offender's sin in public? As it is written, "because they did not come to the help of the LORD" (Judges 5:23). And Ulla said: With four hundred horn blasts did Barak place Meroz under ban. Some say Meroz was a great man; and some say it was a star, as it is written, "From heaven they fought, the stars from their courses" (Judges 5:20). And from where that we declare a person's property ownerless? As it is written, "Whoever does not come within three days, by the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his property shall be forfeited" (Ezra 10:8). From where that we may contend, lash, smite, pull out hair, and impose oaths? As it is said, "And I contended with them and cursed them and struck some of their men and pulled out their hair" (Nehemiah 13:25). From where that we bind, imprison, and impose harsh penalties? As it is written, "whether for death, or for uprooting, or for a penalty on goods" (Ezra 7:26). What is "uprooting"? Rabbi Yehudah son of Rav Shmuel bar Shilat said: We place under ban at once, and repeat it after thirty days, and place under cherem after sixty days. Rav Huna bar Chinena said to him: Thus said Rav Chisda, on Monday, Thursday, and Monday. "Curse Meroz" indicates the lesser ban, and so forth (it is written in remez 16).

"Because they did not come to the help of the LORD" (Judges 5:23). You find that whoever helps Israel, it is as though he helps the One who spoke and the world came into being, as it is said, "Because they did not come to the help of the LORD." It does not say "to our help," but "to the help of the LORD." And likewise it says, "For whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye" (Zechariah 2:12). And whoever rises against Israel, it is as though he rises against the One who spoke and the world came into being, as it is said, "For behold, Your enemies rage" (Psalms 83:3). It is not written here "our enemies," but "Your enemies." Why? "Against Your people they lay crafty plans, and they conspire against Your treasured ones" (Psalms 83:4). And likewise it says, "I hate them with perfect hatred" (Psalms 139:22). Why? "Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD?" (Psalms 139:21). And likewise it says, "Do not forget the voice of Your adversaries, the uproar of those who rise against You, which ascends continually" (Psalms 74:23). And likewise it says, "In the greatness of Your majesty You overthrow Your adversaries" (Exodus 15:7). Who is it that rises against You? Only those who rise against Your children.