Yalkut Shimoni on Nach Reader

"Blessed above women shall Jael be" (Judges 5:24). Rabbi Nachman said: Greater is a transgression performed for the sake of Heaven than a commandment performed not for its own sake, as it is written, "Blessed above women shall Jael be, the wife of Heber the Kenite; above women in the tent shall she be blessed" (Judges 5:24). Who are these "women in the tent"? Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.

"Most blessed of women shall Jael be" (Judges 5:24). Is this the way of the world, to say such a thing? Yet he speaks to her in the customary manner. For it is written, "May God make the name of Solomon better [than your name] and make his throne greater than your throne" (1 Kings 1:47). Now, is it the way of the world to speak thus to a king? Rather, he speaks to him only in the customary manner [as a conventional courtesy].

"Between her feet he sank, he fell" (Judges 5:27). Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai: That wicked one [Sisera] forced himself upon her seven times, as it is said, "Between her feet he sank," and so on. But did she not derive benefit from a transgression? Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai: As a rule, the good that comes from the wicked is an evil thing for the righteous, as it is written, "Take heed that you speak not to Jacob either good or bad" (Genesis 31:24). The "bad," very well; but why the "good"? Learn from this that even the good of the wicked is an evil for the righteous. There [with Laban and Jacob], perhaps he might speak idolatry to him; but here, what evil could there be? Because he casts defilement into her. For Rabbi Yochanan said: When the serpent came upon Eve, he cast defilement into her. Israel, who stood at Mount Sinai, their defilement ceased; the gentiles, who did not stand at Mount Sinai, their defilement did not cease.

"She put her hand to the tent peg" (Judges 5:26). The word "hand" [used by itself] means none other than the left hand, as it is said, "My hand also has laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand has spanned the heavens" (Isaiah 48:13). And it says, "Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?" (Psalms 74:11). And it says, "And it shall be for a sign upon your hand" (Exodus 13:16) [where the tefillin are bound upon the left arm].

This is what Scripture says: "She put her hand to the distaff" (Proverbs 31:19) — this is Jael, who did not kill him with a weapon of war but with a tent peg, as it is written, "She put her hand to the tent peg" (Judges 5:26). And why did she not kill him with a weapon of war? In order to fulfill what is said, "A man's gear shall not be on a woman" (Deuteronomy 22:5).

"Why is his chariot so long in coming?" (Judges 5:28). Rabbi Elazar said: There are three who did not wait out six hours in their time of ease, and these are they: the first man [Adam], Israel, and Sisera. The first man, as it is written, "And they were not ashamed" (Genesis 2:25) — they did not last six hours in their state of ease. Israel, as it is written, "And the people saw that Moses delayed [boshesh]" (Exodus 32:1) — six hours came and Moses did not come. Sisera, as it is written, "Why is his chariot so long [boshesh] in coming?" Every day he was accustomed to come at the third hour or the fourth hour; now six hours came and he did not come.

"Why is his chariot so long in coming?" (Judges 5:28). Three statements stand side by side, where the one who said this did not say that. "Why is his chariot so long in coming?" said Sisera's mother. "Are they not finding and dividing the spoil?" said his wife and the wives of his princes. And the Holy Spirit says, "So may all Your enemies perish, O LORD" (Judges 5:31). Likewise: the elders say, "Our hands did not shed this blood" (Deuteronomy 21:7); the priests say, "Forgive Your people Israel" (Deuteronomy 21:8); and the Holy Spirit says, "And the blood shall be forgiven them" (Deuteronomy 21:8). Likewise: "Recognize, please, whose seal this is" said Tamar (Genesis 38:25); "She is more righteous than I" said Judah (Genesis 38:26); "And he knew her again no more" said the Holy Spirit (Genesis 38:26). Likewise: "We came to the land where you sent us" said Joshua (Numbers 13:27); "We should go up at once" said Caleb (Numbers 13:30); "But the people are strong" said the spies (Numbers 13:31). Likewise: "Who shall deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods?" said the worthy ones among them; the wicked among them said, "These are the gods that struck the Egyptians" — he had ten plagues and they are spent. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: I have no further plague; now I bring upon you a plague that has never been, namely mice that would drag out their entrails. And the mighty ones among them said, "Take courage and be men" (1 Samuel 4:8-9). Likewise: "Micah the Morashtite" prophesied, and "the LORD relented of the evil" (Jeremiah 26:18-19) — thus far spoke the worthy ones among them; the wicked among them said, "There was also a man who prophesied in the name of the LORD" (Jeremiah 26:20), saying: just as Uriah was slain, so Jeremiah deserves to be slain; "but the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that he should not be given into the hand of the people" (Jeremiah 26:24). Likewise: "Under the apple tree I awakened you" (Song of Songs 8:5) — thus far spoke the Holy Spirit; and Israel says, "Set me as a seal upon your heart" (Song of Songs 8:6); and the nations of the world say, "For love is strong as death" (Song of Songs 8:6). Likewise: "Our soul is dried up; there is nothing at all but this manna before our eyes" (Numbers 11:6) said Israel; and the Omnipresent appeases them: "And the manna was like coriander seed" (Numbers 11:7). Likewise: "When you were faint and weary" (Deuteronomy 25:18) — this is Israel; "and he did not fear God" (Deuteronomy 25:18) — this is Amalek. And likewise it says, "As the LORD lives, lie down until the morning" (Ruth 3:13): "As the LORD lives" he swore to the evil impulse, and to the woman he said, "lie down until the morning."

"But they that love Him shall be as the sun going forth in its might" (Judges 5:31). Our rabbis taught: Those who are insulted but do not insult, who hear themselves reviled and do not answer back, who act out of love and rejoice in their sufferings — of them Scripture says, "But they that love Him shall be as the sun going forth in its might." And even though Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yehotzadak that any disciple of the wise who does not take vengeance and bear a grudge like a serpent is no disciple of the wise — that is in a case where one holds it like a snake's bite until others appease him on the matter. "But they that love Him shall be as the sun going forth in its might" — this is one of six things that were taken from the first man [Adam], and so on (as written elsewhere).

Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya says: Who is greater, the lovers or the beloved? You must say, the beloved. If the lovers are as the sun going forth, all the more so the beloved. Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai says: Do not read "fullness [sova] of joys" but "seven [sheva] joys" (Psalms 16:11) (as written elsewhere). The faces of the righteous in the time to come are like the sun, the moon, the firmament, the stars, the lightnings, the lilies, and the lamp of the Temple. Like the sun and the moon — from where? "Fair as the moon, clear as the sun" (Song of Songs 6:10), and it is written, "But they that love Him shall be as the sun going forth in its might." Like the firmament and the stars — from where? As it is written, "And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars" (Daniel 12:3). Like the lightnings — from where? "They shall run to and fro like lightnings" (Nahum 2:5). Like the lilies — from where? "For the leader, upon the lilies" (Psalms 45:1). Like the lamp of the Temple — from where? "And two olive trees by it" (Zechariah 4:3).

"And the wise shall shine" (Daniel 12:3) - this refers to a judge who renders a true judgment in accordance with its truth. "And they that turn the many to righteousness" - these are the collectors of charity. In a baraita it was taught: "And the wise" - this is a judge and a charity collector; "and they that turn the many to righteousness" - these are the teachers of young children, such as Rav Shmuel bar Shilat. And the Rabbis, what do they say? Ravina said: "and they that love Him shall be as the sun when it goes forth in its might" (Judges 5:31).

"And the children of Israel did" (Judges). Rabbi Simon said: Not everyone who wishes to recite a song may recite a song; rather, only one for whom a miracle has been performed. And anyone for whom a miracle has been performed and who recites a song, it is known that he is forgiven for all his sins and becomes a new creation. Israel, when a miracle was performed for them and they recited a song, their sins were forgiven, as it is said, "And Moses brought Israel onward" (Exodus 15:22) - that he moved them away from their sins. And likewise you find with Deborah and Barak, for whom a miracle was performed and who recited a song. And how do we know that their sins were forgiven? Rabbi Aivu said in the name of Rabbi Abba: Everywhere it says, "And the children of Israel again did evil," but here it is written, "And the children of Israel did" - the beginning of doing. And where are the things they did beforehand? Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, forgave them for what they had done in the past. And likewise you find with David, for whom a miracle was performed and who recited a song. And how do we know that all his sins were forgiven? For it is written after the song, "Now these are the last words of David" (II Samuel 23:1). And where are the first ones? Rather, this teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, forgave him.

"And it was, when Israel had sown" (Judges 6:3). Rabbi Huna bar Pappa said: A person should always be careful with the produce inside his house, for Israel were never called poor except over matters of produce, as it is said, "And it was, when Israel had sown, that Midian came up, and Amalek" (Judges 6:3); and it is written, "And Israel was greatly impoverished" (Judges 6:6).

"And Israel was greatly impoverished" (Judges 6:6) - so much so that they had nothing with which to bring a meal-offering, as it is written, "And if he be poor" (Leviticus 14:21).

"The LORD is with you, mighty man of valor" (Judges 6:12). Our rabbis taught: They ordained that a person should greet his fellow with the divine Name, as it is said, "And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, The LORD be with you" (Ruth 2:4); and it says, "The LORD is with you, mighty man of valor" (Judges 6:12); and it says, "Despise not your mother when she is old" (Proverbs 23:22); and it says, "It is a time to act for the LORD; they have made void Your Torah" (Psalms 119:126). What is the force of each added "and it says"? Should you say that Boaz spoke this on his own initiative [and it carries no authority], come and learn from the angel who said to Gideon, "The LORD is with you, mighty man of valor." And should you say it was an angel who said it to Gideon [but a man may not], then "Despise not your mother when she is old" [teaches that ancestral custom is binding]. And it says, "It is a time to act for the LORD" - what is the reason? Because "they have made void Your Torah." And reading it from its end to its beginning: "they have made void Your Torah" - what is the reason? Because "it is a time to act for the LORD" (referenced at hint 878).

Rabbi Yehudah bar Shalom said: That night [when the angel appeared to Gideon] was the night of Passover, when he said, "And where are all His wonders?" (Judges 6:13) - where are the wonders that God did for our fathers on this night, when He struck the firstborn of Egypt and brought our fathers out from there rejoicing? And once Gideon argued in defense of Israel, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: It is fitting that I reveal Myself in My glory to him, as it is said, "And the LORD turned toward him and said, Go in this your strength" (Judges 6:14). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You have within you the strength to argue in defense of Israel; by your merit they are redeemed, as it is said, "and you shall save Israel" (Judges 6:14). He began to test [God] with the fleece, as it is said, "Let me test, I pray, but this once with the fleece" (Judges 6:39); what is written? "And it was so" (Judges 6:40). The Holy One does not attach His Name there. The Holy One said: The whole world is in distress and shall I attach My Name? As it is written, "For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil shall not dwell with You" (Psalms 5:5). But at the moment Gideon said, "Let there now be dryness upon the fleece alone" (Judges 6:39), the Holy One said: Since the dew is blowing and the world rejoices, I will attach My Name, as it is said, "And God did so that night" (Judges 6:40). So too Jeremiah: when he prophesied words of comfort he attached the divine Name, as it is said, "Thus says the LORD, I remember for you the kindness of your youth" (Jeremiah 2:2); but in words of rebuke it is written, "The words of Jeremiah" (Jeremiah 1:1). So too Moses: over every utterance it is written, "And the LORD spoke"; but when he came to rebuke, it is written, "These are the words" (Deuteronomy 1:1). This is what Scripture says: "And the remnant of Jacob shall be..." (Micah 5:6). That remnant is the one of whom the Holy One said to Elijah, "Yet I have left Me in Israel seven thousand..." (1 Kings 19:18); and they are the same who were set apart in the days of Gideon, when he said to the Holy One, "If You will save Israel by my hand, as You have spoken, behold, I will set out [a fleece]" (Judges 6:36-37). The Holy One said to him: I wrote, "I will be as the dew to Israel" (Hosea 14:6), and you said, dryness over all the earth? I will not do so - which is why it is not written "and God did so," but "and it was so," meaning it happened of itself. But when he said, "Let there now be dryness upon the fleece alone," at once "and God did so." The Holy One said to him, "The people that are with you are too many; bring them down to the water" (Judges 7:4) - those who knelt on their knees to drink water would, willing or unwilling, bow down to idols, for the generation of Gideon worshiped reflections [in water]. The Holy One said to him: With three hundred men who lap I will save Israel; and of them He says, "Yet I have left in Israel...", and of them He says, "And the remnant of Jacob shall be..." Rabbi Abbahu said in the name of Rabbi Simon in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: The commandment of the Omer stood by them in the days of Gideon, as it is said, "And Gideon came, and behold, a man telling a dream to his fellow... and behold, a round loaf of barley bread" (Judges 7:13). What is "a round loaf" [tzelil]? The rabbis say: because that generation was overshadowed [tzalal] by the righteous among them. And by what merit were they saved? By the merit of the round loaf of barley - and what is that? The commandment of the Omer.

"And the LORD called it Peace" (Judges 6:24). Rav Hamnuna said in the name of Ulla: It is forbidden for a person to give a greeting of peace to his fellow in the bathhouse, because it is said, "And the LORD called it Peace."

Our rabbis said: In Aravot [the highest heaven] are righteousness and justice and charity, and the storehouses of life, and the storehouses of blessings, and the souls of the righteous, and the spirits and souls yet to be created, and the dew with which the Holy One, blessed be He, will in the future revive the dead, and the storehouses of peace, as it is written, "And the LORD called it Peace" (Judges 6:24) (referenced at hint 339).

"And it was on that night that the LORD said to him, Take the bullock, the ox that is your father's, and the second bullock of seven years" (Judges 6:25). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Eight things were permitted on that night [which are ordinarily forbidden in sacrifice]: an offering outside [the Temple court], at night, by a non-priest, using a vessel of an asherah, the stones of [a foreign] altar, the wood of an asherah, a set-aside [muktzeh] animal, and a worshiped animal. And Resh Lakish said: A set-aside animal is forbidden only when it has been set aside for seven years.

"And Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch" (Judges 7:19). Our rabbis taught: The night has four watches; Rabbi Nathan says three. What is Rabbi Nathan's reasoning? It is written, "And Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch" - and "middle" can only mean there is one before it and one after it [hence three in all]. And Rabbi [Yehudah the Prince], what does "middle" mean to him? The middle one among the middle ones [the night having four watches, so that the inner pair are both "middle"]. And what is Rabbi's reasoning? Rabbi Zerika said in the name of Rabbi Ami in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish: One verse says, "At midnight I rise to give thanks to You" (Psalms 119:62), and it is written, "My eyes anticipate the watches" (Psalms 119:148). How is this reconciled? The night has four watches. And Rabbi Nathan holds like Rabbi Yehoshua, as we learned in a teaching: Rabbi Yehoshua says, until the third hour [one may recite the morning Shema], for it is the way of kings' sons to rise at the third hour. Six hours of night and two of day make two watches [of the night]; Rav Ashi said: A watch and a half may also be called "watches."

"I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you" (Judges 8:23). They said three things and He said three things to them. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: By your life, I will raise up from you a son who will reign three years, corresponding to the three things you said. Thus: "Before honor comes humility, before a fall comes pride" (Proverbs 18:12 / 16:18) — for Abimelech was not broken until he became proud and killed his brothers.

"And Gideon made it into an ephod" (Judges 8:27). Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Three are those of whom "a good old age" is said. Abraham, and it was fulfilled for him; David, and it was fulfilled for him; Gideon, and it was not fulfilled for him, as it is said, "And Gideon made it into an ephod" and it became a snare. And why did he make an ephod? Because Manasseh was not among the stones of the ephod, but only Ephraim, and he had no constellation [no representation]; therefore he made it. And although he made it for the sake of Heaven, it became a snare to all Israel, for they stumbled over it and supposed [it to be a god].

Another interpretation: He, too, and those who said it, intended it for the sake of correcting an error [for a right purpose], and they repaired it. And because his tribe was not on the ephod, he had no constellation [no share] in that ephod and in that repair.

"And they made Baal-berith their god" (Judges 8:33). This is the Fly-Baal of Ekron. This teaches that each and every one would make his object of worship and place it in his pocket; whenever he remembered it, he would take it out of his pocket and embrace it and kiss it.

"And the children of Israel did not remember the LORD" (Judges 8:34). Why? Because they did not do kindness with the house of Jerubbaal [Gideon]. Thus: had they done kindness with the house of Jerubbaal, they would have remembered the LORD. Thus: whoever does kindness, it is as if he acknowledges all the miracles that the Holy One, blessed be He, performed from the day Israel went out of Egypt; and whoever does not do kindness, it is as if he denies [them].

This is what the verse says: "Better is a near neighbor than a distant brother" (Proverbs 27:10). Jethro was good, who was far off and drew near to Me, and rejoiced at the redemption of Israel, as it is said, "And Jethro rejoiced" (Exodus 18:9) — better than the wicked Esau, who was a brother and grew distant and rejoiced at Israel's trouble, as it is said, "Do not gaze on the day of your brother, on the day of his calamity, and do not rejoice over the children of Judah" (Obadiah 1:12). And one good thing was [true of] Abimelech king of the Philistines, who showed much honor to Abraham, as it is said, "Behold, my land is before you" (Genesis 20:15) — better than Abimelech son of Jerubbaal, who killed his brothers. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abimelech [son of Jerubbaal]: Wicked one, you killed seventy men on one stone; you too — "And a certain woman threw an upper millstone" (Judges 9:53). And Solomon said: "He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone, it will return upon him" (Proverbs 26:27). I wrote in My Torah, "The fear of the LORD adds days" (Proverbs 10:27), and you killed your brothers; by your life, I will shorten the years of that man — therefore he reigned only three years.

"And they told Jotham, and he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim" (Judges 9:7). And why did he stand on Mount Gerizim and curse, when the curses were given only on Mount Ebal? Rather, he said thus: You Cutheans [Samaritans] are destined to say, Mount Gerizim is ours, for there the blessings were given — and they do not know that there the curses were given. For behold, those standing on Mount Ebal and cursing, whom were they cursing? Surely those facing them. It turns out the curses came toward Mount Gerizim and the blessings toward Mount Ebal. Therefore Jotham said: I will curse them only on Mount Gerizim. He began and said, "The trees went forth" (Judges 9:8). Rabbi Menashia said: These words are a parable. "The trees went forth" — these are Israel. "And they said to the olive, Reign over us" — this is Othniel son of Kenaz, who was of the tribe of Judah, as it is said, "A leafy olive tree, fair with goodly fruit, the LORD called your name" (Jeremiah 11:16). And what did Othniel say to them? "Should I cease my fatness?" They went to Deborah: "And they said to the fig tree, Reign over us" — "Should I cease my sweetness?" — "And Deborah sang" (Judges 5:1). "And they said to the vine" — this is Gideon — "You, rule over us, also"; he said to them, "Should I cease my new wine?" "I will not rule over you" (Judges 8:23). "And the trees said to the bramble, You, you reign over us" — this is Abimelech. Just as the bramble is a barren tree, all thorns, so Abimelech had no good deeds.

"And the vine said to them" (Judges 9:13). Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: From where do we learn that song is recited only over wine? As it is said, "And the vine said to them, Should I cease my new wine, which gladdens God and men?" (Judges 9:13). If it gladdens men, with what does it gladden God? From here [we learn] that song is recited only over wine.

"And the lords of Shechem set men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who passed by them" (Judges 9:25). What is the very picture of a robber? Rabbi Abbahu said: like Benaiah son of Jehoiada, as it is said, "and he wrested the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and slew him with his own spear" (II Samuel 23:21). Rabbi Yohanan said: like the lords of Shechem. And Rabbi Abbahu, why did he not bring his proof from this case? Because, since they lay hidden, they are not [the model of open] robbers. And Rabbi Yohanan holds that they lay hidden only so that people would not see them and flee from them. His disciples asked Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai: Why did the Torah deal more strictly with a thief than with a robber? He said to them: This one [the robber] treated the servant and the Master as equals, and that one [the thief] did not treat the servant and the Master as equals. As it were, he made the eye below as though it does not see and the ear as though it does not hear. As it is said, "Woe to those who go deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their deeds are in the dark, and they say, Who sees us, and who knows us?" (Isaiah 29:15); and it is written, "And they say, The LORD does not see, neither does the God of Jacob understand" (Psalms 94:7); and it says, "For they say, The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see" (Ezekiel 9:9). Rabbi Meir said in the name of Rabban Gamliel: A parable of two men in a city who made a feast. One invited the townsfolk and did not invite the king's household, and one invited neither the townsfolk nor the king's household. Rabbi Shimon brings it from here: "And you bring the stolen, and the lame" (Malachi 1:13) [as an offering]: just as the lame is a blemish in the open, so too the robber acts in the open. Rabbi Yose in the name of Rabbi Abbahu: Before nine [witnesses one is] a thief, before ten a robber.

"And Jephthah fled from before his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tov" (Judges 11:3). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Why was its name called Tov ["good"]? Because it is exempt from the tithes.

"And empty men gathered themselves to Jephthah" (Judges 11:3). From where do we know this matter that people say: "A bad palm tree goes and attaches itself to a thicket of barren trees" [like draws to like]? This matter is written in the Torah, repeated in the Prophets, stated a third time in the Writings, taught in our Mishnah, and taught in a baraita. It is written in the Torah: "And Esau went to Ishmael" (Genesis 28:9). Repeated in the Prophets: "And empty men gathered themselves to Jephthah" (Judges 11:3). Stated a third time in the Writings: "Every bird dwells according to its kind, and a man according to his like" (Ben Sira). Taught in our Mishnah: that which is attached to the impure is impure, and to the pure is pure. And taught in a baraita: Rabbi Eliezer says, not for nothing did the starling go to the raven, but because it is its own kind.

"And it shall be that whatever comes forth, which comes out of the doors of my house" (Judges 11:31): four asked in an improper manner (it is written in remez [reference] 25).

And because he was not a man of Torah, he lost his daughter. And so it says, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life" (Proverbs 11:30): even though a man is righteous, if he does not engage in Torah he has nothing in his hand, for it is from the Torah that one learns how to redeem souls. His daughter said to him: Perhaps it is written in the Torah that they should offer up human souls? Is it not written, "of the animal, of the herd" (Leviticus 1:2)? He said to her: My daughter, I vowed, "whatever comes forth" (Judges 11:31). She said to him: Jacob our father, who vowed, "of all that You give me I will surely tithe to You" (Genesis 28:22), and the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him twelve tribes, did he offer up one of them? And he did not listen to her. She said to him: Let me be, and I will go to the court; perhaps they will find an opening for your vow, as it is said, "Let me alone for two months" (Judges 11:37). Rabbi Levi ben Berekhya said: Now, does a person go down upon the mountains? Surely one goes up upon the mountains! Rather, what is "and I will go down"? It means I will go down to the Sanhedrin, as it is said, "Hear, O mountains, the controversy of the LORD" (Micah 6:2).

Rabbi Yohanan and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish [disagreed]. Rabbi Yohanan said: Jephthah was liable for the monetary value of the consecration. And Resh Lakish said: he was not even liable for the monetary value of the consecration. For we have learned: if one said of an impure animal, "This shall be a burnt offering," or of a blemished animal, "This shall be a burnt offering," he has said nothing [it does not become an offering]. [But if he said,] "These shall be for a burnt offering," they are sold and he brings a burnt offering with their value. And there was no Phinehas present to release him from his vow. Rather, Phinehas said: he needs me, and shall I go to him? Jephthah said: I am the head of the chiefs of Israel, and shall I go to him? Between the one and the other, the girl was lost. This is what people say in the proverb: "Between the midwife and the destroying angel, the child of the unfortunate woman is lost." And both of them were punished for her blood. Jephthah died by the falling away of his limbs: wherever he went a limb dropped from him and they buried it there. This is what is written, "And Jephthah died and was buried in the cities of Gilead" (Judges 12:7); it is not written "in the city of Gilead" but "in the cities of Gilead." From Phinehas the holy spirit departed, as it is said, "And Phinehas son of Eleazar was ruler over them in time past, the LORD being with him" (I Chronicles 9:20) [implying: formerly, but not after].

There are four who made vows: two vowed and profited, and two vowed and lost. Jacob vowed and lost, for his wife Rachel died. Jephthah vowed and lost his daughter. Israel vowed and profited, as it is said, "And Israel vowed a vow" (Numbers 21:2). Hannah vowed and profited, as it is said, "And she vowed a vow and said" (I Samuel 1:11).

Jephthah the Gileadite vowed an improper thing, to offer up his daughter upon the altar. The men of Ephraim gathered to him to make a great quarrel with him. It was for Phinehas to say to them: you should release his vow; you have come only to make a quarrel. But he did not protest against the men of Ephraim, and he did not release Jephthah's vow. "He who sits upon the throne of righteous judgment" (compare Psalms 9:5), may His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity: after this man had placed his life in his palm and come to save Israel from the children of Ammon and Moab, and they came to make a quarrel with him, at once he rose and killed forty-two thousand of them, as it is said, "Say now Shibboleth, and he said Sibboleth" (Judges 12:6). This [pronunciation] is the language of idolatry, like a man who says to his fellow, "sha bel" [bow to Bel]. And who killed them? Phinehas, who had it in his power to protest and did not protest, and to release Jephthah's vow and did not release it. For anyone who has it in his power to protest and does not protest, to bring Israel back to the good and does not bring them back, all the blood that is shed in Israel is shed by his hand. As it is said, "And you, son of man, I have set you as a watchman... and you, if you have warned the wicked" (Ezekiel 33:7-8); this teaches that all Israel are responsible for one another. If you should say, those seventy-two thousand who were killed at Gibeah of Benjamin, why were they killed? The Great Sanhedrin that Moses and Joshua and Phinehas son of Eleazar had left with them should have tied iron cords around their loins and raised their garments above their knees and gone around to all the towns of Israel, one day to Lachish, one day to Eglon, one day to Hebron, one day to Bethel, one day to Jerusalem, and taught them proper conduct year after year, two, three, four, five years, until Israel were settled in their land, so that the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, would be magnified and sanctified in all the world that He created from one end to the other. They did not do so. Rather, once Israel entered their land, each one ran to his vineyard and his olive trees and said, "Peace be upon you, my soul," so as not to increase his trouble. The sages taught in the Mishnah: lessen your business and engage in Torah, and be humble of spirit before every person; and if you neglect the Torah, you will have many causes of neglect against you. And when they committed at Gibeah of Benjamin ugly deeds and unfit things, the Holy One, blessed be He, went forth to destroy the whole world, and seventy-two thousand of them fell. And who killed them? The Great Sanhedrin that Moses and Joshua and Phinehas had left with them. And the concubine at Gibeah was in the days of Cushan-rishathaim. At that time the priesthood was given to the sons of Ithamar son of Aaron for about forty-two years, and the sons of Eli acted corruptly. At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, said: let the priesthood return to its [rightful] owners. As it is said, "I said indeed [that your house should walk before Me forever, but now the LORD says, Far be it from Me]" (I Samuel 2:30): say to Aaron [the original promise]; say to Jeremiah, "And I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest" (I Samuel 2:35); this is Zadok the priest before David the king.

"Ibzan of Bethlehem" (Judges 12:8). Rabbah bar Yitzchak said that Rabbi Yitzchak said: This Ibzan is Boaz. And Rabbah bar Yitzchak said: Boaz made a hundred and twenty wedding feasts for his children, as it is said, "And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters he sent abroad, and thirty daughters he brought in from abroad for his sons" (Judges 12:9). And at all of them he did not invite Manoah, for he said: With what will that barren mule repay me? It is taught: And they all died in his lifetime. And this is what people say: In your lifetime your wife bore sixty and sixty [children]; what benefit do you have, since they died? Strive instead and beget one good [child] who is worth sixty.

"Behold now, you are barren and have not borne" (Judges 13:3). Bar Kappara says: Great is peace, for Scripture spoke a fabricated wording in the prophets in order to make peace between a man and his wife. For it is written, "Behold now, you are barren and have not borne" [implying the fault lay with her]. But to Manoah the angel did not speak thus; rather he said, "From all that I said to the woman let her beware" (Judges 13:13) [not specifying who was childless]. In any case, she needed remedies [for the matter to be set right].

"And now beware, and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean" (Judges 13:4). What is "anything unclean"? Rabbi Yitzchak of the school of Rabbi said: They say it means things forbidden to a nazirite. "And he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines" (Judges 13:5). Rav Acha bar Chanina said: The oath of Abimelech was made profane [began to be undone], as it is written, "that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my grandson" (Genesis 21:23).

"And Manoah went after his wife" (Judges 13:11). Rav Nachman said: Manoah was an ignoramus, as it is said, "And Manoah went after his wife." The Gemara objects: If so, then "And Elkanah went up after" his household (cf. 1 Samuel) would also imply this, and behold it is written, "And there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim" (1 Samuel 1:1) understood as "one man who came from the two hundred seers who prophesied to Israel." Rather, the meaning is that Manoah went after her words and after her counsel; here too it means after her words and after her counsel. But according to what Rav Nachman said, that Manoah was an ignoramus, he had not even read the verses children learn in the schoolhouse, for it is written, "And Rebecca arose, and her maidens, and they rode upon the camels and followed the man" (Genesis 24:61), and not before the man.

"And the angel of the LORD said to Manoah" (Judges 13:18). The angel said to him: I do not know in whose likeness I am made, for at every hour He changes me. "Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wondrous?" (Judges 13:18) Wonders of wonders He works through me: sometimes I am wind, as it is said, "He makes His messengers winds" (Psalms 104:4); sometimes I am fire, as it is said, "His ministers a flaming fire" (Psalms 104:4). And so you find with Abraham: they appeared to him as men, "And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men" (Genesis 18:2). And at Sodom they appeared as angels, "And the two angels came to Sodom" (Genesis 19:1).