The passage starts with a simple statement: "wisdom is better." Better than what? Better "than instruments of battle." Kohelet Rabbah illustrates this with a remarkable tale involving Yoav, the commander of King David's army, and a wise woman named Seraḥ bat Asher. Now, Yoav wasn’t exactly known for his gentle approach.
The story goes that Yoav was laying siege to the city of Avel Beit Maakha, and things were about to get ugly. But then, a wise woman, identified as Seraḥ bat Asher, calls out to him. According to the text, Yoav was "far away," and we can imagine him, frustrated and ready to unleash his forces.
Seraḥ challenges him, and it's pretty bold. "You are not Yoav," she declares, playing on the meaning of his name, which contains the Hebrew word av, meaning "father." She accuses him of not living up to his name, implying he's not acting like a true leader or a moral authority. She even questions whether David is acting like a "Torah personality." Ouch!
Her argument is based on a fundamental principle found in Deuteronomy 20:10: "When you approach a city to wage war against it, you shall call to it for peace." Shouldn't they have tried to negotiate first? "She spoke, saying: They should have spoken initially…and the matter would have ended," she says, alluding to II Samuel 20:18. She’s basically saying, "Haven’t you read the Torah? Have the words of the Torah ended [tamu], not to be fulfilled?”
Now, Seraḥ isn't just any woman. She claims to be "the loyal [shelumei] faithful of Israel," the one who "completed [hishlamti] the tally of Israel in Egypt." According to a Midrash found in Bereshit Rabba 94:9, she was the seventieth person to descend into Egypt, completing the count of Jacob's family. The Midrash also claims she was the one who revealed to Moses where Joseph was buried, allowing Moses to fulfill the mitzvah of taking Joseph's bones to the Land of Israel.
She then accuses Yoav of seeking to destroy "a metropolitan city [ir ve’em] in Israel," reminding him that the city is like a "mother [em] in Israel." Her point? He's about to destroy something precious and vital.
Yoav, surprisingly, listens. He explains that he's after Sheva ben Bikhri, who has rebelled against King David. Rabbi Azarya and Rabbi Yonatan ben Rabbi Ḥagai, citing Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Maryon, explain that being impudent toward Torah scholars and spiritual leaders is like being impudent toward the king himself. And Rabbi Yudan takes it even further, saying that disrespect towards the king is akin to disrespect towards the Divine Presence, the "King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He."
Yoav asks Seraḥ to deliver Sheva ben Bikhri to him, and she cleverly negotiates with the people of the city. She uses her wisdom to manipulate the situation, gradually reducing the cost until they are willing to hand over the rebel leader.
Finally, they behead Sheva ben Bikhri and throw his head over the wall. The passage concludes with the somber line: "And one sinner destroys much good" – referring to Sheva ben Bikhri.
So, what’s the takeaway here? It's not just about clever negotiation tactics. It’s about the power of wisdom, of understanding, and of using words to achieve peace and justice. Seraḥ bat Asher, through her knowledge of Torah, her courage, and her eloquence, averted a potential disaster. She proved that sometimes, the sharpest weapon isn't a sword, but a well-reasoned argument delivered with conviction.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? How often do we reach for conflict when a little wisdom, a little understanding, and a few well-chosen words could achieve so much more?