after the incident at Shechem, where Simon and Levi took drastic action, fear rippled through the surrounding lands. The neighboring peoples reasoned, if just two of Jacob’s sons could devastate a city like Shechem, what would the entire family accomplish together?
So, Jacob, with his family and possessions, decided to head towards his father Isaac. But their journey was far from peaceful. After eight days of travel, they encountered a formidable army dispatched from Nineveh. Their mission? To extract tribute from the world and bring everyone under their dominion. Imagine their surprise, or rather, their fury, when they heard what had happened to Shechem at the hands of Jacob's sons. War was on their minds.
Now, Jacob, ever the patriarch, reassured his sons: "Fear not, God will be your helper, and He will fight for you against your enemies." But there was a condition. “You must put away from you the strange gods in your possession, and you must purify yourselves, and wash your garments clean." It's a reminder that even in times of war, spiritual purity and devotion to God were paramount.
Then, armed and ready, Jacob himself led the charge. In the initial assault, he slew twelve thousand of the weaker soldiers, a testament to his strength and commitment. But the battle was far from over. Judah, seeing his father's exhaustion, stepped forward, "Father, thou art tired and exhausted, let me fight the enemy alone."
Jacob, recognizing Judah's exceptional bravery, responded, "Judah, my son, I know thy strength and thy bravery, that they are exceeding great, so that none in the world is like unto thee therein." Can you picture this scene? The passing of the torch, the trust in his son's abilities? Judah, his face like a lion’s, attacked with unmatched ferocity, slaying twelve myriads – that’s 120,000! – of seasoned warriors. The battle raged fiercely, and Levi joined his brother, together achieving victory. Judah alone slew another five thousand, while Levi’s blows were so powerful that enemies fell like grain before a reaper, as Legends of the Jews dramatically puts it.
The people of Nineveh, witnessing this extraordinary display of strength, began to waver. "How long shall we fight with these devils? Let us return to our land, lest they exterminate us root and branch, without leaving a remnant." Their king, however, wouldn't allow it. He rallied them, reminding them of their past conquests and urging them to stand their ground. They sent messengers for reinforcements, and renewed the assault.
Jacob, ever the strategist, positioned his twelve sons strategically, leaving gaps between them. He, armed with a sword and bow, faced the enemy head-on. The fight was desperate. He fought left and right, inflicting heavy losses. At one point, surrounded by two thousand men, he leapt over them and vanished. Legends of the Jews tells us he slew 220,000 that day! But the battle was far from over.
Ninety thousand more Ninevites appeared, forcing Jacob to continue fighting. His sword even broke, and he resorted to grinding rocks into powder to blind his enemies. Finally, darkness fell, offering a brief respite.
The next day, Judah again stepped up, offering to take his father's place. The Ninevites were terrified by Judah’s lion-like appearance and voice. He moved like a whirlwind, slaying 80,096 men before exhaustion overcame him. Zebulon then took his place, mowing down another 80,000. Judah, regaining his strength, unleashed a thunderous roar and sent the army fleeing.
But the war wasn't over. The Ninevites returned the following day. Issachar and Gad took up the fight, slaying 48,000 warriors and driving another 120,000 into a cave. They then set the cave on fire, forcing the remaining soldiers to emerge and fight. Dan and Naphtali rushed to their brothers' aid, and together they continued the battle.
On the third day, the Ninevites received reinforcements, an army as vast as the sands of the sea. All of Jacob's sons united to meet the challenge, routing the enemy. But when they pursued the fleeing soldiers, the Ninevites turned and fought back. "Why should we run away? Let us rather fight them, perhaps we may be victorious, now they are weary."
Seeing his children under attack, Jacob himself rejoined the fray, striking blows on all sides. Yet, the Ninevites managed to separate Judah from his brothers. Jacob whistled, and Judah responded, his brothers rushing to his aid. Judah, parched with thirst, struck the ground with his finger, and water miraculously gushed forth. Seeing this, the Ninevites cried out, "I will flee before these devils, for God fights on their side," and they fled in terror.
After the battle, the sons of Jacob realized Joseph was missing. Naphtali found him still fighting the Ninevites, and together they vanquished the remaining soldiers. With the war finally over, Jacob and his family continued their journey to Isaac.
What does this incredible story tell us? It's more than just a war story. It's about faith, family, and the unwavering strength to overcome seemingly impossible odds. It's a reminder that even when faced with overwhelming forces, belief in God, unity, and courage can lead to victory. The Midrash Rabbah and the Zohar are filled with these types of stories, meant to instill courage and faith in the Jewish people throughout the generations. It makes you wonder, what "Ninevite armies" are we facing in our own lives, and how can we channel the spirit of Jacob and his sons to overcome them?
The destruction of Shechem by Simon and Levi terrified the heathen all around. If two sons of Jacob had succeeded in ruining a great city like Shechem, they argued, what would Jacob and all his sons accomplish acting together? Jacob meanwhile left Shechem, hindered by none, and with all his possessions he set out, to betake himself to his father Isaac. But after an eight days' march he encountered a powerful army, which had been dispatched from Nineveh to levy tribute upon the whole world and subjugate it. On coming in the vicinity of Shechem, this army heard to what the city had been exposed at the hands of the sons of Jacob, and fury seized the men, and they resolved to make war upon Jacob. But Jacob said to his sons: "Fear not, God will be your helper, and He will fight for you against your enemies. Only you must put away from you the strange gods in your possession, and you must purify yourselves, and wash your garments clean." Girt with his sword, Jacob advanced against the enemy, and in the first onslaught he slew twelve thousand of the weak in the army. Then Judah spake to him, and said, "Father, thou art tired and exhausted, let me fight the enemy alone." And Jacob replied, saying, "Judah, my son, I know thy strength and thy bravery, that they are exceeding great, so that none in the world is like unto thee therein." His countenance like a lion's and inflamed with wrath, Judah attacked the army, and slew twelve myriads of tried and famous warriors. The battle raged hot in front and in the rear, and Levi his brother hastened to his aid, and together they won a victory over the Ninevites. Judah alone slew five thousand more soldiers, and Levi dealt blows right and left with such vigor that the men of the enemy's army fell like grain under the scythe of the reaper. Alarmed about their fate, the people of Nineveh said: "How long shall we fight with these devils? Let us return to our land, lest they exterminate us root and branch, without leaving a remnant." But their king desired to restrain them, and he said: "O ye heroes, ye men of might and valor, have you lost your senses that you ask to return to your land? Is this your bravery? After you have subdued many kingdoms and countries, ye are not able to hold out against twelve men? If the nations and the kings whom we have made tributary to ourselves hear of this, they will rise up against us as a man, and make a laughing-stock of us, and do with us according to their desire. Take courage, ye men of the great city of Nineveh, that your honor and your name be exalted, and you become not a mockery in the mouth of your enemies." These words of their king inspired the warriors to continue the campaign. They sent messengers to all the lands to ask for help, and, reinforced by their allies, the Ninevites assaulted Jacob a second time. He spoke to his sons, saying, "Take courage and be men, fight against your enemies." His twelve sons then took up their stand in twelve different places, leaving considerable intervals between one and another, and Jacob, a sword in his right hand and a bow in his left, advanced to the combat. It was a desperate encounter for him. He had to ward off the enemy to the right and the left. Nevertheless he inflicted a severe blow, and when a band of two thousand men beset him, he leapt up in the air and over them and vanished from their sight. Twenty-two myriads he slew on this day, and when evening came he planned to flee under cover of darkness. But suddenly ninety thousand men appeared, and he was compelled to continue the fight. He rushed at them with his sword, but it broke, and he had to defend himself by grinding huge rocks into lime powder, and this he threw at the enemy and blinded them so that they could see nothing. Luckily, darkness was about to fall, and he could permit himself to take rest for the night. In the morning, Judah said to Jacob, "Father, thou didst fight the whole of yesterday, and thou art weary and exhausted. Let me fight this day." When the warriors caught sight of Judah's lion face and his lion teeth, and heard his lion voice, they were greatly afraid. Judah hopped and jumped over the army like a flea, from one warrior to the next, raining blows down upon them incessantly, and by evening he had slain eighty thousand and ninety-six men, armed with swords and bows. But fatigue overcame him, and Zebulon took up his station at his brother's left hand, and mowed down eighty thousand of the enemy. Meantime Judah regained some of his strength, and, rising up in wrath and fury, and gnashing his teeth with a noise like unto thunder claps in midsummer, he put the army to flight. It ran a distance of eighteen miles, and Judah could enjoy a respite that night. But the army reappeared on the morrow, ready for battle again, to take revenge on Jacob and his children. They blew their trumpets, whereupon Jacob spake to his sons, "Go forth and fight with your enemies." Issachar and Gad said that this day they would take the combat upon themselves, and their father bade them do it while their brothers kept guard and held themselves in readiness to aid and relieve the two combatants when they showed signs of weariness and exhaustion. The leaders of the day slew forty-eight thousand warriors, and put to flight twelve myriads more, who concealed themselves in a cave. Issachar and Gad fetched trees from the woods, piled the trunks up in front of the opening of the cave, and set fire to them. When the fire blazed with a fierce flame, the warriors spoke, saying: "Why should we stay in this cave and perish with the smoke and the heat? Rather will we go forth and fight with our enemies, then we may have a chance of saving ourselves." They left the cave, going through openings at the side, and they attacked Issachar and Gad in front and behind. Dan and Naphtali saw the plight of their brothers and ran to their assistance. They laid about with their swords, hewing a way for themselves to Issachar and Gad, and, united with them, they, too, opposed the foe. It was the third day of the conflict, and the Ninevites were reinforced by an army as numerous as the sand on the sea-shore. All the sons of Jacob united to oppose it, and they routed the host. But when they pursued after the enemy, the fugitives faced about and resumed the battle, saying: "Why should we run away? Let us rather fight them, perhaps we may be victorious, now they are weary." A stubborn combat ensued, and when Jacob saw the vehement attack upon his children, he himself sprang into the thick of the battle and dealt blows right and left. Nevertheless the heathen were victorious, and succeeded in separating Judah from his brethren. As soon as Jacob was aware of the peril of his son, he whistled, and Judah responded, and his brethren hastened to his aid. Judah was fatigued and parched with thirst, and there was no water for him to drink, but he dug his finger into the ground with such force that water gushed out in the sight of the whole army. Then said one warrior to another, "I will flee before these devils, for God fights on their side," and he and all the army fled precipitately, pursued by the sons of Jacob. Soldiers without number they slew, and then they went back to their tents. On their return they noticed that Joseph was missing, and they feared he had been killed or taken captive. Naphtali ran after the retreating enemy, to make search for Joseph, and he found him still fighting against the Ninevite army. He joined Joseph, and killed countless soldiers, and of the fugitives many drowned, and the men that were besetting Joseph ran off and left him in safety. At the end of the war Jacob continued his journey, unhindered, to his father Isaac.
