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 (rabbinic interpretive commentary) 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?
Another matter, “wisdom is better” – this is the wisdom of Seraḥ bat Asher, “than instruments of battle” – than the instruments of battle of Yoav, as it is stated: “A wise woman called from the city…[say to Yoav: Come close to here]” (II Samuel 20:16) – from here [it is derived] that he was far away. “He approached her, and she said to him” (II Samuel 20:17): You are not Yoav,115Yoav has the connotation of father [av]. you shorten,116You shorten the lives of the people. you do not correspond to your name. You are not a Torah personality and David is not a Torah personality. Is it not written in the Torah: “When you approach a city to wage war against it, you shall call to it for peace” (Deuteronomy 20:10)? Perhaps for war?117Perhaps one might think that the army initiates battle immediately; the aforementioned verse therefore teaches otherwise. [This is] as is written: “She spoke, saying: They should have spoken initially…and the matter would have ended [hetamu]” (II Samuel 20:18). She said to him: ‘Is that all, have the words of the Torah ended [tamu], not to be fulfilled?’ He said to her: ‘Who are you?’ She said to him: ‘Who am I? “I am the loyal [shelumei] faithful of Israel” (II Samuel 20:19), it is I who completed [hishlamti] the tally of Israel in Egypt;118The Torah lists sixty-nine descendants of Jacob who descended to Egypt, and then states that the total number of his descendants who went to Egypt was seventy (see Genesis 46:8–27) The midrash (Bereshit Rabba 94:9) asserts that the seventieth individual was Seraḥ bat Asher. it is I who completed loyalty to Joseph and loyalty to Moses.119She revealed to Moses where Joseph was buried so he could take his bones and bury them in the Land of Israel. “And you are seeking to destroy a metropolitan city [ir ve’em] in Israel” (II Samuel 20:19); ir, this is Avel Beit Maakha,120This was the name of the city that Yoav had besieged (see II Samuel 20:15). and me, who is a mother [em] in Israel.’ Immediately, “Yoav answered and said: Far be it from me…” (II Samuel 20:20) – far be it from Yoav, far be it from David, far be it from his kingdom. “The matter is not so. Rather a man from Mount Ephraim, his name is Sheva ben Bikhri, has raised his hand against the king, against David” (II Samuel 20:21). If [he already said] “against the king,” why [did he also say] “against David”; if “against David,” why “against the king”? Rabbi Azarya and Rabbi Yonatan ben Rabbi Ḥagai said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Maryon: This is to teach you that anyone who is impudent toward Torah scholars and a spiritual leader of the generation, it is as though he is impudent toward a king; all the more so, David, who was a king, a scholar, and a spiritual leader of the generation. Rabbi Yudan said: Anyone who is impudent toward the king it is as though he is impudent toward the Divine Presence, as it is written: “He raised his hand against the king, against David.” “Against the king” – that is the King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He, and then “against David” – this is David king of Israel. [Yoav continued] “Turn him, alone, over, and I will go…[the woman said to Yoav: Behold, his head will be thrown to you over the wall]” (II Samuel 20:21). He said to her: ‘How do you know?’ She said to him: ‘Anyone who is impudent to the kingdom of the house of David incurs liability from above.’ Immediately, “the woman came to the people in her wisdom” (II Samuel 20:22). She said to them: ‘Will you not obey Yoav, will you not obey David? What nation has stood against them? What kingdom has stood against them?’ They said to her: ‘What does he demand?’ She said to them: ‘One thousand men.’ They said to her: ‘Each and every person will give in accordance with what he has.’121Each household will turn over a proportion of its members. She said to them: ‘I will go and appease him, perhaps he will [accept] fewer.’ She feigned going and returning. She said to them: ‘He demands five hundred men.’ They said to her: ‘Each and every person will give in accordance with what he has.’ She said to them: ‘I will go and appeal to him, perhaps he will [accept] fewer.’ She pretended as though she were going and returning. She said to them: ‘He demands one man, and he is a non-resident [of our city].’ They said to her: ‘If he was the best man in the city we would submit him to [Yoav].’ She said to them: ‘His name is Sheva ben Bikhri.’ Immediately, they took the head of Sheva ben Bikhri and cast it over the wall. “And one sinner destroys much good” – this is Sheva ben Bikhri.
