Rabbi Michael Hattin

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Falling Water: Moshe's Transgression and Akiva's Transformation
Rabbi Michael Hattin
תאריך פרסום: תשע"ב | |
The Israelites are standing at the cusp of the entrance to the Land of Israel, and we are faced with a tragic story in which Moshe and Aharon receive the message that they will not enter the Land. What is Moshe’s indiscretion in the “rock and water” story in Hukkat? In searching for a response, we examine related narratives involving water, rock, and ideas of transformation found in the Bible and in the story of Rabbi Akiva’s transformation from shepherd to Torah giant.
Chapter 1: The Transition of Leadership
Rabbi Michael Hattin
Who is Yehoshua, the protagonist of our Book? This lesson examines Yehoshua’s character through his appearances in the formative events in the life of the nation, his name, and his role in the completion of the Torah. These serve as background for Yehoshua’s appointed role, and for God’s encouragement “"be strong and courageous."
Conclusion of Chapter 1: Yehoshua Assumes Leadership
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson examines how Yehoshua goes about solidifying his leadership and living up to its mandate by instilling the people with direction and confidence. He leads the nations in preparations for the crossing of the Jordan River. The significance of the three day period of preparation is examined, and the story of the tribes Reuven, Gad, and half the tribe of Menasheh is reviewed in the context of Yehoshua.
Chapter 2: The Sending of the Spies to Yericho
Rabbi Michael Hattin
In this lesson, we will begin to consider Yehoshua's sending of spies to Yericho in advance of its capture, comparing and contrasting Yehoshua's spies, with those sent by his mentor Moshe almost four decades earlier, as described in Sefer Bemidbar/Numbers Chapters 13 and 14.
Chapter 2 Conclusion: Rachav and the Spies
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson continues the analysis of the spies' mission. However, we shall shift our focus from their exploits to those of the real (but unlikely) heroine of the story, Rachav the harlot. Who is this woman, and why does she turn her back on her own people by harboring the spies? What are we to learn from her conduct? We will attempt to ascertain the motives of this remarkable woman.
Chapter 3: Crossing the Yarden with the Ark of the Covenant
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson discusses the crossing of the Jordan River in Yehoshua chapter 3. The Ark of the Covenant plays an important role in this event. We will consider the special significance of the Ark, ancient Israel's most precious artifact.
Crossing the Yarden - The Theme of Passage
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson compares the crossing of the Yarden with its most obvious parallel, the crossing of Yam Suf. In both incidents the crossing is not merely physical but existential - crossing into freedom leaving the slave masters of Egypt behind for good and forty years later crossing out of the nomadic lives of the wilderness into the settled life of Eretz Yisrael. Similarly, Avraham and Yaakov cross waters marking significant changes in their lives. While many similarities exist between the crossing of Yam Suf and the Yarden, the many differences between the two episodes highlight the stage of development the nation is in during each episode.
Revisiting the Yarden Crossing
Rabbi Michael Hattin
In direct contrast to the convention of the wilderness, in which the Pillar of Cloud and Ark always precede the people to their destination, here the Pillar of Cloud has in fact disappeared completely and the Ark remained temporarily behind, to indicate to the people that settling Canaan will require a higher level of involvement on their part. They have not been guided to the banks of the Jordan only to maintain the helpless object status that characterized them at Yam Suf. Here, they must complete the process of their liberation by demonstrating direction, resolve, and enterprise. Therefore, they must pass before the Ark.
Chapter 4 Conclusion: The Memorial of the Twelve Stones
Rabbi Michael Hattin
Yehoshua removes twelve stones from the waters of the Yarden to be carried by the people, as God had commanded - but places twelve OTHER stones in their place. What is the purpose of Yehoshua’s additional act? We will attempt to explain the significance of the stones through a comparison to the story of Eliyahu on Mt. Carmel.
Chapter 5: The Rite of Circumcision at the Yarden
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson discusses the rite of circumcision the nation undergoes after crossing into the Promised Land. The Covenant of Circumcision is reviewed from its inception in the time of Avraham, as background for understanding the timing of circumcision upon entering the land, as a parallel to the circumcision in Egypt.
Chapter 5 Conclusion: Circumcision and the Land of Canaan
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson will focus on the wider ramifications of the mass circumcision performed by the people of Israel immediately after they had crossed the Yarden. We will carefully consider the startling Biblical admission that the rite had not been performed in the forty years since the people had left Egypt, and will link the people's negation of the practice with their Divinely-imposed estrangement from Canaan.
Chapter 5 Finale: The Paschal Lamb, the Manna, and the Termination of Sefer Yehoshua's First Section
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson continues the discussion about circumcision by investigating the people's failure to practice circumcision during the sojourn in the wilderness. We will also consider their fulfillment of the Pessah Sacrifice, the cessation of the miraculous manna, and the mysterious appearance of the 'Angel of God' at the conclusion of Chapter 5.
The Angel of the Lord and the Battle of Yericho
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson will discuss the appearance of God’s angel on the eve of the conquest wars. Yehoshua’s discussion with the angel will be compared to Moshe’s revelation in the Burning Bush, including the command to both to remove their shoes. The sanctity of the land that Yehoshua stands on - Eretz Canaan - demands that despite the upcoming warfare, the people and their victorious armies must never lose site of the land's sanctity, of a man's inherent worth, of the vision of a better world in which warfare is outdated and killing obsolete.
The Fall of Yericho
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson considers the strategy employed for Yericho's capture, and the extremely harsh 'ban' proclaimed by Yehoshua against its spoils. The story of Yericho is Israel's first encounter on the battlefield with the Canaanites. After circling the stout ramparts of Yericho for seven consecutive days, the walls of the city came crashing down. We will discuss the encirclement of the city, the motif of the number seven throughout the bible, and its application in the conquest of Yericho.
Israel's First Setback
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson compares the biblical text with the archeological findings in Jericho, and then proceeds to explore the story of Akhan and his trespass, and Yehoshua’s response. This story is the background for the initial failure at the Ai, a sharp contrast with the initial success in Jericho. God stresses that the destiny of Israel as a people is bound to their moral and ritual conduct.
The Trespass of Akhan
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson considers the trespass of Akhan and its terrible consequences for the entire people of Israel. The core lesson of this tale is the indispensable bond of Jewish nationhood that tightly links all the people of Israel together, to the extent that the fortunes of the larger community or even the national grouping are sometimes affected by the acts of an individual. Having begun the process of settling the land, the formerly twelve disparate tribes will need to quickly assimilate the painful lesson of Akhan if they are to survive as a state. All human acts, of omission or commission, of good or evil, of selfish greed or altruistic love, impact upon the larger human and even cosmic reality of which the perpetrator and his innocuous deed represent only small but not insignificant parts.
The Victory Over the Ai
Rabbi Michael Hattin
At Jericho, the victory was God's alone. It was precipitated by His Ark, the symbol of His earthly throne, and resulted from the miraculous collapse of the city's fortifications. As aresult the spoils were prohibited. At the Ai, the groundwork for the undertaking that resulted in success was prepared by the twin components of Yehoshua's meticulous planning and the people's spirited struggle. While God in the end provided the critical catalyst for the victory, it was a triumph that belonged to all of Israel. Therefore, the spoils are also given over to them to stress the significance of THEIR initiative and to highlight THEIR involvement.
The King of Ai and the Altar at Mount Eval
Rabbi Michael Hattin
The text highlights the moral dimension of the conflict, emphasizing that Israel's wars of conquest must not be exercises in gratuitous bloodshed, unrestrained plunder and cruel vengeance. While it is necessary to put the inhabitants of Ai to death in the course of the battle, their king, the symbol of their temporal might and power, is dispatched without recourse to torture, while his body is shortly thereafter removed from the gallows and buried without mutilation, two telling departures from the conventions of ancient warfare. The placement of the passage describing the assembly at Mount Eval is to emphatically declare that Israel can only survive the passage over the Yarden and the entry into Canaan if they put God's Torah at the forefront of their concerns and their mission as His people as their national objective.
Chapter 9: The Duplicity of the Giv'onites
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson will look at the strategy and well executed plan of the people of Givon and its aftermath. We will discuss their motivation, and Yehoshua’s reaction once the deceit is discovered, and assess whether their deceitful methods were indeed necessary in order to incur peace with Israel and save themselves from other Canaanite nations.
Chapter 9 Conclusion: The War of Conquest and the Pretense of the Giv'onites
Rabbi Michael Hattin
In light of the story of the Givonim, this lesson will look at the Torah’s attitude toward appropriate behavior in war. According to Torah law, warfare must be waged in accordance with Divine principles. The Israelites are expected to adhere to guidelines that govern their conduct and that set limitations on their behavior in conflict.
Chapter 11: Divine Design and Human Initiative
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson will trace the progression of Yehoshua’s battles, and examine the logic behind the order of conquests. We will compare the battle against the Kings of the North with the battle of Jericho, and the battle against the Kings of the South with the battle against Ai. As the wars progress, there is a notable decline in divine intervention, and an incline in human initiative and design.
Chapter 12: The War Against the Canaanites, Part 1
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson will begin to consider the moral dimension of the war of conquest against the Canaanites. In order to gain a broader perspective, we will turn to the relevant passages in the Torah that make reference to the Promised Land and to its inhabitants. While the first section, from the early chapters of the Book of Shemot, made only an oblique and general mention of the tribes associated with the land, the second section began to spell out more specifically the true nature of the threat that they represented.
Chapter 12: The Canaanites and Morality, Part 2
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson will continue examining the moral dimension of the war of conquest against the Canaanites. In order to gain a broader perspective, we will turn to the relevant passages in the Torah that make reference to the Promised Land and to its inhabitants.
Chapter 12: Conclusion: The Moral War
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson concludes the discussion of the Torah’s attitude toward the Canaanite nations by examining more closely God's grave gift of the land of Canaan, as well as considering a very important disagreement among the commentaries concerning the Canaanites. Those that perfunctorily read the first half of Sefer Yehoshua in isolation, as a bloodthirsty account of wanton Israelite conduct, do a disservice to the text and to the ancient traditions behind it. Of course, no one can deny the tragedy of war or its cruelty but that must not blind us to the awful truth that some wars are nevertheless justified and even obligatory.
Chapter 13: The Process of Settling the Land of Canaan
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson will begin our study of the final part in the book of Yehoshua. While a superficial reading of the first half of the book may leave the impression that Israel under the leadership of Yehoshua succeeded in conquering the entire Canaanite population in short order, a more careful study indicates that this was not the case. While Yehoshua was singularly successful at the first task, God informs him that the second aspect, settlement of the land, would not be completed during his lifetime. God therefore bids Yehoshua, while he yet lives, to formally assign the territory of Canaan to the tribes by lot, to be actually distributed much later when the people of Israel finally achieve hegemony.
Chapter 14: Calev and the Journey to Chevron
Rabbi Michael Hattin
After having briefly outlined the tribal territories of Reuven, Gad and half Menashe that had been assigned by Moshe on the eastern side of the Jordan River, the text now turns its attention to the divisions of Canaan proper.
Chapter 15: The Tribal Boundaries of Yehuda
Rabbi Michael Hattin
With the account of Chapter Fifteen, the tribal divisions of territory are finally introduced. The Canaanite military alliances have long ago been smashed, their sponsors now reconciled to the inevitable settlement of Israel in the land, and Yehoshua has become old. The narrative now turns its attention to more national concerns, as the borders of the nascent state are delineated. This lesson focuses on the borders of Yehuda.
Chapters 16-17 - Part 1: Yehuda and Yosef
Rabbi Michael Hattin
Chapters 16 and 17 of Sefer Yehoshua spell out the tribal boundaries of Yosef. Yehuda and Yosef were the most important tribes in ancient Israel. Their pivotal tribal roles were already indicated by the Divinely-ordained arrangement of the camp of Israel, during the peregrinations in the wilderness. This lesson will explore the traditional roles of the two tribes in earlier sources, and the effect of these roles on the boundaries on the two tribes in the division of the land.
Chapters 16-17 - Part 2: The Tribe of Yosef
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson will examine the detailed borders of Yosef, and compare them with those of Yehuda. Both accounts preserve very lengthy and detailed descriptions of the respective tribal boundaries. The tribal portion of Yosef mirrors that of Yehuda, with several unique and parallel features. Both also include an emphasis on the challenges in inheriting and settling the land.
Chapter 18 Part 1: The Tabernacle at Shilo
Rabbi Michael Hattin
With the completion of the border descriptions of Yehuda and Yosef, the text now turns its attention to the territories of the remaining tribes. That discussion is introduced by a significant reference concerning the national sanctuary, the Mishkan. The Mishkan is relocated from Giglal to Shilo. This lesson will discuss the location of Shilo and the establishment of the mishkan there.
Chapter 18 Conclusion and Chapter 19: The Tribal Territories
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson will discuss the delineation and distribution of the remaining tribal boundaries. Yehuda and Yosef, the two largest and most powerful tribes, received their allotment first, thus anchoring the nascent state to the south and to the north. The next tribe to merit the attention of the text is the tribe of Binyamin, whose portion of land falls in between that of Yosef and Yehuda. Chapter 19 outlines the borders of Shimon, Zevulun, Yissachar, Asher, Naftali, and Dan.
Chapters 20 and 21: The Cities of Refuge and the Cities of the Leviim
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson will discuss the command regarding cities of refuge, and the link the texts creates between the Levites and the assignment of these cities, as well as the other responsibilities of the Levites.
Chapter 22: Settling the Lands East of the Jordan
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson will discuss the settling of the Transjordan by Reuven, Gad, and half of the tribe of Menasheh. We will also address and the consequences of separation: the tension created by their erection of an altar next to the Jordan River.
Chapter 23:Yehoshua Addresses the People
Rabbi Michael Hattin
The final two chapters of Sefer Yehoshua constitute Yehoshua's parting words to the people of Israel. There are two discrete addresses contained in these chapters, the last offered at a great assembly of the people at Shechem, and ours communicated to the people at an unnamed location. In both, Yehoshua employs the oratorical conventions of encouragement and warning, inspiration and rebuke. God's providential care of the people is recalled, His unwillingness to brook their disloyalty evoked. This lesson will explore the similarities of Yehoshua’s address to Moshe’s parting speech.
Chapter 24:Yehoshua's Final Address
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This lesson will analyze the final chapter of Yehoshua, which describes Yehoshua’s final words to the nation before his death. What is most remarkable about Yehoshua's address is that he has distilled his presentation of the rich and full account of Israelite history into a single irreducible notion: be counted among those who follow God and faithfully fulfill His commands in order to succeed and prosper, or else abandon Him and His ways to betray Israel's unique destiny and perish.
Settling the Lands East of the Jordan
Rabbi Michael Hattin
Moshe eventually agrees to settle the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River. The Eastern Tribes later build an altar on the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, nearly inciting civil war in order to bridge the gap. The splitting of the tribe of Menashe is an attempt to maintain a connection between the peoples on the two sides of the Jordan.
The Security of Canaan
Rabbi Michael Hattin
The Egyptian farmer labors mightily in order to irrigate his tract of land, but he rarely fears that his source of water will dry up. The situation of the farmer in Canaan is more precarious, necessitating a spiritual and emotional effort in farming his lands in addition to the physical.
Introduction to Sefer Shoftim
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This course on Sefer Shoftim shall grapple not only with textual difficulties and the intricacies of exegesis, but will also encounter many important and thought-provoking issues that are introduced by the narratives of this Book. Included among them: defining the confluence of Divine intervention and human initiative, understanding the role played by good or bad leadership in shaping the political contours and underlying value system of the tribe or state, considering how to effectively address surrounding cultural values and their related religious practices when these are at odds with the mission of the people of Israel, delineating the parameters of the oft-stated Biblical link between fidelity to God and national success, and recognizing the awesome effort needed to forge disparate tribes and their self-interested local leadership into the united people of Israel.
Opening Themes in Sefer Shoftim
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This article adresses some of the major themes of Sefer Shoftim:

1) The limitations of the great conquest of Yehoshua and the need for ongoing inhabitation of the Land

2) The unified national model of leadership versus the local tribal leadership model

3) The less direct means of communication with God during the period of the Judges.
Israel's Tragic Lethargy
Rabbi Michael Hattin
Sefer Shoftim, while it tends to revolve textually around a series of inspired regional leaders, really traces the story of Israel's tragic lethargy. The minority of tribes are involved in the continued conquest of Canaan but the vast majority of tribes are not. The Torah commanded the nation to uproot the Canaanite Nation from their midst and sure enough, it was not possible for the people to suffer an unrepentant Canaanite population in their midst while remaining aloof from their cultural and moral values.
The Pernicious Cycle of the Book of Shoftim
Rabbi Michael Hattin
The messenger sent from Gilgal to the nation in Bokhim with tidings of defeat and setback is contrasted with the angel who appeared to Yehoshua carring a sword of fire with tidings of conquest. The 5 part cycle of the Book of Shoftim described in the 2nd chapter is the result of the failure of the people to drive out the indigenous Canaanites described in the 1st chapter. The worship of Ba'al and Ashtoret - central to Caananites - frequently included less than savory rituals. The Judge in the book of Shoftim is typically a combination of an inspired leader, military strategist, and religious figure, who is, however, defined primarily by his accomplishments on the battlefield.
The Dynamics of Oppression
Rabbi Michael Hattin
Suffering the Canaanites to maintain their cultural presence in the land constituted an invitation to intermarry with them, for they were the dominant culture. Intermarriage, in turn, necessarily led to an adoption by the Israelites of the easier way of life – idolatry.

Otniel, the first judge, represents the final link with the generation of Yehoshua and the elders that succeeded him. Additionally, as a champion of the settlement of the land who personally battled the Canaanites and prevailed, Otniel recalls another dimension of Yehoshua's inspired leadership. Though he is a tribal leader - as opposed to Yehoshua - he is presented as a national savior as are many of the other judges in the Book of Shoftim.
Ehud and Shamgar
Rabbi Michael Hattin
The geographical context of the kingdoms to the East of the Jordan River is presented as the background to the heroics of Ehud ben Gera.

Shamgar ben Anat is described in one brief verse like Shimshon - a hero who fights the Philistines. A suggestion is raised that he is from the Tribe of Shimon. Did every tribe provide at least one judge? An attempt to reconcile a contradiction between the words of Rabbi Eliezer in the Talmud and the Yalkut Shimoni regarding this question is presented.
The Battle at River Kishon - Part 1
Rabbi Michael Hattin
A careful and precise read of the text reconciles the apparent contradiction between the Biblical account regarding Hatzor and the archaeological evidence. This method can be used in many apparent discrepancies between the Biblical account and archaeological evidence.

Barak gathers his men at Mount Tavor, located at the confluence of the tribal boundaries of Zevulun, Naftali and Yissachar and at River Kishon, a watercourse that begins its route near the feet of the mountain and flows along the floor of the Yizrael Valley. Barak descended with his men at Devora's behest to battle Sisera, just as an unexpected cloudburst appeared and turned the fertile plain into an impassable mudflat, a topographic trap that abruptly rendered the Canaanite chariots useless.
The Battle at River Kishon - Part 2
Part 2
Rabbi Michael Hattin
Although the text of Chapter 4 makes no mention of any unusual precipitation, and is content to simply describe the victory as a generic intervention of God, a careful reading of the passage would seem to provide almost undeniable evidence that the said intervention took the form of a sudden storm and a resultant flash flood of the valley floor.
Devorah and Yael
Rabbi Michael Hattin
This episode furnishes us with a mother - Devorah - and a wife - Yael - securing victory for a rag-tag army of irregulars over an army with nine hundred iron chariots in order to indicate that war is ignoble, killing is tragic, but freedom from enemy domination must be nevertheless be achieved. While the women of Israel proclaim life's inherent sanctity and celebrate its inviolate worth, leaving their proverbial tents to counter the threat but never reveling in the enemies' demise, Sisera's mother dreams of more bloodshed and spoils.
The Victory Song of Devorah
Rabbi Michael Hattin
The failure of the Book of Shoftim to mention any flaws concerning the first four judges - Otniel, Ehud, Shamgar and Devorah - should be taken as an approval of their reign.

There is only one single subject that is discussed in the Song at the Sea, and that is God's saving might. Devorah's Song, on the other hand, while certainly neither negating God's intervention nor downplaying it, nevertheless acknowledges the role of numerous human characters in the victory. At the same time, Devorah discusses the complex and divisive dynamic that was at work among the tribes of Israel, as some of them selflessly volunteered for what must have seemed a lost cause, while others, who were geographically beyond the direct threat of Yavin and Sisera's tyranny, remained aloof and seemingly unconcerned.
The Appointment of Gideon
Rabbi Michael Hattin
The appearance of the prophet to the nation in chapter 6, which is reminescent of the appearance of the angel to the nation in Bokhim in chapter 2, signifies the end of the era of selfless, righteous, and manifestly inspirational leadership.

Gideon, threshing wheat in the wine pit, is appointed as the new leader to fight the threat of Midyan. By challenging God, Gideon paradoxically demonstrates that he cares much about Him and especially about the fate of His people.
Gideon's Challenge
Rabbi Michael Hattin
Gideon's attempt to evade the mission given to him by the angel of God is reminiscent of Moshe's conduct at the Sneh. Gideon's unexpected appointment as leader of the people of Israel is not extended by God unconditionally. He will first have to prove his fitness for the noble task by demonstrating fortitude and faith, by publicly proclaiming his opposition to the corrupt values and corrosive belief system then current among his own people. While Gideon successfully completes the task, he shows himself to have been insidiously infected by the penchant of Ba'al's adherents for seeking signs before proceeding to battle the enemy.
Gideon Leads the People
Rabbi Michael Hattin
If Israel prevails against Midian by sheer force of their numbers, then they will fail to recognize God's pivotal role. But if Israel prevails against the Midianite hordes, with a tiny force, then God's involvement will be undeniable.

While earlier judges had to contend with challenges at least as great as that of Gideon, none merited quite the same degree of Divine hand-holding that Gideon received. This highlights the measure of his own limited spiritual resources to be able to do so unassisted. However, if the caliber of the shoftim decreases as the book progresses, it is also an indictment of the spiritual state of the people of Israel.

The noise of the smashing jars, the blare of the shofarot and the outcry of the Israelite force, the burning torches that suddenly appear out of the darkness, the enemy forces that attack from three directions simultaneously, combined with the belief that Gideon has a colossal army at his disposal, causes the Midianites to flee.
The Victory Over Midyan
Rabbi Michael Hattin
Gideon's brief but disturbing exchanges with the people of Sukkot and Pnuel highlights an ongoing problem in the book of Judges: The feeling among certain tribes or even towns within tribes that unless direct and immediate benefit was to accrue to them for their participation in the larger conflicts, they would much prefer to sit it out and leave the fighting to someone else, namely, their compatriots that were more directly threatened by the oppressor. The tribes still had a very long way to go in forging a national identity that could transcend narrow partisan concerns to address the greater issues and threats of the day.

The Midianites raise the possibility of Gideon being a king, a possibility that the people subsequently raise, but Gideon refuses because he feels that such innovations will have the effect of shifting communal and national focus away from serving God to instead concentrate it upon man.

The end of Gideon's life is marred by the episode of the golden Ephod, but his victories are remembered and referred to throughout Tanakh.
The Brief Reign of Avimelekh
Rabbi Michael Hattin
Yotam, in his parable comparing Avimelekh to an Atad is stating that Avimelekh lacks any of the constructive and useful qualifications to become a good king and useful leader, he has seized the vacant position by force. And though he promises to protect those who had been persuaded to appoint him, in the end he will destroy them and himself with his self-centered recklessness.

This chapter serves as a severe caution, providing us with a profile of the anti-ruler who must not be empowered even when the people are justifiably desperate for leadership. The anti-ruler candidate possesses a lust for power that should immediately be regarded with suspicion and alarm.
"Renew Our Days as of Old"
Rabbi Michael Hattin
The tenth chapter of Sefer Shoftim, occurring about midway through the book, is transitional in character. After the death of Avimelekh, the book records two minor judges : Tola' son of Pua from the tribe of Yissachar, and Yair of Gil'ad from the Transjordanian branch of the tribe of Menashe - who shared the same name as his illustrious ancestor, but not the same success. Both served for a total of 45 years but precious little is recorded of their exploits. In fact, the text does not even mention the oppressor from whom they rescued the people. With the demise of the two minor judges that followed Avimelech, the book again reverts to the convention of recounting Israelite betrayal and Divine displeasure, in order to indicate that we are now about to embark upon another new historical era, marked by further decline.
Refuting the Claim of the Ammonites
Rabbi Michael Hattin
Long gone and forgotten were the Otniels of illustrious lineage and the Devoras of prophetic inspiration. Now the people only deserved to be guided by a man of problematic pedigree who was himself gainfully employed in the infamous career of brigandage.Yiftah's "promising" introduction thus recalls a long line of other unsung Biblical heroes, people who rose from obscurity, infamy, or the performance of questionable acts to achieve renown. Like Yiftah, David is expelled from society and like Yiftah he gathers to him a group of people with questionable backgrounds.

Yiftah's claim to the king of Ammon is explained in great geographical and historical detail.
Yiftach's Vow
Rabbi Michael Hattin
A close read of the text and a textual link to Akeidat Yitzhak points to the conclusion that the intention of Yiftah's vow was in fact human sacrifice. In the larger context, what this episode corroborates is that Israel and its leaders, in this horrible culmination of the process throughout the era of the Judges have become indistinguishable from the Canaanite. Yiftah, a self-styled leader of Israel and a seeming servant of all that is just and holy, is at the same time a product of the terrible effects of corrosive Canaanite culture that seeks to guarantee victory upon the battlefield by vowing to immolate an innocent human being.
Yiftah's Legacy
Rabbi Michael Hattin
Yiftah, like Gideon, faces harsh criticism from the tribe of Ephraim due to their lack of inclusion in the battle against Ammon. However, as opposed to Gideon, Yiftah's reaction is violent and destructive. His rash and reckless words were his undoing, condemning both his kinsman to the slaughter as well as his own daughter to death.

The chapter concludes with the mention of three minor judges who seem to hail from the north of the country. The town of Beit Lehem mentioned in the context of Ivtzan might be in the territory of Zevulun. However, Hazal identify Beit Lehem with the town in the territory of Yehuda and Ivtzan with Boaz from Megillat Ruth, giving us a glimmer of hope in this otherwise dark and tragic era.
The Birth of Shimshon the Nazirite
Rabbi Michael Hattin
Once again, in the Book's final gasp, the sorry cycle of Israelite treachery and Divine counter-wrath is stated, but this time the oppressors have a new identity. Gone are the Canaanites, Moavites, Midianites and Ammonites of earlier cycles, now replaced by a foe far more menacing and more fierce: the Philistines.

The character of Shimshon is introduced as a Nazir from birth which demands an in depth investigation of the laws of the Nazir.
Considering the Naziritehood of Shimshon of Dan
Rabbi Michael Hattin
Shimshon's nazirite status is unique and peculiar. The nazir is by definition a person who is profoundly driven towards an encounter with the Divine. Shimshon's status is imposed upon him by Divine command from birth and not by choice. Just like the Hazal describe the Nazir as a reaction to the Sotah - the breakdown of the relationship between a husband and wife - so too God's command of coerced Nazirite status upon Shimshon is a reaction to the complete adoption of the immoral Cannanite lifestyle by the nation by the end of the Book of Judges.
Commemorating the Exodus from Egypt
Rabbi Michael Hattin
In Jewish history, certainly in Biblical history, the defining moment is the Exodus from Egypt. It is this passage from slavery to liberation that marks the birth of the nation of Israel and heralds their entry onto the stage of world history. For that reason, the pivotal episode is writ large and often upon the pages of Jewish tradition. By exploring the many ceremonies and rituals commemorating the Exodus, we can learn about its more fundamental goal of describing God's relationship to the world – His power, His knowledge and His involvement, and about the power of mitzvot in general as the pivotal elements in guiding our lives towards moral meaning and spiritual substance.
The Length of the Sojourn in Egypt
Rabbi Michael Hattin
How many years was Am Yisrael's slavery in Egypt? The Torah's stated period of four hundred and thirty years is difficult to corroborate, for elsewhere the Torah indicates that the period of enslavement could not possibly have extended for so long. The commentaries strive to reconcile this number with the rest of the chronology that the Torah provides concerning this event. However, if we begin the count with Avraham's initial journey from his birthplace of Ur, we can realize that the story of the descent to Egypt and the enslavement is thus recast as part of a much larger matrix, one that is characterized by the unsettled state of wandering and homelessness. His life of trust, of trial and of eventual triumph is thus reflected in the lives of his descendents, who eventually emerge from the crucible of Egypt as a nation.
The Gods of Deceit- Rachel, Michal and the Terafim
Rabbi Michael Hattin | Hour and 15 minutes
We find striking similarities between the story of Lavan, Yaakov, Rachel and the terafim in Parshat Vayetze and the story of Shaul, David, Michael and the terafim in Sefer Shmuel. Through a close examination of each text we learn that the story in Shmuel is meant to help us more fully understand the story in Bereishit, and gives us a unique interpretation of both incidents and new insights into the characters of Lavan and Shaul.
Ehud and Shamgar
Rabbi Michael Hattin
The geographical context of the kingdoms to the East of the Jordan River is presented as the background to the heroics of Ehud ben Gera.

Shamgar ben Anat is described in one brief verse like Shimshon - a hero who fights the Philistines. A suggestion is raised that he is from the Tribe of Shimon. Did every tribe provide at least one judge? An attempt to reconcile a contradiction between the words of Rabbi Eliezer in the Talmud and the Yalkut Shimoni regarding this question is presented.