Moav

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David and his Men against Shaul and his Men
Chapter 22 (Part I)
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
The story of Nov is interrupted by the description of David's journey to Moav with his family. Are the two episodes linked? How does the text connect David's men with Shaul's monarchy?
The Roots of Megillat Ruth: Lot and Avraham
Dr. Yael Ziegler
Ruth the Moabite if s descendant of Lot, who chose to separate from Abraham and move to Sodom. While he escaped the fate of Sodom, his family adopted the faulty Sodomite sexual and moral culture. While Ruth is a descendant of Moab, she chooses to join the nation of Israel, offering a tikkun to Lot’s actions, and to the rampant immorality of the Israeli nation in the era of Judges.
David's Wars (Part I)
Chapter 8
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
After Nathan's vision, David leads a series of military victories over surrounding nations. What is the relationship between this chapter and the previous one, which begins with the words "And it came to pass, when the king dwelt in his house, and God had given him rest from all his enemies round" (7:1)? Why did David treat Moab with particular cruelty? Why did David "Hough all the chariot horses," and how does this action differentiate him from Shaul?
"For God is Not a Man" (Audio)
Rabbi Chanoch Waxman |
Parshat Balak appears to interrupt the flow of Sefer Bemidbar. Why does it belong in the Torah? This shiur explores the significance of the parallels between Parshat Balak and the Akeida story, and reveals that Parshat Balak and its placement at a momentous point in Bemidbar send an important message about God, Israel, sacrifices, and the Covenant (Brit).
Ruth the Moavite
Dr. Yael Ziegler
A contrast exists between the Midrash's portrayal of Ruth's inborn modesty and the simple reading of the text which portrays Ruth's learning process with regard to modesty. Naomi embraces Ruth as a partner. Ruth and Naomi deal with two challenges of survival: the short-term one of obtaining food and the long-term one of continuity of progeny.
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 War Against Moav
Rabbi Alex Israel
Ambivalence pervades this chapter. On the one hand, the united forces of Israel find themselves in the desert without water, an error interpreted as a sign of God's disfavor. On the other hand, water is provided miraculously. Israel receives a prophecy from Elisha that it will deal a crushing blow to Moav; ultimately Israel withdraws, resulting in an inconclusive end to the battle. Israel is commanded in the Torah not to be destructive to the land on a military conquest but here Elisha commands them to destroy. Is it possible that Meisha's human sacrifice turns the tide of the war or is he successful in destroying the alliance between Edom and Israel by killing Edom's heir to the throne? Is God with Israel or is He not? This chapter ends with many questions remaining.
Yeshayahu 15-16
Matan Al HaPerek
Rabbi David Sabato
Perek 15-16 details Yeshayahu’s prophecy regarding Moav. His pronouncement opens with a prediction of Moav’s destruction, however most of the prophecy is devoted to a description of the great mourning left in its wake (15:1-9). Scattered throughout this section are the names of Moav’s main cities. The second half of the prophecy (16:1-5) describes the pleas of Moabite refugees seeking refuge in Israel. In the third section (16:6-12), Yeshayahu vividly describes the destroyed ﬁelds and vineyards of Moav as well as the destruction of its temples and high places (bamot). In the ﬁnal pesukim of the prophecy (13-14), Yeshayahu reveals that there are only three years left until the arrival of Moav’s destruction.
Why Kill Midyan and Spare Moav?
Ramban on Parshat Pinchas
Rabbi Ezra Bick | 37 minutes
God tell Moshe to fight the Midianites, but the sin of Ba’al Pe’or occurred with the daughters of Moav. Furthermore, God specifically says not to attack Moav! Ramban considers and critically evaluates varying approaches: Is the sin of planning and concocting worse than carrying something out- were the Midians merely using the Moavite women as their weapon of choice? Was Moav to be saved because of future righteous descendants? Was motivation a factor- Moav involved out of fear, and Midian out of malice? Is there a difference between attacking borders and attacking people’s souls? Is God’s exclusion of Moav related to this story, or to the covenant between Lot and Avraham?
Prophecies Concerning the Nations
Dr. Tova Ganzel
The prevailing perception in the Ancient East was that kings were emissaries of the gods or even gods themselves, and that every nation had its own god that ensured its victor in war. The prophet counters this perception by gathering all the prophecies about the nations into a single collection. This emphasizes that God, Lord of the entire world, decides the fate of each and every nation.

These chapters in Yehezkel, unlike the prophecies addressed to other nations by other prophets, make scant mention of Israel’s redemption.

In Chapter 25, Yehezkel conveys brief prophecies concerning Ammon, Moav, Edom and the Pelishtim, each of which has a lengthy historical relationship with Israel. These prophecies share a uniform structure.

The transition between the first and second parts of the book is indirectly shown here through the content of the prophecy to Ammon, In response to their joy over the desecration of the Temple and the desolation of the land and the exile, Yehezkel prophesies their disappearance and annihilation.
Ruth: Of Loyalty and Treason
Rabbi Moshe Shulman
תאריך פרסום: תשע"ה | |
Why do Elimelekh and his sons die? And why had they left the Land of Israel in the first place – if their purpose was to escape the famine, then going to Moav would not ameliorate their situation, as Moav would ostensibly be similarly affected. We turn to the stories of Lot and Avraham as well as the Book of Shoftim, supplemented by Midrash and commentary, to help us explore the mystery of the famine and the journey to Moav. This famine is not caused by rain: this famine is caused by war. His decision to go to Moav is not about leaving the Land of Israel, but rather an act of treason - which contrasts the loyalty and courage of Rut, Naomi, and Boaz.
Lot's Daughters: Real Fears and Drastic Measures
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.
Balak - A View from the Outside
Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell | 19 minutes
Parashat Balak is one of the most fascinating parshiyyot. Most of the Torah is centered around Am Yisrael, but in this parasha, Bnei Yisrael are in the periphery - it is an opportunity to view ousrselves from the outside. Is Balak a villain, or is he doing what he thinks is necessarily to protect himself? The King of Moav apparently does not feel threatened, but disgusted by the arrival of Bnei Yisrael. Moav wants to focus on the flaws of Am Yisrael, but our own viewpoint to the world should look at the big picture: what are the general trends of the people?
Balak - a King Suppressing Revolt?
Rabbi David Silverberg