Shoftim 6

0:00Welcome to Tarati Mecha Nakhiyomi with the OU Women's Initiative. My name is Khunaleir Rappaport and today we will be learning Safer Shoftim, Perak Vav, Chapter 6. And the parak begins, as so many before Pazagalif, Vaya Asubinay Shalharab-e-Nehashem, and the Jewish people did bad in the eyes of Hashem, where he'd name Hashem-Biyad-Midyan Shabashanem. This time, the villain is Midyan, for seven years. It doesn't say what the ra was, it doesn't say what the bad was, because it was just a general weakness. It was also the shortest time that we see in this Safer that they were ruled only seven years, but also the worst, because this was the first time that they faced an enemy from outside Eratsisrao. The Jews had to hide in caves and tunnels, and the Midyanem were joined by Amalik and also Benei-Kedem. Amalik takes every opportunity to join in against the Jewish nation. And together, Midyan, Amalik and Benei-Kedem, they destroyed the whole economy of the

1:06Jewish nation, as it has imposed a deliver for Vaya Shri-Sosibul-Harrat-Adbo-Achal-Aza. They destroyed all the produce of the land, up until Aza, Vaya Shiro-Mikhyeb-e-Israel, they did not leave any sustenance in Yisrael, Visa, Vashar-Vachamor, or any sheep or cattle or donkeys, no working animals. They covered a huge amount of Eratsisrao, and the Jews were very poor. Pasagvav, Verse 6, Vaya Dali-Israel, Ma'aid-Mafne-Mijin, they became very, very poor by Yis Akub-Benei-Israel-Ahashem, and they called out Ahashem. And when they cried out, where Yisakh Hashem ishnavi al-Benei-Israel, Hashem sends a navi to Benei-Israel, this navi is Pinchas. He has already come previously, we've met him in the safer. It seems, according to the rabbiag, that he only comes at very specific moments. He is not going to be a shawfet. He doesn't lead like Davara or Gidon. He comes just at specific moments, usually to rebuke.

2:09And he gives them Tukhachah. Although they're hate, their Amirah, as we'll see, is Avadhizara, idol worship. He seems to focus on the lack of Hakaris Hatov. And he goes through their history. Hashem took you out of Mithraim, and he saved you, and he told you not to serve Avadhizara. And why are you? Why don't you show the gratitude that he deserves? He did so much for you. As we'll see, the lack of gratitude is the root of Avadhizara. This is what happens. If we are not grateful to Hashem, eventually we stop serving him and start looking for other people. Pasaggir, verse 10, the Omra lachem. And he said to you, I am Hashem your God, like Sir Usala, hey, Amirah, Hashem your Shreem, but I tell him, don't fear the gods of the Amirah that you're living in their land. And now after they cry out and do truva, a Shofet is going to come now to save them.

3:17We get a tiny little bit of background. Firstly, because Amirah is involved, as we've said, he always has to come from the Saviour has to come from the children of Rahul. This time it's going to be from Manasha. His name is Gidon, and he is the son of Yoash. Amalach comes to Gidon and finds him in a terrible state. He is cutting down the wheat in order to prepare it to hide from the Medyana. The Pasagg says he is chowet chitim begas. He is chopping down the wheat in the gas. The gas is a place where we usually crush grapes, the Hanees Mithnath Medyana, to hide it from Medyana. They're scared to do it outside. They're scared that if the Medyana sees that they have any food left, they'll take it away. His father, Yoash, as we'll see, is an ovid of a dhizara. He serves of a dhizara. And that's all we really know about him. Perhaps he was well known, perhaps not. It's not important to us, and so we don't know.

4:19Throughout history, people have risen to lead the Jewish nation. Some make a gradual ascent, and we know their stories. Some just seem to appear. We have a Gomara, which seems to indicate that he was not a hush of person, necessarily. And yet he is called Yerubal, as we'll see, a name for Gidon. The Gomara says that Yerubal, in his time, is like Mosher Abeno in his time, meaning that whoever the leader that we have, and in this case, Gidon, who comes from not a hush of family, not an important family, is going to be our savior. And there's two reasons why this person was chosen. Number one, this is not written out in the text, but we have a mentor that says that Gidon said to his father, father, you are old. I'm going to take care of chopping down the wheat, because if the Medianum come, you're not going to have the strength to run away.

5:19So I want to do this for you. And Hashem says to him, you kept the mitzvah of Kibudavah aim, I'm going to save my children through your hands, which goes back to the same Hakarasatav gratitude. The root of Kibudavah aim of honoring our parents is Hakarasatav. And if a person has it, if a person recognizes the good that his parents did for him, ultimately, he's going to recognize the good that Hashem does to him for him. And therefore, you are a worthy person to save the Jewish nation, because you have this mitzvah, you have this quality of being grateful to Hashem. The second reason is what we will learn from the interesting conversation that he will have now with the Malach, Pasad Gidbez, verse 12, and the Malach of Hashem appears to him Bayyama, I love Hashem Imcha Gibarchael, Hashem is with you, Gibarchael, Hashem is with you, you strong man.

6:22What would we not do to have a Malach appear to us and say Hashem Imcha, Hashem is with you? But Giddon, he was so despondent and weary that he didn't even notice the Malach at first. The Malach has to appear to him and he gives him the greatest encouragement that anyone could wish for. And Giddon's answer is surprising, Pasad Gidgimo, 13, Bayyama, I love Giddon. And Giddon's has to him, Biazani, please my master, Viyesh Hashem Imanu, if Hashem is really with us, the Lama Matsas Nu Khazais. Then why is all this terrible, terrible things happening to us, that I ye call Niflai Sov as Shersi Prulano Avoceno. And we're all the great deeds that we heard our fathers telling us, Lamaar as they said, Hello, Mimitraim, Hello, Nuh Hashem. Hashem, he's the one that took us out of Mitraim. Vata, and now Nithashanu, he left us, he abandoned us, Nithashanu Hashem.

7:25Hashem is abandoned us, we'd name him Bikapamidyan, and he gave us over to the hands of Midyan. The Medrash says that it happens to be that it was Pesach, of course nothing ever happens to be, but it was Pesach when the Malach appears to Gidzone. And he said, last night we were sitting by the sager table, and we were singing, Hello, and our father, my father was reading Tassan, he was saying, Bitsace Shersi Prul Mimitraim. I have a question for you, Gidzone says, were they all great then? If they were all great then, then do in their schools, do in their merit and save us. And if they were reshot him, and if they were horrible people, if they were bad people, they sinned too, Qashem Shersi Sallahem Nithasham, the same way that you did miracles for them, do miracles for us too. Hashem responded to him and said, Khaykhah, I swear, you defended my children, and therefore you're going to go and save the Jewish nation.

8:27Gidzone is saying, a nation that has Hashem with them, if you tell me Hashem is with me, a nation that has Hashem with them, don't have to be grinding their grain and hiding. Why is this happening? Why have we been abandoned? And we say, you're asking Gidzone's question, but there's an obvious answer, what do you mean where is Hashem? You know where he is. Your own father is serving a bodhizara. Although interestingly, it seems like even the father who served a bodhizara was the same one who was sitting by the Pesach Seder also telling over these miracles and stories, and the fact that he serves a bodhizara is only because of the confusion of the time. But still, if your own father is serving a bodhizara, you just got rebuked from Pinchas. Why are you even asking this question? Hashem is not with you because you're not serving him, because you don't recognize him, because you didn't get rid of the nation to live in your land.

9:28But it seems like Hashem liked the question, because Hashem responded to him in Pasek Yudhalyr, 14, and Yifen Elav Hashem, Hashem turns to him. Now he gets an extra level of Noah, Hashem is turning to him, and he says, with this strength, with this merit, you're going to go and you're going to save the Jewish nation from the hands of the nation, halay Shilakhtiqah, behold, I have sent you. You have the strength now to lead Klai Yusra, because of your question. What is Hashem want more than anything? He wants a connection to the Jewish nation, even when the child is straying, a parent wants any person who can bring them back, restore that connection at any price, and Hashem says to him, yes, the fact that you're fighting for the Jewish nation, the fact that you have good questions, and you're willing to ask them to protect my child, my children, this

10:31shows me that you're the one that will have the strength to restore this connection that is so desperately needed, amazing, good don't get a personal invitation and a personal compliment, and he responds by saying, I'm not interested in me, what's with the Jewish nation, Hashem, why aren't you taking care of your children? We don't see you. Pasqq test about verse 15, Bayyama I love, be a doni, and get on continues, and he says, please my master, but I'm not a shea as you saw, how can I save the Jewish nation, me? He may al-Fihad al-Bamanasha, my branch of the family were the poorest branch from the whole Shabat-Manasha, but Anachih had sa'ir bavis avi, and I am the youngest in my father's house, I am poor, my family is poor, my group is poor, even our Shabat is poor,

11:31we're not from a family, we're from Manasha, we're not the brother that is the more important one. I'm going to come and fight, I'm going to come and lead, who's going to listen to me? And Hashem says, don't worry, I'm going to fight for you, it's going to be a nace. And Gidon is not sure, he's an enough, he has humility, and even after he is promised, he asks for a sign, of course this is reminiscent, we said, Nirubal Gidon in his generation is like Mosheh, he asks, like Mosheh asks for a sign, of Puzzogidzai in 17, Vyamra-e-Lav, Imna-Matsas-e-Kheinbe-e-Nehah, if I pound favor in your eyes, for asis-a-li-ois-sha-atama-debe-e-mi, please make for me a sign that it's you Hashem who's talking to me that I'm not being taken advantage of, am I really the right one, do you really want me to do it, am I imagining this whole thing, are you really coming from Hashem?

12:33There's another advantage of doing a sign, and that is when a promise comes with something tangible with a sign, it cannot be revoked, and he wanted to make sure that even if the Jews start to sin or are not doing chuvah, not repenting the way that they should, nothing is going to change. And the sign is that he was going to bring a whole meal, really, and see if it would be consumed or not. We get all the details, the malach tells him to put the meat and the matsos on a rock, and spill the soup on it to make it harder to be burned up, and then the malach takes the end of his stick, and touches the food, and a flame comes out and consumes it, and the food disappears, and the malach disappears as well. And now Gidon knows that this was truly divine, this really came from Hashem. Puzzle Club Bays, verse 22, we are Gidon Kimalach Hashem who, and Gidon realized without doubt that this was a malach Hashem, and Yom were Gidon, ah, ah, ah, Hashemalach came

13:36Kialkain were Isimalach Hashem Panemal Panem, this wasn't a cry of joy, I've seen a real authentic true malach face to face, he realizes the implication, a deeper sense of obligation of responsibility, he's the son of someone who serves a will desire, and yet he saw a malach, he can never be the same again. Puzzle Club Gimal 23, Wa Yom wa La Hashem, Shalom l'achha, peace to you. Al-Tira, don't be scared, La Temus, you're not going to die, and he goes on Gidon and puzzle-chavdale, wa evaneshaum Gidon, Mischbeikh, La Hashem, he builds a Mischbeikh to Hashem as a commemoration of this great miracle that has happened. John would like him to display Miseric Nefesh self-sacrifice to show himself that he can do this, that he has the strength, and therefore, John gives him a command. He says, your father has two cows.

14:36One of these cows, he's been saving for seven years for idle worship. It's interesting, given that he's been saving the cow for seven years. We can infer that he wasn't in a rush to serve the idols. Maybe it was there just to pacify the Midianum or the other people around, like, as if he is preparing to serve the avodizara of the idols. But meanwhile, he has this cow. Nashem says, your father has built a mizbeach for the baal for the avodizara, and there's a tree there also meant to serve avodizara and ashera, and in Puzzle Krofe, verse 25, a harasta as mizbeach, a baal to destroy the mizbeach, the altar that was built for the baal for the avodizara, ashera, a lot of vehicle that your father has. But ashera, ashera, love to grace and cut down the tree. And then ashera gives him a command. This is an unprecedented command, and we'll see there are lots of problems with the command. But ashera says, in Puzzle Krofe, I want you to build

15:38a new mizbeach, a new altar, and take this cow that was meant for avodizara, and I want you to cut down the tree and sacrifice the cow on the mizbeach that you are going to build. We have a whole list of problems with this command. There's a mizbeach, there's an altar in Shilo, and at the time where there's a central altar in Shilo, you're not allowed to just build an altar in your backyard. Any carbon, any sacrifice that you bring has to be brought in Shilo. Number two, only a cohen can bring a carbon, a sacrifice, and Gidon is from Shafet Manasha. Number three, you can only bring a carbon during the day, not at night. Number four, he was told to cut down the ashera, which is a tree that was established for idle worship, and use it as the fuel to bring up this carbon. You're not allowed to do that. Number five, there are special vessels that are used to bring a carbon as sacrifice, which he did not have. Number six, instead he used

16:40Caleb vessels that had been used for avodizara for idle worship. Certainly can't use that. Number seven, you can't use an animal that has been set aside for avodizara to serve to to sacrifice instead of Hashem. You can't use an animal that's been set aside. You can't use an animal that's been served as avodizara. And yet Gidon is told to do all these things. These wrong things, but he knows that that he saw Amalach and he knows this as a Nevua. And so he is going to do this. Why is Hashem making him do this? Why does Hashem tell him to do this? It's to make an impression. The Jews are not doing well. Many of them, including Gidon's own father, are serving avodizara. The level isn't great. The time is not right. The vessels are not properly prepared and yet when there is no choice, the path is not closed. Although you are surrounded by negative things. You're surrounded by everything that's wronged. You can still turn things around and you can still serve Hashem. So Gidon takes 10 people, may avodizara, from his servants. If I ask

17:44Hashem, you bear a love Hashem. And he does exactly what Hashem tells him to do. And they're scared to do it during the day. So they do it at night. He calls 10 men to do it first because he wanted to publicize it. And secondly, he would need help to do it all at once. He was scared that he couldn't do this piece by piece. He had to do it all right away, as we'll see, because in Puzzle Cofres, when the people of the city wake up in verse 28, Feshimu Anche Erboboka. And they see that the Mizbeach has been destroyed and that the tree has been cut down and at the cow, which had been set aside for seven years, has been sacrificed on the Mizbeach. They wake up to massive confusion. There avodizara has been destroyed, but by whom? And in Puzzle Cofres, number 30, the people of the city turn to Yash and they say, Hote Espin Javiamos, take out your son and we will kill him, because he destroyed the Mizbeach, the altar of the Baal, and he cut down the Asherah. We are so

18:44scared. We don't know what to do now. And are the gods going to be angry at us? Is Midian going to be angry at us? And Yash says to them, Veyom or Yashlakhal, Asherah, I'm do a love. Hatatem torivon the Baal. You, you're going to fight for the Baal for the avodizara, im atem toshionoso. You're the ones that are going to save the Baal. Meaning, you don't destroy the Baal, but if he's really God, let him fight back. Im elahimhu, if he's truly a God, you're revelal. Let him fight. Keenatatsus Mizbechal. He, he had, if he's a God, he should be the one to fight back. You're going to fight back? You're going to go and save him? What for? It seems, again, like, yes, Yash was, did serve idols. He had this Mizbeach. He had this cow, but he didn't really believe. And perhaps none of the Jews really believed. They weren't stuck to the avodizara. They calm down very quickly, but the difficulties of the time led

19:46them to sin or to rely on these idols. And at this time, they give him a new name, Yirubaal, he who fought against the Baal. And now we're not finished the paraket because the war is going to start. Unclear why? Why an active war is going to happen now? But they do gather together, and they're camping again in the center of the land. And he calls up people to help him, Gidon calls people to help him in three stages. First, he calls just from his own family, will they come? And they do. And when the key comes, then he calls his whole shavet, Menasha, everybody should come. And then he calls three schvatten from up north. Usher, Zvulan, Naftali, come up and meet them. It's interesting and pointing it out quickly. We'll talk about a little more detail. Two tribes who are more nearby or closer to the center of the fight, but he doesn't call them Yusacher and Ephraim. Yusacher will discuss at the end of the next parake. And Ephraim is a little bit more complicated.

20:53Menasha and Ephraim, of course, were brothers. And this foreshadows what we'll see is an ongoing difficulty between these two schvatten. And that Ephraim is perceived to be the stronger and Gidon, from the weakest family of the weaker shavet, is uncomfortable to call them up. We will later discuss this. And the tribes gather together and get ready for the fight. But Gidon is still scared. He's coming from a place where they serve idols. And maybe he's not good enough. And so he turns to Hashem and he says, we are Gidonala Elohim. Can I ask you again, if you're really going to save the Jews like you said, and in verse Ramadan 37, Hine Anachim Matsik, Eskiza Satemur Bhagavan, I'm going to take a piece of fleece. And I'm going to put it near the Threshing floor. I'm telling you, Yalagiza Levada, if you put tal, if you put the do just on this fleece,

22:00Baal Kala Aratschorev, and all the earth around is going to be dry, Biyadati Kisashia, Biyaddi, then I'll know for a fact, Kisashia, Biyadis, Yusra Al-Kashaadi Bharta, that you're going to save in my hand the Jewish nation. He says, I'm the fleece, and all around me is the Jewish nation. Maybe they're not worthy. If they're not worthy, and I get the fleece that the do on my fleece, then I'll know that you have chosen me to be the leader, even if they're not worthy. And the sign happens, Hashem puts a lot of water on the fleece, it becomes very, very wet, but yet the ground is not totally dry, because the do is symbolic of the slush of the nation. Hashem says, Hashem says, Quotes, that I'll always sense tal, there will always be do, rain, not always, rain, you have to be worthy of, do, there will always be.

23:01A brisk Russo Natalcha Indonesia, there's a covenant made with tal, with do that will never, there will always be do, there will always be do, there will always be the Jewish nation. So yes, you the fleece, you get down the fleece, you're going to have a lot more moisture, but there still was moisture on the ground around. The test that he was asking for is, even if the Jews are not worthy in their dry, am I still worthy to save the Jewish nation? But he had asked for a test that could not be fulfilled, so now he is not sure. So he turns back and he says, I have one more question. Even if I'm not the leader, will you still save the nation? Veyom, we're good in El Halakim, Al Yikhar, Abhubi, please don't be angry at me, Pasaglametes, verse 39. And Adabra, Ahchapan, let me speak one more time, can I ask you for just one more sign? And Asena, Rahchapan, Beguiza, Yiyana, Kharaf, Al-Haqiza, Al-Vada,

24:03Al-Khalha, Arati, et al. One more sign, please. Let's, let's say I'm not worthy, but the Jews are worthy. Does it have to come through me? Let me put this fleece on the ground and let the fleece stay dry, and the ground around will stay wet. And this is indeed what happens. But yeah, Asena, Khayn Balaylah, who, that night, Hashem did what he asked for, Beguiza, Al-Haqiza, Lavada, and just on the fleece that was dry for Al-Khalha, Arati, Hayat al. And on all the ground, there was do. The promise is clear. Hashem is, was, and will always be with the Jewish nation, and with Gidon as the leader. Thank you for learning in memory of our dear grandma, there's Maryam Shankarachal Friedman, Theresa Shriver, and Bella Openheimer, Alayem Mashallah, Nishot Khayal, who lives with the utmost commitment to Torah, Abode and Kamil Khassadim, despite the physical and spiritual challenges they face living in the United States,

25:03Israel or Europe. May their example continue to inspire our families and the family of Kuala Israel, Nina and Khayyam Shankar.