Shoftim Class I - Chapter 1:1-7

(1) After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of the LORD, “Which of us shall be the first to go up against the Canaanites and attack them?” (2) The LORD replied, “Let [the tribe of] Judah go up. I now deliver the land into their hands.” (3) Judah then said to their brother-tribe Simeon, “Come up with us to our allotted territory and let us attack the Canaanites, and then we will go with you to your allotted territory.” So Simeon joined them. (4) When Judah advanced, the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands, and they defeated ten thousand of them at Bezek.(5) At Bezek, they encountered Adoni-bezek, engaged him in battle, and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites.(6) Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and captured him; and they cut off his thumbs and his big toes. (7) And Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings, with thumbs and big toes cut off, used to pick up scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has requited me.” They brought him to Jerusalem and he died there.

(21) But he shall present himself to Eleazar the priest, who shall on his behalf seek the decision of the Urim before the LORD. By such instruction they shall go out and by such instruction they shall come in, he and all the Israelites, the whole community.”

Rabbi Eliezer says: Anyone who rules in his teacher’s presence is lowered from his position of greatness, as it is stated: “And Elazar the priest said to the men of war who went to battle: This is the statute of the Torah which the Lord commanded Moses” (Numbers 31:21). Although Elazar said to the soldiers: God commanded this statute to my father’s brother, while to me He did not command it, even so he was punished for speaking in this manner in the presence of his teacher, Moses.

We are told how, after Yehoshua died, the Jews asked of Hashem via the urim ve-tumim which of the tribes should begin to war with the Canaanites. We should know that this does not mean that they did not ask the Urim v’Tummim during Yehoshua’s day, for the Torah testified that in Yehoshua’s day they would also ask the dictate of the Urim . Perhaps it meant that after Yehoshua’s death they needed to ask who would ascend first, for the first war would be a great root for other wars, because if Israel would be defeated in their first war then the rest of the nations would say that their shelter had left them, and they would be strengthened to fight them, and if the Jews would beat them then softness of the heart would befall those nations, and Israel would beat them easily. Therefore Hashem picked the tribe that was most worthy to triumph, the tribe of Judah.

(3) While in the vicinity of Micah’s house, they recognized the speech of the young Levite, so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you to these parts? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?” (4) He replied, “Thus and thus Micah did for me—he hired me and I became his priest.” (5) They said to him, “Please, inquire of God; we would like to know if the mission on which we are going will be successful.” (6) “Go in peace,” the priest said to them, “the LORD views with favor the mission you are going on.”

(20) The men of Israel took the field against the Benjaminites; the men of Israel drew up in battle order against them at Gibeah. (21) But the Benjaminites issued from Gibeah, and that day they struck down 22,000 men of Israel. (22) Now the army—the men of Israel—rallied and again drew up in battle order at the same place as they had on the first day. (23) For the Israelites had gone up and wept before the LORD until evening. They had inquired of the LORD, “Shall we again join battle with our kinsmen the Benjaminites?” And the LORD had replied, “March against them.” (24) The Israelites advanced against the Benjaminites on the second day. (25) But the Benjaminites came out from Gibeah against them on the second day and struck down 18,000 more of the Israelites, all of them fighting men. (26) Then all the Israelites, all the army, went up and came to Bethel and they sat there, weeping before the LORD. They fasted that day until evening, and presented burnt offerings and offerings of well-being to the LORD. (27) The Israelites inquired of the LORD (for the Ark of God’s Covenant was there in those days, (28) and Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest ministered before Him in those days), “Shall we again take the field against our kinsmen the Benjaminites, or shall we not?” The LORD answered, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hands.”

And the king, in his cowardice, fled, and they pursued him and cut off the thumbs of his hands and feet. And to my view, this is because as king, it was inappropriate for him to flee the battle, and preferable for him to die than live after defeat a life of shame and degradation without his kingdom. Thus, because he fled and did not fight, they amputated [from] his hands because he did not fight and did not use them for might, and [from] his legs because he fled with them.

And he fled: For he saw the city was conquered.

And they cut off: Thus did Hashem place in their minds, to do this to him even though they did not do this to any other of their enemies. And this is is somewhat against the laws of Israel, for even the execution of the Seven Nations must be done by beheading, and not to torture them in this way. However, Hashem saw fit to repay him measure for measure [for his actions].

(20) Slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the ridge of Aaron’s right ear and on the ridges of his sons’ right ears, and on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet; and dash the rest of the blood against every side of the altar round about.

(14) The priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the ridge of the right ear of him who is being cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.