much thanks to Isabel Bard for her wisdom and guidance in the creation of this source-sheet
"You know, vampires have no reflections in a mirror? There's this idea that monsters don't have reflections in a mirror. And what I've always thought isn't that monsters don't have reflections in a mirror. It's that if you want to make a human being into a monster, deny them, at the cultural level, any reflection of themselves. And growing up, I felt like a monster in some ways. I didn't see myself reflected at all. I was like, 'Yo, is something wrong with me? That the whole society seems to think that people like me don't exist?' And part of what inspired me, was this deep desire that before I died, I would make a couple of mirrors. That I would make some mirrors so that kids like me might seem themselves reflected back and might not feel so monstrous for it."
-- Junot Díaz
- What does the above quote mean?
- Does it just apply to queer narrative? Why or why not?
Today's packet is a little bit different. Today, we're going to look at one story in TaNaKh and attempt to uncover a potential Queer narrative (or narratives), a mirror, hiding in plain sight. In theory, we should be able to uncover some kind of relatable narrative regardless of whether we ourselves are Queer, but the lens we'll be focusing on has to do with belonging, gender roles, and implied sexuality or nonsexuality.
(1) Jephthah the Gileadite was an able warrior, who was the son of a prostitute. Jephthah’s father was Gilead; (2) but Gilead also had sons by his wife, and when the wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out. They said to him, “You shall have no share in our father’s property, for you are the son of an outsider.” (3) So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the Tob country. Men of low character gathered about Jephthah and went out raiding with him.
- How does Jephthah's life begin?
- Why is he ostracized?
- What happens to him while he is ostracized?
(4) Some time later, the Ammonites went to war against Israel. (5) And when the Ammonites attacked Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah back from the Tob country. (6) They said to Jephthah, “Come be our chief, so that we can fight the Ammonites.” (7) Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, “You are the very people who rejected me and drove me out of my father’s house. How can you come to me now when you are in trouble?” (8) The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Honestly, we have now turned back to you. If you come with us and fight the Ammonites, you shall be our commander over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” (9) Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “[Very well,] if you bring me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD delivers them to me, I am to be your commander.”
- Why is Jephthah invited back?
- Why do you think he agrees to come back and do this work? What does he want?
- What kind of man is he?
- Take a pause and discuss: do you see a queer narrative in Jephthah's life so far? What is it? Why or why not?
Jephthah leads the soldiers on a string of victories and is continually being asked to do more of them. Eventually he goes to war against the King of the Ammonites...
(כט) וַתְּהִ֤י עַל־יִפְתָּח֙ ר֣וּחַ יְהֹוָ֔ה וַיַּעֲבֹ֥ר אֶת־הַגִּלְעָ֖ד וְאֶת־מְנַשֶּׁ֑ה וַֽיַּעֲבֹר֙ אֶת־מִצְפֵּ֣ה גִלְעָ֔ד וּמִמִּצְפֵּ֣ה גִלְעָ֔ד עָבַ֖ר בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃ (ל) וַיִּדַּ֨ר יִפְתָּ֥ח נֶ֛דֶר לַיהֹוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אִם־נָת֥וֹן תִּתֵּ֛ן אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י עַמּ֖וֹן בְּיָדִֽי׃ (לא) וְהָיָ֣ה הַיּוֹצֵ֗א אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֵצֵ֜א מִדַּלְתֵ֤י בֵיתִי֙ לִקְרָאתִ֔י בְּשׁוּבִ֥י בְשָׁל֖וֹם מִבְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֑וֹן וְהָיָה֙ לַיהֹוָ֔ה וְהַעֲלִיתִ֖יהוּ עֹלָֽה׃ {פ}...
(לד) וַיָּבֹ֨א יִפְתָּ֣ח הַמִּצְפָּה֮ אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ֒ וְהִנֵּ֤ה בִתּוֹ֙ יֹצֵ֣את לִקְרָאת֔וֹ בְּתֻפִּ֖ים וּבִמְחֹל֑וֹת וְרַק֙ הִ֣יא יְחִידָ֔ה אֵֽין־ל֥וֹ מִמֶּ֛נּוּ בֵּ֖ן אוֹ־בַֽת׃
(29) Then the spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He marched through Gilead and Manasseh, passing Mizpeh of Gilead; and from Mizpeh of Gilead he crossed over [to] the Ammonites. (30) And Jephthah made the following vow to the LORD: “If you deliver the Ammonites into my hands, (31) then whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me on my safe return from the Ammonites shall be the LORD’s and shall be offered by me as a burnt offering.” [He wins and goes home] (34) When Jephthah arrived at his home in Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him, with timbrel and dance! She was an only child; he had no other son or daughter.
(כ) וַתִּקַּח֩ מִרְיָ֨ם הַנְּבִיאָ֜ה אֲח֧וֹת אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־הַתֹּ֖ף בְּיָדָ֑הּ וַתֵּצֶ֤אןָ כׇֽל־הַנָּשִׁים֙ אַחֲרֶ֔יהָ בְּתֻפִּ֖ים וּבִמְחֹלֹֽת׃ (כא) וַתַּ֥עַן לָהֶ֖ם מִרְיָ֑ם שִׁ֤ירוּ לַֽיהֹוָה֙ כִּֽי־גָאֹ֣ה גָּאָ֔ה ס֥וּס וְרֹכְב֖וֹ רָמָ֥ה בַיָּֽם׃ {ס}
(20) Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her in dance with timbrels. (21) And Miriam chanted for them: Sing to the LORD, for God has triumphed gloriously; Horse and driver God has hurled into the sea.
- What just happened?
- What kind of a person would make a vow like Jephthah did? Is child sacrifice even allowed?
- Why do you think a man like him only has one child?
- We are never told of his having a wife. Why do you think that is?
The english translation masks it slightly, but these are the only two places in the bible the phrase "with timbrels and dance" (בְּתֻפִּ֖ים וּבִמְחֹלֹֽת) show up like this. To be clear, people dance and have timbrels in the book of Psalms, but this phrase is unique.
- What do you make of this connection?
- What is the context of each moment of song and dance? What are the similarities and differences?
(לה) וַיְהִי֩ כִרְאוֹת֨וֹ אוֹתָ֜הּ וַיִּקְרַ֣ע אֶת־בְּגָדָ֗יו וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֲהָ֤הּ בִּתִּי֙ הַכְרֵ֣עַ הִכְרַעְתִּ֔נִי וְאַ֖תְּ הָיִ֣ית בְּעֹֽכְרָ֑י וְאָנֹכִ֗י פָּצִ֤יתִי פִי֙ אֶל־יְהֹוָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א אוּכַ֖ל לָשֽׁוּב׃ (לו) וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו אָבִי֙ פָּצִ֤יתָה אֶת־פִּ֙יךָ֙ אֶל־יְהֹוָ֔ה עֲשֵׂ֣ה לִ֔י כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר יָצָ֣א מִפִּ֑יךָ אַחֲרֵ֡י אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂה֩ לְךָ֨ יְהֹוָ֧ה נְקָמ֛וֹת מֵאֹיְבֶ֖יךָ מִבְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃ (לז) וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־אָבִ֔יהָ יֵעָ֥שֶׂה לִּ֖י הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה הַרְפֵּ֨ה מִמֶּ֜נִּי שְׁנַ֣יִם חֳדָשִׁ֗ים וְאֵֽלְכָה֙ וְיָרַדְתִּ֣י עַל־הֶהָרִ֔ים וְאֶבְכֶּה֙ עַל־בְּתוּלַ֔י אָנֹכִ֖י (ורעיתי) [וְרֵֽעוֹתָֽי]׃ (לח) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לֵ֔כִי וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח אוֹתָ֖הּ שְׁנֵ֣י חֳדָשִׁ֑ים וַתֵּ֤לֶךְ הִיא֙ וְרֵ֣עוֹתֶ֔יהָ וַתֵּ֥בְךְּ עַל־בְּתוּלֶ֖יהָ עַל־הֶֽהָרִֽים׃
(35) On seeing her, he rent his clothes and said, “Alas, daughter! You have brought me low; you have become my troubler! For I have uttered a vow to the LORD and I cannot retract.” (36) “Father,” she said, “you have uttered a vow to the LORD; do to me as you have vowed, seeing that the LORD has vindicated you against your enemies, the Ammonites.” (37) She further said to her father, “Let this be done for me: let me be for two months, and I will go with my companions and lament upon the hills and there bewail my virginity.” (38) “Go,” he replied. He let her go for two months, and she and her companions went and bewailed her virginity upon the hills.
- What do you make of Jephthah's exclamation?
- Why do you think his daughter responds the way she does?
- Why do you think she asks for what she does? Think back to the text from Exodus 15. What was that reference potentially telling us about her?
(לט) וַיְהִ֞י מִקֵּ֣ץ ׀ שְׁנַ֣יִם חֳדָשִׁ֗ים וַתָּ֙שׇׁב֙ אֶל־אָבִ֔יהָ וַיַּ֣עַשׂ לָ֔הּ אֶת־נִדְר֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָדָ֑ר וְהִיא֙ לֹא־יָדְעָ֣ה אִ֔ישׁ וַתְּהִי־חֹ֖ק בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (מ) מִיָּמִ֣ים ׀ יָמִ֗ימָה תֵּלַ֙כְנָה֙ בְּנ֣וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְתַנּ֕וֹת לְבַת־יִפְתָּ֖ח הַגִּלְעָדִ֑י אַרְבַּ֥עַת יָמִ֖ים בַּשָּׁנָֽה׃ {פ}
(39) After two months’ time, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. She had never known a man. So it became a custom in Israel (40) for the maidens of Israel to go every year, for four days in the year, and chant dirges for the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
(טז) וְהַֽנַּעֲרָ֗ טֹבַ֤ת מַרְאֶה֙ מְאֹ֔ד בְּתוּלָ֕ה וְאִ֖ישׁ לֹ֣א יְדָעָ֑הּ וַתֵּ֣רֶד הָעַ֔יְנָה וַתְּמַלֵּ֥א כַדָּ֖הּ וַתָּֽעַל׃
(16) The maiden was very beautiful, a virgin and one whom no man had known. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up.
- Describe what happened to the daughter of Jephthah in your own words.
- Look at Gen 24:16. What is redundant about it? (Hint: it's bolded)
- Look back at the use of the words 'virginity' and 'not known a man'. Why do you think they are used where they are? What might we learn from their usage?
- What it is about this story which would cause women to spend four days a year singing dirges for Jephthah's daughter? She doesn't even have a name!
- Is there a queer narrative to be uncovered here? Why or why not?
(א) ויעש לה וגו׳. הפרישה מבני אדם לשבת בדודה עוסקת בעבודת ה׳, ורבותינו זכרונם לברכה אמרו (תענית ד א) שנדר להקריב עולה את כל היוצא וכו׳, וכן עשה נדרו:
(ב) והיא לא ידעה איש. רצה לומר, כאשר נדר, כן עשה, והיתה פרושה מאיש:
(1) And he did to her [as he had vowed]. She separated from human company to live alone, busy with the worship of God. And our teachers of blessed memory have said (Ta'anit 4a) that he vowed to sacrifice as a burnt offering all that came out of his house, and so he performed his vow.
(2) And she had not known a man It wishes to say, as he had vowed, so she had done, and she had separated from men.
And he did to her as he had vowed—He made for her a house and she entered and stayed there, separate from society and the ways of the world. And there was a statute established in Israel that two weeks a year the young women of Israel went to her. [My translation]
- How do Metzudah David—Rabbi David Altschuler of Prague (1687-1769)—and Radak—Rabbi David Kimhi (1160–1235)—understand what happened to the daughter of Jephthah? Is it different from what you thought?
- Is there a different queer narrative hiding in this understanding?
The idea that bat Yiftach has a life of holy celibacy and of women's community, of relation to but apartness from the wider community, feels very important to me in my identity as someone who likely won't engage with the Jewish community from the structure of a sexual-biological nuclear family. The idea that space was delineated for me by Sefer Shoftim and by Rabbi David Kimchi, hundreds and hundreds of years before my birth, is incredibly validating.
The dark-and-perhaps-truer read of this text, when I take off my Find A Home glasses: Yiftach controls either his daughter's sexuality or her life. No-one can or will help her, except to wail.
-Isabel Bard
- What does Isabel Bard say here about the potential queer narrative described in the Radak and Metzudat David comments?
- What do you make of her 'dark' reading?
- Should we try to hold both Queer and 'dark' readings together? Why or why not?