Bat Yiftach: Jepthah's Daughter

(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}
(לב) וַיַּעֲבֹ֥ר יִפְתָּ֛ח אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י עַמּ֖וֹן לְהִלָּ֣חֶם בָּ֑ם וַיִּתְּנֵ֥ם יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ (לג) וַיַּכֵּ֡ם מֵעֲרוֹעֵר֩ וְעַד־בֹּאֲךָ֨ מִנִּ֜ית עֶשְׂרִ֣ים עִ֗יר וְעַד֙ אָבֵ֣ל כְּרָמִ֔ים מַכָּ֖ה גְּדוֹלָ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וַיִּכָּֽנְעוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ}
(לד) וַיָּבֹ֨א יִפְתָּ֣ח הַמִּצְפָּה֮ אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ֒ וְהִנֵּ֤ה בִתּוֹ֙ יֹצֵ֣את לִקְרָאת֔וֹ בְּתֻפִּ֖ים וּבִמְחֹל֑וֹת וְרַק֙ הִ֣יא יְחִידָ֔ה אֵֽין־ל֥וֹ מִמֶּ֛נּוּ בֵּ֖ן אוֹ־בַֽת׃ (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׃ (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}

Judges 11:29-40

(29) Then the spirit of GOD 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 GOD: “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 GOD’s and shall be offered by me as a burnt offering.” (32) Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites and attacked them, and GOD delivered them into his hands. (33) He utterly routed them—from Aroer as far as Minnith, twenty towns—all the way to Abel-cheramim. So the Ammonites submitted to the Israelites. (34) When Jephthah arrived at his home in Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him, with hand-drum and dance! She was an only child; he had no other son or daughter. (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 GOD and I cannot retract.” (36) “Father,” she said, “you have uttered a vow to GOD; do to me as you have vowed, seeing that GOD 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 maidenhood.” (38) “Go,” he replied. He let her go for two months, and she and her companions went and bewailed her maidenhood upon the hills. (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.

1. What is this story about?

2. What are your initial reactions?

3. How does Bat Yiftach (the daughter of Yiftach) react to her father’s actions? Where does she use her voice in the story? What does this reaction teach us about her character?

4. What measure of control do you think Bat Yiftach’s had over her fate? Justify your response.

תענית ד׳ א:ז׳-ט׳

יִפְתַּח הַגִּלְעָדִי — דִּכְתִיב: ״וְהָיָה הַיּוֹצֵא אֲשֶׁר יֵצֵא מִדַּלְתֵי בֵיתִי וְגוֹ׳״, יָכוֹל אֲפִילּוּ דָּבָר טָמֵא. הֵשִׁיבוּ שֶׁלֹּא כַּהוֹגֶן, נִזְדַּמְּנָה לוֹ בִּתּוֹ. וְהַיְינוּ דְּקָאָמַר לְהוּ נָבִיא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל: ״הַצֳרִי אֵין בְּגִלְעָד אִם רֹפֵא אֵין שָׁם״. וּכְתִיב: ״אֲשֶׁר לֹא צִוִּיתִי וְלֹא דִבַּרְתִּי וְלֹא עָלְתָה עַל לִבִּי״,

Taanit 4a:7-9

By contrast, there is the case of Jephthah the Gileadite. Upon leaving for battle he issued a statement, as it is written: “Then it shall be that whatever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace…it shall be to the Lord and I will bring it up for a burnt-offering” (Judges 11:31). This might even have been an impure, non-kosher animal, which he had committed himself to sacrifice. In this instance, God responded to him unreasonably, and his daughter happened to come to him. Regarding the incident of Jephthah, the Gemara remarks: And this is what the prophet said to the Jewish people: “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not recovered?” (Jeremiah 8:22). This verse alludes to the fact that had he sought a means to do so, Jephthah could have had his vow annulled. And it is written, with regard to human sacrifice: “And they have also built the high places of the Ba’al, to burn their sons in the fire for burnt offerings to Ba’al, which I did not command, and I did not speak, nor did it come into My heart” (Jeremiah 19:5).

רד"ק על שופטים י״א:ל״ט:א׳

ויעש לה את נדרו אשר נדר. שעשה לה בית והכניסה שם והיתה שם פרושה מבני אדם ומדרכי העולם והיה חק בישראל כי משנה לשנה היו הולכות אליה בנות ישראל:

Radak on Judges 11:39:1

“He did to her his vow as he’d vowed.” That he made for her a house and put her in it, and she was secluded from humanity and the ways of the world; it was a law in Israel for from year to year the daughters of Israel would go to her.

רש"י על שופטים י״א:ל״ט:א׳

ותהי חק. גזרו שלא יעשה אדם עוד כן, שאלו הלך אצל פנחס, או הוא בא אצלו, היה מתיר לו נדרו, עמדו בגדולתן, ומבין שניהם אבדה, ונפרע מהם, פנחס נסתלקה שכינה הימנו, שנאמר בדברי הימים (א ט כ): לפנים ה' עמו, למדנו שבסופו אינו עמו, ויפתח הוכה בשחין וניפול אברים, שנאמר (לקמן יב ז): ויקבר בערי גלעד. ויש עוד לפתור: ותהי חק בישראל. מחובר למקרא שלאחריו:

Rashi on Judges 11:39:1

She became the subject of a law. Legislation was enacted prohibiting any repetition of this, for, had he approached Pinchos, or had Pinchos approached him, he would have released him from his vow. But they refused to humble themselves, and were, thus, both responsible for her ruin. They were punished. The Divine Presence departed from Pinchos, as it is said in Divrei Hayamim, "Adonoy was with him previously." We learn that he was not with him later. And Yiftoch was afflicted with ulcerations and the loss of his limbs, as it is said, "He was buried in the cities of Gilod." Another interpretation: "She became the subject of a law in Yisroel" relates to the following passage.

Mountain, Alicia Jo Rabins
When my father came back from the war
I knew he would want to see me first
So I ran out to greet him
But he fell to his knees in the dirt
He told me daughter
I have promised God to offer
the first creature that I saw
Father the vow you have made
is one you cannot escape
but first let me go with my sisters
down to the shores of the lake
I lived two months with them
my sisters in the forest
and then I returned back home
The night he took me to the mountain
neither of us spoke
We reached the peak together
just as sunrise broke
I could have run from him
I almost thought he wished it
but I could not run from God
It was the last day of my life
the sun had never shone so bright
My father held the knife
I kept my eyes open wide
Then angels came to me
with faces of my sisters
and they filled my eyes with tears

1. Unlike the original text and interpretations we have seen, this song is written from the perspective of Yiftach’s daughter herself. How does hearing “her voice” change our experience of the story?
2. The artist struggles with the question, “Why would Yiftach’s daughter return to her father to be offered up?” How does the song answer this question? Do you agree or disagree?