Haftarah: "Devorah and Barak son of Avinoam Sang"

Haftarah: "Devorah and Barak son of Avinoam Sang"

הרב אברהם ריבלין, המשגיח הרוחני לשעבר

The connection between Parshat Beshalach and its Haftarah is clear: Israel's songs of deliverance from its enemies. In the Parsha, "Then Moshe sang" (Shemot 15:1) and in the Haftarah, "Devorah sang." (Shoftim 5:1) In contrast to the rest of the Tanach, in which men are dominant, and only at the end of the story, almost quietly, the women are mentioned - "Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aharon ... and all the women ... Miriam spoke up to them, 'Sing to Hashem for He is exalted above the arrogant" (Shemot 15:20-21) - in the Haftarah, the women are dominant. Devorah the prophetess also judges between people during times of peace, and also leads the nation to victory over its enemies at times of war. Besides her, Yael takes an important role in the victory over Sisra. Similar to Moshe, the leader who raises his nation to an awesome Song of faith, Devorah also leads the nation in a song of faith thanking G-d for His miracles. We would like to address the character of Devorah and her connection with her husband [Lapidot?] and her general [?] Barak, son of Avinoam.

The Tanach presents Devorah in the first verse of the Haftarah: "Devorah was a prophetess, the woman of Lapidot." (Shoftim 4:4) Chazal dispute the meaning of the description, "woman of Lapidot." Some explained that this refers to Devorah's husband, who was called Lapidot. Others explain that her husband is not mentioned at all in the Tanach, and "women of Lapidot" is a description of Devorah herself - like "woman of valor," which describes the woman without relating to the husband at all.

The Gemara explains: "What does 'woman of Lapidot' [mean]? She would make wicks for the Mishkan."(Megillah 14a) [Lapidot is Hebrew for torches.] Rashi explains this way, and according to this explanation, Devorah's husband is not mentioned at all. Other commentators accept this principle in explaining "woman of Lapidot," but explain the word Lapidot differently. Metzudat David: "A woman of valor, quick in her actions like a torch; it is a metaphor." The Malbim: "Woman of Lapidot - her actions were quick and enthusiastic like torches." According to both explanations the expression, "woman of Lapidot" does not address her ability of prophecy, but describes a positive trait of her in the worldly sense.

The Ralbag, however, maintains that "woman of Lapidot," describes the level of prophecy: "Lapidim (torches) and Lapidot are one idea, i.e., that the strength of her prophecy reached the point that torches were seen in the place that prophecy came to her, as the Torah related about Moshe Rabbeinu a"h." The Ralbag clearly alludes to the verse, "The skin of Moshe's face radiated," (Shemot 34:35) Therefore, he points out that regarding Moshe the radiation was of Moshe's own face, representing the light of the soul overcoming the skin of the body, whereas Devorah was on a lower level; her body did not radiate, but rather torches were seen around her. Perhaps his words relate to a level similar to what Chazal taught, "R. Avahu was sitting and expounding and fire was burning around him." (Shir Hashirim Rabbah 1:52) According to these commentators, "woman of Lapidot" describes Devorah herself and not her husband.

In the Midrashim we find that Devorah's husband made wicks for the Mishkan, and therefore he was called Lapidot, and his wife - "woman of Lapidot." Similarly, in Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer (ch. 9): Devorah's husband was an am ha'aretz. His wife said to him: "Come and I will make wicks for you; bring them to the Temple that is in Shiloh ... He would make thick wicks to that they would have a lot of light." Therefore, he was called Lapidot." Similarly in Yalkut Shimoni: "Lapidot would make wicks for the Mishkan. She would examine and make thick wicks so that they would have much light. G-d checks the hearts and innards. He said to her: Devorah, you intend to increase My light. I will also increase your light ... Who gave merit to Lapidot that his share would be with the righteous and would come to the world to come? It was Devorah, his wife."

These Midrashim understand clearly that Lapidot is the man's name because of the wicks, and "woman of Lapidot" is "just" his wife. Nonetheless, the Midrashim emphasize that the initiative of the lighting of the wicks was Devorah. Perhaps we can interpret "woman of Lapidot" also on account of the worth of Devorah's wicks.

The identification of Lapidot as the husband of Devorah brings us to understand another Midrash cited in Yalkut Shimoni: "He had three names: Barak, Micha'el and Lapidot. Barak because his face was similar to lightning; Micha'el because he would minimize (meimich) himself, alternatively because of the angel; Lapidot because of the wicks." Barak son of Avinoam was thus the husband of Devorah. Radak similarly writes: "Lapidot - [Chazal] say that he was Barak son of Avinoam. Barak and Lapidot are of similar meaning. We have one name that indicates fire, and he is sometimes called Lapidot and sometimes Barak.

The comparison of Barak and Lapidot arises from another Midrash. Thus, we learn in Tana D'vei Eliyahu (ch. 10) Barak served the Elders during Yehoshua's lifetime and served them after his death. They brought him and placed him next to Devorah. At that time Devorah was shown through whom G-d would save Israel from the nations; through people who go early to and stay late in the synagogue." Even though is does not say that Barak was an am ha'aretz, as it say about Lapidot, neither of them are designated for the deep Torah knowledge, but specifically for their service of Torah: for straightening the benches [like Yehoshua], in arriving early for shul, and in lighting candles.

This is the meaning of his third name, Micha'el - who would minimize himself. This lowliness and lowering of stature is what earned him the privilege to save Israel, and to be called by the name Micha'el the angel - the Angel of Israel. By the lightening torch of his personality, his wife Devorah goes and saves Israel.

 

 

קוד השיעור: 3669

סרוק כדי להעלות את השיעור באתר:

(Translated by Rav Meir Orlian)

לשליחת שאלה או הארה בנוגע לשיעור:




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