When the Receiver Becomes the Giver

A very interesting new shiur from HaRav DovBer Pinson. [Advanced]

Ten Shirot

Chazal tell us that ten great Shirot were sung to Hashem. Nine have already happened and the tenth is the big one we wait for every day.

1) Shirat Adam - The song Adam sang after Creation was completed: Mizmor shir l'yom hashabbat. To this day, it is part of our Friday night davening.

2) Shirat HaYam - The song at Yam Suf [Beshalach]

3) Shirat Ha'Be'er - Song of the Well in the desert [Bamidbar 21:17] when the Emorim were killed after plotting an ambush and the mountains crushed them. Their blood came up through the Be'er revealing the Nes to Bnei Yisroel.

4) Shirat Haazinu

5) Shirat Ha'Givon in Sefer Yehoshua when the sun remained up through the night to help Yehoshua in his battle.

6) Shirat Devorah in Sefer Shoftim - When Bnei Yisroel defeated the mighty Sisra's and Yael killed Sisra.

7) Shirat Chana in Sefer Shmuel

8) Shirat David - Tehilim 18 when David was saved from Shaul.

9) Shir Ha'Shirim of Shlomo Ha'Melech.

10) Shir HaGeulah - the song that will be sung in the times of Moshiach, as it says in the Book of Yeshayahu: "On that day there will be sung this song in the land of Yehuda.... [26:1]"

There are different versions of this list and other Medrashim say

1. Shirat Mitzrayim

2. Shirat Yehoshafat

Source: Revach.net

The Story of Devorah HaNeviah

[Shabbos Parshas Beshallach is known as Shabbos Shirah, because of the song which the Jews sang to G-d at the Splitting of the Red Sea on their way out of Egypt. The matching Haftorah is the song sung by Devorah the Prophetess (Shirat Devorah) after the Jews won their battle against Sisera]

Devorah was the only woman who was both a Judge and a Prophet. The only man who accomplished that feat was Shmuel/Samuel who bridged the Period of the Judges and the Prophets.

According to Rashi, there were forty eight male prophets and seven female prophetesses. The seven prophetesses were Sarah (wife of Avraham) Miriam (sister of Moshe and Aharon), Devorah, Chana (mother of Shmuel), Avigail (wife of David) Chuldah and Esther.

Devorah's style is described as "sitting under the date palm of Devorah," meaning that for reasons of "tzniut," or modesty, she did not wish to meet with male litigants in private. Therefore, she "set up court," performing her duties as Magistrate and as Teacher and Transmitter of Torah, in the great out-of-doors.

The Midrash places her in good company when it says of her that "Moshe, David and Devorah sang to Hashem and the Holy Spirit rested upon them." [Mechilta Beshalach 6]

The date of the reign of Devorah was 1130 B.C.E. The People of Israel had been oppressed by Yavin, King of Canaan, and his fearsome general, Sisera, for twenty years. In a prophetic message from Hashem to Devorah, Hashem informs her that the time has come to cast off the yolk of the King of Canaan, and that the task should be performed by Barak ben Avinoam along with a small army of 10,000 men taken mainly from the Tribes of Naftali and Zevulun. Other Tribes were also expected to help, but no specific numbers were required.

Sisera, hearing of this surprising and presumptuous challenge from the People of Israel, determines to destroy their army completely. He assembles a force of nine hundred iron chariots (each the probable equivalent of a modern battle tank) plus, according to Targum Yonatan 5:8, 40,000 Officers, 50,000 swordsmen, 60,000 spear throwers, 70,000 shield carriers, and 80,000 regular soldiers - the total of which by the ordinary rules of war would be expected to totally annihilate the miniscule army of Israel, G-d forbid.

But the battle is a victory for Israel, though Sisera has received aid from all the Kings of Canaan, who likewise wish to destroy Israel. Israel receives miraculous aid from the forces of Nature, caused of course by their Director. The stars approach the battlefield, scalding the army of Sisera, and causing them to seek refuge in the waters of the River of Kishon. But those waters, usually shallow, miraculously rise and drown all the forces of Sisera - that is, all but him.

Sisera, shocked and stunned by the outcome of the battle, staggers in the direction of the Tent of Chever the Kenite, who has a peace treaty with Yavin, the overall King of Canaan. Chever's wife, Yael, emerges from the tent and gestures to him to come into her tent for protection. She plies him with warm milk, and he falls asleep. She seizes a tent peg and a hammer, and drives the peg between his eyebrows, through his head and into the ground, definitely and thoroughly killing him.

When Barak, in hot pursuit of Sisera, arrives, Yael says, "the one you are looking for is in my tent, and he is quite dead."

The People of Israel follow up their victory by applying intensifying pressure on Yavin until they completely break his hold on them and in fact reverse their roles. Peace is obtained for a long period of time, forty years, in the context of those tumultuous times.

"All salvation comes by virtue of women." [The Alter Rebbe]

HafTorah Beshalach: The Victory Song of Devorah

Written by Reuven Gavriel ben Nissim Ebrahimoff

Read from the Book of Shoftim or Judges

Chapters 4 [The story] and 5 [the Song] for Ashkenazim, Just Chapter 5 for Sephardim.

Deborah commissions Barak to rid Israel of Cannanite oppression. The Prophetess brings about a spiritual regeneration.

The Story Line: 4:1-3 Bnai Yisrael sins by worshipping idols and are subdued by the Cana'anim [Cananites]. 4:4,5 The Prophetess Deborah, wife of Lapidot, becomes the leader of the Jews. 4:6-9 She sends Barak a prophetic message to wage war against the enemy. Hashem confuses Sisera's camp. 4:10-16 The enemy is defeated, just one person remains - Sisera. 4:17-22 Yael kills general Sisera by driving a spike through his head. 4:23-24 Bnai Yisrael kills King Yavin.

Devorah's Song - 5:1-3 Introduction: Praises to Hashem. Torah study and observance brings victory to Bnai Yisrael. 5:4-5 Without Torah they loose and with it they win. 5:6-13 Deborah's Song begins with the description of Matan Torah [The Giving of the Torah]. Start doing circumcisions again and Hashem will bless you. When you want evil decrees to be reversed, Praise Hashem. Thanks to Hashem for the most recent victory and protection from the enemy. 5:14-18 Praise for the Jews who joined the battle and condemnation of those who did not. 5:19-22 The miracles of the war. 5:23-27 Meroz is cursed and Yael is blessed. 5:28-30 False hopes in Sisra's camp. The Conclusion. This event broke the power King Yabin had over the Israelites.

The Haftorah's Connection between the Parsha and Haftorah: The Parsha of Beshalach contains the song that Moshe sang at the Yam Suf [Sea of Reeds], after Hashem rescued the nation of Israel from the Egyptian army. The Haftarah contains the song that was sung after Deborah defeated the Cananites.

The Biography of Deborah: Deborah was one of the seven Prophetesses, and knew the secret of Divine wisdom. She was a Shofettet [female judge] and war leader that led Israel from foreign oppression.

She lived in the latter half of the 12th century BCE.

Her husband was called a Lapidot [Wick Maker] She prophesied for 40 years.

Deborah was independently wealthy, she owned palm trees in Jericho, Orchards in Ramah. Oil producing olive trees in Beit-el.

She sat under a palm tree in order to avoid seclusion with men.

The Mishkan was in Shilo at the time.

Six miracles occurred on this day.

She came from the tribe of Naftali

She lived in Atarot.

Timeline: This story occurred about 3135 years ago.

The location of this Haftara is Mt. Tabor.

The Other Devorah

The Cloud and The Bee by Al-Baum

Torah by Rabbi Yissocher Frand

This week's parsha records the death of Rivka's nursemaid, Devorah: "Devorah, the wet nurse of Rebecca died and she was buried below Beth-El, below the Allon, and he named it, Allon-bachuth" [Vayishlach 35:8]. Rashi wonders what Rivka's nanny was doing in Yaakov's household, such that Yaakov should wind up burying her. The Medrash states that Devorah was 133 years old at the time of her death. Rashi states that Rivka had sent her old nursemaid to Yaakov in fulfillment of her promise to him that she would send word to him when it was time to come home from Padan Aram [Vayishlach 27:45]. Devorah died on the journey back home after having carried out this mission.

Rashi's words are very difficult to comprehend. Why would Rivka choose this elderly woman to journey on this long trip to carry out such a mission? Could she not find a more appropriate messenger to send word to her son that it was time to come home?

Rav Dov Weinberger makes a beautiful comment on this Rashi. Yaakov was most reluctant to leave the house of Yitzchak and Rivka. Rikva insisted that he must leave. But Yaakov protested: "What will be with my spirituality? How can I leave this holy household and survive in the house of Lavan the crook?" Rivka promised "I will take you back and I will restore to you what you lost spiritually in the years you were away."

To accomplish such a mission, one cannot send a young kid. On such a mission, one must send a "great grandmother." To restore the idea of what the House of Yitzchak was like in Yaakov's mind, it was necessary to send someone from the older generation. The person who grew up in yesteryear presents an untarnished image. They come from the "old home." Unlike the "younger generation," they represent "the way it is supposed to be."

Many times we will meet a person, not from our generation and not even from the generation of our parents, but someone from two generations ago. It is sometimes worthwhile just to observe how an old Jew acts. He witnessed what things were like "when times were spiritually correct."

Those old enough to remember Rav Ruderman saw a connection to the glory of what European Jewry was in its prime. He corresponded with the Ohr Sameach. He saw the Chofetz Chaim. He sat on Reb Chaim Soloveitchik's lap. He took walks with Reb Chaim Ozer. His reactions were Torah reactions. He knew instinctively what Yiddishkeit [Judaism] was all about.

When Rivka wanted to spiritually retrieve Yaakov from the house of Lavan, she had no choice but to send a delegate who represented the previous generation.

The Chofetz Chaim lived to be a very old man. He died when he was 93 years old. At the end of his life, he wanted to travel to Eretz Yisrael and spend the last days of his life in the Holy Land. He wanted to study the laws of Kodshim and the Temple Sacrifice there. As a Kohen, he hoped he would merit to witness the coming of Moshiach and to participate in the Divine Service in the rebuilt Beis HaMikdash.

He felt that he was an old frail man and could not contribute much more to European Jewry and therefore wanted to "retire" to the Holy Land. He took counsel with Rav Chaim Ozer, the (much younger) leader of European Jewry at the time. Rav Chaim Ozer advised him not to leave Europe. He told him "Even if you cannot be in the Yeshiva any more and you cannot give Torah lectures any more and even if you cannot write any more because of your age -- still, if you remain, people will be able to see what a Jew is supposed to look like."

This can be compared to children sitting at their parents' table. Many times they misbehave. But when their grandpa [Opa/Zeida/Saba] is sitting at the table, the behavior is different. When a member of the previous generation is there, a bit of awe and respect is present as well.

This was Rav Chaim Ozer's message to the Chofetz Chaim, and this explains Rivka's choice of messenger to retrieve her son Yaakov back from Padan Aram.

Source: Torah.org

Torah by Rabbi Azarya Berzon

Apparently, there was an underground movement in Charan which preached Avraham's morality and circulated his teachings. Rivka belonged to that movement. She knew Avraham's world, his hashkafot, and when she became his daughter-in-law she didn't have to learn it from scratch. She had received her special training even while living in a pagan home. Avraham's teaching had spread across the borders and many people in many lands were impressed. But who was the leader? Who was the teacher? It couldn't have been Rivka for she was too young. No doubt many were opposed to this movement and it had to go underground. We find its leader briefly mentioned in Chayei Sarah and then three weeks later in Parshat Vayishlach.

The leader was Devorah - Rivka's nurse [Bereishit 35:8], דברה מינקת רבקה . Why does the Torah find it necessary to tell us [Breishit 24:59] וישלחו את רבקה אחתם ואת מניקתה . What is the chiddush here? After all it was not uncommon for an aristocratic family to employ a nurse for a child and to send this nurse wherever the child went. Furthermore, in Parshat Vayishlach [35:6-8], the Torah adds a sentence which seems unimportant, ותחת דבורה מינקת רבקה ותקבר מתחת לבית אל  - And Devorah the nurse of Rivka died near Beth El, and was buried under the tree, and it was called Alon Bachut [the tree of weeping] -  Is it so important that an old woman died and they named a tree after her?

The answer is found in Parshat Toldot. When Rivka sends Yaakov to Charan, she tells him [Bereishit 27:43-45]:  ''So now, my son, heed my voice and arise; flee to my brother Lavan, to Charan. And remain with him a short while until your brother's wrath subsides. Until your brother's anger against you subsides and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send and bring you from there; why should I be bereaved of both of your on the same day?"

Rivka told Yaakov: ''When the time will come, I'll send someone to get you!''. Whom did she send? It was Devorah! Why her? Rivka was afraid that Yaakov would get too used to Padan Aram . Why send Devorah? Because Rivka knew what a great person Devorah was and what a great job she had done teaching and educating herself and others. When Devorah died, Yaakov was so shaken that he proclaimed a period of mourning. It was Devorah who had trained Rivka for being the mother of the covenant! It was Devorah who was sent to bring Yaakov back from Charan to Eretz Canaan. By adding the words וישלחו את רבקה ואת מניקתה , Hashem confirmed the greatness of Devorah, and her impact upon Rivka. And, by telling us about the death of Devorah and the mourning for her, the Torah confirmed: A great leader was lost.

Source: Mevaseret

The Story of Devorah HaNeviah

[Shabbos Parshas Beshallach is known as Shabbos Shirah, because of the song which the Jews sang to G-d at the Splitting of the Red Sea on their way out of Egypt. The matching Haftorah is the song sung by Devorah the Prophetess (Shirat Devorah) after the Jews won their battle against Sisera]

Devorah was the only woman who was both a Judge and a Prophet. The only man who accomplished that feat was Shmuel/Samuel who bridged the Period of the Judges and the Prophets.

According to Rashi, there were forty eight male prophets and seven female prophetesses. The seven prophetesses were Sarah (wife of Avraham) Miriam (sister of Moshe and Aharon), Devorah, Chana (mother of Shmuel), Avigail (wife of David) Chuldah and Esther.

Devorah's style is described as "sitting under the date palm of Devorah," meaning that for reasons of "tzniut," or modesty, she did not wish to meet with male litigants in private. Therefore, she "set up court," performing her duties as Magistrate and as Teacher and Transmitter of Torah, in the great out-of-doors.

The Midrash places her in good company when it says of her that "Moshe, David and Devorah sang to Hashem and the Holy Spirit rested upon them." [Mechilta Beshalach 6]

The date of the reign of Devorah was 1130 B.C.E. The People of Israel had been oppressed by Yavin, King of Canaan, and his fearsome general, Sisera, for twenty years. In a prophetic message from Hashem to Devorah, Hashem informs her that the time has come to cast off the yolk of the King of Canaan, and that the task should be performed by Barak ben Avinoam along with a small army of 10,000 men taken mainly from the Tribes of Naftali and Zevulun. Other Tribes were also expected to help, but no specific numbers were required.

Sisera, hearing of this surprising and presumptuous challenge from the People of Israel, determines to destroy their army completely. He assembles a force of nine hundred iron chariots (each the probable equivalent of a modern battle tank) plus, according to Targum Yonatan 5:8, 40,000 Officers, 50,000 swordsmen, 60,000 spear throwers, 70,000 shield carriers, and 80,000 regular soldiers - the total of which by the ordinary rules of war would be expected to totally annihilate the miniscule army of Israel, G-d forbid.

But the battle is a victory for Israel, though Sisera has received aid from all the Kings of Canaan, who likewise wish to destroy Israel. Israel receives miraculous aid from the forces of Nature, caused of course by their Director. The stars approach the battlefield, scalding the army of Sisera, and causing them to seek refuge in the waters of the River of Kishon. But those waters, usually shallow, miraculously rise and drown all the forces of Sisera - that is, all but him.

Sisera, shocked and stunned by the outcome of the battle, staggers in the direction of the Tent of Chever the Kenite, who has a peace treaty with Yavin, the overall King of Canaan. Chever's wife, Yael, emerges from the tent and gestures to him to come into her tent for protection. She plies him with warm milk, and he falls asleep. She seizes a tent peg and a hammer, and drives the peg between his eyebrows, through his head and into the ground, definitely and thoroughly killing him.

When Barak, in hot pursuit of Sisera, arrives, Yael says, "the one you are looking for is in my tent, and he is quite dead."

The People of Israel follow up their victory by applying intensifying pressure on Yavin until they completely break his hold on them and in fact reverse their roles. Peace is obtained for a long period of time, forty years, in the context of those tumultuous times.

Click here to read the Song of Devorah (in Hebew and English): Devorah Hanevia

"All salvation comes by virtue of women." [The Alter Rebbe]

The Story of Devorah The Prophetess

"Devorah was a prophetess. She judged Israel at that time."

The Prophetess Devorah

[2654-2694]

The fourth of the judges who ruled over the Jewish people after the death of Joshua, was not a man, but a woman, one of the most famous of all times, the Prophetess Devorah. Before her were Othniel, Ehud and Shamgar, the latter only for a short time.

After Ehud's death the Jews forsook the ways of the Torah and adopted many of the idols of the people about them. As a consequence G-d delivered them into the hands of the King of Canaan, Jabin, whose royal residence was the city of Hazor. His cruel general Sisera oppressed the Jews for twenty years. Sisera possessed a well-trained army of cavalry. He also had iron chariots that were the "tanks" of those days. The Jews suffered terribly under the cruel rule of Sisera, and in great despair cried unto G-d.

It was then that G-d sent them Deborah the Prophetess. She was one of the seven women prophetesses whose prophecies are recorded in the Bible.

Devorah lived in the Mountains of Ephraim, between Ramah and Beth-El. In the midst of the sin and idolatry, Devorah remained true to G-d and His Torah. She was wise and G-d fearing, and the people flocked to her for advice and help. Devorah held court beneath a palm-tree, in the open air. There, where everyone could hear her, she warned the Jewish people and urged them to leave their evil ways and return to G-d. The entire Jewish nation respected this great prophetess.

Devorah was the wife of a man whose name was Lapidoth, which means "torches." Our sages tell us, that at the advice of his wife he furnished large wicks and oil for the lights of the sanctuary of Shiloh, which burned like torches. Thus, our Sages say, was the effect of this holy woman on everyone around her: spreading the light of Torah. Similarly our Sages explain that she sat under a palm-tree to show to the world that the Jewish people was all united and turning their eyes again to G-d, like the leaves of the palm turn upward together, towards heaven.

It was fortunate that Devorah had such a tremendous influence. For even the strongest and noblest of the men of those days had given up hope of turning the tide against the Canaanites' oppression and idolatry.

When Devorah felt that she had helped the people to return to G-d, she sent for Barak, the son of Abinoam. Some say he was her husband, and that "Barak," meaning lighting, was another name for "Lapidoth." At any rate, Barak was the most influential man in Israel then, and Devorah asked him to raise an army of ten thousand troops from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun, and gather them at the foot of Mount Tabor, in the Plains of Esdrealon. With this army he was to attack the Canaanite oppressors.

Barak refused to undertake this task by himself, knowing well that only the help of G-d and the inspiration of the prophetess Devorah could succeed in the hopeless odds against the iron chariots and cavalry of Sisera. Devorah agreed to accompany him, but she warned him that although he would gain victory, the glory would not be his, but a woman's.

Sisera learned of Barak's approach and led his huge army against the Jews. Naturally, the well-trained and armored Canaanite troops had no difficulty at first. They quickly gained the upper hand. But suddenly G-d threw confusion into their ranks. Rains turned the battlefield into mud, and the chariots were stuck. Terrified by the sudden turn of events, the mighty warriors of Sisera fled in all directions. The overjoyed Jewish troops pursued them to the very hometown of Sisera, Charosheth, and not a single soldier of the Canaanites escaped.

When Sisera realized his defeat, he quickly descended from his chariot and fled on foot. Seeking a place to hide, he chanced upon the tent of Heber the Kenite, who was a descendant of Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses. Heber had been on good terms with Jabin, the king of Hazor, the ruler of the Canaanites, and Sisera was only too happy to accept the invitation of Yael, Heber's wife, to bide him in the house until the Jewish army would have passed.

Yael gave him food and drink and, exhausted from the battle, Sisera soon fell into a heavy slumber. Seeing this, the brave Yael decided to make Sisera pay for all the cruelties he had committed against the Jewish people. Cautiously approaching the sleeping warrior, she drove a long nail, a tent-pin, through his temple, thus putting an end to the hated oppressor. In the meantime Barak had arrived at the house of Heber, in hot pursuit of Sisera. Yael came out to meet him and greeted him with these words: "Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest." She then led Barak into the tent, and there lay the cruel general, dead.

Thus Devorah's predictions came true: the highest glory of the victory belonged to a woman, not to Barak, and Devorah herself glorified the brave Yael in the immortal "Song of Devorah."

The famous Song of Deborah is in many ways similar to the Song of Moses, which he and Israel sang after the miracle at the Red Sea. The extraordinary beauty and charm of her poem make it next to the "Shiroh" (Song) of Moses, the greatest of all poetic songs of gratitude to G-d, in our sacred literature.

Devorah's aim was accomplished. The oppressors were defeated and the Jews were free again to live their own life in happiness. Both Devorah and Barak saw to it that the Jews remained loyal to G-d Whom they had forsaken during the Canaanite reign. For twenty happy years the Jews lived in peace under the wise guardianship of Devorah and Barak.

Source: Chabad: The Prophetess Deborah

Also see:
*Song of Deborah
*The Prophetess Devorah - various posts

*A History of Tel Kadesh - Kever Devorah
*The Power of The Song of Devorah



Video: Rabbi Lazer Brody sings Shirat Devorah at the kever (holy gravesite) of Devorah HaNeviah, in the Upper Galilee, a few hundred meters from the Lebanon border.