Chaya Rochel Nach Yomi

*Shoftim 18*

Learn the Perek with translation and classic commentaries:

https://mg.alhatorah.org/Full/Shofetim/18.1#e0n6

*Perek Points*

_Adapted from R' Shaya Sussman's Nach Daily_

● The tribe of Dan sends five spies to spy out the land that they wished to conquer for themselves. The five spies spend the night at Micha’s house of idols and inquired whether or not they would be victorious over the city of Layish.

● While at Micha’s house they recognized the Levi working as the kohen. The five spies engaged the Levi in conversation about his personal motives for working there.

● The five spies proceeded to spy on the innocent, peaceful land of Layish, and deemed it fit for conquering. They relate the good news to the rest of the tribe of Dan.

● Enroute to Layish for battle, six hundred soldiers from Dan stop at Micha’s house. They seize Micha’s idols, as well as convince the Levi (Micha’s Kohen) to leave Micha and join them. Micha confronts the soldiers, arguing that they have left him with nothing.

● The soldiers from Dan are unsympathetic to Micha and threaten his life. Micha returns home. The soldiers defeat Layish, and Dan settles in the weak town.

● Micha’s idol (Pesel Micha) was accepted amongst the members of Dan for many generations.

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_Challenge Questions:_

● Who was the mysterious Levi who serviced idol worship?

● Could it really be true?!

● How could this have happened?!

*Shoftim 17*

Learn the perek (with translation and classic commentaries): https://mg.alhatorah.org/Full/Shofetim/17.1#e0n6

*Perek Points*

_Adapted from R' Shaya Sussman's Nach Daily_

Micha’s mother is angered after realizing that her money was stolen and she places a curse on the thief and Micha admits to stealing his mother’s 1,100 silver coins.

His mother blesses Micha in order to counteract the curse that she had put on “whoever” stole the money. She hands the money back to Micha and presses him to use the money to make an idol.

Micha refuses so his mother takes the silver coins on her own to a silversmith who makes an idol for her.

Micha takes the idol, opens a house for idol worship, and trains his own son to be the kohen but a man from the tribe of Levi shows up looking for work, and, after deliberation, accepts the job offer to work for Micha as a kohen.

Micha understands the appearance of the Levi, who joined his ranks, to be a sign of Hashem’s approval, since a real kohen comes from the tribe of Levi.

*Shoftim 16*

https://mg.alhatorah.org/Full/Shofetim/16.1#e1n6

Bullet Point Summary

_Adapted from R' Shaya Sussman's Nach Daily_

• ​Shimshon finds another pretense to take revenge on the Plishtim. He stays at a harlot’s house (considered a public area) in Gaza as a means to spread the word that he was there, to attract more Plishtim to come.

• ​Shimshon preempts a Plishti ambush in the middle of the night by ripping the threshold and doors of the city gates off its hinges and carrying them a great distance away as a means of intimidating the Plishtim.

• ​Shimshon falls in love with a woman named Delilah

• ​Wanting Delilah to find out the source of Shimshon’s strength, the Plishtim offer her 1,100 pieces of silver.

• ​Three attempts by Delilah to find out the answer are met with three false answers.

• ​Each attempt is similar in nature:

A) Shimshon responds with a false way that he could be captured.

B) The false way is implemented.

C) Delilah calls out in the middle of the night “_Plishtim have come upon you_.”

D) Shimshon would break free.

E) Delilah would proceed to cry, lament and press Shimshon for the true source of his strength.

• ​Shimshon finally reveals the source of his strength – his hair that had never been cut because he was a Nazir.

• ​Delilah cuts the seven locks of Shimshon’s hair in the middle of the night, weakening Shimshon.

• ​The Plishtim capture Shimshon and put Shimshon in jail.

• ​Shimshon is put on display for sport. Shimshon cooperates (as a means of gathering as many Plishtim as possible in one place, in order to kill them all at once).

• ​Shimshon does teshuvah in a prayer to Hashem, asking Hashem for strength one last time.

• ​Shimshon takes his last revenge on the Plishtim by collapsing an entire building, taking his own life and the lives of three thousand Plishtim (more than all other incidents combined.)

• ​Shimshon’s body is buried next to the body of Manoach, his father.

*Shoftim 15*

Learn the Perek with translation and classic commentaries:

https://mg.alhatorah.org/Full/Shofetim/15.1#e0n6

*Perek Points*

_Adapted from R' Shaya Sussman's Nach Daily_

● Shimshon remembers his wife, but Shimshon is denied access to her by his father-in-law, who offers Shimshon a younger daughter instead.

● Shimshon sends three hundred foxes with lit torches tied between their tails into the Plishti town in order to burn it down.

● The Plishtim respond by going to war against the tribe of Yehudah.

● Yehudah responds, saying that they will hand Shimshon over to them.

● Three thousand men of Yehudah speak to Shimshon about what is happening.

● Shimshon consents to being tied up with ropes and handed over to the Plishtim. Shimshon destroys the ropes and he kills one thousand Plishtim with the jawbone of a donkey.

● Hashem performs a miracle; the donkey’s jawbone gives forth water to revive the thirsty and weakened Shimshon.

● Shimshon is the judge of the Jews for 20 years.

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_Challenge Questions:_

● Why did Shimshon require a donkey jawbone to kill the Plishtim, considering that he was capable of killing a lion with his bare hands?

● Why doesn't the Navi ever actually refer to Shimshon as "Shimshon HaGibor"? (Both Gid'on and Yiftach received this title, while "Shimshon HaGibor" never officially did.)

*Shoftim 14*

Learn the perek (with translation and classic commentaries): https://mg.alhatorah.org/Full/Shofetim/14.1#e0n6

*Perek Points*

_Adapted from R' Shaya Sussman's Nach Daily_

The Pelishtim rule over Israel.

Shimshon tells his parents that he would like to marry a non-Jewish Pelishti woman and they are unhappy about this decision.

En route to see the woman, Shimshon tears apart a lion with his bare hands.

Shimshon meets his future wife and returns home.

Upon returning for the wedding, Shimshon finds the carcass of the lion that he had previously torn apart, with a beehive full of honey in it and eats from the honey.

At the wedding, Shimshon’s new father in-law gives Shimshon an additional thirty men to contribute to the celebration where he poses a riddle to them.

The Pelishtim threaten to kill Shimshon’s wife if she didn’t find out the answer to the riddle for them so she manipulates him to learn the answer and tells it over.

Shimshon pays his debt to the Pelishtim in a fit of rage by killing other Pelishtim and taking their clothes.

He returns home and his wife goes to live with another man.

*Shoftim 13*

Learn the Perek with translation and classic commentaries:

https://mg.alhatorah.org/Full/Shoftim/13.1

*Perek Summary*

● Bnei Yisrael again do evil in the eyes of Hashem, and are given over to the Plishtim for forty years.

● A _malach_ appears to the barren wife of Manoach, informing her that she will have a son who will begin to save the B'nei Yisrael from the Plishtim.

● She is instructed to observe special restrictions, as the child will be a Nazir from birth — no wine, no _tumah_, and no cutting his hair.

● Manoach daven to see the malach himself, and the malach returns, repeating the instructions and emphasizing the child’s unique _kedusha_.

● Manoach attempts to offer the malach food, but is told instead to bring a korban to Hashem.

● As the _korban_ is offered, the malach ascends in the flame, revealing his true nature; Manoach fears they will die from seeing a _malach_.

● His wife reassures him that they'll be fine, and the child — Shimshon — is born, growing up with the spirit of Hashem beginning to stir within him.

*Shoftim 12*

Learn the Perek with translation and classic commentaries:

https://mg.alhatorah.org/Full/Shofetim/12.1#e0n6

*Perek Points*

_Adapted from R' Shaya Sussman's Nach Daily_

● The tribe of Efraim instigate a conflict with Yiftach (from the tribe Menasheh) because they were offended that they were not asked to assist in the war against Amon.

● A civil war ensues between Menasheh and Efraim. Yiftach seized the waterways. 12,000 people from Efraim were killed.

● Yiftach ruled over the Jews for six years and passed away.

● Ivtzan (who was Boaz) judged for the next seven years.

● Elion from the tribe Zevulun judged for ten years.

● Avdon ben Hillel judged for eight years.

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*Chaya Rochel Nach Yomi - Shoftim 12: Men of Menasheh - Gid'on vs. Yiftach, "The Introvert" vs. "The Diplomat" 🎙️(R' Yehoshua Eisenberg)*

*Shoftim 11*

Learn the perek (with translation and classic commentaries): https://mg.alhatorah.org/Full/Shofetim/11.1#e0n6

*Perek Points*

_Adapted from R' Shaya Sussman's Nach Daily_

Yiftach is driven away by his half-brothers but is subsequently located by elders and asked to lead the battle against Amon.

The elders promise Yiftach that if he is victorious in battle he will be their leader.

Yiftach diplomatically sends emissaries to the king of Ammon to inquire why Ammon is oppressing the Jews.

Yiftach relates to the emissaries that all of the land that the Jews conquered was conquered in defensive wars but the king of Ammon is indifferent to Yiftach’s explanations.

Yiftach makes a vow that if he is victorious in battle against Ammon, whatever comes through his door first will be offered as a sacrifice to Hashem.

Hashem is with Yiftach and he defeats Ammon in battle.

The first thing that comes through Yiftach’s door when he returns from battle is his daughter so he tears his clothes.

Yiftach’s daughter requests two months in the mountains to mourn over the fact that she never married and Yiftach "upholds" his vow.

*Shoftim 10*

Learn the Perek with translation and classic commentaries:

https://mg.alhatorah.org/Full/Shofetim/10.2#e0n6

*Perek Summary*

● After the time of Avimelech, Tola ben Puah from Shevet Yissachar arises to lead and save Yisrael. He judges the nation for twenty-three years.

● After Tola’s passing, Yair HaGiladi becomes the next shofet and leads Yisrael for twenty-two years.

● Yair is described as having thirty sons who ride on thirty donkeys and rule over thirty cities in the region of Gilad, which become known as Chavos Yair.

● After these leaders pass away, Bnei Yisrael once again fall into avodah zarah, serving various local deities including those of Aram, Tzidon, Moav, Amon, and the Pelishtim.

● As a result, Hashem allows the nations of Amon and the Plishtim to oppress Bnei Yisrael for eighteen years, particularly afflicting the tribes east of the Yarden.

● The people cry out to Hashem, admitting their sins, but Hashem responds sharply — reminding them that He has saved them many times before from different enemies.

● Hashem tells them to seek help from the idols they chose, but Bnei Yisrael remove the foreign gods and sincerely return to Hashem, and the perek ends with Hashem’s compassion stirred as the suffering of Yisrael continues.

*Shoftim 9*

Learn the Perek with translation and classic commentaries:

https://mg.alhatorah.org/Full/Shofetim/9.1#e0n6

*Perek Summary*

_Adapted from R' Daniel Eisenberg's Navi Summary_

● Avimelech ben Gidon persuades Shechem to allow him to rule.

● He kills his 70 brothers except for his youngest brother Yosam who manages to hide.

● Shechem and Beis Milo crown Avimelech as king and Yosam goes onto Har Gerizim to make a speech.

● Yosam shares a parable about trees which compares Avimelech to thorns and points out that Avimelech is unsuitable and even dangerous. He then points out how ungrateful Klal Yisrael is towards Gidon’s family and declares a curse upon Avimelech and his supporters and then goes into hiding.

● Avimelech rules for 3 years until a rift develops between Avimelech and Shechem.

● Gaal ben Eved speaks out against Avimelech’s regime and Gaal is ultimately pursued out of Shechem by Zevul the leader of the city.

● Avimelech destroys Shechem and burns its tower killing thousands. He tries to burn another tower in Teiveitz, but one woman throws down a part of the millstone at Avimelech, crushing his skull, so he asks his attendant to kill him, so people will not say a woman killed him.