Navi Notes         RBH Navi Test 5 (פרקים ד-ו )
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פרק ד' - Devorah: Oppression and Redemption

Why do we skip over Shamgar when mentioning the names?
Shamgar was one of the Navis who only conquered the oppressors but Bnei Yisrael still did evil. That makes him a not so great Navi so we just briefly mention him.

What’s unique about Devorah?
She is a woman, judge AND a prophetess! That’s a lot (especially for a woman).

What does אשת לפידות mean?
לפידות means torch so we have three possibilities: [The connection to the torch is on the side.]

1. Wife of Barak. Barak means lightning which is similar to a torch, that’s the connection.
2. A wick maker for the Menorah in the Mishkan.  She made the wicks for the torches.
3. She was an energetic, fiery woman. She is like fire which is on top of the torch.

According to answer 1 above, why wasn’t she with her husband [Barak]?
She was on such a high level of spirituality, like Moshe, that she couldn’t maintain the relationship because she must be tahor (holy, pure) all the time.

Why did Barak ask Devorah to come?

1. He was humble and thought that he wasn’t worthy enough to the fight battle for Bnei Yisrael.
2. He had a lack of faith in Hashem. He thought that Devorah needed to come if any miracles were going to be performed.

Where else do we see the word אפס ?
In Bamibar with the 12 spies.

Who’s the woman that is mentioned?

1. Devorah
2. Yael

What nationality (people, nation) did Yael come from?
She was from Yitro.

Why do we say that Yael moved so early [verse 11]?
To show that everything was set up by Hashem.

Why would Sisrah go into Yael’s house in the first place?
Because she wasn’t Jewish; she was from Yitro.
פרק ה' -The Song of Devorah

Why is the word ותשיר in singular, feminine? It seems like only Devorah is singing and not Barak!
Devorah was the main person, like Miriam with the slandering of Moshe.

What’s the theme of the song?
Thanks, gratitude

Why does Devorah sing now? Why didn’t the other Navis before this sing?

1. It was a very tough oppression right before this, like Egypt.
2. She’s a woman and more likely to sing.
3. Because of the incredible miracles that took place.

Why does she mention Mount Sinai in her song?
To recall the covenant between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael-that we must follow His laws. She says it now to explain why the Jews were in the predicament that they were in now.

Why does the Navi connect Yael and Shamgar?
To show that Yael was also a very important woman.

What does Devorah mean when she says that she is the “mother of Israel”?

1. She protected Bnei Yisrael like a mother protects her children.
2. She disciplines Bnei Yisrael like a mother disciplines her child.
3. She created a new, better situation for Bnei Yisrael like a mother creates and gives birth to a new life.

Where was the tribe of Reuben?
They were tending their cattle. They didn’t join until they learned who was winning. They would be joined the Canaanites if they were winning.

Why do we care where תענך (a city) is?
To show how big the non-Jews’ army was.

Why does “from the heavens” mean?
That Hashem fought for us.

What happened in the brook when the enemy army tried to cross?
The water swept them away but now us. This is like the splitting of ים סוף .

Isn’t this supposed to be natural? [RBH said this question is going to be on the test, for sure.]
It was but we weren’t able to live up to our expectation. We’re supposed to find Hashem in the hidden. We thought that we won the wars but Hashem really won them for us!

Why was Sisra’s mother worried?
The chariots were delayed.

What calmed her down?
She thought that her son was raping and pillaging.

The next question is a question that RBH would put on a test even though we didn’t discuss it directly in class.

In what ways are the story of Devorah and the story of Egypt similar?

1. Both of them were very hard oppression.
2. Both of them had a song sung after it.
3. In Devorah’s song it mentions Mount Sinai.
4. The brook in Devorah’s story is like ים סוף in our story.

פרק ו' -Gideon

Why did Bnei Yisrael build dugouts (caves) in the mountain?
To hide because the oppression was just so bad.

Why does Hashem send a Navi to rebuke Bnei Yisrael?
Because Bnei Yisrael didn’t do a true Teshuva. They only cried out to Hashem  because the oppression was so bad.

What changes Hashem’s mind (he sends a prophet in the end)?

1. Hashem has mercy
2. Bnei Yisrael didn’t real Teshuva now.

Why was Gideon chosen?
Because he was threshing wheat instead of his father. He wanted this because his father would be too slow if the Philistines would chase after him. Gideon risked his own life to save his father’s life.

Why is honoring one’s parents a very big mitzvah here?
If you have the ability to thank your parents then you also recognize Hashem.

How can Gideon be disrespectful to Hashem?
Sometimes a leader must be harsh and be a little disrespectful (like Moshe).

What is the strength that is talked about?

1. Hashem gave Gideon new strength.
2. The great defense that you said to be for the Bnei Yisrael will give you strength.
3. Sometimes a leader must be harsh and be a little disrespectful (like Moshe). That is was Gideon just did here.

Why would Gideon want soup on the Matzas?
It will be a greater miracle if something wet like soup on Matza would light up of fire. (This is like Eliyahu on Mount Karmel.)

When was this whole ordeal going on?
Passover

How do we know that it happened on Passover?

1. It says a few verses earlier about the great miracles performed in Egypt.
2. They’re using matzot right now.

Why have this bull?
It was a very special bull. It was kept for 7 years for Baal. This is amazing because at a time of such hunger, Bnei Yisrael keep a bull for idolatry.

What is the destroying of the bull and Baal similar to?
Abraham destroying the idols in his father’s house.

What happened to the other bull?

1. It was killed so it will never be used for Baal again.
2. It was also sacrificed.

Why use idolatry stuff to build the altar?
Because Bnei Yisrael had such devotion to Baal so this will help them stop and worship Hashem instead.

Why are 10 people needed to help Gideon with the test?

1. It is hard to do so he needs people to help him.
2. He wants to make a Kiddush Hashem with at least 10 people.

Why at night?

1. Gideon wasn’t too sure if the whole thing will work. Sort of a lack of faith.
2. Natural-so he doesn’t get caught.

What’s the purpose of this test?

1. To show that Hashem is with him even more.
2. To make it knows to everyone.

Why do we need 2 tests?
The first test wasn’t conclusive because there was a little bit of dew on the ground because of Hashem’s promise.

Why this miracle, specifically?
The wool is a lowly thing made holy. Gideon thinks he is like Michael Mizrahi and very lowly and Hashem shows him that he will raise him up like the wool.

GOOD LUCK!!!