Introduction: The Introductory Chapter of Sefer Shoftim
Chapter 2 of Sefer Shoftim is essentially a parenthetical chapter: a rebuke delivered by a messenger of Hashem for the fact that the people of Israel did not complete the conquest of the land, followed by a historical survey that serves as an introduction to the entire book. The Malbim teaches us two things here: the stages of Israel's decline and the stages of punishment that follow from it, as well as the fixed cycle that will repeat itself throughout the entire book: the people of Israel rebel against Hashem, Hashem raises up a judge for them, the judge brings them back in teshuvah and delivers them, and so it goes around again.
"The Angel of Hashem" - This is Pinchas
וַיַּעַל מַלְאַךְ־יְהֹוָה מִן־הַגִּלְגָּל אֶל־הַבֹּכִים, וַיֹּאמֶר אַעֲלֶה אֶתְכֶם מִמִּצְרַיִם וָאָבִיא אֶתְכֶם אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם, וָאֹמַר לֹא־אָפֵר בְּרִיתִי אִתְּכֶם לְעוֹלָם׃ - And an angel of Hashem went up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: I brought you up out of Egypt and brought you to the land that I swore to your fathers, and I said: I will never break My covenant with you.
Chazal say that we learned in Seder Olam that the angel of Hashem is Pinchas. Even though it says "an angel of Hashem," the intention is not an angel in the sense of a heavenly angel, but rather in the sense of a messenger of Hashem. The proof for this is simple: it says "and an angel of Hashem went up from Gilgal" - an angel does not come from Gilgal; an angel stands here in a single moment, coming from heaven. Since he came from Gilgal, it is proven that this refers to a human being.
And why is he called "an angel of Hashem"? It is brought in the Tanchuma, and likewise in the Yalkut, that when ruach hakodesh rests upon the prophet, his face burns like torches and he appears like an angel. The Sages say that all the prophets resemble angels, and not specifically Pinchas. And so we see with the wife of Manoach: she saw the angel and thought at first that he was a prophet, and she told him that she would give him a gift, and only afterward it became clear that he was not a prophet but an angel of Hashem. It is understood, then, why the verse calls Pinchas "an angel of Hashem," for he appeared like a prophet.
What the Rebuke Was About
As we saw in the previous chapter, the people of Israel did not drive out the nations that were around them. Each one settled under his vine and under his fig tree. After seven years of conquest and seven years of division, fourteen years in all, they said: Enough, we are tired, we have had our fill of wars. Each one built his house, he has a courtyard, that's it, that is enough for him. "What are we lacking? Where would we settle? Don't we have enough space?" But Hashem commanded to keep conquering, and the Holy One, blessed be He, said that those you leave here will become for you thorns in your eyes and pricks in your sides. And they said: This is hard for us. And they settled down in tranquility. About this the angel comes and rebukes them.
Two Evils in a Single Act
"I brought you up out of Egypt" - at first glance this is difficult; it should have said "I have brought you up out of Egypt." Rather, the angel is rebuking them and telling them: In the deed you did there are two evils. One evil is the substance of the wrongful act itself, and the second evil is the consequences of the wrongful act. Let me illustrate with an example: You tell your son "Do not steal." Why? First, stealing is a forbidden thing. Second, take into account - they will catch you, they will beat you, they will put you in prison, they will curse and revile you, the consequences are not worthwhile. These are two separate matters: the act in itself is evil, even if it is certain nothing will be done to you, and in addition to that you will pay a heavy price. So too the prophet here: come and see that the deed you did contains both of these drawbacks.
He speaks first about the first part: I said "I brought you up out of Egypt" - I brought you from the lowest place, from Egypt, a place from which even a slave would not flee, a place from which departure was entirely impossible. And from there, says the Holy One, blessed be He, I brought you up. I could have not brought you out, or made you merely a freed people and nothing more. But I brought you to the greatest heights: "and I brought you to the land that I swore to your fathers." From a deep pit to a lofty height. And I was certain that your minimal obligation of gratitude would require you to do the minimum that I ask.
וְאַתֶּם לֹא־תִכְרְתוּ בְרִית לְיוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת, מִזְבְּחוֹתֵיהֶם תִּתֹּצוּן, וְלֹא־שְׁמַעְתֶּם בְּקוֹלִי מַה־זֹּאת עֲשִׂיתֶם׃ - And you shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars. But you did not listen to My voice. What is this you have done?
This is the minimum required. I brought you from such a lowly place to such an exalted place, and this does not demand a minimum of gratitude? And why specifically "you shall make no covenant"? Because I made a covenant with you, and therefore I said "I will never break My covenant with you," but on condition that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land. For the matter is obvious: if you have a covenant with the Holy One, blessed be He, a covenant with the enemies of Hashem is in essence a severing of the covenant with the Master of the world. We cannot have a covenant with Hashem and with His enemies at one and the same time. And from the moment you went and joined the enemies of Hashem, the covenant I made with you crumbles and has no standing. "And you have not obeyed My voice" - and you forgot all the good I did for you. "What is this you have done" - this is an evil in itself, like "do not steal because stealing is forbidden," period.
וְגַם אָמַרְתִּי לֹא־אֲגָרֵשׁ אוֹתָם מִפְּנֵיכֶם, וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְצִדִּים, וֵאלֹהֵיהֶם יִהְיוּ לָכֶם לְמוֹקֵשׁ׃ - And I also said: I will not drive them out from before you, and they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.
Here he moves to the second part: the consequences. You left here a nation that, according to Hashem's will, was not supposed to be here, and you will see that this very nation will cause you trouble and inflict harm upon you, and it will be a snare to you. A "snare" (mokesh) is something a person stumbles upon, a trap that a person steps on and sinks into, a pit with a trap in it. From here also came the later term "mokesh" as it is called in our times (a mine) - something a person stumbles into. It turns out, then, that you sinned on two levels: against the good in itself, since you chose the evil and transgressed the word of Hashem; and against the useful, for it is also not wise - just as one who steals will be struck and thrown into prison, so too one who defies Hashem's word and leaves the nations here, the nations will exact from him and harm him.
History Repeats Itself
Something entirely similar happened here in the Land of Israel following the Six Day War. After the conquest there was here great joy and extraordinary euphoria, for Jerusalem was in our hands. Had we, within twenty four hours, dismantled the entire Temple Mount, dismantled Gaza, wiped everything out and thrown them all into Jordan in a lightning evacuation (and they expected this), the world would have raged, without any doubt, but afterward we would have had quiet. But the reality is that we left them, and those we did not evacuate became "pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides."
And regarding the Temple Mount, the Steipler said that it is good that the Temple Mount is not in our hands. Said the Steipler: if the Temple Mount were in our hands, how many people would become liable for karet, Heaven forbid. Today people are afraid to ascend the Temple Mount, but if it were in our hands they would turn it into a nature reserve, and people would come and become liable for karet. In any case, we see how history repeats itself: those we left here in the end caused us trouble and even seek to drive us out. And this is exactly what happened to the people of Israel already back then.
"Weepers" - And That's It
וַיְהִי כְּדַבֵּר מַלְאַךְ יְהֹוָה אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֶל־כָּל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיִּשְׂאוּ הָעָם אֶת־קוֹלָם וַיִּבְכּוּ׃ - And it was, when the angel of Hashem spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice and wept.
They understand that they erred, they saw that they acted foolishly (sichlu, from the word "fools"), and they regret it.
וַיִּקְרְאוּ שֵׁם־הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא בֹּכִים, וַיִּזְבְּחוּ־שָׁם לַיהֹוָה׃ - And they called the name of that place Bochim, and they sacrificed there to Hashem.
What is the place called? "Bochim" (Weepers). The Mincha Ketana says: the place is called Bochim in order to tell you what remained of the whole story - weepers. That's it. Do you think something changed? Do you think they changed their ways and went out to fight? Do not be confused. What is the place called? Bochim. It ended in weeping and nothing more.
A Place Named After the Future
Now we also understand the opening of the matter: "And an angel of Hashem came up from Gilgal to Bochim" - even before the place was called by that name. The Tanach often follows this practice, naming a place after what it will become in the future. "And they came to Nachal Eshkol" - how was it called Eshkol? Rashi says: because of the cluster (eshkol). But they had not yet taken the cluster! Rather, when Scripture is telling you now, it says: they arrived at the place that you know today as Nachal Eshkol.
It is like if I wanted to tell you where Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarfon were on the night of the Seder, and you would answer: at the Mesubim junction. And if I were to ask, was there such a thing as a Mesubim junction in their day? Correct, the junction was called that because they reclined (mesubim) in Bnei Brak, the original Bnei Brak, but today you know the place by that name, so I tell you by the name familiar to you today. So too Nachal Eshkol, and so too "Bochim": already at the outset Scripture writes that the angel came to the place called Bochim, but know that only at the end was this name given.
The Three Periods - Resolving the Verse "And Yehoshua Sent the People Away"
וַיְשַׁלַּח יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת־הָעָם, וַיֵּלְכוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אִישׁ לְנַחֲלָתוֹ לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת־הָאָרֶץ׃ - And Yehoshua sent the people away, and the children of Israel went each to his inheritance to possess the land.
This verse is entirely unclear. We are in chapter 2 of Sefer Shoftim, which was written by Shmuel, and we understand that we are dealing with a situation long after the passing of Yehoshua and the elders - and suddenly, in verse 6, "And Yehoshua sent the people away," as though there had been a gathering here that concluded and Yehoshua is sending the people off. What is this verse doing here?
The Malbim explains: the entire preceding account took place while the elders were alive, and in fact there were three periods. The first period - the days of Yehoshua, during which there were still wars and conquests were carried out. The second period - after the passing of Yehoshua, while the elders were still alive: the people of Israel had not yet declined spiritually, but on the other hand they no longer continued the conquest, since Yehoshua had passed away and the elders were not carrying out conquests. The third period - after the passing of the elders: not only did they not engage in conquest, but a spiritual decline also began, for even the elders who charted the way had passed on and were gone.
The angel of Hashem arrives in the middle period, during the time of the elders: not in the era of Yehoshua and not after the death of the elders, but while the elders were still alive. At that time they had only the problem of conquering the land, because in the service of Hashem they were still steadfast - the elders were still here. So notice that the angel does not speak to them at all about problems in the service of Hashem, only about the fact that they are not conquering the land. They regret, weep, and offer sacrifices to Hashem. And now Scripture comes to tell what happened after the death of the elders, and in order to tell this it begins to describe the history from the beginning: there was Yehoshua, there were elders, the elders died - and now see what happened.
וַיַּעַבְדוּ הָעָם אֶת־יְהֹוָה כֹּל יְמֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, וְכֹל יְמֵי הַזְּקֵנִים אֲשֶׁר הֶאֱרִיכוּ יָמִים אַחֲרֵי יְהוֹשׁוּעַ, אֲשֶׁר רָאוּ אֵת כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂה יְהֹוָה הַגָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - And the people served Hashem all the days of Yehoshua, and all the days of the elders who lived on after Yehoshua, who had seen all the great work of Hashem that He had done for Israel.
All the days of the elders there were still people who had seen the great work of Hashem that He did for Israel: they saw the Exodus from Egypt, they saw the splitting of the Sea, they experienced all these events. And it is written "the elders who lived on (heerichu yamim, literally lengthened days) after Yehoshua." We are used to the expression "lengthened days," but think about it: it is a strange expression. Did they have days of forty eight hours? The Sages say: their days were lengthened, their years were not lengthened. These elders were not granted long years, because they were lax in the eulogizing of Yehoshua.
The Death of Yehoshua at Age One Hundred and Ten
וַיָּמָת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן־נוּן עֶבֶד יְהֹוָה בֶּן־מֵאָה וָעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים׃ - And Yehoshua son of Nun, the servant of Hashem, died at the age of one hundred and ten years.
The deficiency actually began already in the time of Yehoshua. Yehoshua should have passed away at the age of one hundred and twenty like Moshe, and he passed away at the age of one hundred and ten. The reason is that it is written that he too was lax in the conquest of the land. Yehoshua said: the Holy One, blessed be He, told me that the task of conquest rests upon me, and if so, the more I delay, the longer I will live, so why should I hurry? In the end the plans went awry, and Yehoshua passed away with a shortened life relative to Moshe, at the age of one hundred and ten.
By contrast, consider Moshe Rabbenu: the Holy One, blessed be He, told him "Go wage war against Midian and afterward you will be gathered to your people," and Moshe did not say "If so, I have an insurance policy, why should I hurry? Let us schedule the war sixty years from now, write it in the calendar." Rather, immediately - "Arm men from among you."
וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אוֹתוֹ בִּגְבוּל נַחֲלָתוֹ בְּתִמְנַת־חֶרֶס בְּהַר אֶפְרָיִם מִצְּפוֹן לְהַר־גָּעַשׁ׃ - They buried him within the border of his inheritance in Timnat Cheres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
They bury Yehoshua in Timnat Cheres, and in another place it is called Timnat Serach, and it is the very same place. If so, why did it change its name to "Cheres"? Chazal say: do not read Timnat Cheres but Temunat Cheres (image of Cheres). What is Cheres? "Before the sun (charsah) comes" - charsah is the sun. That is, they placed an image of the sun on his grave, to say: what a loss for the one who has perished, such a great tzaddik who stopped the sun, as we know that Yehoshua said "Sun, stand still at Givon, and moon, in the valley of Ayalon." And why is the sun called "Cheres"? Because the sun has 268 (resh-samech-chet) windows, and that is why this is its name.
"And Another Generation Arose"
וְגַם כָּל־הַדּוֹר הַהוּא נֶאֶסְפוּ אֶל־אֲבוֹתָיו, וַיָּקָם דּוֹר אַחֵר אַחֲרֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדְעוּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה, וְגַם אֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers, and another generation arose after them who did not know Hashem, nor the deed that He had done for Israel.
This entire introduction comes to tell you: come and see. Yehoshua died, that entire generation was gathered to its fathers, and a new generation arose - a generation that did not know Hashem, neither through study and contemplation, nor through what their eyes had seen. The Malbim says: they themselves were not exposed to the great miracles of the Exodus from Egypt and to the miracles of the wilderness, and for them everything was historical tales, stories that the elders told. And when a person does not see the things himself, their power of influence is lower. And since this is so, the generation after them is spiritually lower. If until now they had at least clung to Hashem's mitzvot, from here on they do not even cling to Hashem's mitzvot, and a decline begins, and this decline creates a situation in which harsh measures are required to bring them back and draw them close again to the observance of the mitzvot.
The Three Stages of Decline
From here on let us note the repetition in the pesukim: the pesukim seemingly repeat themselves and mention the same things again and again. And we will want to understand why they repeat, for this is always the Malbim's point - to show that there is no repetition in the pesukim, and there is no sentence that recurs twice and no restatement of the same matter in different words.
The Malbim says: the verses come to teach us about the slow decline and deterioration of the people of Israel, and everything here is like a parenthetical statement that is an introduction to the entire book. The book is going to tell us about the judges who arose for the people of Israel to save them from the hand of their enemies, and in order to relate the matter of the judges it says: note that throughout the book there will be a fixed pattern - the people of Israel rebel against Hashem's word, Hashem raises up a judge for them, the judge judges them and brings them back in repentance, and through him they have temporary salvation from the enemies, and around it goes again.
The decline itself is in three stages. The first stage: they did what was evil in the eyes of Hashem, that is, they sinned against Hashem's mitzvot and did not fulfill His commandments, but they did not yet serve idolatry. The second stage: they served the Baalim - a "baal" is called this because they make it a master (baal) over themselves - and this is still idolatry in partnership, that is, one serves both Hashem and the idolatry. An example of this is Christianity, which is idolatry in partnership. According to most of the poskim, idolatry in partnership was permitted to a gentile, for there is no demand of the gentile to reach the awareness of "there is nothing besides Him," but of the Jew there is such a demand, and therefore with respect to a Jew there is an absolute prohibition against serving idolatry in partnership. The third stage: they completely abandoned the Holy One, blessed be He, and this is no longer idolatry in partnership but pure idolatry - they serve only the Baalim.
וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה, וַיַּעַבְדוּ אֶת־הַבְּעָלִים׃ - And the children of Israel did what was evil in the eyes of Hashem, and they served the Baalim.
First "what was evil in the eyes of Hashem" alone - is there idolatry here? No, only evil in the eyes of Hashem. And afterward "and they served the Baalim" - they bring into their lives additional figures of idolatry besides the Holy One, blessed be He, and this is already idolatry in partnership.
וַיַּעַזְבוּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתָם הַמּוֹצִיא אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, וַיֵּלְכוּ אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים מֵאֱלֹהֵי הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבוֹתֵיהֶם, וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לָהֶם וַיַּכְעִסוּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה׃ - And they forsook Hashem, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples that were around them, and they bowed down to them and provoked Hashem.
וַיַּעַזְבוּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה, וַיַּעַבְדוּ לַבַּעַל וְלָעַשְׁתָּרוֹת׃ - And they forsook Hashem, and they served the Baal and the Ashtarot.
"Hashem, the God of their fathers" versus plain "Hashem"
The Malbim points out: notice the precise wording. In one pasuk it says "and they forsook Hashem, the God of their fathers," and in the next pasuk "and they forsook Hashem" alone. What is the difference? When we speak of "Hashem" without any added description or title, the intent is the Holy One, blessed be He, in His aspect as Creator of the world and Renewer of the worlds, King over the entire world, over us and over the nations and over all the worlds. By contrast, "Hashem, the God of their fathers" is the Holy One, blessed be He, together with the personal relationship we have with Him: individual providence, the bond between the people of Israel and the Holy One, blessed be He.
And from here, says the Malbim, comes also the reason the nations were not forbidden idolatry in partnership: they do not have a personal relationship with the Holy One, blessed be He, but only general providence. You want to believe both in idolatry and in Hashem? No great harm, so long as you also believe in Hashem. The gentile is sustained by the power of his heavenly minister, and the Holy One, blessed be He, is above all, and therefore even if he believes in the ministers and the constellations, the main thing is that he believe that everything is connected to Hashem. But the people of Israel have "Hashem, the God of your fathers": you are not subject to the constellations and the stars, the land of Israel is sustained only from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, "Hashem is our God, with no other god beside them." Therefore, with regard to you there is far greater strictness that you not add any other power and not believe in any additional power.
And this is the order: at first "and they forsook Hashem, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt" - they abandoned the aspect of individual providence, and they attach to the Holy One, blessed be He, other gods as well; this is worship in partnership. And afterward "and they forsook Hashem, and they served the Baal and the Ashtarot" - they abandoned Hashem even in His aspect as Creator of the worlds and Fashioner of all. At first I cast off His personal bond with me, and afterward I say: there is no Hashem at all, there is Baal and there is Ashtarot, and He is not the one who created the heavens and the earth. This is a stage at which they no longer worship in partnership but engage in idolatry alone.
The three stages of punishment
וַיִּחַר־אַף יְהֹוָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיִּתְּנֵם בְּיַד־שֹׁסִים וַיָּשֹׁסּוּ אוֹתָם, וַיִּמְכְּרֵם בְּיַד אוֹיְבֵיהֶם מִסָּבִיב, וְלֹא־יָכְלוּ עוֹד לַעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי אוֹיְבֵיהֶם׃ - And the anger of Hashem flared against Israel, and He gave them into the hand of plunderers who plundered them, and He sold them into the hand of their enemies all around, and they could no longer stand before their enemies.
The Malbim says: just as the decline came in three stages, so too the punishment came in three stages. First stage - "and He gave them into the hand of plunderers," and plunderers are those who come to rob them of their possessions. Second stage - "and He sold them into the hand of their enemies all around": those who were around us and were our enemies, the Holy One, blessed be He, handed us over to them by removing His providence from us. And once Hashem removes His providence from you, you are then exposed to every enemy and every foe who wishes to harm you. And why in truth are the enemies able to overcome us? Because the removal of providence means leaving the matter to nature, and by nature the enemy is stronger than you, and if he is stronger than you, he will be able to overcome you.
I saw in the sefer Minchah Ketanah an explanation of why it first says "and He gave them" and afterward "and He sold them." A person who receives a gift feels gratitude toward the giver and remembers him for good, and always feels a need to acknowledge the kindness. By contrast, if I sold you something, even if it is a good thing, you feel no gratitude toward me: you paid for it, everything is settled, it came into your possession and you owe me nothing. In the first stage, "and He gave them into the hand of plunderers" - we still had some standing among the nations, because the nation that robbed us still felt it had received something from us, we still had a measure of dignity. In the second stage, "and He sold them into the hand of their enemies" - we were sold to them, and a person who bought something feels no gratitude at all toward the one who gave it to him, but rather feels that we belong to him and that is the end of it. There is here, then, a further decline in the condition of the people of Israel.
בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר יָצְאוּ יַד־יְהֹוָה הָיְתָה־בָּם לְרָעָה, כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְהֹוָה לָהֶם, וַיֵּצֶר לָהֶם מְאֹד׃ - In all that they went out, the hand of Hashem was against them for evil, as Hashem had spoken and as Hashem had sworn to them, and they were greatly distressed.
Hiding of the face versus providence for evil
This is the third descent: whereas until now the situation was one of the hiding of the face, here we have a situation in which the Holy One, blessed be He, turns His face toward us for evil, meaning He watches over us in order that we receive the punishment. Let me explain: there are two modes in Hashem's governance. One mode is the hiding of the face, and this is a very bad state, since anyone who is stronger than you by nature can overcome you. Hashem leaves you in the hands of nature: whether rain falls or does not fall will be determined by the weather map according to what is supposed to happen, and what is supposed to happen will happen, and what is not supposed to happen will not happen, and I do not act to stop it for you. You have been cast into the hands of nature.
And there is another mode, which in a certain sense is worse: the Holy One, blessed be He, punishes us with full providence. That is, according to nature rain should fall, but the Holy One, blessed be He, with full providence, holds back the rain. This is providence, but for evil. And in a certain sense it is preferable that He remove His face from us, for then, if according to nature rain is supposed to fall, rain will fall, and it could be that things will be good. But if "and I will set My face against that man," woe and alas, He watches over in order to bring evil, and even if according to nature things should have been good, Hashem provides for evil.
On the other hand, there is an advantage to the other side: when Hashem watches over us so that we receive evil, the Holy One, blessed be He, is here, He is watching, He is present. You received a slap from father, it hurts, but father is here. In contrast, if father left, indeed there are no slaps, but there can be situations that deteriorate very badly and father will not be here even to help, because he has left. So there is an advantage here and an advantage there.
We will see a broader explanation of this later on, when Ahab asks Eliyahu who is greater, Moshe or Yehoshua. They are sitting shiva over Hiel of Beit HaEli, who built Jericho and whose sons died, and Ahab says: you religious people say this is because he built after Yehoshua's curse, who cursed whoever would build it, and therefore his sons died. What is this nonsense? Tell me, is Moshe Rabbeinu greater or Yehoshua? He said to him: Moshe. He said to him: Moshe Rabbeinu said "and He will hold back the heavens and there will be no rain" if they serve idolatry, and here there is idolatry on every furrow, and nevertheless we have rain and everything is fine.
And in this precisely lay his error. The Malbim says: Moshe is certainly greater than Yehoshua, and how is it that Yehoshua's words were fulfilled and Moshe's were not? Rather, Yehoshua uttered an oath: I promise that whoever builds it, his sons will die. In contrast, with Moshe, the Holy One, blessed be He, said "and He will hold back the heavens and there will be no rain," meaning that when the Holy One, blessed be He, exercises providence, He will providentially cause no rain to fall. But your situation is worse, Eliyahu says to him: the Holy One, blessed be He, has as it were abandoned the land, you are in a state where there is no providence at all. And if there is no providence at all, there can be a period in which rain falls, because according to nature rain is supposed to fall, but the Holy One, blessed be He, is not here, as it were. And this is a terrible and dreadful state, as during the period of the Holocaust and other times: "and I will hide My face from them and they will be devoured" - they will be consumed just as a person eats a chicken without feeling any pangs of conscience, so will be the state of the people of Israel. There can be a terrible and dreadful situation, that if trouble comes it has no limit, and on the other hand it could be that according to nature things will be good and then we will have it good, since the Holy One, blessed be He, is as it were not watching over us.
The Malbim says: come and see, here at the third stage there is already providence for evil - "in all that they went out the hand of Hashem was against them for evil," and in a certain sense this intensifies the situation, "as Hashem had spoken and as Hashem had sworn to them, and they were greatly distressed," and as a result the trouble became far harsher. And Chazal say that this verse was said concerning Elimelech and Machlon and Chilyon: "I went out full and Hashem has brought me back empty" - Elimelech leaves the land, and about those who left the land the verse hints that the hand of Hashem was against them for evil.
The Raising Up of the Judges
וַיָּקֶם יְהֹוָה שֹׁפְטִים, וַיּוֹשִׁיעוּם מִיַּד שֹׁסֵיהֶם׃ - And Hashem raised up judges, and they saved them from the hand of those who plundered them.
Since these verses are an introduction to the rest of the book, the text describes for us what happens from this stage onward: the people of Israel deteriorate, and the Holy One, blessed be He, raises up judges for them. "And Hashem raised up judges and they saved them" - this is always true, for in every situation there was a judge. But the salvation itself was not always the same, and there was a difference in the duration of the deliverance. There were judges whose salvation lasted as long as the judge existed, and throughout his lifetime we had no further troubles and we had quiet, like Otniel ben Kenaz and Devorah. In contrast, there were judges during whose lifetime, after the salvation and the war against the enemies and the removal of the threats, a few years passed and the enemies returned and prevailed over us, like Ehud and like Shimshon. And everything depended on the conduct of the people of Israel: if while the judge still lived they turned aside from the way, they received another blow during the judge's days; and if they continued in the way of Hashem throughout all his days, they had quiet throughout all his days.
וְגַם אֶל־שֹׁפְטֵיהֶם לֹא שָׁמֵעוּ, כִּי זָנוּ אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לָהֶם, סָרוּ מַהֵר מִן־הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ אֲבוֹתָם לִשְׁמֹעַ מִצְוֹת־יְהֹוָה, לֹא־עָשׂוּ כֵן׃ - And yet they did not listen to their judges, for they went astray after other gods and bowed down to them; they turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked, to obey the commandments of Hashem, they did not do so.
וְכִי־הֵקִים יְהֹוָה לָהֶם שֹׁפְטִים, וְהָיָה יְהֹוָה עִם־הַשֹּׁפֵט וְהוֹשִׁיעָם מִיַּד אֹיְבֵיהֶם כֹּל יְמֵי הַשּׁוֹפֵט, כִּי־יִנָּחֵם יְהֹוָה מִנַּאֲקָתָם מִפְּנֵי לֹחֲצֵיהֶם וְדֹחֲקֵיהֶם׃ - And when Hashem raised up judges for them, Hashem was with the judge and saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge, for Hashem was moved by their groaning because of those who oppressed and pressed them.
With this the Malbim resolves a difficulty: at first it says "and yet they did not listen to their judges," and immediately afterward "and when Hashem raised up judges for them, Hashem was with the judge and saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge." Decide, did they listen to the judges or did they not listen? The Malbim says: track through the book and you will see that there were judges with whom Hashem was throughout all their days, and there were judges during whose days the people turned aside from the way. The first verse speaks of the situation in which they did not heed the voice of the judges, and then, while the judge still lived, they turned aside from the way and the Holy One, blessed be He, brought trouble upon them; and the second verse speaks of the other situation, in which there was salvation all the days of the judge, when throughout all his days we conducted ourselves in the way of Hashem and did not turn aside from it. The text, since it is an introduction to the coming chapters, brings both possibilities: you will see it this way and you will see it that way.
"כי ינחם ה' מנאקתם מפני לוחציהם ודוחקיהם" - the Holy One, blessed be He, relented from the trouble that had come upon them because He saw the oppression and the pressure, and in all their distress He too is distressed. When the Holy One sees the distress of Israel, He Himself, as it were, is distressed.
וְהָיָה בְּמוֹת הַשּׁוֹפֵט יָשֻׁבוּ וְהִשְׁחִיתוּ מֵאֲבוֹתָם לָלֶכֶת אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לְעָבְדָם וּלְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹת לָהֶם, לֹא הִפִּילוּ מִמַּעַלְלֵיהֶם וּמִדַּרְכָּם הַקָּשָׁה׃ - And it came to pass, when the judge died, that they returned and acted more corruptly than their fathers, following other gods to serve them and to bow down to them; they did not let go of any of their deeds or of their stubborn way.
And why does the Holy One bring, after the death of the judge, a situation in which the enemies return to oppress us? Because the pasuk is speaking about those cases in which we were righteous all the days of the judge, and yet upon the judge's death we reverted to our old ways. And what does "reverting to our old ways" mean, at least somewhat better? No. The verse tells you "they did not let go of any of their deeds or of their stubborn way" - they did not diminish in the slightest from their former wickedness.
"I too will no longer drive out"
וַיִּחַר־אַף יְהֹוָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיֹּאמֶר יַעַן אֲשֶׁר עָבְרוּ הַגּוֹי הַזֶּה אֶת־בְּרִיתִי אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי אֶת־אֲבוֹתָם וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ לְקוֹלִי׃ - And the anger of Hashem was kindled against Israel, and He said: Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and they have not listened to My voice,
גַּם־אֲנִי לֹא אוֹסִיף לְהוֹרִישׁ אִישׁ מִפְּנֵיהֶם, מִן־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר־עָזַב יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וַיָּמֹת׃ - I too will no longer drive out from before them any of the nations which Yehoshua left when he died,
The Holy One says: those nations that remained here, "which Yehoshua left," meaning those that Yehoshua did not manage to root out in his lifetime, I had thought to hand over into your hands. But since I see that you do not walk in the way of Hashem, I have decided to leave these nations in place. And what is the purpose of leaving them? That this should be the whip standing at the side, and any slight deviation of yours, this whip will strike you. "Woe to Ashur, the rod of My anger" - Ashur is like a rod, a staff of the Holy One to strike Israel when they stray from the path.
"To listen to My voice" (bekoli) and "to hearken to My voice" (lekoli)
Let us take note, says the Malbim: here it is written "they have not hearkened to My voice" (lekoli), and above in pasuk 2 we saw "you have not listened to My voice" (bekoli). What is the difference? "To listen to a voice" (bekol) means to accept a command: the matters themselves are correct and true, and you accept the command that I gave you. "To hearken to a voice" (lekol) means that I hear all the words, understand them, identify with them, and because of that I act accordingly. Like "and he hearkened to the voice of my adversaries," and like "they heeded the voice of the shofar," which refers to the testimony that the shofar signals impending calamity.
And this is what he concludes and says: they did not even take heed to hearken to My voice. For once you saw that straying from the path brings a slap, you already have proof that it does not pay, and this already speaks to the intellect, not merely a command but a real argument. And even so Israel does not hearken to the voice of Hashem, and if so there is here a further decline beyond what was before.
לְמַעַן נַסּוֹת בָּם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֲשֹׁמְרִים הֵם אֶת־דֶּרֶךְ יְהֹוָה לָלֶכֶת בָּם כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמְרוּ אֲבוֹתָם אִם־לֹא׃ - in order to test Israel through them, whether they will keep the way of Hashem to walk in it as their fathers kept it, or not.
וַיַּנַּח יְהֹוָה אֶת־הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה לְבִלְתִּי הוֹרִישָׁם מַהֵר, וְלֹא נְתָנָם בְּיַד־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ׃ - So Hashem left these nations, not driving them out quickly, and He did not deliver them into the hand of Yehoshua.
Summary:
The chapter opens with the rebuke of Pinchas, the angel of Hashem, who shows the people two evils in their conduct: the wrongful act itself, ingratitude toward the One who raised them from the depths to the heights and the forging of a covenant with Hashem's enemies, which is a severing of the covenant with Him; and the consequences: nations that will remain here and become thorns and a snare. The people weep, and this is the meaning of the name of the place, "Bochim" (weepers), which teaches that only the weeping remained. From here the text moves to describe the three periods (Yehoshua, the elders, and after the death of the elders), and the deterioration in three stages: abandoning the commandments, idolatry alongside worship of Hashem, and outright idolatry; and corresponding to them three stages of punishment: plunderers who rob their money, being sold into the hands of enemies through hiding of the face, and finally providence turned to harm. From here onward the book will follow a fixed pattern: sin, distress, a judge, salvation, and a return to their old ways. And the recurring message: whoever does not heed the voice of Hashem as a command should at least heed His voice, that he should see with his own eyes that straying from the path does not pay off.