Chapter 9 of Shoftim is one of the hardest and most instructive chapters in the book: the story of Avimelech son of Yerubaal, who murdered his seventy brothers in order to reign, Yotam's famous parable about the trees that went to anoint a king over themselves, and the settling of the providential account in which Yotam's curse was fulfilled down to the last letter. The previous chapter ended with the people of Israel asking Gidon to rule over them, he and his son and his grandson, and Gidon refused and returned to his home. Baruch Hashem, his output was great: seventy sons were born to him, and one more son from his concubine, whose name was Avimelech. Avimelech, and another son named Yotam, are the center of our chapter.
Avimelech's Campaign
וַיֵּלֶךְ אֲבִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן־יְרֻבַּעַל שְׁכֶמָה אֶל־אֲחֵי אִמּוֹ וַיְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם וְאֶל־כׇּל־מִשְׁפַּחַת בֵּית־אֲבִי אִמּוֹ לֵאמֹר׃ דַּבְּרוּ־נָא בְּאׇזְנֵי כׇל־בַּעֲלֵי שְׁכֶם מַה־טּוֹב לָכֶם הַמְשֹׁל בָּכֶם שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ כֹּל בְּנֵי יְרֻבַּעַל אִם־מְשֹׁל בָּכֶם אִישׁ אֶחָד וּזְכַרְתֶּם כִּי־עַצְמְכֶם וּבְשַׂרְכֶם אָנִי׃ - And Avimelech son of Yerubaal went to Shechem, to his mother's brothers, and spoke to them and to all the family of his mother's father's house, saying: Speak, please, in the ears of all the men of Shechem: which is better for you, that seventy men, all the sons of Yerubaal, rule over you, or that one man rule over you? And remember that I am your own bone and flesh.
Avimelech's mother was from Shechem, and that is precisely why he went there, to the family and to the acquaintances. The Malbim says that there are two consecutive arguments here. The first is a "righteous" argument for the good of the public: think for yourselves, is it possible to accept a government of seventy heads? After all, one leader is set over a generation, and not two, all the more so not seventy. Surely for governance it is preferable that one man rule. The second argument is spoken, as it were, just between us: and remember that I am your own bone and flesh. Would it not be worthwhile for you to have someone of your own, who will look after you and take care of you, rather than seeking a man from outside?
וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֲחֵי־אִמּוֹ עָלָיו בְּאׇזְנֵי כׇּל־בַּעֲלֵי שְׁכֶם אֵת כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיֵּט לִבָּם אַחֲרֵי אֲבִימֶלֶךְ כִּי אָמְרוּ אָחִינוּ הוּא׃ - And his mother's brothers spoke about him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words, and their heart inclined after Avimelech, for they said: He is our brother.
His mother's brothers begin the propaganda, and the men of Shechem are convinced. But notice for what reason: not out of kindness toward Gidon, and not because the good of the public is that one man rule. "For they said: He is our brother," period. Without any adornment and without any empty arguments. They do not even try to explain away the previous commitment to Gidon and his son and his grandson. They state the truth as it is: he is our brother, he will look after our interests, he is the one we want.
וַיִּתְּנוּ־לוֹ שִׁבְעִים כֶּסֶף מִבֵּית בַּעַל בְּרִית וַיִּשְׂכֹּר בָּהֶם אֲבִימֶלֶךְ אֲנָשִׁים רֵיקִים וּפֹחֲזִים וַיֵּלְכוּ אַחֲרָיו׃ - And they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal Berit, and with them Avimelech hired empty and reckless men, and they followed him.
To run a campaign one needs money, and they give him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal Berit, that is, from the house of idolatry. And as is well known, in a house of idolatry money is never lacking, not in churches and not in mosques; there is always more than enough. With this money he establishes militias for himself. "Empty" means people empty of any virtue, who have no importance whatsoever. "Reckless" the Metzudat Tzion explains: quick in their deeds without knowledge, from the expression "reckless as water, you shall not excel." And pachaz and chafaz have the same meaning with the letters reversed, in the manner of keves and kesev, simlah and salmah, kahal and alhak. People who do all their deeds in haste, without a moment's thought, and in an instant one can ignite them.
The Malbim emphasizes that the mention of the seventy pieces of silver comes to teach us: the men of Shechem were full participants in practice in the mass murder that is about to take place. They bought him with hard cash, they strengthened his hands, and therefore all that happens rests upon their necks as well. And when in the end they will pay the price, you will understand that it was justly done.
The Murder of the Seventy Brothers
וַיָּבֹא בֵית־אָבִיו עׇפְרָתָה וַיַּהֲרֹג אֶת־אֶחָיו בְּנֵי־יְרֻבַּעַל שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ עַל־אֶבֶן אֶחָת וַיִּוָּתֵר יוֹתָם בֶּן־יְרֻבַּעַל הַקָּטֹן כִּי נֶחְבָּא׃ - And he came to his father's house at Ofrah and killed his brothers, the sons of Yerubaal, seventy men, upon one stone; but Yotam, the youngest son of Yerubaal, was left, for he had hidden himself.
The accepted way in their time to ensure that no one would rebel against you was simple: eliminate him. A new king who rises to reign knows that the household of the previous king will always aspire to the throne, and therefore he would eliminate them all and buy himself quiet for a long period. So too here: Avimelech has seventy potential rulers, all of whom heard the people's promise to Gidon, "you shall rule, and also your son, and also your grandson," and all of whom yearn for the throne. In order to ensure industrial quiet, he kills them all upon one stone.
The Radak raises a difficulty: Gideon had seventy sons, and if Yotam remained, then only sixty nine should have been killed. Avimelech himself is not counted, since he is the son of the concubine. The Radak answers that you should not be puzzled: "seventy" does not mean exactly seventy, but a number that rounds off to seventy, for it is the way of language to round. In truth he killed sixty nine, and one remained, namely Yotam.
וַיֵּאָסְפוּ כׇּל־בַּעֲלֵי שְׁכֶם וְכׇל־בֵּית מִלּוֹא וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיַּמְלִיכוּ אֶת־אֲבִימֶלֶךְ לְמֶלֶךְ עִם־אֵלוֹן מֻצָּב אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁכֶם׃ - And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and they went and made Avimelech king, by the terebinth of the pillar that is in Shechem.
The house of Millo are partners here too, and we will see them again further on. "Elon mutzav" Rashi explains: a plain in which there were pillars. Apparently a broad area in which the coronation ceremony could be held, and they all accept him as king.
Yotam on Mount Gerizim
וַיַּגִּדוּ לְיוֹתָם וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיַּעֲמֹד בְּרֹאשׁ הַר־גְּרִזִים וַיִּשָּׂא קוֹלוֹ וַיִּקְרָא וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם שִׁמְעוּ אֵלַי בַּעֲלֵי שְׁכֶם וְיִשְׁמַע אֲלֵיכֶם אֱלֹהִים׃ - And they told Yotam, and he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim and lifted up his voice and called out and said to them: Listen to me, men of Shechem, that God may listen to you.
Yotam hears that they have gathered to crown his murderous brother, and he has a message for the nation. There are no social networks, no emails, no faxes, no means of communication. The only way to speak to the whole nation is to climb to the top of a high mountain and cry out from there. And he deliberately stands at the top of the mountain, for the people to whom he is speaking seek his life, and he must manage to say his piece and flee. Therefore he keeps his distance and cries out from afar.
"That God may listen to you" the Malbim explains: God will be the judge between us. And when there is no judge in the land, one is permitted to hand over his case to Heaven. Listen, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will judge whether my words are honest and true or not.
The Parable of the Trees
What Yotam stands and says is the famous parable: the trees who went to anoint a king over themselves. We will study it in depth, as is our way, according to the Malbim, and we will see what lies behind these words.
הָלוֹךְ הָלְכוּ הָעֵצִים לִמְשֹׁחַ עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ וַיֹּאמְרוּ לַזַּיִת מׇלְכָה עָלֵינוּ׃ - The trees once went to anoint a king over themselves, and they said to the olive tree: Reign over us.
"Haloch halchu" seems to us to be a poetic expression, but the Malbim says that it is not so: it means many goings. This was not a simple matter. They went here and they went there and returned and went again. The subject of the parable is human beings, for man is the tree of the field.
And here we must emphasize: this is one of the verses that many people use while forgetting its plain meaning. "For is the tree of the field a man, that it should come before you in the siege" is not a statement that man is a tree, but a question, with a question mark. The Torah teaches that when you besiege a city you must not destroy its trees, and it asks: Is the tree of the field a man? Does it come before you in the siege? Your war is against the enemy, not against the fruit trees. This is the plain meaning of the verse. But certainly, by way of derash, man is compared to the tree of the field.
The people went out to seek a king, an officer, a commander and a ruler. When one looks for a leader, one seeks, for the good of the community, the most complete person, the one of highest stature, who can fulfill his role successfully. And who is meant to choose the king? The ministers and the wise, the leading heads of the nation. Therefore, the Malbim notes precisely, it is written here "the trees went forth" (הלוך הלכו העצים) with the definite article, meaning the choicest fruit trees among the trees, whereas later it will say "and all the trees said to the bramble," where the reference is now to the general public, the masses.
The Good, the Pleasant and the Useful
The Malbim introduces a principle that the ancients spoke of at length: the purposeful things in the world are divided into three, the good, the pleasant and the useful. There is one who seeks only the good, that is, what is good for the soul and beneficial to its purpose and its perfection. There is one who seeks only the pleasant: good for the soul? I do not care. Healthy? I do not care. Tasty? Bring it. A craving? Bring it. This stems from the animal sense in a person, from the low and lustful layers. And in the middle stands the useful, which comes from the working of the intellect: I weigh in my mind that this thing will benefit me, and so I want it.
And what is the difference between the good and the useful? The good can exist even when there is no benefit from it, and even when there is harm from it. The soldier who jumps on a grenade and is blown up to save the entire platoon did not benefit himself, on the contrary, he harmed himself, but without doubt this is the most excellent good, for the good always touches the perfection of the soul, and he merited to save many lives. The good is what is right and fitting to do, even if it does not benefit me right now. And the pleasant is pure desire, what is tasty and sweet to me, even if it will harm me.
The Olive: The Perfect Good
Who went first to seek a king? The choice, distinguished, wise trees. And the wise one understands that the good is above all, and therefore they turned to the best of the good. The olive, says the Malbim, is the parable for the perfect good, since from it oil for light is extracted, and oil symbolizes wisdom. Olive oil restores seventy years of study, and in the Menorah in the Temple they would tend the lamps and place olive oil, and the Menorah symbolizes the light of wisdom. The symbol of the olive is light, and light is called good, and its symbol is wisdom, which is the perfect good. This is a godly man, a spiritual man, fit to rule, like Mashiach ben David.
And a fine grammatical point: to the olive they say "reign over us," whereas to the fig they say "you go and reign over us." When they say "go and reign," it implies that one must go in order to reign, that kingship is not built into you and is not part of you, and you must perform a going and a preparation. But with the olive, kingship is part of him: he is a man of God, he has absolute mastery over all his desires and cravings, and he is a king in his very essence. "Who are the kings? The Rabbis." If you take one of the Rabbis and appoint him king, he needs no preparation or completion.
וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם הַזַּיִת הֶחֳדַלְתִּי אֶת־דִּשְׁנִי אֲשֶׁר־בִּי יְכַבְּדוּ אֱלֹהִים וַאֲנָשִׁים וְהָלַכְתִּי לָנוּעַ עַל־הָעֵצִים׃ - And the olive said to them: Shall I leave my fatness, by which they honor God and men, and go to sway over the trees?
Says the Malbim: this happy man would not desire authority, for it would cut him off from his perfection. One of the great men of Israel was pressured several times to be appointed head of the beit din, and he refused, saying that the matter would harm his study of Torah: to deal with the public, with claims and counterclaims and all its needs, when would I develop my own character and when would I grow myself in Torah? And he testified about himself: every day I bless that He did not make me a head of the beit din. The man of stature does not seek authority. And Moshe Rabbeinu already said: Do I give you authority? Servitude is what I give you.
Therefore the olive says: my time is precious and important, and in this time I advance in the service of Hashem. "My fatness" is the attainment of wisdom and the attainment of prophecy, by which God and men are honored. Shall I go to sway over the trees and busy myself with the needs of the public? However important dealing with the needs of the public is, it robs me of the time for elevation in the service of Hashem, and I am not willing for that.
The Fig: The Pleasant
וַיֹּאמְרוּ הָעֵצִים לַתְּאֵנָה לְכִי־אַתְּ מׇלְכִי עָלֵינוּ׃ - And the trees said to the fig: You go and reign over us.
After the party of the wise and good failed to find a person worthy in its eyes, it stops searching. From here on we are dealing with another type of trees: the party of the wealthy, who seek what is pleasant for the life of the body, the complete opposite of the first group. They are looking for a king who will fulfill this purpose, a king who will provide them economic comfort and an orderly government that will allow them to satisfy all their wishes and desires, a king who will sustain them with pleasant delicacies. And whom do they find? The fig, whose fruit is sweet and pleasant to the sense of taste. Those who seek pleasantness cannot find a king better than the fig, for it is the one that gives a pleasant taste.
וַתֹּאמֶר לָהֶם הַתְּאֵנָה הֶחֳדַלְתִּי אֶת־מׇתְקִי וְאֶת־תְּנוּבָתִי הַטּוֹבָה וְהָלַכְתִּי לָנוּעַ עַל־הָעֵצִים׃ - And the fig tree said to them: Should I forsake my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?
The Malbim says in a wonderful formulation: even such a person, once he has an imagined perfection that is pleasant to himself, did not want to abandon it for the sake of the people. Pleasantness is not true perfection, but it is an imagined perfection. And he makes a calculation: I am wealthy, life is good for me, I have abundance, so why should I go to rule over people? That is a headache, and ruling over others limits me. I already have everything I desire, and I do not need to rule in order to gain more. My sweetness is enough for me.
And the Malbim was precise: regarding the fig it does not say "that gladdens God and men," because in pure pleasantness there is no benefit. Pure pleasantness is sugars, hollow and empty calories. There is no spiritual benefit here, and there is, as it were, no benefit to the Holy One, Blessed be He, and therefore God is not mentioned. In the portion of the pleasant there is no true benefit at all.
The Vine: The Useful
וַיֹּאמְרוּ הָעֵצִים לַגָּפֶן לְכִי־אַתְּ מׇלְכִי עָלֵינוּ׃ - And the trees said to the vine: You come, reign over us.
Now a third party among the people arises, seeking an average person. At first they sought the good, one end of the scale, and did not find him; then they sought the purely pleasant, the other end, and also did not find him. Now they seek the middle between the good and the pleasant, which is the useful, hinted at by the vine. For wine gladdens the heart of man, and our Sages said "wine and fragrances make one wise," meaning that what made me wise were the spices and the wine. So there is benefit in wine from both sides: it gladdens a person and gives benefit to the body, and it also sharpens his intellect and gives benefit to the soul. This is not pure desire of sugars and tastes, nor is it the absolute good of the olive that hints at the light of wisdom. And incidentally, it is interesting to note that the olive is bitter, for the perfect good need not be pleasant, and it is the good of the future.
Therefore they seek a leader who will be both wise in leading the people and possessed of good character traits, who will lead them with justice and know how to combine the practical life with the spiritual life.
וַתֹּאמֶר לָהֶם הַגֶּפֶן הֶחֳדַלְתִּי אֶת־תִּירוֹשִׁי הַמְשַׂמֵּחַ אֱלֹהִים וַאֲנָשִׁים וְהָלַכְתִּי לָנוּעַ עַל־הָעֵצִים׃ - And the vine said to them: Should I forsake my new wine, which gladdens God and men, and go to wave over the trees?
The vine too, who is the political sage, does not want to abandon the perfection within it, which is the new wine that gladdens God and men. Since there is here also some spiritual perfection, for we are dealing with the useful, he is not interested in losing it in order to rule over people.
There is a further explanation as to why specifically the olive and the vine gladden God and men: "gladdens God" means that they go up upon the altar. The olive, for oil is poured upon the meal offerings; and the wine, for there was the libation of wine upon the altar. But the fig is about sweetness, and "no leaven and no honey shall you burn as a fire offering to Hashem." Sweet things and sweet fruits do not go up upon the altar, except in the case of first fruits, but not as a fire offering to Hashem and as a sacrifice. Therefore it is not fitting to say of the fig "my good fruit that gladdens God," but of the olive and the vine it is fitting.
The Bramble: A King of Thorns
וַיֹּאמְרוּ כׇל־הָעֵצִים אֶל־הָאָטָד לֵךְ אַתָּה מְלׇךְ־עָלֵינוּ׃ - And all the trees said to the bramble, You come and reign over us.
We already noted that it says "they went forth going" (haloch halchu), many journeys, and here they are wearing out their feet until they reach the bramble. Since the heads of the nation, the wise men, the wealthy and the officers, found no king, now "all the trees" go. The majority of the nation is the common people, and most of the trees are barren trees. That is why it says here "all the trees," because now we are dealing with the plain, common folk. And since they are barren trees, they seek someone of their own kind and character, and so they choose the bramble, the worst of them all, from which there is no benefit whatsoever. What is its virtue? That one cannot approach it, for it is full of spears and arrows and painful thorns. In other words: after the finest of the nation sought a king and did not find one, the masses come and choose a stabbing king, a king with a spear, a king who knows how to seize the kingship by force of arm and take control, and whoever tries to gore him, arrows are immediately shot at him, he is instantly killed, and all the violent instruments in his hands are at once turned against him.
וַיֹּאמֶר הָאָטָד אֶל־הָעֵצִים אִם בֶּאֱמֶת אַתֶּם מֹשְׁחִים אֹתִי לְמֶלֶךְ עֲלֵיכֶם בֹּאוּ חֲסוּ בְצִלִּי וְאִם־אַיִן תֵּצֵא אֵשׁ מִן־הָאָטָד וְתֹאכַל אֶת־אַרְזֵי הַלְּבָנוֹן׃ - And the bramble said to the trees, If in truth you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.
The bramble, says the Malbim, seeks the kingship and pursues it. And why? Because all the earlier ones had a virtue of their own, while the bramble has no virtue at all. When you offered it kingship, you offered it at long last a role, a status, something to take pride in, for without it it is utter nothingness. And the role also takes nothing away from it, for the simple reason that it has no perfection to begin with. The fig at least provides something sweet, whereas the bramble provides nothing. It has nothing to lose.
Only one doubt does it have: is your offer genuine, does it express sincerity and honesty? Therefore it says: if in truth you are anointing me, come and take refuge in my shade. But does the bramble have any shade? Rather the meaning is: abandon your lofty virtue, the cedars of Lebanon that you are, and lower yourselves to sit beneath me, and my painful thorns will be shade and refuge for you. For if someone comes to harm you, I shoot thorns in every direction. In truth you have nothing to give up, for in any case you are above me, but if you wish to accept my murderousness and my violence, be ready to lower yourselves beneath me and accept my authority.
"And if not," meaning if you rebel against me, do not think that it is lowly and base and what could it possibly do. Am I a cedar and it a thorn? Know this: a cedar cannot be set alight. To ignite a cedar you need a bundle of thorns. You take thorns, place them around, set them on fire, there is a flame for a minute or two, but that fire causes the cedar gradually to catch fire and burn. I am a dangerous fuel, the bramble is ready for a blaze, as it is said, "If a fire breaks out and finds thorns" and only afterward "and it is consumed." Everything begins with the thorns, which are the first thing to burn. Do not think I have no power to harm you; as small and lowly as I am, I am capable of making a blaze.
The Lesson: Yotam's Rebuke
וְעַתָּה אִם־בֶּאֱמֶת וּבְתָמִים עֲשִׂיתֶם וַתַּמְלִיכוּ אֶת־אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וְאִם־טוֹבָה עֲשִׂיתֶם עִם־יְרֻבַּעַל וְעִם־בֵּיתוֹ וְאִם־כִּגְמוּל יָדָיו עֲשִׂיתֶם לוֹ׃ - And now, if you have acted in truth and sincerity in making Avimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Yerubaal and with his house, and if you have treated him as his hands deserved.
Here Yotam turns to the lesson. Among Gideon's sons there were wise men like olive saplings, and there were wealthy men who are sought out and enjoyed for their sweetness like the fig, and there were those wise in statecraft who know what is beneficial and good like the vine of the vineyard. And none of them desired the kingship, nor did they act to draw the people after them and seek to rule over them. But you, the masses of the people and the lowest among them, went to seek yourselves a bramble, in which there is neither good nor sweetness nor benefit, a thorn and thistle capable of nothing but destroying its brothers and murdering.
And about this he asks them: if you made Avimelech king in truth and sincerity, meaning that the choice itself was made in truth and you wished to acquire some perfection through his coronation, which is entirely false; or perhaps you will say that you owe him a debt of gratitude, that his father Gideon gave his life and saved you from the hand of Midian, and it is fitting that we should make his son king.
אֲשֶׁר־נִלְחַם אָבִי עֲלֵיכֶם וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ מִנֶּגֶד וַיַּצֵּל אֶתְכֶם מִיַּד מִדְיָן׃ - Who fought for you and cast his life before him and saved you from the hand of Midian.
Two things he says to them: my father cast his life before him for your sake, and even had he not succeeded in the war, you would already have owed him gratitude for the very act of self-sacrifice. And all the more so since he succeeded and saved you from the hand of Midian, and therefore you owe him a reward. And a reward is always in return for something you have already received: they saved you, a reward of goodness. But if this was truly your intention, how will you explain what follows?
וְאַתֶּם קַמְתֶּם עַל־בֵּית אָבִי הַיּוֹם וַתַּהַרְגוּ אֶת־בָּנָיו שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ עַל־אֶבֶן אֶחָת וַתַּמְלִיכוּ אֶת־אֲבִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן־אֲמָתוֹ עַל־בַּעֲלֵי שְׁכֶם כִּי אֲחִיכֶם הוּא׃ - But you have risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made Avimelech the son of his maidservant king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother.
Is this how one repays someone who gave his life for you? You killed all his children, seventy men on one stone, and this is the reward for his having saved you from Midian? This is neither kindness nor recompense. And the Metzudat David adds regarding "the son of his maidservant": did he not have sons from a mistress, that you went specifically to crown the son of the maidservant, the son of the concubine, the lowest among them? And for what reason? "Because he is your brother." You wanted profit, you wanted someone who would look out for you, and not out of a genuine desire to show gratitude to his father who fought for you.
וְאִם־בֶּאֱמֶת וּבְתָמִים עֲשִׂיתֶם עִם־יְרֻבַּעַל וְעִם־בֵּיתוֹ הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה שִׂמְחוּ בַּאֲבִימֶלֶךְ וְיִשְׂמַח גַּם־הוּא בָּכֶם׃ - If then you have dealt truly and sincerely with Yerubaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Avimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.
After saying "and if you have acted kindly" and "and if according to the deserving of his hands," he now says: if you have acted truly and sincerely this day. The Metzudat David explains that they might claim: you are right, in the past we did not act properly, we killed the sons of Gideon, we are stricken with our sin, it was not honorable. But today, who remains? Only Avimelech. All of Gideon's sons have already died in any case, and if we wish to show gratitude to Gideon, Avimelech is the only one who continues his line, and so in retrospect crowning him is for Gideon's benefit. Yotam says to them: if that is truly so, then good health to you, rejoice in one another. But the truth is that after you murdered all his sons, you have no right and no leg to stand on, and you certainly cannot claim that it was all done truly and sincerely.
וְאִם־אַיִן תֵּצֵא אֵשׁ מֵאֲבִימֶלֶךְ וְתֹאכַל אֶת־בַּעֲלֵי שְׁכֶם וְאֶת־בֵּית מִלּוֹא וְתֵצֵא אֵשׁ מִבַּעֲלֵי שְׁכֶם וּמִבֵּית מִלּוֹא וְתֹאכַל אֶת־אֲבִימֶלֶךְ׃ - But if not, let fire come out from Avimelech, and devour the men of Shechem and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from the house of Millo, and devour Avimelech.
And if he is truly not worthy, for a murderer is not fit to inherit his father, and one who murdered his father's sons is certainly not fit to inherit him, then your end will be as in the parable. There it was said, "let fire come out from the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon," and here: let fire come out from Avimelech, who is the thorn and the bramble, and devour the men of Shechem and the house of Millo, and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from the house of Millo and devour Avimelech.
וַיָּנׇס יוֹתָם וַיִּבְרַח וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּאֵרָה וַיֵּשֶׁב שָׁם מִפְּנֵי אֲבִימֶלֶךְ אָחִיו׃ - And Yotam fled, and ran away, and went to Be'er, and dwelt there, out of fear of Avimelech his brother.
After words like these, it is understandable that Yotam's head was sought. He understood that he was in great danger and fled to a place named Be'er, which served him as a city of refuge to escape from Avimelech his brother, so that he would not seek to take his life as well.
Three years, and an evil spirit
וַיָּשַׂר אֲבִימֶלֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים׃ - And Avimelech ruled over Israel three years.
Note, says the Malbim: it does not say "and he judged," because he did not truly judge them, but rather ruled with force and seized dominion and power by strength. Therefore it says "and he ruled."
וַיִּשְׁלַח אֱלֹהִים רוּחַ רָעָה בֵּין אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וּבֵין בַּעֲלֵי שְׁכֶם וַיִּבְגְּדוּ בַעֲלֵי־שְׁכֶם בַּאֲבִימֶלֶךְ׃ - And God sent an evil spirit between Avimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Avimelech.
The navi informs us that this was no coincidence and no local dispute: "and God sent an evil spirit." It was a providential punishment, fully directed by Hashem, so that the violence done to the seventy souls he murdered would come home. The blood of his brothers cries out from the ground, and from now on Avimelech begins to pay the price for his heinous deed.
לָבוֹא חֲמַס שִׁבְעִים בְּנֵי־יְרֻבָּעַל וְדָמָם לָשׂוּם עַל־אֲבִימֶלֶךְ אֲחִיהֶם אֲשֶׁר הָרַג אוֹתָם וְעַל בַּעֲלֵי שְׁכֶם אֲשֶׁר־חִזְּקוּ אֶת־יָדָיו לַהֲרֹג אֶת־אֶחָיו׃ - That the violence done to the seventy sons of Yerubaal might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Avimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem who strengthened his hands to slay his brothers.
This was a repayment for the violence with which they stole the kingship from the sons of Gideon, and for the blood they spilled. The men of Shechem too were active partners, for from the moment you gave money you had already become part of the matter.
The Ambushes and How Things Unfolded
וַיָּשִׂימוּ לוֹ בַעֲלֵי שְׁכֶם מְאָרְבִים עַל רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים וַיִּגְזְלוּ אֵת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲבֹר עֲלֵיהֶם בַּדָּרֶךְ וַיֻּגַּד לַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ׃ - And the men of Shechem set ambushes for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who passed by them along the way, and it was told to Avimelech.
On the face of it this is puzzling: if the ambush was meant for Avimelech, what is the meaning of "and they robbed all who passed by them"? The Malbim explains that at first they set ambushes for Avimelech, to wait until he would come and kill him. But those lying in ambush grew bored, and they also needed to make a living from something, so they began to engage in criminal activity and rob those passing along the way. This is what caused the matter to become known to Avimelech. Had they waited quietly, perhaps after two weeks or a month he would have come and they would have struck him; but because they did not hold back and used their strength and weapons to harm innocent travelers, the matter became known, and Avimelech was careful not to pass through there.
And this too, says the Malbim, was from Hashem: so that the thornbush, before it would be burned, would first devour the cedars of Lebanon.
וַיָּבֹא גַּעַל בֶּן־עֶבֶד וְאֶחָיו וַיַּעַבְרוּ בִּשְׁכֶם וַיִּבְטְחוּ־בוֹ בַּעֲלֵי שְׁכֶם׃ - And Gaal the son of Eved came with his brothers, and they passed through Shechem, and the men of Shechem put their trust in him.
A new figure enters the picture, Gaal the son of Eved and his brothers, and here the Holy One, blessed be He, brings about a second cause for the dispute to flare up. The men of Shechem were not fighting men, whereas Avimelech already had militias. The men of Shechem understood that in order to fight him they needed to organize themselves properly, and so they relied on Gaal the son of Eved and his brothers, who were apparently criminal elements, to fight their war for them.
וַיֵּצְאוּ הַשָּׂדֶה וַיִּבְצְרוּ אֶת־כַּרְמֵיהֶם וַיִּדְרְכוּ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ הִלּוּלִים וַיָּבֹאוּ בֵּית אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ וַיְקַלְלוּ אֶת־אֲבִימֶלֶךְ׃ - And they went out into the field and gathered their vineyards and trod the grapes and held celebrations, and they came into the house of their god, and they ate and drank and cursed Avimelech.
Beforehand they had been afraid to leave the city and go out to their fields. Now there is a new leader, Gaal the son of Eved, who is, so to speak, the antibiotic against Avimelech, and their self confidence returns. They go out, harvest the vineyards, tread their grapes and hold celebrations, and they come into the house of their god, eat and drink, and no longer fear to speak against Avimelech in public, cursing him endlessly.
Gaal the Son of Eved's Speech
וַיֹּאמֶר גַּעַל בֶּן־עֶבֶד מִי־אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וּמִי־שְׁכֶם כִּי נַעַבְדֶנּוּ הֲלֹא בֶן־יְרֻבַּעַל וּזְבֻל פְּקִידוֹ עִבְדוּ אֶת־אַנְשֵׁי חֲמוֹר אֲבִי שְׁכֶם וּמַדּוּעַ נַעַבְדֶנּוּ אֲנָחְנוּ׃ - And Gaal son of Eved said: Who is Avimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Yerubaal, and Zevul his officer? Serve the men of Chamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him?
One might simply say that there is nothing to delve into here, since it is written "and they ate and drank," and when a person is drinking one does not search for inner meanings in his words; the wine and the alcohol are doing the talking. But since the prophet writes these things for us, it is a sign that there was some kind of argument here.
Gaal stands as the chief speaker and says: What connection is there between Avimelech and Shechem that would obligate us to serve him? After all, on his father's side he is the son of Yerubaal, and the main lineage comes from the father's side, and his father is not from Shechem at all. Only his mother is from Shechem. Are we obligated to someone who is related to us only through the mother, when kingship passes from father to son? And not only that, but "and Zevul his officer": what nerve, that we would have to serve his officers too. If I am not even obligated to Gideon's son, would I then be obligated to the officer of Gideon's son?
"Serve the men of Chamor the father of Shechem" he said to them in a sarcastic way, says the Malbim: you are foolish like donkeys (chamorim). He calls Avimelech by the name Chamor, for Shechem was the son of Chamor, and Chamor was the father of Shechem. In paraphrase: who rules over Shechem? Her father, as it were, meaning Chamor. Avimelech who rules over Shechem, he is a donkey. And what, shall we go serve this donkey? And why specifically "should we serve him"? Because Gaal and his brothers are not from Shechem at all, they came from outside. If you, men of Shechem, want to serve a donkey, go ahead, but why should we be enslaved to the donkey prince of Shechem?
The Malbim brings a further explanation: he calls Avimelech by the disparaging name "Shechem," meaning that he likens himself to being prince of the land like Shechem son of Chamor the Hivite, who was prince of the land. And who is this Avimelech, and who is this "Shechem" prince of the land, that we should serve him?
The Malbim brings a very original interpretation of "is he not the son of Yerubaal, and Zevul his officer": that is, Avimelech is the son of Yerubaal and Zevul. Simply put, he hints that it is not at all clear who his father is. For he is the son of a concubine, and a concubine is not a wife taken through ketubah and kiddushin, and in their times the way of a concubine was to be promiscuous, since she feels less committed, less restricted, and freer. And if so, are you willing to sign that he is truly the son of Gideon? After all, his mother was promiscuous with Zevul his officer, so it turns out that Avimelech is the son of Yerubaal and Zevul. There is no certainty in his lineage, and it is doubtful which of the two is his real father. And if you want to serve him because his father was prince of the land, then follow this logic all the way: serve the men of Chamor the father of Shechem, for they preceded him in the princely rule. If you go back in history, Chamor the father of Shechem was the prince hundreds of years earlier, so let us seek out his lineage and give the rule to those donkeys. And if history determines nothing, why crown him merely because his father is Gideon, especially when there is no certainty at all that Gideon is his father.
וּמִי יִתֵּן אֶת־הָעָם הַזֶּה בְּיָדִי וְאָסִירָה אֶת־אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר לַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ רַבֶּה צְבָאֲךָ וָצֵאָה׃ - Would that this people were under my command, then I would remove Avimelech. And he said to Avimelech: Increase your army and come out!
These are extremely sharp and harsh words, and they have their effect. He continues with a speech that sounds like a campaign speech: would that I could lead this people and remove Avimelech. And the Radak asks: but they already removed him? Rather the intention is to remove him completely, for he might still return and try to rule, whereas I would remove him absolutely and reign in his place.
And notice what happens to people when they start to speak: they get carried away, and many times they say things they never planned in their original plan. He sees the enthusiasm of the people and the cheering, and he gets carried away in his speech, and turns directly to Avimelech: Increase your army and come out. Avimelech, you are invited to battle, bring your fellows and let us fight.
Zevul Betrays Gaal
וַיִּשְׁמַע זְבֻל שַׂר־הָעִיר אֶת־דִּבְרֵי גַּעַל בֶּן־עָבֶד וַיִּחַר אַפּוֹ׃ - And Zevul the officer of the city heard the words of Gaal son of Eved, and his anger was kindled.
וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים אֶל־אֲבִימֶלֶךְ בְּתׇרְמָה לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה גַעַל בֶּן־עֶבֶד וְאֶחָיו בָּאִים שְׁכֶמָה וְהִנָּם צָרִים אֶת־הָעִיר עָלֶיךָ׃ - And he sent messengers to Avimelech in deceit, saying: Behold, Gaal son of Eved and his brothers are coming to Shechem, and behold, they are inciting the city against you.
Zevul, the officer of the city, hears how they are speaking against him and against his master, and his anger burns. "Betormah" is explained by the Radak as if it were "bemirmah," meaning secretly, without Ga'al and the men of Shechem knowing, for he sent to him in secret that Ga'al was rebelling against him. And some explain that "Tormah" is a place name, for later it says that Avimelech dwells in "Arumah," with the aleph silent, and it turns out that Tormah and Arumah are one and the same place.
"And behold, they are besieging the city against you": according to its plain meaning, as the Radak says, they are guarding the city because of you, so that you cannot enter. But this is difficult, for a siege always means a choking ring from the outside, so that no one may leave from within, whereas here it would be a siege from within so that one may not enter. Therefore the Malbim explains differently: "they are coming to Shechem" means that they seek to settle in Shechem, and "besieging the city against you" means that they are planning to lay siege tomorrow morning against Arumah, the city where Avimelech dwells. That is: be ready, they are coming to besiege you. And according to this, "strengthen your army and come out" means: if you are a mighty man, come out of the city, for we are about to choke you off and not allow you to leave.
וְעַתָּה קוּם לַיְלָה אַתָּה וְהָעָם אֲשֶׁר־אִתָּךְ וֶאֱרֹב בַּשָּׂדֶה׃ וְהָיָה בַבֹּקֶר כִּזְרֹחַ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ תַּשְׁכִּים וּפָשַׁטְתָּ עַל־הָעִיר וְהִנֵּה־הוּא וְהָעָם אֲשֶׁר־אִתּוֹ יֹצְאִים אֵלֶיךָ וְעָשִׂיתָ לּוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָא יָדֶךָ׃ - And now, arise by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field. And it shall be in the morning, as the sun rises, you shall rise early and swoop upon the city, and behold, he and the people who are with him will come out to you, and you shall do to him as your hand finds.
The advice is to get ahead and lie in ambush: since they are preparing to go out early in the morning to besiege Arumah, surprise them. When they come out, attack them at the entrance to Shechem. Thus you will gain doubly: on one hand you will strike those coming out toward you, and on the other hand another company will enter the city, and in a pincer movement you will catch the force that has come out and capture Shechem. And this is "and you shall do to him as your hand finds": do not let him return to the city, and thus you will succeed in conquering the city back.
The ambush that was revealed too early
וַיָּקׇם אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וְכׇל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר־עִמּוֹ לָיְלָה וַיֶּאֶרְבוּ עַל־שְׁכֶם אַרְבָּעָה רָאשִׁים׃ - And Avimelech arose, and all the people who were with him, by night, and they lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.
Avimelech heeds Zevul's advice, arises by night, sets up an ambush, and divides his people into four companies. The aim: two companies would stand at the entrance, and two would strike those coming out into the field, and in this way they would also prevent those who came out from fleeing back into the city, for at the entrance they would be waiting for them, and anyone who tried to escape inside would be struck down.
וַיֵּצֵא גַּעַל בֶּן־עֶבֶד וַיַּעֲמֹד פֶּתַח שַׁעַר הָעִיר וַיָּקׇם אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וְהָעָם אֲשֶׁר־אִתּוֹ מִן־הַמַּאְרָב׃ - And Ga'al son of Eved went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate, and Avimelech and the people who were with him arose from the ambush.
וַיַּרְא־גַּעַל אֶת־הָעָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־זְבֻל הִנֵּה־עָם יוֹרֵד מֵרָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו זְבֻל אֵת צֵל הֶהָרִים אַתָּה רֹאֶה כָּאֲנָשִׁים׃ - And Ga'al saw the people and said to Zevul: Behold, a people is coming down from the tops of the mountains. And Zevul said to him: You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.
What happened here? Avimelech made his raid too early and was revealed before the time. The plan was to wait until Ga'al actually came out of the city, and then to strike him in the field and block those fleeing at the entrance. But Ga'al delayed, and this is "and he stood at the entrance of the city gate." The Malbim says that a timing problem arose here: Avimelech was certain that if Ga'al came out then everyone was already outside, and he rose from the ambush prematurely.
Ga'al suddenly sees men rising up on every side and begins to understand that something is happening. He turns to Zevul, still not knowing that Zevul is the one who betrayed him and arranged the ambush. Zevul tries to lull him and calm him: "You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as if they were men." From here comes the familiar expression "seeing the shadow of mountains as mountains," while the original expression is the shadow of mountains as men. And this reassurance causes Ga'al not to continue and go out, and if he does not go out, the entire attack is doomed to fail.
וַיֹּסֶף עוֹד גַּעַל לְדַבֵּר וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה־עָם יוֹרְדִים מֵעִם טַבּוּר הָאָרֶץ וְרֹאשׁ־אֶחָד בָּא מִדֶּרֶךְ אֵלוֹן מְעוֹנְנִים׃ - And Ga'al spoke yet again and said: Behold, a people is coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming by way of Elon Me'onenim.
Gaal replies: do not make a fool of me, I see quite clearly. A people is coming down from the navel of the land, that is, from the center of the land, and they are divided into columns. The natural thing to do now is to flee inside and seal the city, for Shechem is surrounded by a wall. And this is precisely what worries Zevul: if Gaal enters and closes the gates, the attack will fail.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו זְבֻל אַיֵּה אֵפוֹא פִיךָ אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר מִי אֲבִימֶלֶךְ כִּי נַעַבְדֶנּוּ הֲלֹא זֶה הָעָם אֲשֶׁר מָאַסְתָּה בּוֹ צֵא־נָא עַתָּה וְהִלָּחֶם בּוֹ׃ - And Zevul said to him: Where now is your mouth with which you said, Who is Avimelech that we should serve him? Is this not the people whom you despised? Go out now and fight against him.
Zevul tries, in our idiom, to "fire him up." First: where now is your mouth? You made a statement, stand behind it. A man of standing must uphold his words. You said you were not afraid of Avimelech, and who is Avimelech at all, and now is it all talk like the sand upon the seashore? Go out and fight him. And second: is this not the people whom you despised, whom you counted as nothing and worthless as the peel of a garlic, and suddenly you are afraid and want to go back into the city?
וַיֵּצֵא גַעַל לִפְנֵי בַּעֲלֵי שְׁכֶם וַיִּלָּחֶם בַּאֲבִימֶלֶךְ׃ - And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem and fought against Avimelech.
And the words take effect. The success apparently came from the fact that Zevul spoke to him before the men of Shechem, and the matter of ego also entered here: all the soldiers see me acting like a coward, this is unpleasant and undignified. And as a result he went out and fought.
וַיִּרְדְּפֵהוּ אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וַיָּנׇס מִפָּנָיו וַיִּפְּלוּ חֲלָלִים רַבִּים עַד־פֶּתַח הַשָּׁעַר׃ - And Avimelech pursued him, and he fled before him, and many fell slain, up to the entrance of the gate.
Avimelech strikes him properly, and pursues him up to the entrance of the gate, but he still does not conquer the city. He dealt a solid blow to the men of the city, but the city itself he did not capture.
וַיֵּשֶׁב אֲבִימֶלֶךְ בָּארוּמָה וַיְגָרֶשׁ זְבֻל אֶת־גַּעַל וְאֶת־אֶחָיו מִשֶּׁבֶת בִּשְׁכֶם׃ - And Avimelech dwelt in Arumah, and Zevul drove out Gaal and his brothers from dwelling in Shechem.
Avimelech settles in Arumah, and Zevul continues to manage the city and succeeds in driving out Gaal and his brothers. And it seems this came about also because the men of Shechem saw that no salvation would come from Gaal: we took him as an antibiotic against Avimelech, and if his army falls and does not overcome Avimelech's army, there is no point in continuing to accept him as leader.
The Fall of Shechem
וַיְהִי מִמׇּחֳרָת וַיֵּצֵא הָעָם הַשָּׂדֶה וַיַּגִּדוּ לַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ׃ - And it came to pass on the next day that the people went out into the field, and they told Avimelech.
It was the time of the harvest, as we saw that they held festivities, and the people go out to the field because that is their livelihood and they must work their fields. And they inform Avimelech: they no longer fear, they go out and are confident in themselves.
וַיִּקַּח אֶת־הָעָם וַיֶּחֱצֵם לִשְׁלֹשָׁה רָאשִׁים וַיֶּאֱרֹב בַּשָּׂדֶה וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה הָעָם יֹצֵא מִן־הָעִיר וַיָּקׇם עֲלֵיהֶם וַיַּכֵּם׃ - He took the people and divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field. He looked, and behold, the people were coming out of the city, and he rose up against them and struck them.
This time, says the Malbim, he succeeds in carrying out Zevul's first piece of advice. He divides the people into three companies, and when the people come out of the city and are completely cut off from it, he strikes them, and in a pincer movement he closes off the city and does not let them flee back inside.
וַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ וְהָרָאשִׁים אֲשֶׁר עִמּוֹ פָּשְׁטוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ פֶּתַח שַׁעַר הָעִיר וּשְׁנֵי הָרָאשִׁים פָּשְׁטוּ עַל־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה וַיַּכּוּם׃ - Avimelech and the companies that were with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the city gate, while the other two companies rushed upon all who were in the field and struck them.
וַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ נִלְחָם בָּעִיר כֹּל הַיּוֹם הַהוּא וַיִּלְכֹּד אֶת־הָעִיר וְאֶת־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר־בָּהּ הָרָג וַיִּתֹּץ אֶת־הָעִיר וַיִּזְרָעֶהָ מֶלַח׃ - Avimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city, killed the people who were in it, tore down the city, and sowed it with salt.
Two companies strike those in the field, and one company stands at the entrance of the city gate. Avimelech fights against the city the entire day and strikes them a great blow, captures the city and kills the people in it, tears it down and sows it with salt. When they wanted to ensure that no one would rebuild a place, they would sow it with salt, so that the land would not be fit for cultivation, and no one would establish the city anew, since nothing could be planted there.
The Burning of the Tower of Shechem
וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ כׇּל־בַּעֲלֵי מִגְדַּל־שְׁכֶם וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־צְרִיחַ בֵּית אֵל בְּרִית׃ - When all the men of the Tower of Shechem heard, they entered the stronghold of the temple of El-Berit.
The Radak explains: "the men of the Tower of Shechem" are the lords of the Tower of Shechem, and the Tower of Shechem is a kind of fortress and a place meant for taking refuge. They were not in the city at the time Avimelech captured it, and when they heard, they went to the stronghold of the temple of El-Berit, and "tzariach" means a tower, and there they hoped to find some measure of deliverance.
The Malbim explains: after the Holy One, blessed be He, brought about His plan in Shechem, whose purpose was that Avimelech would strike those who had chosen him, now the Holy One, blessed be He, brings it about that the fire of the bramble consumes also Beit Millo, the neighbors of Shechem. They had a tower that could not be conquered, and Hashem brought it about that their plan went awry, and instead of hiding in the tower that could not be conquered, they went and hid in a tower made of wood, which could indeed be conquered.
וַיֻּגַּד לַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ כִּי הִתְקַבְּצוּ כׇּל־בַּעֲלֵי מִגְדַּל־שְׁכֶם׃ - It was told to Avimelech that all the men of the Tower of Shechem had gathered together.
Avimelech hears that they are all concentrated in one place, where they planned to make a covenant and to plan the continuation of the rebellion. The entire command of the rebels is in his hands, and now they can be dealt with.
וַיַּעַל אֲבִימֶלֶךְ הַר־צַלְמוֹן הוּא וְכׇל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר־אִתּוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֲבִימֶלֶךְ אֶת־הַקַּרְדֻּמּוֹת בְּיָדוֹ וַיִּכְרֹת שׂוֹכַת עֵצִים וַיִּשָּׂאֶהָ וַיָּשֶׂם עַל־שִׁכְמוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר־עִמּוֹ מָה רְאִיתֶם עָשִׂיתִי מַהֲרוּ עֲשׂוּ כָמוֹנִי׃ - Avimelech went up to Mount Tzalmon, he and all the people who were with him, and Avimelech took an axe in his hand and cut off a branch of the trees, lifted it, and placed it on his shoulder. He said to the people who were with him, "What you have seen me do, hurry and do as I have done."
What did he do? He cut branches. The branches are called "socha," from the word for covering, for with them one covers over the tree. Each one cut branches and carried them on his shoulder.
וַיִּכְרְתוּ גַם־כׇּל־הָעָם אִישׁ שׂוֹכֹה וַיֵּלְכוּ אַחֲרֵי אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וַיָּשִׂימוּ עַל־הַצְּרִיחַ וַיַּצִּיתוּ עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת־הַצְּרִיחַ בָּאֵשׁ וַיָּמֻתוּ גַּם כׇּל־אַנְשֵׁי מִגְדַּל־שְׁכֶם כְּאֶלֶף אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה׃ - And all the people likewise cut down each man his bough, and they followed Avimelech, and set them against the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire over them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
The wood was meant to serve as kindling. He approached that stronghold where they had hidden, and each one brings his branches, and there piles up an enormous heap of wood, and he sets it aflame, and in one moment the entire tower goes up in fire. That very tower in which they thought to be saved becomes a death trap. This is the fire that goes out from the thornbush and consumes the masters of Shechem and the men of Millo, for they too are spoken of here.
Tevetz and the End of Avimelech
וַיֵּלֶךְ אֲבִימֶלֶךְ אֶל־תֵּבֵץ וַיִּחַן בְּתֵבֵץ וַיִּלְכְּדָהּ׃ - Then Avimelech went to Tevetz, and encamped against Tevetz, and captured it.
What was his business in Tevetz? The Ralbag says: it would seem that the men of Tevetz too rebelled against him, and therefore he continues his work.
וּמִגְדַּל־עֹז הָיָה בְתוֹךְ־הָעִיר וַיָּנֻסוּ שָׁמָּה כׇּל־הָאֲנָשִׁים וְהַנָּשִׁים וְכֹל בַּעֲלֵי הָעִיר וַיִּסְגְּרוּ בַּעֲדָם וַיַּעֲלוּ עַל־גַּג הַמִּגְדָּל׃ - But there was a strong tower within the city, and there all the men and women and all the masters of the city fled, and shut themselves in, and went up to the roof of the tower.
In Tevetz too there was a tower in which they trusted to protect them. But Avimelech already has an organized plan for warfare against towers, and he tries to apply it again.
וַיָּבֹא אֲבִימֶלֶךְ עַד־הַמִּגְדָּל וַיִּלָּחֶם בּוֹ וַיִּגַּשׁ עַד־פֶּתַח הַמִּגְדָּל לְשׇׂרְפוֹ בָאֵשׁ׃ - And Avimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
The door of the tower, the gate, was made of wood, and therefore he said: let us burn the door of the tower with fire. But by doing so he stands beneath the tower, in a place where anything thrown from above strikes directly upon his head.
וַתַּשְׁלֵךְ אִשָּׁה אַחַת פֶּלַח רֶכֶב עַל־רֹאשׁ אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וַתָּרִץ אֶת־גֻּלְגׇּלְתּוֹ׃ - And a certain woman threw a piece of a millstone upon Avimelech's head, and crushed his skull.
"Pelach rechev" is part of the millstones, as in the verse "He shall not take the millstone or the upper millstone as a pledge." The "rechayim" is the lower part, and the "rechev" is the upper part, called so because it rides upon the lower one. And the woman did not even take the whole stone, but only a piece of the upper part, and threw it from above. A direct hit, and his skull was crushed.
וַיִּקְרָא מְהֵרָה אֶל־הַנַּעַר נֹשֵׂא כֵלָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ שְׁלֹף חַרְבְּךָ וּמוֹתְתֵנִי פֶּן־יֹאמְרוּ לִי אִשָּׁה הֲרָגָתְהוּ וַיִּדְקְרֵהוּ נַעֲרוֹ וַיָּמֹת׃ - He called quickly to the young man who carried his weapons and said to him: Draw your sword and kill me, so that they will not say of me, A woman killed him. So his young man ran him through, and he died.
Avimelech is still alive, and in his final moments he still has something to say. And what did he do in his last moments? Did he confess? Did he recite the Shema? No. Avimelech is worried about the history books: how will they remember me, what will they write? "A woman killed him"? That is a terrible disgrace that cannot be allowed to stand. And so he called to his young man to run him through, so that it would not be recorded forever as a disgrace and mockery that a woman managed to kill him.
The Malbim says: now see how "a fire came out from the citizens of Shechem and consumed Avimelech" was fulfilled. They were the ones who threw the stone from above, and the fire consumes Avimelech; and they are the citizens of Shechem, for these were the men of that same group who were partners in the crime of crowning him and murdering all his brothers.
And God Repaid
וַיִּרְאוּ אִישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי מֵת אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וַיֵּלְכוּ אִישׁ לִמְקֹמוֹ׃ וַיָּשֶׁב אֱלֹהִים אֵת רָעַת אֲבִימֶלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְאָבִיו לַהֲרֹג אֶת־שִׁבְעִים אֶחָיו׃ - When the men of Israel saw that Avimelech was dead, they each went to their own place. Thus God repaid the evil of Avimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers.
וְאֵת כׇּל־רָעַת אַנְשֵׁי שְׁכֶם הֵשִׁיב אֱלֹהִים בְּרֹאשָׁם וַתָּבֹא אֲלֵיהֶם קִלְלַת יוֹתָם בֶּן־יְרֻבָּעַל׃ - And all the evil of the men of Shechem God brought back upon their heads, and the curse of Yotam son of Yerubaal came upon them.
Here the story ends, and we see how Yotam's curse was fulfilled in every detail. The account was paid in full: the men of Shechem were full partners and even paid good money so that he would kill his brothers. A fire came out from the citizens of Shechem and consumed Avimelech, and a fire came out from Avimelech and consumed the citizens of Shechem.
The Reincarnations of Avimelech
The Rama miPano, in his work "Gilgulei Neshamot" under the letter aleph, writes that Avimelech is a name known to us from history: Avimelech king of Gerar. And his rectification came about through Avimelech son of Yerubaal. For the first Avimelech was liable to death, as the angel said to him, "You are to die because of the woman you have taken," and even though he claimed "In the innocence of my heart and the cleanness of my hands I have done this," nevertheless he was liable to death for the matter. And note the wording: "You are to die because of the woman," hinting to him also that his death would come about through a woman. You are to die because of the woman you took, Sarah, and you are to die by the hand of a woman. And where did his death occur? In this reincarnation, when he was reincarnated again as Avimelech son of Yerubaal, and through this his death too was reincarnated.
The Rama miPano further says there: Avimelech son of Yerubaal, son of the concubine, is Herod. Herod, whom we know as one who killed the sages and renovated the Temple. Avimelech killed all his brothers, as we read in the last chapters, and Herod killed the entire Hasmonean house. And for the very same reason: Avimelech killed his brothers out of fear of rebellion, since every brother is a potential rebel whom someone might try to crown; and so Herod thought, that the Hasmonean house had ruled until then, and if they remained alive they would always try to rebel against him, so he killed them all.
Except that Herod was not at peace with this, for he said: the sages will always remember that I am a slave who came from the Hasmonean house, and "from among your brethren you shall set a king over you," and they will never accept me. And if I wish to establish my kingship, I must also kill the sages. So he killed them all, and one remained: Bava ben Buta. He deliberately spared him, so that he could turn to him for counsel in time of need, but in order to clip his wings and ensure that he would not stir up rebellion and would not tell the people that this man is nothing but a slave who rebelled against his master, he blinded his eyes.
The Rama miPano says: just as Avimelech there killed everyone and left one, Yotam, so too Herod killed everyone and left one, Bava ben Buta. And if Herod is the reincarnation of Avimelech, Bava ben Buta is the reincarnation of Yotam. And the hint: "There is one who speaks rashly like the piercings of a sword." Yotam's words were rash like the piercings of a sword, and they were fulfilled to the last letter and struck Avimelech a mortal blow. Yotam was rash (bote), and in his next reincarnation came Bava ben Buta, who is that same one coming to rectify.
Another parallel: Avimelech was killed by a piece of a millstone that was thrown onto his head and crushed his skull. The Sages say that the one who, as it were, killed Herod was that woman from the house of the Chashmonaim whom he married, who was supposed to legitimize the unworthy, that is, to allow him to say: I am not merely a slave, I am married to a daughter of the Chashmonaim and I am their continuation. He had wiped out the entire house of the Chashmonaim and married one of them, as if he were their successor. She loathed this, went up to the roof and said: I am the last survivor of the house of the Chashmonaim, and now I too am departing, and she leaped from the roof and died. In this way she crushed Herod's skull. For his entire "strong skull" was his marriage to a daughter of the Chashmonaim, which was his legitimacy to rule. From the moment she took her own life and publicized the matter, everyone understood that he was merely a slave, that he had no continuity, that he had no connection to the house of the Chashmonaim and no royal blood in his veins, and he could no longer lift his head. This was the crushing of his skull.
In summary:
Chapter 9 teaches us how kingship acquired with the money of idolatry, with empty and reckless men, and with the blood of seventy brothers, must inevitably crumble. Yotam's parable arranges for us the ladder of values: the olive, which is the perfect good; the vine, which is the beneficial; the fig, which is the pleasant; and none of them desires authority, because they are unwilling to give up their perfection; and only the bramble, which has in it neither good nor pleasantness nor benefit, chases after kingship, because it has nothing to lose and possesses nothing but thorns and fire. Divine providence set in motion an evil spirit, ambushes, Gaal son of Eved and Zevul, a wooden tower instead of a stone tower, and a piece of a millstone from the hand of a woman, until "God repaid the evil of Avimelech" and "the curse of Yotam came upon them," fire from Avimelech upon the men of Shechem and fire from the men of Shechem upon Avimelech, measure for measure down to the last letter.