Tanach
Shoftim 11:34-40 שופטים י״א:ל״ד-מ׳
Part of: Chapter 11
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיָּבֹא יִפְתָּח הַמִּצְפָּה אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ וְהִנֵּה בִתּוֹ יֹצֵאת לִקְרָאתוֹ בְּתֻפִּים וּבִמְחֹלוֹת וְרַק הִיא יְחִידָה אֵֽין־לוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ בֵּן אוֹ־בַֽת׃
Yiftoch arrived at Mitzpah, at his home. Now his daughter went out towards him with drums and dancing. There was only her, she alone; he did not have, from her, a son or daughter.
Yiftoch arrived at Mitzpah, at his home. Now his daughter went out towards him with drums and dancing. There was only her, she alone; he did not have, from her, a son or daughter.
וַיְהִי כִרְאוֹתוֹ אוֹתָהּ וַיִּקְרַע אֶת־בְּגָדָיו וַיֹּאמֶר אֲהָהּ בִּתִּי הַכְרֵעַ הִכְרַעְתִּנִי וְאַתְּ הָיִית בְּעֹֽכְרָי וְאָנֹכִי פָּצִיתִי פִי אֶל־יְהֹוָה וְלֹא אוּכַל לָשֽׁוּב׃
When he saw her, he ripped his garments, and exclaimed, "Aahha, my daughter! You have surely brought me to my knees! And you are among those who ruined me! For I have mouthed an oath before Adonoy, and I can never recant!."
When he saw her, he ripped his garments, and exclaimed, "Aahha, my daughter! You have surely brought me to my knees! And you are among those who ruined me! For I have mouthed an oath before Adonoy, and I can never recant!."
Rashi
היית בעוכרי. כל דמי נעכר, קפחת את רגלי:
You have surely brought me to my knees All my blood is in turmoil, You have taken away my feet.
וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אָבִי פָּצִיתָה אֶת־פִּיךָ אֶל־יְהֹוָה עֲשֵׂה לִי כַּאֲשֶׁר יָצָא מִפִּיךָ אַחֲרֵי אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְךָ יְהֹוָה נְקָמוֹת מֵאֹיְבֶיךָ מִבְּנֵי עַמּֽוֹן׃
She said to him, "My father, you have mouthed an oath before Adonoy. Do with me exactly as you said, considering that Adonoy has wreaked vengeance for you against your enemies, the Bnei Ammon."
She said to him, "My father, you have mouthed an oath before Adonoy. Do with me exactly as you said, considering that Adonoy has wreaked vengeance for you against your enemies, the Bnei Ammon."
וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל־אָבִיהָ יֵעָשֶׂה לִּי הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה הַרְפֵּה מִמֶּנִּי שְׁנַיִם חֳדָשִׁים וְאֵֽלְכָה וְיָרַדְתִּי עַל־הֶהָרִים וְאֶבְכֶּה עַל־בְּתוּלַי אָנֹכִי (ורעיתי) [וְרֵֽעוֹתָֽי]׃
She told her father, "Let this be done for my sake—release me for two months, so that I may proceed to grieve on the hills. I shall weep over my maidenhood, I and my companions."
She told her father, "Let this be done for my sake—release me for two months, so that I may proceed to grieve on the hills. I shall weep over my maidenhood, I and my companions."
Rashi
וירדתי על ההרים. לשון יללה הוא, ודוגמתו (ישעיהו טו ג): על גגותיה וברחובותיה כולה ייליל ירד בבכי, המתעצב בבכי עד שגופו משתבר. ובמדרש אגדה דורש רבי תנחומא (בחוקותי ה): על ההרים. לפני סנהדרין, שמא ימצאו פתח לנדרך:
To grieve on the hills. This word refers to bewailing. 20Not, as translated elsewhere, “To descend,” but “To grieve.” Similarly, "On its roofs and thoroughfares, total wailing, weeping grief."21Yeshaya, 15:3. Weeping so intense that it causes a physical breakdown.22רד may also be translated as “crushing.” See Yeshaya, 45:1. Midrash Agada: R' Tanchuma expounded, On the hills; before the Sanhedrin—perhaps they may find a loophole in your vow.23Yalkut, 67.
וַיֹּאמֶר לֵכִי וַיִּשְׁלַח אוֹתָהּ שְׁנֵי חֳדָשִׁים וַתֵּלֶךְ הִיא וְרֵעוֹתֶיהָ וַתֵּבְךְּ עַל־בְּתוּלֶיהָ עַל־הֶהָרִֽים׃
He replied, "You may go." He released her for two months. She went with her companions, and wept over her maidenhood on the hills.
He replied, "You may go." He released her for two months. She went with her companions, and wept over her maidenhood on the hills.
Rashi
ותבך על בתוליה. מדלא כתיב על בתולותיה, משמע בתולים ממש:
Wept over her maidenhood. Since it is not written "over her maidens," the inference is, over her actual maidenhood.
וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ ׀ שְׁנַיִם חֳדָשִׁים וַתָּשׇׁב אֶל־אָבִיהָ וַיַּעַשׂ לָהּ אֶת־נִדְרוֹ אֲשֶׁר נָדָר וְהִיא לֹא־יָדְעָה אִישׁ וַתְּהִי־חֹק בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
It happened that, at the end of two months, she returned to her father, and he carried into effect, with her, the vow which he had pronounced. She had never been intimate with anyone. She became the subject of a law in Yisroel.
It happened that, at the end of two months, she returned to her father, and he carried into effect, with her, the vow which he had pronounced. She had never been intimate with anyone. She became the subject of a law in Yisroel.
Rashi
ותהי חק. גזרו שלא יעשה אדם עוד כן, שאלו הלך אצל פנחס, או הוא בא אצלו, היה מתיר לו נדרו, עמדו בגדולתן, ומבין שניהם אבדה, ונפרע מהם, פנחס נסתלקה שכינה הימנו, שנאמר בדברי הימים (א ט כ): לפנים ה' עמו, למדנו שבסופו אינו עמו, ויפתח הוכה בשחין וניפול אברים, שנאמר (לקמן יב ז): ויקבר בערי גלעד. ויש עוד לפתור: ותהי חק בישראל. מחובר למקרא שלאחריו:
She became the subject of a law. Legislation was enacted prohibiting any repetition of this, for, had he approached Pinchos, or had Pinchos approached him, he would have released him from his vow.24By informing him that a human being cannot be designated as an offering. But they refused to humble themselves,25Pinchas, because it was Yiftoch who required his services; Yiftoch, because he was the supreme commander. (Yalkut, 68) and were, thus, both responsible for her ruin. They were punished. The Divine Presence departed from Pinchos, as it is said in Divrei Hayamim,26Divrei Hayamim 1, 9:20. "Adonoy was with him previously." We learn that he was not with him later. And Yiftoch was afflicted with ulcerations and the loss of his limbs, as it is said,27Below, 12:7. "He was buried in the cities of Gilod."28Individual limbs, like the entire body, require burial. The plural usage, “cities”, teaches that his burial took place in a number of cities—wherever his limbs fell. (Yalkut, ibid.) Another interpretation: "She became the subject of a law in Yisroel" relates to the following passage.29She was the subject of a law requiring the daughters of Yisroel to visit her yearly.
מִיָּמִים ׀ יָמִימָה תֵּלַכְנָה בְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַנּוֹת לְבַת־יִפְתָּח הַגִּלְעָדִי אַרְבַּעַת יָמִים בַּשָּׁנָֽה׃ {פ}
The daughters of Yisroel journeyed annually to grieve for the daughter of Yiftoch, the Gilodite, four days a year.
The daughters of Yisroel journeyed annually to grieve for the daughter of Yiftoch, the Gilodite, four days a year.
Rashi
מימים ימימה תלכנה וגו'. הדבר הזה קבעו עליהם לחוק:
Journeyed annually. This was established as a law.30This follows Rashi’s second interpretation of v. 39. See fn.29.
לתנות. לקונן:
To grieve. To weep.
הכרע הכרעתני. לשון נקבה, ודומה לו (שיר השירים ד ט): לבבתני אחותי כלה:
You are among those who ruined me. This is the feminine usage.18הִכְרַעְתִּנִי, with the “cherik” vocalization under the ת, is generally translated as referring to the first person neuter, “I brought to the knees.” Here, however, the translation is the feminine “you brought to the knees.” Similarly, "You captured my heart, my sister bride."19Shir Hashirim, 4:9. Here, too, לִבַּבֽתִּנִי, with the “cherik” vocalization under the the ת, is translated as the feminine “you captured my heart.”