The Haftorah of Parshat Chukat tells us about one of the Judges, a man by the name Yiftach HaGiladi, who led the Jewish people in battle against the Ammonites. This article will discuss various aspects of Yiftach’s life, especially as they relate to the beginning of the Haftorah.
Background to the Haftorah
The Ammonite nation was oppressing the Jewish people. The oppression was felt intensely on the other side of the Jordan river, where the tribes of Reuven, Gad, and half of Menashe lived, although the enemy also began to make forays into Israel proper and fight with the tribes of Yehudah, Binyamin, and Efrayim.
G-d informed the Jewish people (through a prophet) that this was a Divine punishment for their idolatrous ways. (They were serving seven gods at that time and were not serving G-d.) The Jewish people confessed their sin to G-d, rid themselves of the idols, and prayed that He save them. G-d heard their cry and decided that the Jewish people should not suffer any longer.
The Haftorah begins with the family background of Yiftach.
Yiftach’s Father and Mother
Yiftach, a mighty warrior, was the oldest son of a man named Gilad. (This was also the name of that area, see below.) The verse says that Yiftach’s mother was a zonah which usually means a woman of ill repute. Since the verse says that Yiftach was the son of Gilead, indicating that his lineage was known, it seems like his parents had an exclusive relationship. The commentaries therefore offer three other explanations of the word zonah:
1. Concubine
Some say that Yiftach’s mother was a concubine rather than Gilad’s main wife. A concubine does not have a ketubah and is not entitled to the rights of a regular wife. The term zonah is thus a borrowed word indicating that she was not the regular wife.
2. Innkeeper
Some say that zonah (in this context) means an innkeeper or storekeeper as lazun means to feed. It has been suggested that “storekeeper” is a euphemism for a woman of the night. (Perhaps they worked as storekeepers during the day and would also maintain a nighttime business.) This interpretation would explain why the brothers refused to give Yiftach a portion of the inheritance (see below) as they claimed that he may not be the son of their father. Nevertheless, Yiftach was upset at their refusal (see below) because a father has the right to decide who is his son and grant him a portion in his inheritance, which, it seems, Gilad had done.
3. A Woman of a Different Tribe
Some say that Yiftach’s mother had inherited land from her father as she had no brothers. In those days, such a woman was expected to marry within her tribe so that the land she inherited would remain within her tribe. She, however, fell in love with Gilad, who was from a different tribe and married him, thus forfeiting her inheritance. (This was not the law of the Torah but was the custom of the Jewish people at the time). The term zonah is thus a euphemism which indicates that she married for love rather than the traditional way of marriage.
Rejected by his Brothers
Yiftach was told by his brothers that he would not receive any of their father’s inheritance because he was the son of a foreign woman. His brothers had no right to do that as according to Jewish law Yiftach was entitled to his share in the inheritance. Even a bastard inherits from his father, so certainly the son of a concubine (or of a woman from another tribe) inherits. But fearing that his brothers might kill him (to ensure he didn’t get his portion in the inheritance), Yiftach moved away to the land of Tov where a band of idle people gathered around him.
Some say that the brothers agreed to give him his share in the inheritance but insisted that it not be part of “their father’s house” as they didn’t want to associate with him, considering him to be of a lower class. Instead, they offered him properties that were distant from their father’s house and main properties. (By Jewish law, heirs divide property using a lottery and cannot force their opinions on one another.) Yiftach was insulted by their rejection and left.
The Land of Tov
I have found four explanations as to why the land where Yiftach ran to was called Tov:
1. The Land Ruled by Tov
Some say that the land was called Tov after the ruler of that land who had that name. This person may have been the relative of Avimelech who was offered by Boaz to marry Ruth but rejected the offer. (His name was Tov.) Yiftach chose to move to his land as Tov followed the rule that even children of an inferior wife should inherit.
2. The City of Sussiya
The Jerusalem Talmud says that the land of Tov was the place called Sussiya on the southwest banks of the Kineret. It was just outside the borders of Israel and, as such, was called Tov – good – since people could eat their fill of the produce without having to separate Terumot and Ma’aserot, the tithes for the Kohen and Levi. (This is good as people can’t transgress on eating tevel, untithed produce.)
3. The Diaspora
Along similar lines, the Midrash says that Eretz Tov refers to the Diaspora at large where the produce is exempt from tithing. Rabbi Yonatan Eibeshitz explains that every one of the tribes had a gateway through which they entered the Beit HaMikdash (or, at that time, Mishkan Shiloh). But since Yiftach had been rejected by his tribesman, he had no path through which to enter the Mishkan when he would make the pilgrimage to Shilo on the three festivals. He therefore moved to the Diaspora as there is no obligation to make the pilgrimage to the Beit HaMikdash or Mishkan from the Diaspora. Rabbi Yonatan Eibeshitz also explains that the land of Israel is called Eretz Tovah as its energy reaches it through the moon which is feminine (and is compared to the Jewish people who receive from G-d just like the moon receives from the sun). Whereas the Diaspora is called Eretz Tov as it receives its sustenance via the sun which is masculine (and represents the gentile nations who use the solar calendar).
4. A Land of Plenty
Some say that the land of Tov simply means a good, spacious, and fertile land. This land of plenty afforded Yiftach and his men the opportunity to battle against surrounding nations (see below) without having to worry about their daily bread.
Bad Company
As mentioned above, Yiftach was the head of a band of “empty people” in the land of Tov. The commentaries say that he and his band would wage war against the surrounding nations, which is how they supported themselves (i.e., on the spoils of war). It has been suggested Yiftach moved to the land of Tov as, compared to the local people there, he was a leader, whereas in Israel, he had been disrespected.
The Talmud says that we learn from this verse (as well as from several other verses) that people gravitate towards people of similar character. This is why Yiftach, who was not a Torah scholar, attracted a group of vacuous people.
The Sages of Gilead Approached Yiftach
Since they needed a strong military leader to stand up to the Ammonites, the men of Gilead approached Yiftach and asked them to be their leader. He responded by pointing out that they hadn’t come to his aid when his brothers chased him away. The men promised that if Yiftach would lead them in a successful battle, he would remain the ruler even after the war was over. Which is what took place.
Why Did He Merit to Be the Leader?
The Chida explains that the reason Yiftach departed and moved to the Diaspora (as explained above) was to avoid a fight with his brothers. Had he stayed in Israel, he would have had to go to the Mishkan in Shilo for the three pilgrimage festivals. There he would have met his brothers which might have led to a fight. To avoid that, he moved to the Diaspora (from where he was not obligated to go to the Mishkan, as explained above). Thus, Yiftach went to great lengths to make sure not to get into a fight. The Chida writes that it was in that merit that Yiftach became the leader of the Jewish people.
May We Merit to Have Strong and Courageous Rulers!
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom UMevorach!
Copyright 2024 by Rabbi Aryeh Citron
