The Biblical Devora was a wealthy woman. She owned fields and orchards, date palms in Jericho, vineyards in Rama, and olive groves in Beit El. Devora was a G-d-fearing Jew who observed the Torah's commandments and performed a multitude of good deeds.
Devora's husband was not particularly learned, which saddened Devora considerably.
Devora wanted to spread the light of Torah throughout Israel. At the same time, she wanted to give her husband an opportunity to do a mitzva. To achieve these ends, Devora prepared wicks for the lamps in the Sanctuary in Shiloh and asked her husband to bring them to Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron the High Priest.
Devora kept making the wicks thicker and thicker so that the flames in the Sanctuary would burn more brightly. People began to call her "the wife of Lapidot," because the flames her wicks produced looked like "lapidim" (torches).
Devora's actions were very pleasing to G-d, Who declared, "Because Devora labors so hard to illuminate My Sanctuary, I will cause her name to be illuminated, never to be forgotten among her people."
The more Devora devoted herself to the service in the Sanctuary, the more the Divine Presence rested on her. Devora became a prophetess, filled to overflowing with G-dly wisdom. People came from far and wide to hear G-d's word, for everyone recognized Devora as a wise and sagacious judge whose utterances were holy.
Devora didn't hold court in an elegant palace, surrounded by attendants and servants. Rather, Devora sat under a date palm, under the open sky, so that everyone who sought her counsel could easily approach her. Thousands of Jews came to bask in her wisdom and hear the words of Devora the Prophetess.
In those days the Jewish people were in difficult circumstances, suffering greatly under the yoke of Yavin, the king of Canaan. Indeed, Yavin went out of his way to cause problems for the Jews. In particular, much of their suffering was attributable to Yavin's army commander, General Sisera, a fearless warrior without peer in the annals of armed conflict. When Sisera roared, the walls trembled. Wild animals fled back to their lairs in confusion and fright. Over the years, General Sisera had conquered many lands. No one had ever been able to stand up to him.
It is no wonder, therefore, that Sisera grew proud and arrogant in his own eyes. "Who can even come close to me?" he would ask himself rhetorically.
General Sisera became so haughty that he needed a good comeuppance. G-d said, "Sisera thinks he is so mighty and powerful that no one can approach him. I will arrange his downfall through a woman, that the whole world may laugh and ridicule his prowess."
