Beshalach
For generations after Joshua’s death, Israel's tribes partially occupied their divinely assigned portions of Canaan, striving for dominance with local idolatrous Canaanites and neighbors. When the Israelites were threatened, ad-hoc, charismatic, military leaders - "judges" - assembled men to fight and save them. The Haftarah recounts one of these figures’ great victories. Their subsequent song to God is similar to the Parashah’s great Song of the Sea.
Haftarah Breakdown
A Canaanite king, Jabin, his general, Sisera, and their 900 iron chariots oppressed the Israelites of the Galilee for twenty years. They were based at Haroshet Hagoyim, 10 miles east of Caesarea, in the northwest of the Jezreel Valley and its wadi (seasonal river bed), Kishon (4:3). The Israelite’s judge was a prophetess, Deborah, who dwelt in Ephraim, to the south (4:4-5). At God’s command, she sent a message to the city of Kadesh in Naphtali in the Upper (northern) Galilee. She instructed her general, Barak, to assemble 10,000 men to the Lower Galilee and ascend Mt. Tabor, rising above the Jezreel Valley’s eastern end. Deborah and her forces approached from the south, drawing Sisera’s forces into the wadi (4:6-11) which God then flooded (5:23), trapping the chariots. Barak’s troops descended and slaughtered their foes. Sisera fled (4:12-17), taking refuge in the nearby tent of Yael since she and her fellow Kenites, Israelite relatives and allies, were at peace with Jabin. She welcomed but then betrayed him, killing him in his sleep (4:18-23). After defeating Jabin (4:24), Deborah and Barak sang the following song to God:
Verses 5:1-5: Praise of God, who “came from” Edom and Mt. Sinai to lead the Israelite volunteer forces to victory.
Judges 5:2
When [the enemy makes] breaches among Israel, [and when, at the same time,] the people volunteer - bless the Lord!
בִּפְרֹ֤עַ פְּרָעוֹת֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּהִתְנַדֵּ֖ב עָ֑ם בָּרֲכ֖וּ ה' ׃
Verses 5:6-8: Until Deborah, “Israel’s mother,” arose, Israelites served Canaanite gods. Canaanites controlled the main Galilean highways, forcing traders to use byways and chasing Israelites from open areas to fortified ones.
Judges 5:7
Habitation of unwalled villages ceased. They ceased in Israel until I, Deborah, arose; I, a mother in Israel, arose.
חָדְל֧וּ פְרָז֛וֹן בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל חָדֵ֑לּוּ עַ֤ד שַׁקַּ֙מְתִּי֙ דְּבוֹרָ֔ה שַׁקַּ֥מְתִּי אֵ֖ם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Verses 5:9-13 Deborah rouses herself and Israelite society to battle with bold praises of God’s victorious might.
Judges 5:10
[You who] ride on white donkeys, those that sit on rich cloths, and those walking on path[s] - speak [of God’s victories!]
רֹכְבֵי֩ אֲתֹנ֨וֹת צְחֹר֜וֹת יֹשְׁבֵ֧י עַל־מִדִּ֛ין וְהֹלְכֵ֥י עַל־דֶּ֖רֶךְ שִֽׂיחוּ׃
Verses 5:14-18: Praise for the tribes who aided in the battle, and condemnation for those who did not.
Judges 5:15
Issachar’s princes were with Deborah; like Barak was Issachar, traveling into the valley. Reuben’s divisions had [only] great searchings of heart.
וְשָׂרַ֤י בְּיִשָּׂשכָר֙ עִם־דְּבֹרָ֔ה וְיִשָּׂשכָר֙ כֵּ֣ן בָּרָ֔ק בָּעֵ֖מֶק שֻׁלַּ֣ח בְּרַגְלָ֑יו בִּפְלַגּ֣וֹת רְאוּבֵ֔ן גְּדֹלִ֖ים חִקְקֵי־לֵֽב׃
Verses 5:19-22: Though the Canaanite forces assembled willingly, God deployed the heavens and a rainstorm to help the Israelites defeat them.
Judges 5:21
The wadi of Kishon swept them away - that ancient wadi, the Kishon wadi! March on, O my soul, with strength!
נַ֤חַל קִישׁוֹן֙ גְּרָפָ֔ם נַ֥חַל קְדוּמִ֖ים נַ֣חַל קִישׁ֑וֹן תִּדְרְכִ֥י נַפְשִׁ֖י עֹֽז׃
Verses 5:23-27: In contrast to the residents of Meroz whom God curses for not aiding their fellow Israelites, Yael the Kenite is blessed for assassinating Sisera.
Judges 5:24
Most blessed of women is Yael, wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of women in tents.
תְּבֹרַךְ֙ מִנָּשִׁ֔ים יָעֵ֕ל אֵ֖שֶׁת חֶ֣בֶר הַקֵּינִ֑י מִנָּשִׁ֥ים בָּאֹ֖הֶל תְּבֹרָֽךְ׃
Verses 5:28-30: Sisera’s mother worriedly awaits her son’s delayed return from battle. Her wise maidens and she comfort themselves, knowing that he and his forces are divvying up the Israelite booty, and their women for ravage.
Judges 5:30
“Aren’t they dividing the spoil they have found? A damsel [or] two damsels for each man; for Sisera, a spoil of dyed garments; spoil of embroidered cloths; a pair of embroidered cloths round every neck as spoil!”
הֲלֹ֨א יִמְצְא֜וּ יְחַלְּק֣וּ שָׁלָ֗ל {ס} רַ֤חַם רַחֲמָתַ֙יִם֙ לְרֹ֣אשׁ גֶּ֔בֶר {ס} שְׁלַ֤ל צְבָעִים֙ לְסִ֣יסְרָ֔א {ס} שְׁלַ֥ל צְבָעִ֖ים רִקְמָ֑ה {ס} צֶ֥בַע רִקְמָתַ֖יִם לְצַוְּארֵ֥י שָׁלָֽל׃ {ס}
Verse 5:31: Deborah prays for the similar defeat of God’s enemies. Decades of Israelite peace in Canaan ensue.
Judges 5:31
Similarly [like Sisera], may all Your enemies perish, O Lord! Let those who love Him be as the sun going forth in its might!
The land was tranquil for forty years.
כֵּ֠ן יֹאבְד֤וּ כָל־אוֹיְבֶ֙יךָ֙ ה' וְאֹ֣הֲבָ֔יו כְּצֵ֥את הַשֶּׁ֖מֶשׁ בִּגְבֻרָת֑וֹ וַתִּשְׁקֹ֥ט הָאָ֖רֶץ אַרְבָּעִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה׃
Connections
The Talmud asserts that the defeat of Sisera’s army was greater than the drowning of the Egyptian army at the time of the Exodus:
Pesachim 118b
The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to the ministering angel of the sea: “Spew out [the dead Egyptians] onto dry land.” [The angel] said before Him: “Master of the Universe! Is there a servant whose master gives him a gift and then takes it from him?” [God] said to him: “I will give you one and a half times their number…wadi Kishon will be My guarantor.” Immediately, it spewed them out onto the land…
What does “one and a half times their number” refer to? (Exodus 14:7) states about Pharaoh, “Six hundred chosen chariots”, whereas regarding Sisera, (Judges 4:13) states: “Nine hundred iron chariots.”
אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְשַׂר שֶׁל יָם פְּלוֹט אוֹתָן לַיַּבָּשָׁה אָמַר לְפָנָיו רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם כְּלוּם יֵשׁ עֶבֶד שֶׁנּוֹתֵן לוֹ רַבּוֹ מַתָּנָה וְחוֹזֵר וְנוֹטֵל מִמֶּנּוּ אָמַר לוֹ אֶתֵּן לָךְ אֶחָד וּמֶחֱצָה שֶׁבָּהֶן...אָמַר לוֹ נַחַל קִישׁוֹן יְהֵא לִי עָרֵב מִיָּד פָּלַט אוֹתָן לַיַּבָּשָׁה …
מַאי אֶחָד וּמֶחֱצָה שֶׁבָּהֶן דְּאִילּוּ בְּפַרְעֹה כְּתִיב שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת רֶכֶב בָּחוּר וְאִילּוּ בְּסִיסְרָא כְּתִיב תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת רֶכֶב בַּרְזֶל
With emendations, all translations are from Sefaria.org. To dedicate, comment, or subscribe, email haftarahhelper@gmail.com.