Prohibition to Take Spoils

נמצאו 3 תוצאות חיפוש

1. The Fall of Yericho

   Rabbi Michael Hattin

   This lesson considers the strategy employed for Yericho's capture, and the extremely harsh 'ban' proclaimed by Yehoshua against its spoils. The story of Yericho is Israel's first encounter on the battlefield with the Canaanites. After circling the stout ramparts of Yericho for seven consecutive days, the walls of the city came crashing down. We will discuss the encirclement of the city, the motif of the number seven throughout the bible, and its application in the conquest of Yericho. 

2. The Trespass of Akhan

   Rabbi Michael Hattin

   This lesson considers the trespass of Akhan and its terrible consequences for the entire people of Israel. The core lesson of this tale is the indispensable bond of Jewish nationhood that tightly links all the people of Israel together, to the extent that the fortunes of the larger community or even the national grouping are sometimes affected by the acts of an individual. Having begun the process of settling the land, the formerly twelve disparate tribes will need to quickly assimilate the painful lesson of Akhan if they are to survive as a state. All human acts, of omission or commission, of good or evil, of selfish greed or altruistic love, impact upon the larger human and even cosmic reality of which the perpetrator and his innocuous deed represent only small but not insignificant parts.

3. Spoils of War

   Rabbi Alex Israel

   In Ahav's second battle with Aram, God yet again intervenes in a miraculous manner as per the prophet's prediction. Ahav has Ben Haddad cornered, but spares his life for which he is harshly criticized by the prophet and is told that he has forfeited his life. What motivated Ahav's behavior? Was it class solidarity as was Shaul's behavior towards Agag? Was Ahav leveraging his military advantage to accrue huge political, military or financial benefits for the nation at large?  A comparison to the story of Yehoshu'a conquest of Jericho implies that Ahav's motives may not matter. The victory was not his but God's and he had no mandate to sell away any part of the victory for any price.