Neviim & Ktuvim

Goal: The chanichim will discuss how Shimshon is an extremely strange Shofet, and how this was all on purpose; that Am Israel needed an undercover Shofet who could work undercover, living amongst the Pelishtim, to fight them single handedly on behalf on Am Israel. The chanichim will discuss why Shimshon needed to be a Nazir to offset the dangers of this mission and will discuss the story of his birth and the characters of his mother and father- Manoach and Eshet Manoach.

Goal: The chanichim should see the irony in the Am Israel going to war against Shevet Binyamin, and how in this civil war, they accomplish everything that they were not able to accomplish when attempting to conquer the land in the 1st perek. This ends the Sefer on an extremely depressing note, stressing again that Am Israel need strong moral leaders in order that anarchy and events like this civil war, do not happen again.

Goal: The chanichim should understand why Pilgesh B’Givah was such a horrible event – because it happened in a Jewish town by Jewish people, and how absence of leadership in Am Israel at this time allowed this to happen.

Intro: In our last shiurim, we focused on Yehoshua. Now, we will move onto Shoftim, and compare it to Yehoshua. We will also outline the two themes in this Perek which will continue throughout Sefer Shoftim.

Lack of leadership – manhigut

Failure of Am Israel to kick out the other nations in

Israel (hitnachalut- settling the land) – which leads to them worshipping avodah zara, as they are then influenced by those nations.

Lack of unity among the shevatim - achdut. They act as separate nations and not as one cohesive unit.

Goals:

(1)     The chanichim will see the failures and lack of leadership of the Shoftim generation by contrasting the first two perakim of Shoftim to parallels in Sefer Yehoshua.

(2)     The chanichim will realize the issues created due to Bnei Israel not taking initiative to finish conquering the land and kick out the avodah zara worshipping nations.

Goals:

1. The chanichim will see that in conquering the

land of

Israel, Hashem will provide us with miracles and help, but only if we take initiative first. All the battles fought at the beginning of Yehoshua (at the beginning of conquering the land) were a combination of miracles and teva - natural battles. Hashem, through Yehoshua, is teaching Am Israel how to fight in a natural way.

2. The chanichim will see Yehoshua’s role as a ruchani and religious leader, not just as a general in battle. In all the battles that he leads and in his speeches, Yehoshua always has the same message: G-d will only help us in battle if we keep His mitzvot and the Torah.