Gidon's Testing of Hashem/2

Gidon's Testing of Hashem

Exegetical Approaches

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Overview

In attempting to understand Gidon's continuous testing of Hashem, commentators draw very different portraits of the leader and the reasons for his actions. According to R. Saadia Gaon, Gidon was a righteous individual with full faith in Hashem, but doubts as to his own self worth.  He, thus, continuously asked for signs that he and the sinful nation would really merit Hashem's miracles. Others depict a leader who, like the nation around him, was hesitant in his belief in God. He wanted proof not only of Hashem's salvation, but His very presence. Finally, Prof. Elitzur paints an image of both a believing and initially self-confident Gidon. However, he suggests that an initial defeat demoralized Gidon, leading him to question subsequent victory.

Self Doubt

Gidon did not doubt Hashem's abilities but whether he and/or the nation were worthy of Hashem's salvation.

Sources:R. Saadia GaonShofetim 6:39, AbarbanelShofetim 6:25, 36-38About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, MalbimShofetim 6:13Shofetim 6:38,40About R. Meir Leibush Weiser

Gidon's religious beliefs – According to Abarbanel, Gidon was not only righteous and God fearing, but a prophet as well, as proven by all the instances in the chapters in which Hashem converses with him. As such, it is not possible that he was really doubting or testing Hashem.

Conversation with the angel: "?וְיֵשׁ י"י עִמָּנוּ" – Gidon's words do not constitute a lack of belief but a rebuke of Hashem for abandoning His people and hiding His face.¹  According to Malbim,² Gidon's questioning, "where are Hashem's wonders in Egypt" is part of his defense of the nation.  He reminds Hashem that in the past, despite the nation's sins, Hashem still saved them. Thus, now too, Hashem should have come to the nation's aid despite their idolatry.³

Initial sign of angel – Abarbanel asserts that even when Gidon asked for the original sign from the angel he was not asking for proof that Hashem would save the nation, but rather evidence that the person with whom he was speaking was really a messenger of Hashem.⁴ It is possible that, in his humility, he found it difficult to believe that an angel was really approaching him.

Sign of fleece – Though all these sources agree that the request for a sign stemmed from a feeling of unworthiness, they disagree regarding whom Gidon felt was not meritorious:

• Gidon – According to R. Saadia and Abarbanel, Gidon wondered whether he himself was worthy of such a miracle.⁵ They, thus, place Gidon alongside other humble leaders such as Moshe who questions, "מִי אָנֹכִי כִּי אֵלֵךְ אֶל פַּרְעֹה".‎⁶
• Israel – Malbim, in contrast, suggests that the request stemmed from Gidon's doubting of the nation's worthiness.  The people's angry reaction to Gidon's destroying of the Baal's altar proved that they were still idolatrous, making him doubt whether Hashem would make him victorious.

Need for a double sign? Malbim⁷ suggests that Gidon was not convinced by the first sign since he realized that  it was possible that the absorbent fleece would gather into it all the water through natural means, and so he asked for the opposite phenomenon which would go against nature.

Significance of fleece and dew

• Abarbanel suggests that the sign was chosen for its symbolic value. In the first test, the small fleece represented the weak Gidon, the dew symbolized Hashem's salvation, and the threshing floor stood for the enemy nation.  Gidon asked Hashem to show him that salvation would come to him alone, and not to his foes.  In the second sign, the dew took on a different symbolism, that of cursed waters.  Thus the threshing floor/enemies were drenched, while Gidon remained dry and unscathed.⁸
• Malbim, instead, suggests that the two signs represented the two stages of the battle, with the water consistently representing victory.  The first battle against Midyan was won by Gidon and just a small army (the fleece alone), while the other soldiers (the floor) left.⁹  The success of the second battle, in contrast, was due to the other tribes (the entire floor), rather than the actions of Gidon (the fleece).¹⁰

The water test – Abarbanel and Malbim assert that the purpose of this test was to differentiate idolaters from those who worshiped Hashem. All those who bowed down to drink were presumed to have been accustomed to prostrating before the Baal. These sources might suggest that Hashem's division served to alleviate Gidon's concerns as it ensured that those fighting were those worthy of salvation.¹¹

Lack of Faith

Gidon did not have full belief in Hashem, and therefore repeatedly asked for signs that Hashem would indeed bring salvation.

Sources:perhaps RalbagShofetim 6:14Shofetim 6:36Shofetim 7:5About R. Levi b. Gershom,¹² Prof. E. Assis¹³

Gidon's religious beliefs – According to this position, Gidon might have grown up worshiping the Baal, like his father and fellow townsfolk. He lived with an Asherah and idolatrous altar in his backyard, and was probably influenced by their worship.¹⁴  As such, his story is that of a man journeying to faith, not of a leader who is infused with it from the beginning.

Was Gidon a prophet? Ralbag maintains that despite all the verses which seem to suggest that Gidon conversed with Hashem, he did not have prophetic status.  The name Hashem in those verses simply refers to God's messenger (שלוחו של אדם כמותו).¹⁵ Ralbag claims that if Gidon was at a level to receive prophecies, there is no way that he would need to ask for signs.

Conversation with the angel: "?וְיֵשׁ י"י עִמָּנוּ" – Gidon's initial remarks to the angel betray his uncertainties. Though he has heard stories of Hashem's past wonders, he is not sure if Hashem still cares for His nation. He, thus, defiantly questions God's providence and presence.

Initial sign of angel – As Gidon wavered in his religious beliefs he was not confident that the messenger speaking to him was really sent by Hashem, leading him to ask for proof.

Destruction of the altar – According to this approach the command to destroy the altar might have been intended as a lesson for both Gidon himself and the town's people.  The fact that Gidon was only willing to fulfill the directive at night shows that, despite his acquiescence, he was still not confident in Hashem's protection. He apparently had not as yet attained full belief, and continued to vacillate between trust in Hashem and doubting of Him.

Sign of fleece – Ralbag explains that despite the angel's actions, Gidon "still believed and did not believe," requiring a new set of signs.

Need for a double sign? Ralbag maintains that the initial sign did not suffice to quiet Gidon's hesitation as it could be explained naturally.¹⁶

Small army – Hashem explains that a small army was necessary so that all would recognize the Hand of Hashem and not attribute success to human might.  This lesson, too, might have been aimed at Gidon and not just the rest of the nation.  He, like them, needed proof that Hashem was behind the victory.

The water test – JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 5:6:3About Josephus suggests that those who bent on their knees to drink showed courage, while those who lapped like dogs betrayed fear.¹⁷  Hashem intentionally had Gidon gather the less courageous men to fight to provide further proof that it was Hashem's victory, not man's.

"לַי"י וּלְגִדְעוֹן" – Gidon's battle cry of "To Hashem and Gidon" might suggest that he only partially learned Hashem's lesson.  Though he attributes salvation to Hashem, he includes himself as well, perhaps still reluctant to view Hashem as the sole savior.

"י"י יִמְשֹׁל בָּכֶם" – After the battle, when the people request that Gidon rule over them, he refuses, pointing out that Hashem is their king. By the end of the war, it seems that Gidon has finally recognized that Hashem is indeed the people's king and protector.

The Efod – According to Ralbag, the Efod was set up as a victory monument to mark the miracle¹⁸ and was originally intended to be for Hashem's honor.¹⁹  Unfortunately, though, it ended up being a stumbling block for the people.  Though the nation only reverted back to Baal worship after Gidon's death, Gidon was not strong enough a believer or leader to prevent them from erring even in his lifetime.

Gidon versus other Judges – The Book of Judges portrays a progressive deterioration in the quality of its leaders.  While the first three judges, Otniel, Ehud and Devorah are all positive characters, the last three leaders, Avimelekh, Yiftach and Shimshon all show serious flaws, whether in the realm of belief²⁰ or interpersonal actions.²¹  According to this position, Gidon falls in the middle, a leader with wavering faith who oscillates between belief in Hashem and belief in himself.

Intervening Events

Although Gidon initially trusted in the words of the angel, intervening events led him to question the promise of salvation.

Sources:Prof. Y. Elitzur²²

Conversation with angel – According to this approach, after conversing with the angel, Gidon had full confidence in Hashem's salvation.  In fact, not only did he not need to ask for more signs, he put together a military strategy and began to battle without asking for further Divine guidance.

Gathering of troops in 6:33-34 – Prof. Elitzur suggests that verses 33-34 allude to an entire initial battle against the Midianites.  Gidon had gathered men from his own tribe of Menashe and sent his brothers to amass soldiers from the northern tribes of Asher, Zevulun and Naftali. As the Midianites had camped in the Yizrael valley (in between the inheritance of Menashe and these northern tribes), he had hoped to attack them from two sides.²³ Though the verses do not describe the ensuing battle, it did indeed occur.

"וַיֹּאמַר אַחַי בְּנֵי אִמִּי הֵם" – Prof Elitzur claims that the discussion in 8:18-19 regarding the deaths of Gidon's brothers hints to the fact that this original battle plan failed.  Perhaps due to a miscommunication, the northern tribes, headed by Gidon's brothers, arrived ahead of time and found themselves facing the Midianites alone.  The Israelites were defeated and Gidon's brothers were killed.²⁴

Sign of the fleece – It was only due to this initial defeat that Gidon asked for a new sign. Understandably, the loss together with the death of his brothers demoralized him.

Reducing the army: "מִי יָרֵא וְחָרֵד יָשֹׁב" – According to Prof. Elitzur, since much of Gidon's army had been from the northern tribes who has just retreated in defeat, it is not surprising that 22,000 were fearful of fighting again and opted to leave.

The water test – Prof Elitzur suggests that the 300 men who lapped the water demonstrated both agility and the ability to be satisfied with just a little, qualities helpful in a soldier.  The test was meant to select a handful of the finest warriors, who would be most useful in the ensuing battle.

Gidon's strategy – Since the Midianites had previously encountered Gidon's army, they expected it to number in the tens of thousands.  As such, they were on the lookout for a movement of many troops, and did not notice the 300 men that that stole up on them.  In addition, when Gidon's men blew their shofars and blazed their torches, the Midianites assumed that each soldier headed his own regiment, never dreaming that they acted alone. This led to confusion in the camp and their killing of one another.

Chasing Zevach and Tzalmuna – According to this position, it is possible that Chapters 7 and 8 describe two distinct battles against Midyan, a national one and a personal one.²⁵  The former began with Gidon's surprise 300 man attack and ended with the other tribes capturing the fords and killing the Midianite officers of Orev and Zeev.  The battle of Chapter 8, however, was one of revenge aimed at Zevach and Tzalmuna who had killed Gidon's brothers.  It was for this reason that the people of Penuel and Sukkot did not rush to Gidon's aid, and why only Gidon and his 300 men (and not the other tribes) appear to have participated.

¹ Gidon's tone is accusatory rather than questioning and conveys his extreme caring for the suffering of his people.  In their defense, he is ready to act as prosecutor and blame Hashem rather than the nation's sins.

² See also R"Y Fidanque in his comments on Abarbanel's commentary.

³ See also R"N Klein, לה' ולגדעון - קריאה בסיפור גדעון, who develops this idea, suggesting that in the end Hashem acquiesced to aid the nation despite their sins, but aimed to do so in a way in which they would come to recognize Hashem and forsake idolatry. 

⁴ He says, "give me a sign that you are talking with me" ("וְעָשִׂיתָ לִּי אוֹת שָׁאַתָּה מְדַבֵּר עִמִּי") not "that you will save me".  In addition, after the sign, the verse states that now Gidon realized that it was indeed an angel who was speaking ("וַיַּרְא גִּדְעוֹן כִּי מַלְאַךְ י"י הוּא").

⁵ This self doubting and humility matches Gidon's earlier question, ""בַּמָּה אוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל הִנֵּה אַלְפִּי הַדַּל בִּמְנַשֶּׁה וְאָנֹכִי הַצָּעִיר בְּבֵית אָבִי"

⁶ There are several points of contact between the two leaders. See also how Hashem tells each "כִּי אֶהְיֶה עִמָּךְ".

⁷ See Ralbag below.

⁸ The obvious difficulty with this suggestion is that Abarbanel attributes opposing symbolism to the water in the two tests.  He is not troubled by this stating, "וכבר זכר הרב המורה שיהיה דבר אחד משל לשני ענינים מתחלפים".

⁹ Though initially Gidon had gather troops from several tribes, Hashem told him to reduce the size of his army, and after the water test he was left with just 300 men.

¹⁰ Malbim notes that Gidon himself attributes success not to himself but to the other tribes, "מֶה עָשִׂיתִי עַתָּה כָּכֶם הֲלֹא טוֹב עֹלְלוֹת אֶפְרַיִם מִבְצִיר אֲבִיעֶזֶר".

¹¹ RadakShofetim 7:4About R. David Kimchi points out that Hashem's choice of language support this idea.  In speaking of reducing the size of the army, Hashem tells Gidon, "וְאֶצְרְפֶנּוּ לְךָ שָׁם".  The root צרף has the connotation of purifying, suggesting that in differentiating the two groups Hashem was actually purifying the troops.

¹² Ralbag presents Gidon as doubting Hashem, but does not go as far as the portrait painted below of a leader who might have begun as an idolater.

¹³ See Prof. E. Assis, "Self Interest or Communal Interest: An Ideology of Leadership in the Gidon, Abimelech, and Jefthah Narratives," (Boston, 2005): 15-127.  He views Gidon as traveling on an oscillating path towards belief which is rocked by doubts and hesitancy. However, his analysis differs on several points from that discussed below.

¹⁴ R"N Klein (cited above) suggests that even the Elah tree where the angel met Gidon was a site of Yoash's idolatry.

¹⁵ Thus when the verses says "וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ י"י" or "וַיֹּאמֶר גִּדְעוֹן אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים", they should be understood as "וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הנביא" or "וַיֹּאמֶר גִּדְעוֹן אֶל [איש] הָאֱלֹהִים".

¹⁶ It is not particularly miraculous that wool might absorb the surrounding water. Its staying dry while dew wets the floor around it, however, reflects Divine intervention.

¹⁷ Those who knelt on their knees were not constantly looking over their shoulder for an enemy, since they were not fearful.  The others drank more hesitatingly reflecting their worry. Ralbag, however, suggests the exact opposite, claiming that those who knelt betrayed their laziness, while those who lapped showed their diligence, being careful to guard against an enemy even while drinking.  Thus, in contrast to Josephus, he claims that Hashem chose the most fit for battle.

¹⁸ It is interesting that Gidon sets up specifically an Efod, an article used for divination and seeking portents from Hashem.  Even at this point he perhaps still sought signs.

¹⁹ See E. Assis (cited above) who disagrees and suggests that though Gidon understood that Hashem, not he, was the people's true king, nonetheless a part of him desired recognition for his deeds. As such, he set up the Efod in his hometown, Ofrah, as a monument to himself. E. Assis suggests that when the verse states "וַיִּזְנוּ כׇל יִשְׂרָאֵל אַחֲרָיו" it refers to the nation's straying not after the Efod, but after Gidon, who had in effect turned himself into a cultic leader whom the people adored. In so doing, he in effect undid all that Hashem had tried to accomplish through the victory. While the people were supposed to come out of the war attributing success to Hashem, they now only remembered Gidon's role. As such, it is not surprising that soon after his death they returned to Baal worship.

²⁰ See Yiftach's Vow for the possibility that he believed in human sacrifice.

²¹ See, for example, how Avimelekh kills off all his brothers and Yiftach causes civil war.

²² See his commentary in Da'at Mikra, Sefer Shofetim (Jerusalem, 1979): 75-102.

²³ Prof. Elitzur reads the phrase "וַיַּעֲלוּ לִקְרָאתָם" in the verse "וּמַלְאָכִים שָׁלַח בְּכׇל מְנַשֶּׁה...  וּמַלְאָכִים שָׁלַח בְּאָשֵׁר וּבִזְבֻלוּן וּבְנַפְתָּלִי וַיַּעֲלוּ לִקְרָאתָם" to mean that the northern tribes went to meet their fellow Israelites (not the Midianites).  The two group were meant to coordinate an attack where the Midianites would be caught in the middle.

²⁴ When asked about those who were killed in Tavor, Zevach and Tzalmuna say that they looked like Gidon:  "כָּמוֹךָ כְמוֹהֶם אֶחָד כְּתֹאַר בְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ", leading Gidon to conclude "אַחַי בְּנֵי אִמִּי הֵם".

²⁵ See Y. Kaufman, "הסיפורים על גדעון," Tarbitz 30:2 (1961): 139-147. Prof. Elitzur, however, does not read the verses in this way.  He thinks that the chase of Chapter 8 is out of order and actually took place in the middle of the war, before the tribe of Ephraim complained about their not being called to battle. He suggests that the people of Penuel and Sukkot had made some sort of alliance with Midyan and were under their protection.  As such, they were not willing to risk aiding the Israelites until they saw that the Midianites were totally vanquished, with the dead kings in their hands.