Spiritual and Ethical Issues in the Historical Books of Tanach; JOSHUA, JUDGES, SAMUEL, KINGS (Nevi’im Rishonim)
by Dr. Meir Tamari

These four books ostensibly are merely the history of Israel from the entry into the Promised Land until the destruction of the Temple and the temporary loss of independent statehood. In fact they are actually, in a specifically Jewish sense, the most deeply religious and spiritual books of the Bible. One does not have to be specifically Jewish to see or feel the religion and spirituality in the revelations of the prophetic writings or in the words of the Tehillim. They speak to all people, as evidenced by the fact that the Bible is still the world's bestseller and there are millions of non-Jews who regularly recite the Psalms. However, it is specifically and intrinsically Jewish to understand that G-d is revealed in the prosaic material, in the political, social and military events in the lives of ordinary men and women, kings and leaders that are described in the Nevim Rishonim. Here are described the ideology and religious thoughts in Judaism, while in Chronicles we have the purely historical.

With Righteousness and Justice: War with Moav (Melachim Bet 3)
After Achav died and Yehoram his son became king, Moav that lies in the southern part of Trans-Jordan where the Jordan ends at the Dead Sea, rebelled against the tribute that Achav had placed on them after his conquest. Since the Torah forbade any attack on Moav, who held their territory as an inheritance from Lot, our rabbis taught that this was not conquest but only taxation, that was justified since their possession was only temporary as G-d had promised that ultimately these territories would go to the children of Avraham. In any case, Moav had promised the tribute and the words of one's mouth are holy.

Our text does not use the phrase 'to rebel' but rather 'to sin'; seeing how not fulfilling a promise is considered a sin as G-d always is a witness to our contracts.

The same phrase is used to describe Moav's previous behavior at the time of Achazyahu, Yehoram's brother who had died after ruling only 2 years. His death had been prophesied by Eliyahu, as had been Achav's in the battle against Aram. This phrase suggests that the reason for the wars in all these cases was not geopolitical or strategic but rather the sins of both kings; a cause we saw repeatedly expressed openly in the book of Judges. The sins of Achazyahu are clear to us; he was as evil as his father and as sexually immoral as Jezebel, his mother. Regarding Yehoram, while he did demolish the House of Baal erected in Shomron by his parents, he still followed in the ways of Yeravam ben Nevat and continued the worship of the Calves, one at Dan and the other at Bet El, thus continuing the spiritual division of Am Yisrael.

Now Yehoram called on Yehoshafat, king of Judah, to join him in a joint military campaign; the dynasty of Achav is one of the few examples where good relations existed between the two Jewish kingdoms rather than the bickering and wars that characterized their history. Chazal see this partnership, that contrasted with his refusal to accept the offer from Achazayu of a joint maritime venture from Etzion-Gever [Aqaba] to the gold fields of Ofir [Abyssinia?], as evidence of the spiritual decline of Yehoshafat. Whilst generally he was pious, nevertheless he did not remove the local altars thus allowing sacrifices apart from the Bet HaMikdash.

The two kings, accompanied by the king of Edom, at that time a vassal of Judah, set out to attack Moav from the southeast through the mountain ranges of the desert of Edom that lie South of Yam HaMelach. Although the terrain was more difficult, nevertheless it gave them the element of surprise. After a march of 7 days, the army was without water, giving the alternative of retreating or of defeat at the hands of Moav, so Yehoshafat asked that they call for a prophet of G-d, without whom Israel never made war. One of the officers said that Elisha, unbeknown to them, had accompanied the armies, and so the kings went down, as a sign of respect, to him to ask the word of G-d. Elisha's answer to Yoram was that he was unable to look at the face of evil so Yehoram should rather call on the false prophets of his parents Achav and Jezebel. This is simply another example of the reluctance of righteous people to even face evil ones. "Rabbi Eliezer said: We learn that the eyes of the righteous are blinded by looking at evil people as it is written, 'and the eyes of Yitzchak became dulled' from looking at Eisav" (Megila 28a). However Elisha's words were said in angry rebuke so they caused prophecy to depart from him. "Resh Lakish taught: when anger occurs to a wise man, wisdom departs, and if he is a prophet, prophecy departs as in the case of Elisha. So when Moshe was angry at the commanders of the war against Midian, the laws of battle spoils were taught by Elazar HaKohen instead (Bamidbar, 31:14-24).

"The Shechinah does not dwell amidst despair and sadness but rather only when there is the simcha of mitzva" (Shabbat 30b) and the Radak adds that ever since Eliyahu departed from him, Elisha was in a state of mourning, so that his prophecy had departed from him. Then "when the harpist played before Elisha [stimulating joy and spirituality], the spirit of the Lord descended on him'" (Pesachim 66b).We should worship G-d in simcha; the Admor Simcha Bunem of P'shischa taught that simcha is the overflowing of kedusha.

Elisha foretold a great outpouring of water in the desert without them witnessing any wind or rain and that would be sign that Hashem would deliver Moav into their hands. As a punishment for Moav's breaking their covenant with Achav, Elisha told them to practice a scorched earth policy there that would include the towns, the springs and wells and even the fruit trees. The last named seemed to contradict the isur in the Torah against destroying fruit trees during war, as it was an affront to G-d who provided them for Mankind's benefit. The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabba 21:6) points out that Moav's sin of ingratitude towards Israel for not attacking them when they left Egypt made this universal injunction not applicable to them.

Although their armies defeated Moav as Elisha foretold, the victory of the three kings was not conclusive so that struggles with Moav continued. The temporary victory is ascribed to Yehoshafat's modesty and piety that is recalled in his previous war with Moav (2 Chronicles 20). Then he prayed, "We have no might against this great multitude neither do we know what to do; but our eyes are upon You". So alongside the justice that punishes sin comes G-d's mercy: "Mercy and Truth have met" (Tehilim 85:11).
This is the 40th installment in Dr. Tamari’s series on “Tanach and its messages for our times”

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