Author: Ben Zion

What is keeping us, throughout history, from controlling Azza? Is it the lack of unity? Surprisingly, in the story of “Pilegesh Be-Givah”, the people of Israel actually were united! The Bible’s relevant answer is related to the “day after” the war and drawing conclusions from the difficult events. An interesting comparison between “Pilgash Be-Givah”, and…

Exploring the concept of “Unity” in the Tanach. Where does the term “כאיש אחד” (as one person) appear? surprisingly, it appears a few times in the story of “Pilegesh Be-Givah”! But where else? And how is this term connected to the term opening the book of Shmuel – “ויהי איש אחד”? We will try to…

What does Devorah the prophetess have to say about Torah Scholars who don’t join the war effort? and about some tribes which do not take part? This fits a general theme in the book of Judges: the tribes think only about themselves and not about national needs. We will see how this theme is expressed…

The phrase “In those days there was no king in Israel” implies that the central problem was the lack of a king. Is that true? We will review the three stories at the end of the Book of Judges: the story of Shimshon, the statue of Micah, and the story of the concubine in “Givah”.…

The opposite approach: Shimshon’s image is negative, he brought destruction and ruin to Israel and he brought about the tragic end of the period of the Judges! This approach is much more in line with the overall message of the Book of Judges. Which is: “In those days there was no king in Israel, every…

We study sources that support the positive interpretation – Shimshon was a great righteous man, who did all his deeds for the sanctification of God. His sins were small and his death was heroic. The big questions about this reading: What is the Bible teaching us through his character? We will see three approaches that…

The big question: What does the Bible teach us, through the story of Shimshon, about the way to overcome Azza? The answer depends on another big question: Is Shimshon a positive and righteous figure? Or a negative figure who failed? These two possibilities are already seen in two interpretations of Jacob’s blessing to the tribe…

Why was the phrase “Let me die with the Philistines” used in the Defense Minister’s assessment of the situation during the Yom Kippur War in 1973? We will ask questions about the story of Shimshon’s death: Why did he commit suicide? Why does it sound like a personal revenge? Why is it mentioned again that…

We will analyze the story of Shimshon and Delilah. We ask – who was Delilah? Was she a Philistine or a Jew? We will provide several proofs, from maps of the land and from the description of the Bible itself – that she was actually Jewish! What does this teach us about the situation in…

Jacob’s Blessing to the Tribe of Dan – how is it Related to Shimshon and the Gates of Gaza? Our difficulty with the “Gates of Azza” continues even after the establishment of the state of Israel. We will get to know Kibbutz Nahal Oz, near the border with Azza, and hear the eulogy of Defense…