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  • From: Shoshanna Walker <rosewalk AT concentric.net>
  • To: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Samson and the Judges
  • Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:03:01 -0400

No, I was the one who said "elders and judges" to simplify matters.

The period of Torah transmission immediately after Joshua was that of the Zekenim, who were the elders of the Great Sanhedrin of each successive generation. It has nothing to do with prophecy. This is in the very beginning of Pirkei Avos. "The first mishna in Avos applies this term to the Torah luminaries who assumed spiritual leadership of Israel DURING THE ERA of the Shoftim - the judges who succeeded Joshua. Many of the shoftim also stood at the head of the Sanhedrin of their generation." According to Rashi's comment on Avos, which I quoted earlier, the Shoftim themselves were the Zekeinim. This is the position of Rashi, Rambam, Meiri. Others did regard the periods of the Zekeinim and the Shoftim as two separate periods, rather than one. (Vilna Gaon, for instance)

Contrary to what you claim, it IS known, and recognized, and acknowledged, and accounted for, that many of the judges' rules overlap one another.

My source is Rabbi Zechariah Fendel "Legacy of Sinai". He draws from, and cites all the sources: the Tanach, Talmud, all the Commentaries, Rambam, Rashi, Gra, Vilna Gaon, etc, and the historical Tannaitic Midrash, Seder Olam Rabbah, written by the Tanna, Rabbi Yose ben Chalafta, to be differentiated from the much later historical source, Seder Olam Zuta. He discusses all of the differences of opinion, explaining their sources and reasoning in great detail.

All the dates are listed in detail.

The basis of all of this information is not the personal ambitions of the rabbis, but the Tanach, which is an accurate source.

Shoshanna



2. Note the process at work here. The Tana'im, in the Mishnah Avot,
"skipped" the "judges" altogether in their list of those through whom the
Torah had been handed down, going from the elders to the prophets. The later
Amora'im could not "overlook" this link, so they made it "elders and
judges". Interesting. In any case, the Rabbis' reconstruction of history,
while having its didactic purposes, is based on their preconceptions of what
prophecy is and on their need to "prove" that their Halakhic authority was
genuine. It is not a basis for modern historical reconstruction, since they
did not recognize that the numbers given for the judges' "rule" are often
either symbolic or rounded-off, and that some of the judges may have ruled
concurrently. The archaeological record allows no more than 150-200 years
for the entire period between the "conquest" and David, certainly not 400
years for the judges from Othniel to Eli.

3. What is your immediate source for the dates and lists that you quoted
below?


Yigal Levin


----- Original Message -----
From: "Shoshanna Walker" <rosewalk AT concentric.net>
To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, October 29, 2007 2:26 AM
Subject: [b-hebrew] Samson and the Judges: [was: collecting myrrh and honey]


Samson was not merely a person with superior intelligence.

The judges were the Torah luminaries of their day, who had Torah
transmitted to them and were the spiritual leaders. After Joshua
came the Elders and Judges. Some of these were also prophets.

Rashi in Samuel 1:1 says "Moses transmitted the Torah to Joshua,
Joshua to the Zekenim, and one Shofet to another Shofet until Eli,
and from Eli to Samuel, as we learned (Avos 1:1). And the Zekenim
transmitted it to the Nevi'im

The names of the Judges and leaders of Israel from the time of their
entry into the land in 2488 until the establishment of the dynasty of
David, 396 years later were:

Joshua ben Nun, Osniel ben Kenaz, Ehud ben Gera, Shamgar ben Anas,
Devorah and Barak ben Avinoam, Gideon (Yerubaal), Avimelech ben
Gideon, Tolah ben Puah, Yair HaGiladi, Yiftach HaGiladi, Ivtzan
(Boaz), Elon HaZevuloni, Avdon ben Hillel, SAMSON, Eli, Samuel, King
Saul, King David

Samson's dates are 2813 - 2832 (Judges 15:20)

The prophets and Prophetesses during this period who are mentioned
in Tanach were:

Joshua, Pinchas ben Elazar, Devorah, Elkanah and Chana (parents of
Shmuel), Eli, the Cohen Gadol, Samuel, King David, Gad HaChozeh,
Asaph, Yedusun, Heman, Eisan, Nasan HaNavi

Not all of the judges were of the same spiritual stature. Samson is
referred to as one of the "lesser judges" (Rosh Hashana 25a);
nevertheless the Sages state that he attained Ruach HaKodesh - Divine
inspiration - a level just below prophecy (Judges 13:25 and Sotah
9b). The Sages also remark that he "judged Israel righteously like
the Almighty Himself (Sotah 10a)

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  • [b-hebrew] Samson and the Judges, Shoshanna Walker, 10/29/2007

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