וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ בָּרָ֔ק אִם־תֵּלְכִ֥י עִמִּ֖י וְהָלָ֑כְתִּי וְאִם־לֹ֥א תֵלְכִ֛י עִמִּ֖י לֹ֥א אֵלֵֽךְ׃
Barak lui répondit: "Si tu m’accompagnes, j’irai; sinon, je n’irai point."
Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
Raba said again unto Rabba bar Mari: "Wherefrom the following saying: 'If thou wilt lift the burden, I shall [also] lift (if you will share the responsibility, then I will lead); and if not, I will not touch it?" He answered: "From (Judges 4, 8) If thou wilt go with me, then I will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, I will not go." Raba said again to Rabba bar Mari: "Wherefrom the following saying: 'When thou hast called thy neighbor [cautioning him], and he would not answer, push down a big wall and throw it at him?'" He answered: "From (Ezek. 24, 13) Because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more." Raba said again to Rabba bar Mari: "Wherefrom the following saying: 'Do not spit in the well from which you drank water?'" He answered: "From (Deut. 23, 8) Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother; thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land." Rabba said again to Rabba bar Mari: "Wherefrom the following: When we were young, we were esteemed as men, now that we are old we are considered as children?" He replied: "In the beginning it is written (Ex. 13, 21) And the Lord went before them … and by night in a pillar of fire, to give light to them; and thereafter (Ib. 23, 20) Behold, I send an angel before thee, to keep thee by the way."
Midrash Tanchuma
And when you approach the battle, the priest shall come forward and address the people (Deuteronomy 20:2): And so [too] does it state (Deuteronomy 21:5) "The priests, the Sons of Levi, shall come forward." And [regarding] anyone who serves the king, when the king makes a decree, he carries out his decree. And the Levites serve the Holy One, blessed be He, and carry out His decrees. "Be strong and resolute, be not in fear or in dread in front of them" (Deuteronomy 31:6). And why? "For the Lord your God Himself marches with you; He will not fail you or forsake you." He does not leave you, and He goes forth in front of you and makes war. And so Deborah says to Barak, "Rise, this is the day on which the Lord will deliver Sisera into your hands; is not the Lord going forth before you" (Judges 4:14). But Barak said to her (Judges 4:8), "If you go with me, I shall go." [So] she said to him, "Do you need me, 'is not the Lord going forth before you?'" [In the case of] a king of flesh and blood, his servants and his troops go forth to war and he is behind them. But the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like this, but rather He is first. And so is it written with David (II Samuel 5:23-24), "Do not go up, etc. but confront them at the baca trees. And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the baca trees, then go into action." As they are full of thorns. And why did the Holy One, blessed be He, reveal himself from the tops of the baca trees? Because Israel was in distress. Rabbi Berakhia said, "This is that which is stated, 'I am with him in distress'" (Psalms 91:15). "For the Lord will be going in front of you to attack within the Philistine camp." Hence, "For the Lord your God Himself marches with you." And in the world to come, "Then the Lord will come forth and make war on those nations as He is wont to make war on a day of battle" (Zechariah 14:3). So did Rabbi Tanchuma bar Abba expound.
Bereshit Rabbah
“It was when he drew near to come to Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife: Behold, I know now that you are a woman of fair appearance” (Genesis 12:11).
“It will be, when the Egyptians will see you, they will say: This is his wife, and they will kill me, and keep you alive” (Genesis 12:12).
“Please, say you are my sister, so that it may be well with me because of you, and my soul shall live because of you” (Genesis 12:13).
“It was when he drew near to come to Egypt” – he was together with her all those years, and only now he says to her: “Behold, I know now that you are a woman of fair appearance”? The explanation is that due to travel a person [usually] becomes unsightly, but this one [Sarai] retained her beauty.11And this fact became known to Abraham only now.
Rabbi Ze’eira said in the name of Rabbi Simon: [Abraham told her:] ‘We traveled through Aram Naharayim and Aram Naḥor and we did not encounter a woman as fair as you. Now that we are entering a place of ugly and swarthy people, “please, say you are my sister….”’12It was only now that her beauty could potentially cause problems.
Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Avun: There were two people who were the principal party, but subordinated themselves, and then actually became subordinate: Abraham and Barak. Barak – “She [Deborah] sent and summoned Barak son of Avinoam from Kedesh Naphtali, and said to him: Behold, the Lord, God of Israel, has commanded, saying: Go and draw toward Mount Tavor and take with you ten thousand…” (Judges 4:6).13This shows that Barak was originally the principal figure, as he was appointed to lead an army of ten thousand against Yavin, king of Ḥatzor, and his general Sisera. “Barak said to her: If you go with me, I will go, but if you do not go with me, I will not go” (Judges 4:8).14He thereby subordinated himself to Deborah. Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: [Barak said:] ‘If you go with me to Kedesh, I will go with you to Ḥatzor.15There was a preliminary battle at Kedesh, followed by the decisive battle at Ḥatzor. For the Kedesh battle, Barak sought the company of Deborah, who, as a prophetess, would inspire the soldiers to fight valiantly. In return, he undertook to bring her along for the decisive battle of Ḥatzor. If you do not go with me to Kedesh, I will not go with you to Ḥatzor.’ Rabbi Neḥemya said: [Barak said:] ‘If you accompany me in song,16The song of praise that was to be sung after Israel’s victory (Judges 5). Barak requested the assistance of Deborah, the prophetess, to infuse his song with the prophetic spirit. I will go with you to war.17In return for your help in composing the song, I will allow you to join me in battle. If you do not accompany me in song, I will not go with you to war. “She said: I will go with you; however [efes], it will not be your glory [on the path that you take, for it is by the hand of a woman that the Lord will deliver Sisera]” (Judges 4:9). Rabbi Reuven said: Efes is a Greek expression.18It means: Stop, it is not yours. She said to him: ‘What do you think, that the glory of the song was assigned to you specifically?’ That was a rhetorical question. He then became subordinate [to her]: “Deborah and Barak son of Avinoam sang” (Judges 5:1).19The song is ascribed first and foremost to Deborah.
Abraham was the principal party: “Abram took his wife Sarah” (Genesis 12:5). He subordinated himself: “Please, say you are my sister [so that it may be well with me because of you]” (Genesis 12:13). And he became subordinate to her: “He benefitted Abram for her sake” (Genesis 12:16).
“It will be, when the Egyptians will see you, they will say: This is his wife, and they will kill me, and keep you alive” (Genesis 12:12).
“Please, say you are my sister, so that it may be well with me because of you, and my soul shall live because of you” (Genesis 12:13).
“It was when he drew near to come to Egypt” – he was together with her all those years, and only now he says to her: “Behold, I know now that you are a woman of fair appearance”? The explanation is that due to travel a person [usually] becomes unsightly, but this one [Sarai] retained her beauty.11And this fact became known to Abraham only now.
Rabbi Ze’eira said in the name of Rabbi Simon: [Abraham told her:] ‘We traveled through Aram Naharayim and Aram Naḥor and we did not encounter a woman as fair as you. Now that we are entering a place of ugly and swarthy people, “please, say you are my sister….”’12It was only now that her beauty could potentially cause problems.
Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Avun: There were two people who were the principal party, but subordinated themselves, and then actually became subordinate: Abraham and Barak. Barak – “She [Deborah] sent and summoned Barak son of Avinoam from Kedesh Naphtali, and said to him: Behold, the Lord, God of Israel, has commanded, saying: Go and draw toward Mount Tavor and take with you ten thousand…” (Judges 4:6).13This shows that Barak was originally the principal figure, as he was appointed to lead an army of ten thousand against Yavin, king of Ḥatzor, and his general Sisera. “Barak said to her: If you go with me, I will go, but if you do not go with me, I will not go” (Judges 4:8).14He thereby subordinated himself to Deborah. Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: [Barak said:] ‘If you go with me to Kedesh, I will go with you to Ḥatzor.15There was a preliminary battle at Kedesh, followed by the decisive battle at Ḥatzor. For the Kedesh battle, Barak sought the company of Deborah, who, as a prophetess, would inspire the soldiers to fight valiantly. In return, he undertook to bring her along for the decisive battle of Ḥatzor. If you do not go with me to Kedesh, I will not go with you to Ḥatzor.’ Rabbi Neḥemya said: [Barak said:] ‘If you accompany me in song,16The song of praise that was to be sung after Israel’s victory (Judges 5). Barak requested the assistance of Deborah, the prophetess, to infuse his song with the prophetic spirit. I will go with you to war.17In return for your help in composing the song, I will allow you to join me in battle. If you do not accompany me in song, I will not go with you to war. “She said: I will go with you; however [efes], it will not be your glory [on the path that you take, for it is by the hand of a woman that the Lord will deliver Sisera]” (Judges 4:9). Rabbi Reuven said: Efes is a Greek expression.18It means: Stop, it is not yours. She said to him: ‘What do you think, that the glory of the song was assigned to you specifically?’ That was a rhetorical question. He then became subordinate [to her]: “Deborah and Barak son of Avinoam sang” (Judges 5:1).19The song is ascribed first and foremost to Deborah.
Abraham was the principal party: “Abram took his wife Sarah” (Genesis 12:5). He subordinated himself: “Please, say you are my sister [so that it may be well with me because of you]” (Genesis 12:13). And he became subordinate to her: “He benefitted Abram for her sake” (Genesis 12:16).