Juízes 11:11 Midrash: Midrash Tanchuma Buber & Sifrei Bamidbar

(Jud. 9:23:) THEN GOD SENT AN EVIL SPIRIT < BETWEEN ABIMELECH AND THE CITIZENS OF SHECHEM >. Also at the end < of the story > it is written (in vs. 57): AND UPON THEM CAME THE CURSE OF JOTHAM BEN JERUBBAAL. What is written there (in vs. 7)? BUT, WHEN THEY TOLD JOTHAM (about the Shechemites making Abimelech their king), [HE WENT AND STOOD AT THE TOP OF MOUNT GERIZIM]. Now why did he stand at the top of Mount Gerizim for cursing, when (according to Deut. 27:13-26) they only gave curses on Mount Ebal? It is simply that Jotham said this: The Samaritans are going to say: Mount Gerizim is ours because there were the blessings given; but they will not know that curses are given there. How is that? It is simply this: The ones who were standing on Mount Ebal and cursing, at whom were they cursing? Was it not at those who were standing opposite them (on Gerizim)? The ones who were blessing, at whom were they blessing? Was it not at those who were opposite them (on Ebal)? It turns out that the curses come upon Mount Gerizim, and the blessings, upon Mount Ebal. For that reason, Jotham said: I am standing only on Mount Gerizim when cursing my brother and the people of Shechem. He began by saying (in Jud. 9:8): THE TREES WENT < TO ANOINT A KING OVER THEMSELVES >…. R. Meshe said: These words that Jotham spoke are a parable. How? THE TREES WENT. These are Israel. (Jud. 9:8, cont.:) AND THEY SAID TO THE OLIVE TREE. This is Othniel ben Kenaz, in that he was from the tribe of Judah (cf. Jud. 1:13; 3:9-11). Thus it is stated (about Judah in Jer. 11:16): < THE LORD HAS CALLED YOUR NAME > A GREEN OLIVE TREE, < FAIR WITH GOOD FRUIT >. Now what did Othniel say to them (in Jud. 9:9)? SHOULD I LEAVE MY FATNESS? Olive oil is pure. They came to Deborah (according to Jud. 9:10): AND [THE TREES] SAID TO THE FIG TREE: < YOU COME AND REIGN OVER US >. This refers to Deborah. She said to them (in vs. 11): SHOULD I LEAVE MY SWEETNESS? (Cf. Jud. 5:1:) THEN DEBORAH SANG. (Jud. 9:12:) THEN THE TREES SAID TO THE VINE: < YOU COME AND REIGN OVER US >. It said to them (in vs. 13): SHOULD I LEAVE MY NEW WINE? TO THE VINE (in vs. 12) refers to Barak and Gideon (according to Jud. 8:22): RULE OVER US, YOU, < YOUR SON, AND YOUR SON'S SON AS WELL >. He said to them (in vs. 23): I WILL NOT RULE. When they saw this, (according to vs. 14:) THEN ALL THE TREES SAID UNTO THE BRAMBLE: < YOU COME AND REIGN OVER US >. This refers to Abimelech. Just as this bramble is full of thorns, so was Abimelech full of evil deeds. When they invited him to reign, what did he say to them (in vs. 2): AND REMEMBER THAT I AM YOUR BONE AND YOUR FLESH. So the Holy Spirit cries out (in Prov. 29:26): MANY SEEK AUDIENCE FROM A RULER, < BUT IT IS FROM THE LORD THAT ONE RECEIVES JUSTICE >. What did the bramble say to them (in Jud. 9:15)? COME AND TAKE REFUGE IN MY SHADE. Is it not better for you to make me alone king rather than seventy? Immediately (according to Jud. 11:11): AND [THE PEOPLE] SET HIM OVER THEM.¹⁰⁸The passage concerns the elders of Gilead and Jephthah, not the Shechemites and Abimelech. Jotham said to them (in Jud. 9:16 or 19, also vs. 20): IF < YOU HAVE ACTED > TRULY < AND UPRIGHTLY…. BUT IF NOT, LET FIRE COME FORTH FROM ABIMELECH AND DEVOUR THE PEOPLE OF SHECHEM >…. Then it written (in vs. 57): AND UPON THEM CAME THE CURSE OF JOTHAM. When? (In Jud. 9:23:) THEN GOD SENT AN EVIL SPIRIT < BETWEEN ABIMELECH AND THE CITIZENS OF SHECHEM >. Blessed are those who are righteous; for wherever they go, the Holy One preserves them; and they are recognized among the nations. Thus it is stated (in Is. 61:9): AND THEIR SEED IS KNOWN AMONG THE NATIONS.

(Bamidbar 11:1) "And the people were ['vayehi'] as seekers of a pretext": "vayehi" connotes return to a previous condition, i.e., they were perverse to begin with, and they reverted to their original perversity. "And the people": "the people" connotes the wicked ones, as in (Shemot 17:4) "What can I do to this people?", (Bamidbar 14:4) "How long will this people provoke Me?" (Jeremiah 13:10) "this evil people who refuse to hear My words." And when He calls them "My people," this connotes the upright ones, as in (Shemot 7:16) "Send My people and let them serve Me," (Michah 6:3) "My people, what (wrong) did I do to you, and how did I tire you? Testify against Me!", (Ibid. 5) "My people, remember now, etc." And the people were kemithonenim": "mithonenim" connotes "grumblers," seekers of a pretest to abandon the L-rd, as in the instance of Yoram the son of Achav, viz. (II Kings 5:7) "Know now and see that he seeks a pretext (mithaneh) against me," and in the instance of Samson, viz. (Judges 14:4) "for he was seeking a pretext (toanah) against the Philistines." R. Eliezer says: "kemithonenim" connotes "blows," as in (Proverbs 26:22) "The words of the grumbler are like blows," and in (Devarim 1:23) "And you 'grumbled' in your tents." What is "blows" (in our context)? They were as strikers of blows, but a "knife" descended from heaven and split their innards, viz. (Proverbs, Ibid.) "and they descend to the recesses of the stomach." R. Yehudah says: "kemithonenim" connotes those who afflict themselves, as in (Devarim 26:19) "I did not eat in my mourning (be'oni) of it." Rebbi says: "kemithonenim ra [evil]": "evil" (in this context) is idolatry, as in (Devarim 31:29) "for you will do evil in the eyes of the L-rd." "in the ears of the L-rd": We are hereby taught that Israel deliberately intended to have Him hear (their words). R. Shimon says: An analogy: A man is cursing the king, when the king passes by. They tell him: Hush! the king might hear! And he says: Who told you that I don't want him to hear! So, (in this instance) Israel wanted the L-rd to hear. He heard and His wrath burned in them. "and the fire of the L-rd burned in them": Fire descended from heaven and "rained blows" upon them until they could not tell the difference between the living and the dead. But whom did the fire strike first? — "and it (the fire) devoured 'biktzei' of the camp." Some say (this refers to) the proselytes, who were muktzim ("cast off") in the end ("katzeh") of the camp. R. Shimon b. Menassia says: "and it devoured 'biktzei' of the camp": in the ketzinim, (their officers), their great men, as in (Judges 11:11) "and the people set him as a leader and a chief (katzin) over them."