In the portion we read this week, Korah and his followers try to topple Moses from power. The associated haftarah selection connects this event to the story of the people demanding that the prophet Samuel choose his replacement and step down. Samuel defends himself by reminding the people that when they stop listening to the leaders provided by God, then the people are delivered into the hands of their enemies. As an example he cites Judges 4-5, “But they forgot the Lord their God; so he delivered them into the hands of Sisera” (2 Samuel 12:9).

Excuse me, the contribution of two amazing women seems to have been edited out. There is no mention of the judge Deborah’s role in developing the battle plan and holding general Barak’s hand when he refused to go to war without her. No mention is made of Yael (Jael) who dispatched the general of Israel’s oppressors by pounding a tent peg into his head. Read more…