The Greatest Shofet? אהוד בן גרא | Rabbi Neil Winkler | June 25 2026

us and we went very clearly textually the story of Ahud Benra. That's what we did last week. You have the sheets if you need them, but you're not going to need them. But hopefully you do recall the story of Ahud Nerra. pretty remarkable in different ways in how he was able to save Israel of the um of Ammon and Mo the story of how Eglon my students loved Eglon because they remember his name as Egg Roll and since because he was rather as it says uh as the Tanakh says bare which always was healthy. It was fat and uh I went through the fact that in the ancient not even ancient during the middle of the ages and after that a nice fat bed baby was considered really healthy because they don't know if they're going to survive. Um nowadays we found out maybe they survive but not for too long if they're that too fat. But at any rate, um the whole story of Ahood Benra was a very uh remarkable one and it was remarkable for a number of reasons, not the least of which that in the end uh he had a time that was uh that even after his death there was peace in the area. Okay, remember me I said the area not that's the world not the whole country certainly in the area. Now I have a number of introductory concepts that I want points I want to touch upon before we begin with what I call this or as Ahubera the greatest Is he the best one? I mean, let's face it, even the people who know Tim didn't know aood personally. Shimmeron, they know they've heard of Gdon and Dvor was very popular. But when you ask about a Benra and they would say, well, who? And yet, I'm asking the question, is it true that he may have been the greatest sofa? What makes me say that? I'll tell you honestly which is tough for me. Um this is a wonderful sh that I heard from Rab Amnon Bazak uh who uh gives these terrific shim uh and he cla he claims that he was why he says so is what we're going to go into. Now remember um I mentioned that uh last week and I probably will do so again not because you'll forget but probably because I forget if I said it and that is that the era of chauffeim was not a very good one and specifically the fact that as the years went on things did not improve quite the opposite as they were as the um era of the shaft progressed, the people's commitment to God regressed whether because they um simply didn't care or I would like to say not that it's like to say it but it's a very a a clear reasoning and that is when they failed to do what? Remember I keep on telling you they were supposed to get rid of the uh pagans and the and they kept them there and the impact of these these these people these I want to say aliens you know but they aren't they were the the aboriges they were the ones who were there before >> um but the fact that they remained there obviously was going to impact the lifestyle of the people. That's exactly what God says to them. And through Moshe and and Sepharim, he says if you keep them there, it's going to be a big problem for you. You know, there'll be thorns in your eyes and that pain in the neck and they're going to do more than that. They are going to uh move you away from God. And that is precisely what happened over the era when we read of these um chaim leader tribal leaders military people who saved through God's help uh one pro one problem after another one would have imagined that they would say aha I see that and therefore they would improve but that doesn't happen they forget or They you know the new a new generation I understand 80 years I understand but when it's a 20 years or something you know don't you remember what happened don't you see that these foreigners or at least the people here are going to take take you away from God well that was what's happened and that's why the entire era was a very difficult one and uh we don't really find a navi there's no nvim in the 300 150 years of uh oftim we do have isim we have an agent from God we see sometimes it's called um but we don't really see these are the messengers God sends you we see with Shimon he sends to Mano he sends someone and to Gdon which is another story that's that's after Torah so they come God sends people but known it's called I believe a Na'vi not a Na'vi it's not so that's also reflected of the um people of what's happening in the the first Na'vi that actually comes at the very end was the one who was a Na'vi and that is right we'll get to that too anyway Okay. Um I'm not going to go into what we will eventually get to but I'll just say in the um overall concept of the era of chauffe when we look through really the last chauffet as I mentioned was shimon after shimon the last uh five six praim of of terrible terrible things. You have the episode of the peso mika which is a sin of of which idolatry that Israel was getting involved in doing and not only got to them the leadership of Levian came and they they said this is this way we we should we should they didn't say this is an idol they said this is how we're supposed to serve God now I've said this a number of times and most people don't uh remember it and I don't blame them but I'll get you for it anyway the Zara doesn't mean they're worshiping idols. Abod if it was it would be zar. If it was something that you have worshiped something that's abodar z is a worship of god zor that's that is not that is strange. It is alien. If god says I want you to make a a kurban over here and you do it someplace else that's an avoda. You're worshiping God. But it's a z. It's not what God wants you to do. The god is he's a tough god. You know, he doesn't only tell you what you have to do. He has tells you how you have to do these things. This is the way I want to be worshiped. Not this is the way I like to worship you. I like to worship by having people dancing on. That's very nice. That's not the way I want you to worship me. It's nice to have that. You can don't call it worship. Don't change what I told you and then say this is the way we worship God. This is what happened not in the time of Shaft Tim which it did. It happened in the 19th century 20th century when people said and now but this is I feel so much better if I have this is a real story and I don't want to make fun of it but I do make fun of things. I was uh an erra. I hadn't gotten yet, but I was on the way to it. So I call an errav almost rabbi. And I was in in the camp once and um and uh there was a head counselor someone in this place that I was at uh and he was a reconstructionist rabbi which is admittedly a conquest a complete impossibility but anyway And he would tell us, "Oh," he said, "Nahman, my new name, you must come to my Friday night." And he said, "We have the" and the thing I'm saying, "Oh, God." Why? Everybody loves it. God ain't happy. Because you can't worship things because I feel good when I do that. So that must be what God wants. That's a terrible thing for me to say, but it's the truth. That's why it's so important to follow, you know, what the basics laws are this way. Yes. >> Huh. >> Okay. Fine. That's right. That's the way it bear. Correct. Very good. All right. So, how did I get into that? Doesn't matter. I was interested and Uh so that's what was happening in cha and um so I had I started with um pes mika then we had the horrible story of the pilgrim story right and and the cl conclusion of to make things even better the really great thing which by the way we're very good with even today and that was a civil war and the Jews when they actually wiped out they were obviously voting for the wrong party. That's what happened. They got rid of them and they felt each side felt that they were doing what God wants and it was a terrible time. Thank God after that small comes. God said I we got to get something to fix us up and there more but anyway so that's why this is a very difficult difficult era and here I am talking about a bin so let me tell you what I begin to realize about the greatness of audra and why it's considered great um at first glance at first blush we are naturally saying what do you mean he was so great all the whole story of I'm not talking about but can it has two maybe even three sukim but the story of ahood had 20 verses then you go to the story of D'vorah and and Barak who had both two chapters and had a dollar and Hey, that is they had the you know that's over a hundred verses 100 sukim. Then came Gdon had 57 sukim. Now these are the big guys you know and shimon has one two three four um chapters. So so these are you know why was he so important? Why do we think he's so important? And we'll start by going through them about um what the difference is. And you I think I have that I hope I do on the very first strange looking chart that I gave as uh Yeah. No, it's okay. Did I have this here? Yeah. I I No. What did I give you? >> B2. >> I gave you B2, right? I don't have this. It was that vitamin. I know. Let me see. Where is it? Here. Naturally. I just given the class. I don't take the right short. But this is the one I wanted. Right. the first chart in effect very strange let's look what I have here now I took some time to do this you know I'm going through the basic um I would say the major chauffeim I included anal benanas because I like the fact that he was a the younger co the brother of colleague Benyuna so I put him in there also he's the first one so okay but look what happens here each of these have the chauffe the name of the person then god's reaction to Israel's cries and you know he asked the response to that and then the years of peace that the leadership of that u chauffet had did you get one of these one >> okay please I hate to think that I gave up I had to I wasted the p paper. Somebody's using it. Good. So, look carefully. In the first one, art Neil Ben can. And I again, all this is done in English as well. When the first time that Israel falls off in with God with Montima, it says the Israelites cried out to God and he raised a champion for Israel to deliver them at Neil Beni. So we hear they complain complain God takes care of them. It happens again let's say 40 years later and then we read that um they're being attacked by Ammon Moab whatever it was or all of them actually that was Ahoud Ben Gra that we discussed last week and here too the Israelites cried out to God who raised the champion for them Ahood the son of Gerra so we're doing pretty well the first two they cry God responds times, you know, first time, second time, by the third time, God says, "You're not going to fool me." Now, watch what happens. Now, that's a dvorra. And I say Barak because that was uh the military leader that the Nyah had for him. And again, they sin. Israelites cry out to God. And what happens? We don't say it. And God said doesn't say God found a champion. Next thing we learn it says and Devor of Lapido was a prophet. She led Israel at that time. And we read the story of what Dvorra does and decides to do. Oh, God told me to do this and that. But you don't see God saw what happened and he found a champion. He said do it yourself in effect what he was saying let's see if you can do what you want instead of crying to me then comes giddon the story of giddon is really very interesting and one you want to say come on give me a break really the story of gdon tells you just how bad things were again it's 40 years after the uh the dvora and barak years. That generation probably a lot of it is gone. And now comes the gdon. And here we read this hash. Okay. The Israelites were bad. And it says uh it says in the beginning which I did not translate that kizakub Israel and the Israelites cried out to God al midyan about mid the midionites were now uh oppressing them. Yeah. So that's going to happen this week's para next week's para too. The Midionites did this and uh what does God do? Hashem sent a certain prophets to the Israelites. Ishnavi is Nav'i. I said, okay, there. Okay. So, here is says, but anyway, he sent a certain prophet to the Israelites. He said to them, thus says the God of Israel, I brought you out of Egypt and I freed you from the house of bondage. I rescued you from the Egyptians and from all of your oppressors. I drove them out before you. I gave you the land. I said to you, I am your god. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites in in where you dwell dwell. But you did not obey me. What was God's response? He sent somebody to say autite. Look at what I've done for you. What have you done? None. I didn't include for a good reason. I forgot. No, I eventually God sends this whether it's called to get and when we get to this we will in a couple of weeks we find out that the isim comes and said get on God has said God's going to save you and he said what God this is gone you tell me what a big shot he is what happened to him why did he let us see No, he was reluctant to even believe this is true. More than that, he didn't have much faith in God itself. And this is the great show faith. So you see what's happening to each generation now. It gets worse and worse. The next biggie is Yifa. Poor Yifa. First of all, you had to be called in English jeff. Come on. What do you want from this poor guy? Jeffa. First thought we can really mean he was a great military man. Next verse. He was born to an isha zonata. One could say a foreign mother, meaning she wasn't part of the um family or even she may have been a pilg and goes on to say and there were other children and they threw him out of the family because you because you are they said that we have and is because you you're you're not part of the family. You know, this is this is the cat's family, man. Where, you know, we're having very very holy people. So, this is the next show. So, right over there, getting a little uncomfortable here. Let me go and read God. Israelites cried out to God also. And this time they said what? We stand guilty before you God. They agreed. We goofed. Okay. We have forsaken our God and serve the Balim. But God said, "Look, I've rescued you from the Egyptians, from the Amorites, from the Ammonites, from the Palestinians, from the Sedonians, from they all oppressed you, right? And when you cried out to me, I saved you. Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods. No, I'm not going to deliver you again. Go cry to the gods you've chosen. Let them deliver you in your distress. Baru said, "Gnug, I've had it already. It's a scary thing. God tells I'm abandoning you." He's not really. Nazino says that you think that I've abandoned you but I'm always watching over you. Have you ever read um the Gila Esther? You see what God is there right? Never. >> It's never mentioned in Esther. >> He never mentioned it. Truth is between you and me if you read the whole story if I regard I wouldn't mind my name in that story. It's a terrible story. I mean you real master is first of all we find out that they have and we have a wonderful wonderful culture got a king and he had a party for 180 days. I'd love to be the caterer. Can you imagine? 180 days. My god. Right. You finally finished that. And he said, "Yeah, but people of Shushan death special." And another gave him another another party. It's two parties in one. And the second party he asks for Vashi to come and show her beauty to all, but she says, "Pastnish, I'm not going to do it." So, you know, so he says, "I don't Oh, so the the the um advisor say we have an idea, right? Kill her. Oh, okay. So, so far it's the first part of a of a culture which has has wonderful wonderful uh parties and drinking over and over again. You know, a party was mishta from the worldto drink. They have this tremendous right and it's a wonderful thing and when you got trouble just kill people and then they're going to find a new queen. How you going to find a new queen? What do they have? A beauty contra contest. Right. That's a very fine way of find a good leader. Right. Right. Beauty contest. What does that mean? The virgins come in and have spent one night with the king. They weren't playing parties by the way each night. So that's how they choose a queen. This is this is talking. Do you understand the most unJewish story you can have in this Tanakh? This is the culture that the Jews are at. And what does it say? As Kazal say they were part of the party. They're having a wonderful time, you know. and and they say that the the wonderful uh utensils that were used for this party in the first chapter were from dash maybe yes maybe not it's not clear but the basic idea is that they're saying look at the kind of culture they have and the Jews are on violent this sure says as Hammon said that you had this this nation of Jews news that are that are all over the place wherever they come. They do that. They're in Hollywood. They're in banking. Yeah. They do everything. Sounds familiar. Anyway, it's a history. It's Jewish history. It's Jewish history. every single gullis time. When God sends you into gullis, it wasn't so that you would be able to have email. That's not the reason. Gullis is hell. And the tragedy is the bulk of Jews are still living there thinking it's the best. It's it's gunen. God says it's not going to be fun. How many people have to be killed? How many Jews have to be slaughtered for you to realize maybe this isn't the best place for us to be regardless. That's what it absolutely tears me apart that they're fine Jews, I'm sure, who who say that we're not allowed. We have to stay in Gulos till God tells us to. How dumb do you have to be to give God's giving you these hints, you know, that you oh, we have to stay here. So nice this goalless thing. So this is what's happening here. And uh what happened in I went to ahead with with Esther not supposed to doing but I did it. And this is what God says. I'm it seems I'm absolutely abandoning you. I've given up telling you over and over again. And that's what happens with the story as we'll learn is because himself goes out and does what he has to do which what God wants. as I've been telling you the whole time with the Yeshua and here God doesn't want to do miracles for you. He wants you to get up off of your to and start doing something yourself. That's what he wants. And the last one, oh, we're going to have a lot of time for Shimon. One of my favorites, not my favorite self fate, but it's a story. Very difficult one. So, Shimshon uh once again uh the Israelites again did what was offensive to God and God delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for 40 years. We have now that's a new one now. We had we had we had we had the and now we have now God actually introduced us to a lot of wonderful enemies who hated us. It's like it's like you know going to the UN. It's very nice. I wonder how many people have here. This is a story of Shaft. uh eventually with Simon of course eventually again Isa Kim comes and he tells Manoa well it tells Manoah's wife uh what happens and uh one of my favorite stories comes and tells he's going to have they're going to have a son who's going to save and save you from the police and she comes running home and said a god a a man a man came and told me we're going to have a a son and he says Oh god, send it back again. I don't really I don't think I'll believe my wife. Go again. So she comes again but doesn't come out to the manoah. Comes to the wife again. And the wife says hey mana come over here. You know he's here. So he says what what did you say? What did you say? and the the uh if we want to call him the prophet whoever as a agent of God says exactly what I told the wife why don't you believe her you know you know so it's it's that starts a wonderful story of a man who was going to save the is the Philistines and ended up being destroyed by them anyway um this is so look at the difference there's audra who finished his what his did with 80 years of peace and all these other and we'll go through them also and other things not so there you go um I'm not going to go into a other things about about um the other we'll go when I go through the stories of the team I will get to them. I hate to do it now because you know it'll get off the the focus and you know we rabbis never never go against you know never talk about other things anyway um to understand the story of aud Ben gay rather and we learned this last time but now let's look a little deeper into it. Who were the enemies? We learned this last time and I think I have it here in the beginning. Yeah. Uh in uh oh we find in the beginning look at number three. Right. But it says that the Israelites again did what was offensive to Hashem. This is before the at the introduction to the story of Ahood. And because they did what was offensive, God let King Eglon of Moab prevail over them. And o Eglon brought the Ammonites and the Amalachites together under his command and and and defeated Israel and occupied the city of palms. Who remembers what I said about the city of palms? Who remembers? Wow. Everybody quit like that. >> Huh? >> Eureo. Jericho. >> This blue little thing, which is an introduction to the story and we went through it. Now, let's see it really. What were the enemies that now go against um Israel? You want to know how angry God was? Let's look at the second second uh source. And this comes from the Torah from Dvari one you know very well Shabbak. Remember what Amale did to you on your journey after you left Egypt blah blah blah blah. Therefore when God uh grants you safety from all your enemies around you and the the land that God has given you. You shall blot out the memory of Amale from under the heaven. Don't forget. Obviously, Amale was not number one on God's favorite. To blot out the very memory of Amale. And who's the enemy that God sends against Israel? Number one, Amalik. Who are the other enemies? Let's see. Let's go to the second part. This is in not in um just two chapters before the Amale. We learn this law of Amale. No Ammon Ammonite or Moabitete shall be admitted into the congregation of God. No descendants of such even in a 10th generation shall ever be admitted into the congregation of a god. You shall never concern yourself with their welfare or benefit as long as you live. So who are the enemies God sends against Israel at this point? Amale and Moav and and the Amman also is part of that and and um yeah the yeah ammona moav unbelievable so when we read the story when we tell the story okay these are the enemies but now when I look back at it in deep more deeply as Rabbi Bazak points out doesn't that mean something when of all the pe the enemies he decides are not the ones from the Canaanites who are in the east east. These are people from their own lands. They came fare and the very people that God said they're disgusted. I want nothing to do with them. That's who that's a tremendously important thing. That's one. Let me just mention mention I'm trying to remember where uh did it say that they defeated um yeah they defeated Israel. I think it says there they not only defeated them by Israel by Yeshua, they took over the they took over what? >> What was the first city that Israel conquered? >> What was the first city that falls? >> Eureo. Are you getting the hint? Israel. >> Unbelievable. And we read the show. Yeah. No, that's no. Unless you look at this, you say, "Oh my god, look at the words." I told you this. That's why this what did I call this? I call it, you know, pathways of opening the pathways of whatever this is called. Is it going to the path and just the trail blazing through the text of the Tanakh? Look at the text. read the text. I'm not going through, you know, Arashi or Ebenezar or that as important as they were and I'd love to study that too. I don't want to do that. I just want you to look what you can find and open your eyes to what the text is telling us. It's so easy just shrug your shoulders. Okay, know that. I learned that already. You know, I'll memorize all the name of the team and I'll remember but look what it's telling us. Unreal. That's it. Um that's the displeasure that God has with Israel at that moment. Okay. Um and that of course takes us back to exactly the beginning of the very word the words that are quoted by Yeshua. But we in the beginning of the first chapter of Shaft and that is when Israel was reprimanded for not listening to Yoshua and what God said which is to get remove the enemies from your midst. You didn't do it and this is what's happening to them. And in the end, again, part of what we learn, it isn't just um that these enemies came and their entire um first city is now taken over by the enemy. But also what happens is at the end it says Abdu Ben Israel at Eglon they doesn't mean they worshiped or maybe it does as we'll see Eglon the king and in fact pagan gods. Uh the ba ba was very important. I'll get to that in a moment. And the ashtto the ashtto ashtoretet is a a tree wasn't a specific tree. They had they used trees at place of this is where you worship. Usually uh next to a hill or mountain, right? That's where it is. But and Bal Bal was a oh very very important and quite a very well-known and friendly little god. But Bal, you have it throughout Mahim also. It's a very, you know, Bal was a very well-known pagan god. In fact, you had Israelite names by that >> uh Ishbal. And what is he called in and that's what he's called is what he's called in. You know what he's called in in >> what does bett mean? >> Shame. Exactly. He was called by but his real name is Ish ishal. He had uh yubal. Right. They were taking these names. Ba was a very important god for them because it was very widespread specifically as we see in the stories of Yahuav. He was also the great god for rain. Amen. before Israel had a way of desalinating the uh rain was very important. You I'm going off. What can I tell you? I'm a rabbi, but he saying and therefore it doesn't mean that oh there goes my my bottle of water. It means you can't grow anything. Means you can't eat let alone flush the toilet. What are you going to do? You have no water. It's an unbelievable thing. The terrible curse. in those days in uh that was why said I'm going to take away your aim because you are worshiping Bal thinking that he can give and I'll show you that God does that whether God was happy with that or not is something else but we'll go to that so Bal was important they were worshiping that This is what Israel had up to. It was a couple hundred years after Moshe was talking to him. It's scary, isn't it? Because the Torah have told us how Jews are wise and small. We're idiots. Let's face it. We do stupid things. We don't remember God. And that's the whole point that goes on here. So at any rate there are other things about the story. So now you got a little more of what happening with the the the um generation that era and what he had to do and what he was doing. So first of all um when we started the story of of audra uh often we find out with other places of the giddon and stuff what the was he was important guy not too good but uh but we don't hear anything about we don't know anything about him what we do know was he was a lefty well he wasn't that great but he was right and um when I told the story and we did go through this. Remember that he's told he had a twosided sword which was not really a sword and that's why it gives us the exact length of it. It says there um Gomemed or the it was more of a a dagger. Why is that important? Remember the story. Why would it have been important to even mention that in the if you remember the story we said what did he do what did I'm sorry what did Ahood do with that dagger >> he hit it where right on his right very good correct but in order to hide it couldn't be a long sword so that's why it says was just a a dagger sword that's why my you That's why and of course because he was a lefty which he never told the king hi king I'm a lefty so you know he thought like every military man has his right hand so was he able to come out and he ended fats right in the story anyway um >> story >> huh a great story yeah I I you know I didn't read it until I got the movie first and then I saw it anyway um but there's a whole part of the story that we went through that is somewhat that is somewhat difficult and I want to go through what I can so that we can in two weeks we go back uh perhaps start with again the story of Zor and Boak let's see what this is if you recall it says there uh that the first thing that Ah did with his other he was he was leading a number of people who were there came to give as I said to what's called a um a min a gift to the king. In fact, as we said that Israel was was was um paying the tribute is the word I'm wanting for and I actually remembered it the tribute to the king and that's what they did. to the seemingly he brought a mat is a gift often. That's what Jacob brought a to that wasn't a sacrifice. It was giving him gift. Good. Very good. And uh he um and that's where he gives it the gift to the king. Gets in his gets in his good uh >> graces. Thank you. uh and he uh eventually could trust him so that when he said oh I have a special special message from God he was able to tell his people okay get out this is a special thing just be him you know and says okay I can kill you now anyway that's what what happened but what's also interesting is that is that ma a gift or indeed is it part of the problem of what Israel is going through that it wasn't just tribute he was giving to the king but the king was a somewhat of a god and he was giving was he um giving like a corban a worship or just vaude to worship them if it wasn't necessarily a sacrifice bing down things like that um you See, Eglon sees Ahood not simply as a general and a warrior. He sees him also as a a religious functionary of the Israelites. That's why he could say, "I have a message from God for you." He saw him that way. And uh in fact though I'm not going to go into this. It says there that he went to and I told you it's the name of a place but yeah means what? >> Idols but that's that's something else. Okay. Um huh >> I didn't hear what you said. >> Oh the Okay. It says there that after a had left he came back from the pileim now is means idols uh it is mostly meant as that's the name of a place there outside there was a place like that but it's does you know it hits you like what do you mean he went to is that where his people were maybe worshiped So the all these little things were important. First thing he had to do was to get the faith and the trust of the king so that he can go one- on-one with him. And then they could even say uh you know when he it's beautiful when he goes there he says I have something from God for you. He says hus is not often found but we have it uh in the tan. The word has been sh quiet silence he's saying everybody out this is a very important thing me and a babes you know we know this stuff so it got him oneonone that was the first thing and then he was able to do what he did in the in assassinating the um oppressor of Israel and it's after that which I'm not going to go into because we have minutes over I just wanted to get these parts done where He therefore gathered a whole army. Very crucial. Something not often done in Shir in sea. He gathered together. Another word that we don't find too often in shaft together. The Jews were to they got to come together and they fought. And that's why they're the only one to have 80 years of. But again, we're going to see other times where they brought other people or other armies or at least whatever battalions from different tribes, but never really to make an army, which is exactly the story of Schaeim. And why? As we will see when Shuim was over and Shu came, what did the people ask after the first nice little miracles he does for them? What do they ask for? Is that good or bad? We'll get to that, too. All right. Have a good shabas and I'll see you in two weeks. Have an easy fast and all should be well.