Rahab sang Ibu Pelacur

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It was a month after Moses’ death, and the Jews prepared themselves for the invasion of Canaan. True, it was the “Promised Land,” which G‑d Himself had promised to the children of Israel as “an everlasting inheritance.” They believed this, but not so the inhabitants of Canaan, and so the Israelites knew they would have to fight for it. Joshua, the 82-year-old leader of the Israelites, had all the fine qualities required for his heavy task. But he remembered how great was his predecessor, Moses, who had failed once in his task, and had forfeited his right to lead the Jews into the Promised Land. Joshua now sent an ultimatum to the inhabitants, giving them a choice of the following three things: 1) to leave the land, 2) to surrender and declare peace, or 3) to stand up and fight. Rahab Meets the Spies Joshua sent two spies, Pinchas and Caleb, to obtain firsthand information as to how the Canaanites were viewing the coming invasion. The men came to the inn of Rahab, in the wall of the fortifications of the city of Jericho. As soon as the news reached the ears of the king that two strangers had been seen entering the inn of Rahab, he at once sent messengers to Rahab to give up the men. However, when Rahab realized who the strangers were who had come to her inn, she quickly reassured them of her willingness to protect them. She told them that she was ten years old when the Jews left Egypt, and she had since then followed with the greatest interest and admiration all that happened to them. She had heard of all the miracles which G‑d had performed to protect them and guide them throughout the forty years of their wandering through the wilderness, and she was entirely confident that G‑d would be with them now in their attempt to take Jericho and conquer the whole country of Canaan. So sure was Rahab of the coming victory of the Israelites that she begged the two spies to promise to save her and her household in the coming invasion. “Come,” she urged them. “Let me hide you on my roof, where you will be safe from discovery. I shall keep your presence in my house secret; but for doing this for you, I ask you in return to spare me and mine when you come here as conquerors.” A Promise to Rahab Pinchas and Caleb readily pledged themselves to remember Rahab and her household, and as a token and sign they asked her to tie a scarlet thread in her window, so that it could be clearly seen by the Israelites when they reached the city wall. This would indicate which was the house of Rahab, and all in it would thus be spared as they had promised her. “You know,” Rahab told Pinchas and Caleb, “I told the king’s messengers that you had left my house and that, if they hurried, they might yet catch you near the fords of the River Jordan. So I think you can rest here for the night, safely, without being disturbed. The L‑rd your G‑d will surely be with you now, as He has been with your people in the past. I can tell you that all the people in this land are terrified when they talk about all that the L‑rd has done for you, and tremble at the thought of your coming. I know that the L‑rd has given you the land, and I acknowledge and believe in Him.” The Spies Strategic Escape In the early dimness of the morning Rahab let the men down from a window with a rope, and urged them to hide in the mountains for three days before returning to their camp. When they returned to Joshua, they reported to him joyfully, “Truly, the L‑rd has delivered into our hands all the land, for all the inhabitants tremble before us.” And so, when the Jews crossed the River Jordan to enter the land of Canaan, they passed over it as miraculously as had their parents through the waves of the Red Sea. This is how it happened: On the tenth day of Nissan in the year 2488, the Jordan River was full to overflowing. The priests advanced with the holy ark, and as the soles of their feet touched the waters of the Jordan, the waters at that point halted in their course, piling up into a wall, while the rest flowed down. Thus the riverbed became dry, and the whole nation passed over. The people gazed with awe and reverence at Joshua, and they feared him as they had feared Moses. Twelve men, one from each tribe, then carried twelve stones from the riverbed to the shore, where they erected a monument to commemorate the historic and miraculous event. The Jews then settled in Gilgal, on the western shore of the Jordan. There they set up the Tabernacle, which stayed there for fourteen years, until the land of Canaan was conquered and divided. Jericho is Besieged A few miles to the west of Gilgal was the city of Jericho. For seven days the Jews besieged the city. At the command of G‑d they did not storm the city, but circled it daily for a whole week, the priests carrying the holy ark and blowing rams’ horns. On the seventh day they circled the city seven times, whereupon the walls crashed and sank, and the whole city was thus miraculously laid open for the jubilant Jews, who entered the city. The city of Jericho was destroyed without taking any booty, as commanded them by Joshua. Thus was Rahab’s prophecy fulfilled. Our sages tell us she was one of the chassidoth (pious Jewish women), for her changeover to belief in G‑d and His Torah was even more sincere than that of those two other famous people—Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, and Naaman, the brave Syrian general—who were converted to the Jewish faith. For Rahab declared that the G‑d of Israel “is G‑d in heaven above and on the earth beneath”! This was a remarkable confession of faith in the One and Only G‑d, which even many a Jew sometimes forgot during those days when the belief in idols and many gods was so common. Our rabbis in the Midrash, in fact, tell us that G‑d was very pleased with Rahab’s faith, and said: “On earth, you could see with your own eyes that there is no other G‑d beside Me. But to declare also that I am the only G‑d also in heaven—this shows real faith. I promise you therefore that one of your descendants shall be one of the greatest prophets, for whom the heavens will be opened, and he will see what no other prophet has seen.” That was the great prophet Ezekiel, who saw the divine chariot in heaven. Rahab’s reward was more than that. She became Joshua’s wife, and was the ancestress of great priests and prophets, among them also the prophet Jeremiah and the prophetess Huldah. « Previous Joshua Next » Deborah the Prophetess By Nissan Mindel More from Nissan Mindel  |  RSS Browse Book Talks and Tales » By Nissan Mindel BUY BOOK Packed full of adventure and eye-opening insights, children can explore the wonders of G-d's creations in "In Nature's Wonderland," discover leaders of our people in "Gallery of our Great," and much more. In this Book Early Biblical Personalities Judges and Early Prophets Kings and the Temple Era The Mishnaic Age The Talmudic Age More... About the Publisher Kehot Publication Society » Kehot Publication Society and Merkos Publications, the publishing divisions of the Lubavitch movement, have brought Torah education to nearly every Jewish community in the world, and are the world's largest publisher of Jewish literature. Visit Site More in this section Deborah the Prophetess Jephthah (Yiftach) Samson Eli The High Priest Samuel Joshua You may also be interested in... Joshua 8 Comments Rochov and the Spies Listen (2:25) 2 Comments Beyond the Story of the Spies Haftorah Hyperlinks: Shelach Watch (1:15:07) 2 Comments 18 Amazing Converts to Judaism You Should Know 63 Comments Join the Discussion SORT BY: Newest Oldest 21 Comments Shoshana GA May 25, 2018 Wasn't this particular Rehab 50 years old at the time of the spies incident? How would she then go on to start having children? Where is this written In the Tanach? All we have is commentaries saying she was 50 years old and that she mothered all these prophets and what not... From the jwa.org/encyclopedia: “After having engaged in prostitution for forty years, Rahab converted at the age of fifty. (Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael, Masekhta de-Amalek, Yitro 1). I find it highly remarkable this particular Rahab's Canaanite DNA would have mixed with King David's given Israel was not not mix with Canaanites (much less so with ethnic Moabites, Deu 23:3) Reply Ephraim Dovid Israel June 9, 2018 in response to Shoshana: Sarah bore Yitzchak at the age of 90, so it's not unreasonable to believe that Rachav could have children past the age of 50. I just read about a 70 year old woman in 5776 (2016 C.E.) who gave birth. Yes she had the help of invitro fertilization, but still. Reply Teri West Monroe March 30, 2017 Is Rahab in the linage of King David? Reply Shoshana GA May 26, 2018 in response to Teri : From my research there have to have been more than one Rachab, Rehab. One was a 50 year old Canaanite prostitute which apparently was forced into the trade at age ten, the other one is the one that appears as Boaz' mother. Israel was not to marry Canaanites, Moabites, or Ammonites. In the case of Moabites and Ammonites never ever as per Deu 23:3. Why would a chosen leader like Joshua marry an old harlot? Beautiful or not what kind of sample would he have given Israel? On top of it having children by her too? It defies reason! Torah does not state any of this! Its one thing for Yosef living in Egypt to have married outside Israel, quite another for Joshua to do so as a leader of Israel... Reply Ephraim Dovid Israel June 9, 2018 in response to Shoshana: I know this isn't what you were talking about, but since you mentioned it, Yosef married Asnath, who was actually the biological daughter of Dina (daughter of Yaakov) and Shechem (who raped her, and was ultimately killed by Levi and Shimon over the matter). Being the daughter of a daughter of Yisrael (Yaakov), Asnath was a biological cousin of Yosef's. Potiphera of Egypt had adopted her, and after Yosef rose to power, he married her. So Yosef technically didn't marry "outside of Israel". Reply Anonymous November 4, 2012 I never knew that Rahab married Joushua?? Ruth 4:21and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed. Reply Stella Brazil December 25, 2018 in response to Anonymous: I've seen one Rabbi saying that on Youtube, I found it really interesting by the way. It can personify many things that I've read about the concept of Baalei/Baal Teshuva because a person that has been in a place where she practiced prostitution and was living in a city so impure that was about to be destroyed and really converting, in reality is a very difficult thing to do specially if that person is a woman. I've always liked the idea that the potential of evil of a person can actually be converted to the contrary, like it can be "inverted" to a really high position in spirituality if this person does teshuvah in reality. Reply Ari May 26, 2010 that was Ruth from Moab who lived a few generations later and married Boaz, who were Jessie's grandparents Reply Shoshana GA May 26, 2018 in response to Ari: Ruth was a Moabite citizen, not a blood Moabite as Boaz would not have marry her nor would the elders have blessed her. 4125-Moabite= 1) a citizen of Moab 2) an inhabitant of the land of Moab. For 300 years Israel had the territory from the river Arnon to Mount Hermon, however part of that territory continued to be known as land or country of Moab. Likely she was from that area thus a 'Moabite'. Ruth, like most of Ruben, had apparently been worshiping the local powers and principalities (probably Chemosh) and to her credit did teshuva returning to the Elohim of her ancestors. Reply Ephraim Dovid Israel June 9, 2018 in response to Shoshana: From what I remember one of my Rebbeim teaching me in yeshiva, the prohibition not to marry a Moabite only applies to marrying Moabite men, not to a Jewish man marrying a Moabite woman. So it was not an issue for Boaz to marry Ruth, and she was a "blood Moabite" as you called it. In fact, she was a Moabite Princess. I also learned that this issue of whether or not a female Moabite can convert to become a member of klal Yisroel, was not so clear even in the time of Yishai (Jesse) who was the father of Dovid Hamelech. Yishai thought to himself that his own lineage as a descendant of Ruth, who was a Moabite convert, disqualified him from staying with his Israelite wife Nitzevet. And when Nitzevet bore Dovid Hamelech, he and his other sons shunned Dovid, as did many other people. Reply Shoshana GA June 26, 2018 in response to Ephraim Dovid: I read about Ruth having been a Moabite princess... What is the likelihood that the Moabites who had such visceral hatred of Israel to even hire Balaam to bring a curse would allow one of her princess to marry a Jew? Can you picture a so called Palestinian giving in marriage a prominent daughter of their society to a Jew? I find that hard to believe thus prefer to stay with the script. According to the Brown Driver Biggs definition of Moabite it can be a citizen or resident of Moab. Given the fact Israel had the former Moabite territory north of the Arnon for over 300 years and given certain areas kept their former names, including the field, country, or plains of Moab, I can see the possibility of Ruth having been a Rubenite, who like most of Israel worshiped the local deities but did teshuvah embracing the tribe of Judah in the process as she was returning with Naomi. Reply Ephraim Dovid Israel June 26, 2018 in response to Shoshana: I don't mean to sound harsh, but it seems as if you would prefer to believe in theories that have no basis and no sources, and completely ignore the Tanach, Midrashim, and Talmud. It says clearly in Tanach, in Ruth, right in the very beginning, that Naomi's sons had married Moabite women. In the Ketuvim (Writings) Ruth is called a "Moabitess". Surely, the Ketuvim would not call Ruth a Moabitess if she was a descendant of Reuven. If she was a daughter of Yisroel, she would have been called as such. Also, our sages tell us in Ruth Rabbah, that Ruth and Orpah were the daughters of Eglon who was the son of Balak, which would make them princesses of Moav. Reply Shoshana GA June 26, 2018 in response to Ephraim Dovid: The dictionary definition of Moabite as a citizen can hardly be considered a theory; its a fact that does not deny Tanach at all. There are Jews all over the world but are not always identified as such, right? Deu 23:3 states no Moabite can ever join Israel. We know Boaz was a righteous man and so were the elders that blessed Ruth. He would not have gone through with the levirate redemption had Ruth been an actual ethnic Moabite instead of a Rubenite citizen of Moab. As to Balak, we again just read how he contracted Balaam to curse Israel, so would he have given his daughters to Israel as a prize instead? Does the timeline for all this even fits? Reply Ephraim Dovid Israel June 30, 2018 in response to Shoshana: 1.Just because the word "Moavi" could possibly be translated as "a citizen of Moav" doesn't mean that Ruth was not actually a Moabitess. 2.Your statements above (e.g.,"Ruth was a Moabite citizen,not a blood Moabite..." and "I can see the possibility of Ruth having been a Rubenite...") are most certainly theories.They definitely are not fact, and they don't have any sources to back them up. You completely disregard our sages' teachings,explanations, and expositions in favor of theories. 3.In addition to the Written Torah given at Sinai, we were also given the Oral Torah which was transmitted from Rebbi to student(s),generation after generation. The Oral Torah explains and clarifies the written Torah. Regarding the prohibition in the written Torah in Devarim in 23:4 "An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord,...",the Talmud(oral Torah)in Kesuvos 7a and Yevamos 77b clarifies that this only applies to a Jewish woman marrying a Moabite man,and not the other way. Reply The Shadow Boxer miami, Florida January 29, 2010 Rahab the Harlot I am very interested in the study of the Torah and the ancient writings. I never knew that Rahab married Joushua?? If this is so, then how could she also be the great grand mother of Jessie, the farther of king David?? Please help me to understand this. Joshua was of the tribe of Benjamin, and David of the tribe of Judah. I am very lost with this interpretation... Reply Anonymous April 12, 2018 in response to The Shadow Boxer: Joshua belonged to the tribe of Ephraim. Reply Shoshana GA May 26, 2018 in response to The Shadow Boxer: Joshua was from the tribe of Ephraim and as a leader of Israel it is highly unlikely he married a 50 year old Canaanite harlot, beautiful or not. Its not like Israel lacked righteous beautiful women. Deuteronomy 7:1-3 clearly says not to marry Canaanites and Joshua himself wrote about it in Joshua 23:12 adjuring Israel not to "join to the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in to them, and they to you". Reply Ephraim Dovid Israel June 9, 2018 in response to Shoshana: Chazal do say that Yehoshua did indeed marry Rachav learning this from the book of Yehoshua itself(6:25)where it says "hecheya Yehoshua" (Yehoshua kept her alive), from which Tosfot to the Talmud Megillah14b explains that Yehoshua married her. I've heard 2 opinions about why he was permitted to do so since she was living in Canaan. The first is that she may not have been a Canaanite at all, and that her family had moved to Yericho when she was young. The other opinion (that I personally prefer) is that Rachav converted before the children of Israel had crossed the Jordan into the land and so the law of not intermarrying with the 7 nations of Canaan had not yet gone into effect. When she converted before the Israelites had entered, she was no longer a Canaanite. I think it's an important lesson that no matter how far one has sunk, by acknowledging that (Hashem) "He is God in the heavens above and on the Earth below" like Rachav said(Yehoshua 2:11), that one can rise to great heights Reply Shoshana GA June 26, 2018 in response to Ephraim Dovid: Regarding Rehab/ Rachav having been the same person, if one is to overlook the childbirth age, etc there is the possibility she could have been an Israelite whose family moved to Yericho. This was the view I held originally till I began to dig into it further but I am still open to it. After all prostitution is not necessarily something to be proud of, especially if as some of the accounts I read she was started in the trade at age 10... The point is David was of pure Israelite seed. Reply Ephraim Dovid Israel June 26, 2018 in response to Shoshana: I'm not sure where you got the idea that there were two Rachav's, or that Rachav was an ancestor of Dovid Hamelech. But I asked Rabbi Kazen about it and he told me that the idea of Rachav being an ancestor of Dovid Hamelech is a new testament contrivance from Mathew. According to the Tanach, there is only mention of 1 Rachav, and the idea that she became an ancestor of Dovid Hamelech is not a Jewish one. Reply Shoshana GA June 27, 2018 in response to Ephraim Dovid: Now that is something I would love to find out more about. Is there a book somewhere that I may read regarding this? I know David had to have been "kosher' so to speak which is why I am so adamant to accept Ruth could have been an ethnic Moabitess rather than a citizen of the plains or country of Moab. Moreover, the mamzer rules would apply to ethnic Moabites therefore prohibiting David from kingship. Reply SHOW ALL COMMENTS Related Topics Rahab (9) Jewish History (45) Subscribe SUBSCRIBE Subscribe to Today in Judaism More subscription options » Home | Donate | Contact Us | Ask The Rabbi Login © 1993-2019 Chabad.org View Desktop Site