Shoftim 21: Love in the Age of Judges

If one looks at chapter 21 with one eye closed, it seems like a very uplifting chapter. The tribe of Benjamin is nearly wiped out, and the other tribes are crestfallen that their fellow tribe may become extinct. But there is an added roadblock: the tribes had vowed that no daughter would be given over to Benjamin as a wife. So the tribes find the one city that did not participate in the vow and give its young maidens over to the last surviving Benjaminites. But these young maidens are not enough to help repopulate the tribe. The rest of the tribes then turn to a local custom in the town near Shiloh. The holiday of Tu B’Av, a holiday of love, is born. Young maidens dance in the fields on the 15th of Av, and the Benjaminites can select their new brides from among them. Everyone then goes back to their tent happy. The chapter ends with the oft-repeated phrase: there was no king in Israel, and everyone did what they pleased. This sounds beautiful, right? The people have mended their ways and learned to work together without the need for a king! The sad reality is that this chapter is much, much darker than this rosy picture. The reason the tribes are in this dilemma is because they massacred an entire tribe—men, women, and children. Only 400 survivors remain. Yes, the tribes took a vow, but that also means they learned nothing from Yiftach about vow annulment. They discover that Yavesh Gilad did not come to fight and did not take the vow. The reward? Yet another massacre, this time meant to free up the 400 virgin maidens of the town. These young women are still not enough, however. So the people turn toward an innocent local custom and allow the Benjaminites to kidnap more young maidens and take them as wives. Now the last two verses make more sense. Despite the last three chapters, the Israelites once again return to their own lands. They do not use this opportunity to unite under a common cause. Everything just goes back to its own place. The nation is rudderless. Without a king, they have descended into chaos. Even a story that sounds beautiful is full of darkness. The book of Judges tells the story of the dark ages of Israelite history. It is a book of redemption, but also of lessons gone unlearned. It is a book of heroes, but also of broken leadership. It is a book of great miracles, but also of fractured connection to God. It is a book of great stories, but also one of repeated mistakes. It is both a book advocating for a monarchy and one that dreads its very existence.