Barack and the Prophetess

[Rav Yossie Bloch]

Then Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go."
She said, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take…"
(Shofetim 4:8-9)

These verses have been echoing through my mind for a week now. That's how long we've officially known that Illinois Senator Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States, but the speculation was swirling even before that: who will be his vice-presidential choice? Granted, we all know that running mates don't really balance tickets the way they used to. Nevertheless, they tell you a lot about the people who choose them.

That brings us to the original Barak, the son of Avino'am, who is recruited by the prophetess and judge Devora to lead the battle against the Canaanite general Sisera and his army in Chapter 4 of Shofetim (Judges). Barak refuses to go alone, and the story ends with his singing back-up to the famous Song of Devora (5:1); even his military victory is overshadowed by the heroism of Ya'el, a nomadic woman who personally kills Sisera (4:17-22).

What is so wrong with Barak's invitation? As God's spokeswoman, why shouldn't Devora be present at the battle? The key seems to lie in the nature of Israel's fractured polity at the time. As the Song tells it (vv. 14-18), some tribes are part of the fight, while others avoid it. This is particularly striking when we consider that this is the only battle in the Book of Shofetim against the Canaanites, the group of nations that all Israel was supposed to vanquish upon entering the land. These Canaanites have no trouble coming together against a common threat (v. 18), but the Jews do. Many of them have forgotten their common God, and even His prophetess cannot call them to battle. Devora is not a uniting figure. Only Barak, whose experience and renown are limited, who comes from a tribe which has never played a powerful role in Israel, can bring the people together with an inspiring call to arms. When he demands that Devora accompany him, Barak dilutes the power of his mission.

Like pre-monarchial (and, perhaps, modern) Israel, contemporary America is a land divided by tribes, having forgotten what unites them. They do not need a lecture from an icon of one side of the divide; they need someone who comes out of nowhere to say: We have a fight ahead of us, and we need everyone to join. Of course, Devora is an asset, but dragging her to the frontlines obscures the message, which boils down to (5:12): "Arise, Barak, and take your captives."