TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Chapter 5
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1On that day Devora and Barak son of Abinoam sang:
אוַתָּשַׁר דְּבוֹרָה וּבָרָק בֶּן־אֲבִינֹעַם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר׃
2When locks go untrimmed in Yisrael, When people dedicate themselves—Bless Hashem!
בבִּפְרֹעַ פְּרָעוֹת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהִתְנַדֵּב עָם בָּרֲכוּ יְהֹוָה׃
3Hear, O kings! Give ear, O potentates! I will sing, will sing to Hashem, Will hymn Hashem, the God of Yisrael.
גשִׁמְעוּ מְלָכִים הַאֲזִינוּ רֹזְנִים אָנֹכִי לַיהֹוָה אָנֹכִי אָשִׁירָה אֲזַמֵּר לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
4Hashem, when You came forth from Seir, Advanced from the country of Edom, The earth trembled; The heavens dripped, Yea, the clouds dripped water,
דיְהֹוָה בְּצֵאתְךָ מִשֵּׂעִיר בְּצַעְדְּךָ מִשְּׂדֵה אֱדוֹם אֶרֶץ רָעָשָׁה גַּם־שָׁמַיִם נָטָפוּ גַּם־עָבִים נָטְפוּ מָיִם׃
5The mountains quaked—Before Hashem, Him of Sinai, Before Hashem, God of Yisrael.
ההָרִים נָזְלוּ מִפְּנֵי יְהֹוָה זֶה סִינַי מִפְּנֵי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
6In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, In the days of Yael, caravans ceased, And wayfarers went By roundabout paths.
ובִּימֵי שַׁמְגַּר בֶּן־עֲנָת בִּימֵי יָעֵל חָדְלוּ אֳרָחוֹת וְהֹלְכֵי נְתִיבוֹת יֵלְכוּ אֳרָחוֹת עֲקַלְקַלּוֹת׃
7Deliverance ceased, Ceased in Yisrael, Till you arose, O Devora, Arose, O mother, in Yisrael!
kha-d'-LU f'-ra-ZON b'-yis-ra-AYL kha-DAY-lu AD sha-KAM-tee d'-vo-RAH sha-KAM-tee AYM b'-yis-ra-AYL
זחָדְלוּ פְרָזוֹן בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל חָדֵלּוּ עַד שַׁקַּמְתִּי דְּבוֹרָה שַׁקַּמְתִּי אֵם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל׃
5:7 Deliverance ceased, ceased in Yisrael, till you arose, O Devora
Though one way of translating f’razon (פרזון) is ‘deliverance,’ Rashi explains it as “open towns without walls.” According to this understanding, Devora is saying that prior to her leadership, the children of Israel had ceased living in small, scattered, non-walled communities, due to fear of attack. However, the Canaanites continued living in such places, as they were not afraid of the Israelites. The miraculous military victory against Sisera would change this reality. It is interesting to note that in Israel today Jews have also not been afraid to establish small communities in all parts of the land of Israel. Miracles of biblical proportions continue in our era as communities of all sizes grow and thrive throughout Israel.
8When they chose new gods, Was there a fighter then in the gates? No shield or spear was seen Among forty thousand in Yisrael!
חיִבְחַר אֱלֹהִים חֲדָשִׁים אָז לָחֶם שְׁעָרִים מָגֵן אִם־יֵרָאֶה וָרֹמַח בְּאַרְבָּעִים אֶלֶף בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל׃
9My heart is with Yisrael's leaders, With the dedicated of the people—Bless Hashem!
טלִבִּי לְחוֹקְקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַמִּתְנַדְּבִים בָּעָם בָּרֲכוּ יְהֹוָה׃
10You riders on tawny she-asses, You who sit on saddle rugs, And you wayfarers, declare it!
ירֹכְבֵי אֲתֹנוֹת צְחֹרוֹת יֹשְׁבֵי עַל־מִדִּין וְהֹלְכֵי עַל־דֶּרֶךְ שִׂיחוּ׃
11Louder than the sound of archers, There among the watering places Let them chant the gracious acts of Hashem, His gracious deliverance of Yisrael. Then did the people of Hashem March down to the gates!
יאמִקּוֹל מְחַצְצִים בֵּין מַשְׁאַבִּים שָׁם יְתַנּוּ צִדְקוֹת יְהֹוָה צִדְקֹת פִּרְזֹנוֹ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אָז יָרְדוּ לַשְּׁעָרִים עַם־יְהֹוָה׃
12Awake, awake, O Devora! Awake, awake, strike up the chant! Arise, O Barak; Take your captives, O son of Abinoam!
יבעוּרִי עוּרִי דְּבוֹרָה עוּרִי עוּרִי דַּבְּרִי־שִׁיר קוּם בָּרָק וּשֲׁבֵה שֶׁבְיְךָ בֶּן־אֲבִינֹעַם׃
13Then was the remnant made victor over the mighty, Hashem's people won my victory over the warriors.
יגאָז יְרַד שָׂרִיד לְאַדִּירִים עָם יְהֹוָה יְרַד־לִי בַּגִּבּוֹרִים׃
14From Efraim came they whose roots are in Amalek; After you, your kin Binyamin; From Machir came down leaders, From Zevulun such as hold the marshal's staff.
ידמִנִּי אֶפְרַיִם שָׁרְשָׁם בַּעֲמָלֵק אַחֲרֶיךָ בִנְיָמִין בַּעֲמָמֶיךָ מִנִּי מָכִיר יָרְדוּ מְחֹקְקִים וּמִזְּבוּלֻן מֹשְׁכִים בְּשֵׁבֶט סֹפֵר׃
15And Yissachar's chiefs were with Devora; As Barak, so was Yissachar—Rushing after him into the valley. Among the clans of Reuven Were great decisions of heart.
טווְשָׂרַי בְּיִשָּׂשכָר עִם־דְּבֹרָה וְיִשָּׂשכָר כֵּן בָּרָק בָּעֵמֶק שֻׁלַּח בְּרַגְלָיו בִּפְלַגּוֹת רְאוּבֵן גְּדֹלִים חִקְקֵי־לֵב׃
16Why then did you stay among the sheepfolds And listen as they pipe for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuven Were great searchings of heart!
טזלָמָּה יָשַׁבְתָּ בֵּין הַמִּשְׁפְּתַיִם לִשְׁמֹעַ שְׁרִקוֹת עֲדָרִים לִפְלַגּוֹת רְאוּבֵן גְּדוֹלִים חִקְרֵי־לֵב׃
17Gilad tarried beyond the Yarden; And Dan—why did he linger by the ships? Asher remained at the seacoast And tarried at his landings.
יזגִּלְעָד בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן שָׁכֵן וְדָן לָמָּה יָגוּר אֳנִיּוֹת אָשֵׁר יָשַׁב לְחוֹף יַמִּים וְעַל מִפְרָצָיו יִשְׁכּוֹן׃
18Zevulun is a people that mocked at death, Naftali—on the open heights.
יחזְבֻלוּן עַם חֵרֵף נַפְשׁוֹ לָמוּת וְנַפְתָּלִי עַל מְרוֹמֵי שָׂדֶה׃
19Then the kings came, they fought: The kings of Canaan fought At Taanach, by Megiddo's waters—They got no spoil of silver.
יטבָּאוּ מְלָכִים נִלְחָמוּ אָז נִלְחֲמוּ מַלְכֵי כְנַעַן בְּתַעְנַךְ עַל־מֵי מְגִדּוֹ בֶּצַע כֶּסֶף לֹא לָקָחוּ׃
20The stars fought from heaven, From their courses they fought against Sisera.
כמִן־שָׁמַיִם נִלְחָמוּ הַכּוֹכָבִים מִמְּסִלּוֹתָם נִלְחֲמוּ עִם־סִיסְרָא׃
21The torrent Kishon swept them away, The raging torrent, the torrent Kishon. March on, my soul, with courage!
NA-khal kee-SHON g'-ra-FAM NA-khal k'-du-MEEM NA-khal kee-SHON tid-r'-KHEE naf-SHEE OZ
כאנַחַל קִישׁוֹן גְּרָפָם נַחַל קְדוּמִים נַחַל קִישׁוֹן תִּדְרְכִי נַפְשִׁי עֹז׃
5:21 The torrent Kishon swept them away
Moshe Dayan (1915-1981)
According to this verse, the Kishon river swept away Sisera’s army after it was defeated by the Israelites. Moshe Dayan, an important IDF general, loved the Land of Israel not only as his homeland, but also because it is the land of the Bible. In his book, “Living with the Bible,” Dayan wrote about the Kishon: “To one who was born in Israel, love of the homeland was not an abstraction. The Rose of Sharon and Mount Carmel were very real to me, as were the sweet-scented blossom and the hills whose paths I climbed. Yet this was not enough. I was not content only with the Israel I could see and touch. I also longed for the Israel of antiquity, the Israel of the ‘timeless verses’ and the ‘biblical names’, and I wanted to give tangibility to that too. I wished to see not only the river Kishon marking off the fields of Nahalal from those of neighboring Kfar Yehoshua; I wished also to visualize the biblical Kishon sweeping away the Canaanite chariot forces of Sisera.”
22Then the horses' hoofs pounded As headlong galloped the steeds.
כבאָז הָלְמוּ עִקְּבֵי־סוּס מִדַּהֲרוֹת דַּהֲרוֹת אַבִּירָיו׃
23“Curse Meroz!” said the angel of Hashem. “Bitterly curse its inhabitants, Because they came not to the aid of Hashem, To the aid of Hashem among the warriors.”
כגאוֹרוּ מֵרוֹז אָמַר מַלְאַךְ יְהֹוָה אֹרוּ אָרוֹר יֹשְׁבֶיהָ כִּי לֹא־בָאוּ לְעֶזְרַת יְהֹוָה לְעֶזְרַת יְהֹוָה בַּגִּבּוֹרִים׃
24Most blessed of women be Yael, Wife of Chever the Kenite, Most blessed of women in tents.
כדתְּבֹרַךְ מִנָּשִׁים יָעֵל אֵשֶׁת חֶבֶר הַקֵּינִי מִנָּשִׁים בָּאֹהֶל תְּבֹרָךְ׃
25He asked for water, she offered milk; In a princely bowl she brought him curds.
כהמַיִם שָׁאַל חָלָב נָתָנָה בְּסֵפֶל אַדִּירִים הִקְרִיבָה חֶמְאָה׃
26Her [left] hand reached for the tent pin, Her right for the workmen's hammer. She struck Sisera, crushed his head, Smashed and pierced his temple.
כויָדָהּ לַיָּתֵד תִּשְׁלַחְנָה וִימִינָהּ לְהַלְמוּת עֲמֵלִים וְהָלְמָה סִיסְרָא מָחֲקָה רֹאשׁוֹ וּמָחֲצָה וְחָלְפָה רַקָּתוֹ׃
27At her feet he sank, lay outstretched, At her feet he sank, lay still; Where he sank, there he lay—destroyed.
כזבֵּין רַגְלֶיהָ כָּרַע נָפַל שָׁכָב בֵּין רַגְלֶיהָ כָּרַע נָפָל בַּאֲשֶׁר כָּרַע שָׁם נָפַל שָׁדוּד׃
28Through the window peered Sisera's mother, Behind the lattice she whined: “Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why so late the clatter of his wheels?”
כחבְּעַד הַחַלּוֹן נִשְׁקְפָה וַתְּיַבֵּב אֵם סִיסְרָא בְּעַד הָאֶשְׁנָב מַדּוּעַ בֹּשֵׁשׁ רִכְבּוֹ לָבוֹא מַדּוּעַ אֶחֱרוּ פַּעֲמֵי מַרְכְּבוֹתָיו׃
29The wisest of her ladies give answer; She, too, replies to herself:
כטחַכְמוֹת שָׂרוֹתֶיהָ תַּעֲנֶינָּה אַף־הִיא תָּשִׁיב אֲמָרֶיהָ לָהּ׃
30“They must be dividing the spoil they have found: A damsel or two for each man, Spoil of dyed cloths for Sisera, Spoil of embroidered cloths, A couple of embroidered cloths round every neck as spoil.”
להֲלֹא יִמְצְאוּ יְחַלְּקוּ שָׁלָל רַחַם רַחֲמָתַיִם לְרֹאשׁ גֶּבֶר שְׁלַל צְבָעִים לְסִיסְרָא שְׁלַל צְבָעִים רִקְמָה צֶבַע רִקְמָתַיִם לְצַוְּארֵי שָׁלָל׃
31So may all Your enemies perish, Hashem! But may His friends be as the sun rising in might! And the land was tranquil forty years.
לאכֵּן יֹאבְדוּ כָל־אוֹיְבֶיךָ יְהֹוָה וְאֹהֲבָיו כְּצֵאת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בִּגְבֻרָתוֹ וַתִּשְׁקֹט הָאָרֶץ אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה׃
