Thoughts on Parashat “Chukat” and the Daughter of Iftach - Rabbi Galia Riva Sadan (5783 - June 2023)

I would like to draw your attention to this week’s Haftarah, or actually to what is not written in the Haftarah, a story that was silenced intentionally. In order to do that, let us understand the context.

There is a lot of drama in Parashat “Chukat”, but the main story we read about this week is the wandering of the Israelites in the wilderness. Despite what we might think, the wilderness is not vacant. There are other nations that dwell in it, which means that it is necessary to cross over their lands, or in the words of the Torah, to pass through their borders. Edom refused to allow the Israelites to pass through their border, so Moses decided to go around them. Moses asked to do the same with Sihon, the king of the Amorites. Sihon refused and even decided to fight the Israelites, but then there was a turning point:

This is not the first or the last war in Parashat “Chukat”, but this particular victory became well known all over the region and was told to people for centuries.

Now, let’s look at the Haftarah.

In chapter 11 in the book of Judges (Shoftim), the Ammonites demand their land back, while claiming that the Israelites took it from them during their journeys in the wilderness. Iftah, on the other hand, corrects and reminds them of history, precisely the way it is written in the book of Numbers. The land was conquered after Sihon did not want to allow the Israelites to pass through his border and decided to fight them. The Israelites won that war and therefore, this land is theirs. God was with Iftah at that moment when he won that war. This is the end of the Haftarah! It ends with victory! God helped Iftach to win, because Iftach took an oath. Although a silly oath, nevertheless:

The Haftarah is over, but the chapter continues, because the story is not over. There is still an open question - what happened with the oath? Who came out to greet Iftah? The daughter of Iftach (Bat Iftach). What was her name? We don’t know. She is nameless, which means she cannot redeem herself from this oath, she doesn’t even have room in the Haftarah. Total erasure.

In the reform movement, this Shabbat is dedicated to children whose voice has been silenced, whose pleads were not heard. Children, whose parents forgot their parental duty. Maybe some of us have experienced such childhood. Maybe we know people who experienced such childhood. They deserve their voice to be heard, even for a moment.

The Midrash asks about the daughter of Iftah - How come that no one stopped Iftah and didn’t make him take back his oath? The midrash answers: Pinchas was not there in order to allow him to take back his oath. Pinchas said: He needs me and I should go to him? (In Midrash Tanhuma: I am the high priest and I need to go to the simple people?) And Iftah said: I am the head of all Israeli officers, and I need to go to Pinchas? (In Tanhuma: I will humiliate myself and go to him?) One way or another, that girl was lost, and both of them are guilty of that. (

Why did God, the same God that forgave Moses and took water out of the rock, didn't do anything with Iftah’s oath? Why was there no angel to say: “do not send your hand to the child”?

My answer is - because it has nothing to do with God. It’s us - Moses, Iftah, all of us - we do stupid things and make unnecessary and unfortunate statements. Sometimes, everything ends well, despite our stupidity, and other times, disasters occur. Therefore, the responsibility is ours, as individuals and as a society.

We must take responsibility for our own actions, we need to be vocal about it and make the voices of the helpless heard. To take action. To reach out. To open thy heart. With courage.

As a human rights organization, that reclaims our Jewish Values, we must retell the story of the daughter of Iftah, we need to raise it from the depths the Midrash that opposes the fulfillment of the oath, and we must give a voice to all those sad, hungry and suffering children in the occupied territories, in poor neighborhoods and in unrecognized Bedouin villages.

Let us give voice to the daughter of Iftah, and through her we will give voice to many other children.

I wish for all of us to have strength, good spirit and energy to continue to do these things.

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