In this episode, Rabbi Reinman describes the pattern of the turbulent Period of the Judges with the narrative alternating between anarchy and chaos.
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Chapter Twenty-Four: Anarchy and Chaos
Until now, we explored the periods of Biblical history that come to us from the generally familiar Five Books of Moses, and therefore, we focused more on insight and analysis than on the particular details. Now, however, we move into the periods of Biblical history that come to us from the less familiar Books of the Prophets. Before we delve into analysis, therefore, a more detailed narrative is necessary.
During this period, which lasted four hundred years, there was no king, crowned or uncrowned. Moreover, there was not even a formal national government. There were no state institutions or bureaucracies, no standing armies, no foreign policies, treaties or alliances. “In those days,” writes the prophet, “there was no king in Israel. Everyone did as he saw fit.”[1]
The country ran on a tribal system. Every tribe had its own lands, and the people looked to their elders, who were their grandfathers, uncles or cousins, for leadership. The elders had no formal authority, but their kinsmen followed their advice and guidance. In effect, Israel was in a state of anarchy, which means without government, and for the most part, it worked reasonably well.
Anarchy should not be confused with chaos. Anarchism seeks to create an orderly state of society without a governing authority. Chaos is confusion and disorder. Anarchy can sometimes lead to chaos. As we shall see, the cycle of anarchy and chaos defines the Period of the Judges.
The second chapter of the Book of Judges provides a snapshot of the entire period. After the Conquest under Joshua, God allowed pockets of Canaanites to remain temporarily in order to test the loyalty of the Jewish people. Would they fraternize and form bonds with the unconquered Canaanites and be corrupted? Or would they keep their distance until God would help them eliminate the last remnants?
If they passed the test, they would continue to live in Israel in safety and security. God would protect them. If they failed, one or another of their aggressive neighbors would attack and conquer them. Then they would cry out to God, and He would send a righteous Judge to lead them back to Him. The Judge would inspire the people to repent, and then God would help them expel the invaders. After a while, however, the Jewish people would stray again, and God would send another righteous Judge. The cycle would repeat itself again and again.
The Jewish people failed the test. They tired of the war and came to terms with the presence of remnants of paganism in Israel. Little by little, social barriers between Jews and Canaanites began to crumble. Although the righteous among them absolutely shunned the Canaanites, the less righteous no longer saw fraternization with the Canaanites as such a terrible thing. Initial tentative social contacts led to closer associations. The more daring friends of the Canaanites attended celebrations in the Canaanite temples, which invariably featured debauchery and promiscuity.
Slowly, significant numbers of people were drawn into the vortex of carnal pleasures. Some married Canaanites and worshipped in the Canaanite temples. Although even these unlearned Jews knew full well that “there was no substance to the pagan religions, they turned to idolatry in order to join in the public orgies.” For the flesh is undeniably weak, and without powerful spiritual defenses, its appetites cannot be resisted.
Anarchy had descended into chaos …
Read full chapter and earlier chapters at www.rabbireinman.com.
[1] Judges 17:6, 21:25.
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