Praise Her Works: Conversations with Biblical Women

13 Rachav

o 98 Chapter 3 Rachav STEPHANIE NEWMAN SAMUELS :ohÇ^b¥· ·Ãâc¡k V¥Ä,hÞýC±k¡f hÃßF d¢k÷¥W¤n Vº¥,hÞcàk tº¥rh¤,±tû “She is not worried for her household because of snow, for her whole household is dressed in crimson” (Prov. 31:21). hxuh wr uhv hnu /ohkdrnv ,t vthcjva cjr uz 'dkan v,hck trh, tk rnt ,ut ivn vaecaf uhv jrzu .rp ihrnut ahu /xjbhpu ckf vz rnut hgnc uc h,escba vz 'iukjc hrae, vzv hbav yuj ,ue, ,t jrz vk /ohbvf vrag vbnn utmhu v,fz lf hpk /hba ush kg rae,u ch,fs 'hnt /ktezjh hzuc ouka ktnbj vhrb lurc vhxjn vhra vhnrh vhekj iv uktu xjrj ic vue, ic ouka ,at ch,fs 'vthcbv vskuj ;t ihrnut ahu /hbav yuj ,ue, ,t rnut tuv ikvku She is not worried for her household because of snow, for her whole household is dressed in crimson, this is Rachav,1 who took in the spies. Who were they? Rabbi Yosi says Caleb and Pinchas. Others say Perez and Zerah. When she requested a sign from them, Zerah said to her, “… you tie this length of crimson cord to the window …” (Josh. 2:18), this is the scarlet thread which was tied to my hand in the womb to prove my birthright, as it is written, “… the midwife tied a crimson thread on that hand …” (Gen. 38:28). Therefore Rachav merited having 10 priests as descendants: Hilkiah, Jeremiah, Seraiah, Mehasiah, Baruch, Neriah, Hanamel, Shalom, Buzi, Yehezkel. Others say also Huldah the prophetess, as it is said: “the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah son of Harchas” (2 Kings 22:14), and regarding Rachav it is written: tikvat chut hashani —“the scarlet thread.” —Midrash ha-Gadol The Children of Israel are poised to enter the Promised Land under the guidance of their new leader, Joshua. He dispatches two men called meraglim (spies) to see the land, specifically the city of Jericho. The two spies, unnamed in the text (Josh. 2), stay at the house 99 Chapter 13 Rachav of Rachav, ishah zonah, (prostitute). When the king of Jericho finds out that the spies have gone to Rachav’s house, he sends a message to her to deliver them to him. Rachav, however, has hidden the men on her roof under stalks of flax. She sends a message back to the king telling him that the men had indeed been to her house, but that she does not know where they are presently. The king’s men continue to pursue the spies. Rachav then goes up to her roof to speak to the spies. She tells them three things: First, “I know that the Lord has given the country to you.” Second, “dread of you has fallen upon us, and all the inhabitants of the land are quaking before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Sea of Reeds for you when you left Egypt ….” Finally, she requests from the men, “Now, since I have shown loyalty to you, swear to me by the Lord that you in turn will show loyalty to my family. Provide me with a reliable sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and save us from death” [when the Children of Israel enter the Land] (Josh. 2:12–13). The spies agree to her request as long as she does not tell anyone of their agreement. Rachav lowers the men from her window by a rope, since her home is in the wall of the city. She tells them to hide in the hills for three days until their pursuers turn back, and then they should return to their encampment. They give her a scarlet thread to put in her window , and tell her that as long as no one leaves her house, they will be spared; however, if anyone leaves the house, or if she discloses this agreement to anyone, then the deal is off. The spies then hide in the hills for three days as Rachav has instructed them, and then they return to Joshua. They relay what happened and quote Rachav: “The Lord has delivered the whole land into our power; in fact, all the inhabitants of the land are quaking before us” (Josh. 2:24). This assures their God-given victory over the Land. 100 Praise Her Works Commentary Why...