PEOPLE OF THE LAND
Selections from classical Torah sources
which express the special relationship between
the People of Israel and Eretz Yisrael

Barak -
The Modest Warrior

"If you will go with me I shall go, but if you will not go with me I shall not go " (Shoftim 4:8)

Thus responded Barak ben Avinoam to the Prophetess Devorah when she commanded him in the Name of Heaven to mobilize ten thousand men from the tribes of Naftali and Zevulun in order to put an end to twenty years of Canaanite oppression. Although he heard from her the Divine guarantee of victory over the superior force led by Sisero at Mount Tabor, Barak felt that he would not be worthy of such a miracle without Devorah sharing in the leadership of the campaign.

Despite her warning that he would suffer damage to his glory by having victory credited to a woman, Barak insisted on this shared responsibility. In her song of praise to Hashem following this triumph, Devorah refers to Barak as a "Malach Hashem" (ibid. 5:23) - the agent of Heaven who saved Israel.