Daily Tanach, Wednesday: Chapter 7-Part 2: The battle of Gideon against Midian

1.       The war:

• Splitting the soldiers to three groups: Gideon split the group of three hundred men to three groups [of 100 men each[1]]. Everyone was given Shofros and empty clay jars, and torches which were placed into the jars [to light up the night[2]].
• The instructions: Gideon instructed his men to see what he does when he reaches the edge of the camp [of the Midianites] and to copy him. He said: I, and all [the 100 men] who are with me, will blow the Shofar, and you too shall blow the Shofar while surrounding the entire camp, and you shall say that the salvation has come by Hashem through Gideon.
• The Shofar ambush: Gideon and his 100 men came to the edge of the camp, where the night guards stood. He came exactly at the time of the switch of guards where the old group went to sleep and the new group got up. At that time, they blew the Shofros into the jars that were in their hands and shattered them. All three groups blew the Shofros and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hand and the Shofros in their right hand to blow, and they called out “The sword of G-d through Gideon.” They all stood around the camp of Midian and the people began to flee, and they blew their Shofar. They blew all three hundred Shofros, and G-d caused the men to fall by the sword of their friends, and they fled until Beis Hashita.
• The other tribes join the chase: A Jewish man called upon Naftali, Asher, and all Menashe, to come join the battle and they chased after Midian.
• The bridges of refuge are destroyed: Gideon sent messengers throughout the mountains of Efraim calling on them to greet Midian and destroy the bridges that went over the water of Barah and the Jordon. The people of Efraim did as they were instructed and destroyed the bridges.
• The two generals of Midian are captured: They captured two generals of Midian, named Oreiv and Zieiv. They killed Oreiv in the area called Tzur Oreiv, and they killed Zieiv in the area called Yekev Zeiv. They chased after Midian and brought the heads of Oreiv and Zeiv to Gideon who was across the Jordon.

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[1] Rashi 7:18

[2] Rashi 7:16