Chapter 19: Pilegesh Begivah-The rape and death of a concubine

1.      A Levite man attempts to retrieve his concubine who left him:

• In those days there was no king amongst Israel.
• Taking the concubine: A Levite man who lived in the end of the border of the land of Efraim took for himself a concubine from the city of Beis Lechem Yehuda.
• The concubine leaves him: [After a quarrel over an incident[1] or commitment of adultery[2]] the concubine left him and returned to her father’s home, to Beis Lechem Yehuda, and she remained there for four months.
• The man travels to retrieve her: The man got up and traveled to her to attempt to persuade her to return to him. He had with him a lad, and a group of donkeys.

2.      The man arrives and remains several days with her family:

• The man arrives and is warmly greeted: The man was welcomed to her father’s home, and upon the father of the concubine seeing him, he rejoiced in his coming. The father in-law pressed upon him to remain there for three days, which they used for feasting and merry making. They slept in that home.
• The man attempts to return home on the fourth day: On the fourth day, they woke up early with intent to travel, although the father of the concubine once again pressed upon his son in-law to remain to eat a meal and then leave. So, the two ate together, and drank. The father in-law then told his son in-law to sleep the night and enjoy the stay. The son in-law got up to leave and his father in-law implored him to the point that he agreed to remain the night.
• The man leaves on the fifth day: On the fifth day, they woke up early with intent to travel, although the father of the concubine once again pressed upon his son in-law to remain to eat a meal and then leave towards the afternoon. So, the two ate together. The son in-law, his Pilegesh and lad, got up to leave and his father in-law again asked him to remain the night saying that it is almost nighttime already [and it is not good to begin travel]. He offered them to sleep the night there and enjoy their stay, and the next morning to get up and go on their journey home. The man however refused the request to sleep there again for the night, and he thus began his travels.

3.      The man and his concubine become stranded for the night in the land of Binyamin:

• Finding a place to sleep the night: He arrived close to dark to a Yevusi town, named Yerushalayim, together with his concubine and line of camels, laden [with food, and luggage full of merchandise[3]]. The lad said to his master that they should enter the Yevusi town and sleep there. However, the man replied that they will not sleep in a gentile village and they thus continued traveling until Givah Binyamin.
• Arriving in Givas Binyamin: The master told his lad that they should travel to one of the places and sleep in the Givah or Rama. So, they traveled until sunset towards the Givah which was in the lands of Binyamin, with plans to sleep there. They arrived to the streets of the city but no one would invite them to their home for them to spend the night.

[1] See Gittin 6b

[2] See Ramban Al Hatorah Parshas Vayeira who learns she committed adultery

[3] See Radak 19:10; Malbim ibidY