I am writing a dvar torah for my minyan's weekly rag. This is my draft; I'd appreciate some criticism, both on the writing and the content:
This week’s הפטרה discusses Devorah the prophetess, who acted as the prophetess and שופטת, Judge, of the Jewish nation, for a period during the era after we entered Israel and before the first kings of Israel.
The medrash תנא דבי אליהו, Teachings of the House of Elijah (ascribed to Elijah the prophet) wonders why Devorah was chosen to be the leader of Israel. (10 אליהו רבה). Specifically, it notes that Pinchas the high priest, grandson of Aaron, who had distinguished himself before Moses in the desert, was still living and would have been a natural choice as leader.
The medrash responds: מעיד אני עלי את השמים ואת הארץ, בין גוי ובין ישראל בין איש ובין אשה בין עבד בין שפחה הכל לפי מעשה שעושה כך רוח הקודש שורה עליו, I bring the Heaven and Earth as witness, that whether one is a gentile, Jew, man, woman, male slave, or female slave; according to the actions one does, so does the holy spirit dwell on him. Thus, the medrash tells us that through her actions, Devorah had reached higher levels of spirituality than Pinchas the high priest, and was more fit to be leader of Israel. It did not matter that Pinchas was high priest, and able to serve in the Mishkan and enter the Holy of Holies—Devorah had outreached him.
In fact, the medrash says that everybody in the world is equally able to reach the highest spiritual levels, irrespective of the different paths they must use to get there. A non-Jew certainly does not grow spiritually in the same manner as a Jew; they do not have the mitzvos; they are even forbidden from keeping Shabbat. Nor does a poor person have the same responsibilities and opportunities as a rich person; nor someone of high intellectual ability as someone of lesser ability. The medrash is explicit—a person reaches the highest levels by doing the mitzvos they are given and the responsibilities they have, in the best manner they are able.
This same medrash supplies an example of this dynamic. The medrash explains the background of Devorah’s husband’s nickname ”לפידות”, torches. Barak, her husband was an ignoramus, and Devorah wanted to help him grow spiritually. She would make wicks for lamps, and send them with him to donate to the Beis Medrash where the rabbis studied Torah, hoping that this assistance of, and exposure to, the rabbis would give him merit and help him grow further. She would deliberately make the wicks very thick and fat, so they should burn with a large flame, like a torch. (See Yalkut Shimoni 247:42; Shoftim 4:4; Radak, Metzudah, Rashi, Alshich ad loc.. But see alternative wordings in Tanah D’vei Eliyahu.)
You might wonder if Devorah had nothing more important to do than make wicks—fat wicks no less. Devorah was the leader of the nation, and was required to deal with issues of war and peace (as the Haftarah shows), as well as give legal advice. Did she really need to make the wicks herself? Couldn’t her ignorant husband have made the wicks and also delivered them?
We are not told why Devorah herself needed to make the wicks (perhaps she thought Barak would be more willing if it was a joint effort?), but the lesson is clear nonetheless. Devorah was not too high or mighty to make wicks, when that was the proper thing to do. There is nothing more “important” than doing the jobs which Hashem gives you. Mitzvos don’t have greater or lesser importance—by doing what you are supposed to do at all times, you reach your greatest potential, and are on par with the greatest achievers.
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