Below is a collection of Sefer Shoftim resources, created by The Lookstein Center staff or contributed to the site by Jewish educators.

This is a growing collection. Check back soon or write to us at content@lookstein.org if you didn’t find what you’re looking for.

 

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Sefer Shoftim Overview

Sefer Shoftim explores the Israelites in the land of Canaan following the time period of the conquest. Included in the sefer are the stories of leaders during the time period (called shoftim), and detailed accounts of battles that the Israelites fought. The sefer opens up with a recap of portions of Sefer Yehoshua. 

The middle chapters follow a key cycle that is outlined in this video. The cycle is one of a spiraling downward decline. The challenges in this sefer are primarily local challenges, the localized leaders often deal with a single military problem and then disappear, and with the exception of Devora, there is little sense of even an attempt at national unity. 

The final chapters of the sefer focus on two stories of religious sinning and their impact. Interestingly, national unity appears in these stories (ironically in the attempt by Bnei Yisrael to destroy one of their own tribes) and the book closes with a repetition of a root cause of all the problems – the lack of a stable, national leadership – אין מלך בישראל.

Sefer Shoftim Themes
  • Leadership (different styles of the shoftim)
  • Lack of leadership (how that impacts the stories at the end of the sefer, the key pasuk of אין מלך בישראל)
  • Reward and punishment (Bnei Yisrael sin, and an enemy is sent)
  • Power of prayer  (Bnei Yisrael pray, and God sends a shofet)
Key Characters in Sefer Shoftim

Otniel ben Kenaz, Ehud, Devora, Barak, Yael, Sisra, Gidon, Malach Hashem, Avimelech, Yiftach, Shimshon, Delilah

Key Pesukim in Sefer Shoftim

2:11-19 – These pesukim detail the structure of Sefer Shoftim (the “Galgal HaChozer”)

21:25 – בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם אֵין מֶלֶךְ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִישׁ הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו יַעֲשֶׂה

This pasuk details why there was so much difficulty of Jewish sinning and multiple leaders during this time.

Lesson Plans, Resources, and Activities

The Cycle of Shoftim Video – This video explores a common theme repeated throughout the sefer, of Bnei Yisrael sinning, being punished, repenting, being sent a shofet to save them, just to sin again and have the cycle repeat. By The Lookstein Center.
A Brief History of the Shoftim – This resource includes lists of the shoftim, grouped by tribe, adversaries, years of leadership, and more.

 

Close Reading Questions on Sefer Yehoshua for High School Students

The questions below were designed for high school students by Zvi Grumet. They are meant to drive a closer reading of certain passages and a broader reading of the Navi as a whole, including the ability to see different parts of the sefer “speaking” with each other as well as to begin to explore the meaning of certain passages, language, themes, and imagery in the broader context of Tanakh. Ultimately, when used regularly, they can help students learn how to be more thoughtful and more careful readers of Tanakh, paying attention to things they would have otherwise glossed over quickly.

There are many ways that teachers can use these questions. They can be given to students prior to their first encounter with the text to help focus that encounter, or they can be given to the students after they have become familiar with the text. One possibility is for the teacher to select some questions and use them as catalysts for guided exploration in class. Another option is to provide opportunities for students to do their own exploration, with guidance from the teacher, as individual or group work.

It should be noted that while some of the questions have specific correct answers, most are designed to inspire thinking in which there are no answers that are necessarily more correct than others. This is a very powerful tool for drawing students into the learning and drawing from them unique ideas that they can truly call their own, binding them in deep ways to the Torah that they are learning and generating.