Having explored Yiftach’s origin story and dialogue with Ammon, we will complete our background picture with a careful study of his dispute with the people of Ephraim and go on to begin our study of the most well-known incident of Yiftach’s life: the tragic vow that cost his daughter her future.
As always, our discussions will focus on close readings of the text informed by insights from classical commentaries and midrashic texts.
Through these readings, we may find new appreciation of Yiftach’s contributions as a “Shofet” (leader in the era of the book of Judges), even as we mourn his catastrophic missteps.