Judges/שופטים
This Hebrew word found in the study guide means "Judges / Chieftains / Saviors" — name the word.
שופטים
Translate נחלה into English.
Portioned land
What is the English name for R1?
Rebellion
According to the Perek Bet, what was the critical mistake of the new generation after Joshua?
They were a different generation (דור אחר) who did not know Hashem and did not remember or pass on God's works.
What is the primary role of the שופטים in Perek Bet?
To save/rescue Bnei Yisrael from their enemies (להושיע).
What does לרשת mean and how does it relate to the central failure described in Perek Bet?
To inherit / to take possession; Bnei Yisrael did not fully possess the land or expel the Canaani
What does R2 (Retribution) describe that God does?
God's anger is ignited and allows enemy nations to oppress Bnei Yisrael (Retribution).
What reason does the Tanakh give for God allowing the Canaanites to remain in the land?
God left the remaining nations to test (לנסות) Bnei Yisrael — to see if they would keep God's way.
What happens to Bnei Yisrael's behavior after each שופט dies?
They return to apostasy/worship of other gods; they "did not listen to the Judges."
Translate דור and explain its significance after Yehoshua's death.
Generation=דור — the new generation that "did not know Hashem" and failed to learn or pass on the history of God's works.
In R3 (Repentance), what do Bnei Yisrael do?
They suffer and cry out to God for help
What original commandment would have helped prevent the Apostasy Cycle — name at least one specific action Bnei Yisrael were commanded to do regarding the nations and their altars.
They were commanded not to make covenants (לכרות ברית) with the Canaanite nations and to shatter (לשבור) their altars (מזבחות).
Explain why the period of Rest (R5) ends when the שופט dies.
Because once the שופט dies, Bnei Yisrael revert to Rebellion (R1), so the Rest ends and the cycle restarts.
What are בעל ועשתורת and why are they important for understanding the start of the rebellion?
Ba'al and Ashtarot=בעל ועשתורת — specific idols that Bnei Yisrael began to worship, which initiated the Rebellion (R1).
Provide the five stages of the cycle in correct order using their English names.
Rebellion; Retribution; Repentance; Rescue; Rest.
According to the text, were the שופטים successful in producing lasting faithfulness?
No — they provided temporary rescue but did not secure lasting obedience
Using the Hebrew term provided for Judge, write the phrase shown in the Tanakh that describes God's action to send a judge to save Israel (include the Hebrew word for "Judge").
וישלח ה' שופט להושיע
Explain לכרות ברית and why breaking or avoiding such covenants was necessar
To make a covenant / cut a pact=לכרות ברית — they were commanded not to make covenants with the Canaanite nations and to break/shatter their altars to avoid foreign religious influence.
Explain how R4 (Rescue) and R5 (Rest) depend on the life of the שופט and why the cycle repeats thereafter.
R4: God sends a Judge (וישלח ה' שופט להושיע) to rescue them; R5: there is peace while the judge lives.
When the judge dies, the people fall back into R1 (Rebellion), so the cycle repeats.