The History of the Divine Service at Altars (44) – The Prohibition of Bamot (21)

Intermediate Stage Between Shilo and Nov – Part II

In the previous shiur we presented the view of Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Halevi that the Mishkan was located in Gilgal between the time of the destruction of Shilo and the construction of the great bama in Nov. He supports his claim by noting that Gilgal would have been a natural return to the place where the Mishkan stood for fourteen years before it moved to Shilo. We argued that there is no need to connect Gilgal to the site of the Mishkan. Even if the special features of Gilgal can explain why it was chosen as the preferred site for conducting important public events, it is entirely possible that the great bama stood in Nov during this time period.

In this shiur we will continue to consider the unique aspects of Gilgal.[1]

In Bereishit 17, God presents Avraham with the connection between inheritance of the land and keeping the covenant:

And I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land in which you sojourn, all the land of Cana'an, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. And God said to Avraham, You shall keep My covenant therefore, you, and your seed after you in their generations. This is My covenant, which you shall keep. (8-10)

Thus, there is an inherent connection between the covenant with God in the "body" of the nation – Eretz Israel, and the covenant with God in the body of every Jew – circumcision. It is not by chance that in Gilgal, the point of their entry into the land and their first encampment, Israel enters into a twofold covenant with God.  The first covenant is entering into the land and, the second, the covenant of circumcision. Gilgal is the site of an essential change in the relationship between Israel and God.

This begs the question: what actually happened in Gilgal?[2]

• With their entry into the land, the people of Israel are commanded to take twelve stones from under the soles of the priests who crossed the Jordan River with the ark, and set them down in Gilgal.

• Gilgal is the site of Israel's first encampment west of the Jordan River (Yehoshua 5:19-24).

• As mentioned above, the people undergo circumcision in Gilgal following their entry into the land (Yehoshua 5:2-9). This expresses the fundamental connection between circumcision and Eretz Israel, as a continuation of God's promise to Avraham. When they entered the land, the people of Israel entered into a covenant with God, and therefore in Gilgal, "I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you" (v. 9). This concluded Israel’s final separation from the subjugation in Egypt.

• The first Paschal offering brought in Eretz Israel was done in Gilgal (Yehoshua 5:10).

• Gilgal was Israel's base camp at all stages of the conquest of the land. After every campaign and battle, Yehoshua returned to the camp of Israel at Gilgal (Yehoshua 9:2; 10:6-7, 9, 15, 43).

• The first distribution of tribal territories to the two and a half tribes (Reuven, Gad and half of Menashe) west of the Jordan took place in Gilgal (Yehoshua 14:6).

• According to the Sages, the Mishkan stood in Gilgal during the fourteen years of Israel's conquest and settlement of the land.

We will now review other events that took place in Gilgal in later periods, and consider their importance.

Shaul's Kingdom:

• As part of Shaul's being anointed king, Shemuel commands him to go down to Gilgal and wait there for seven days. Then, Shemuel would come to offer his sacrifices and give further instruction (I Shemuel 10:8). Indeed, after completing the campaign against the Ammonites, Shemuel says to the people: "Come, let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there" (I Shemuel 11:14-15).

• After Shaul's coronation at Gilgal, Shemuel delivers his famous speech before all of Israel and takes leave as leader of the people.

• Gilgal is the place where the people converge for the war against the Pelishtim, and it is also the site of Shaul's first sin, where he is told he will lose his kingdom as a result of failing to wait for Shemuel.

• Shaul goes down to Gilgal after his battle with the Amalekites. There, Shemuel informs him that God has rejected him from being king over Israel,[3] following which Shemuel hews Agag in pieces before God.[4]

Thus, Shaul is both crowned king in Gilgal, and told there that his kingdom will not endure.

David's Kingdom:

• During Avshalom's revolt, the people stopped supporting David and Avshalom served as king. Upon David's re-entry into the west bank of the Jordan after the rebellion, Gilgal is the first place where the tribe of Yehuda seeks to re-anoint David (II Shemuel 19:16).

Eliyahu and Elisha:

• Gilgal is the last stop before crossing the Jordan to the east, and before Eliyahu's ascent to heaven (II Melakhim 2:1). After Eliyahu's ascent to heaven, Elisha returns to Gilgal (II Melakhim 4:38).

Hoshea, Amos, and Mikha

• Towards the end of the first Temple period, Hoshea, Amos and Mikha deliver harsh prophecies about Gilgal. One example from Amos is: "Come to Bet-El, and transgress; to Gilgal and multiply transgression" (Amos 4:4). In Hoshea, "Though you, Israel, play the harlot, let not Yehuda also be guilty; and do not come to Gilgal, nor go up to Bet-Aven, nor swear, As the Lord lives," (Hoshea 4:15) and, "All the wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of My house: I will love them no more: all their princes are rebellious" (Hoshea 9:15). Finally, "Indeed, Gil'ad is iniquitous; they are become mere vanity; in Gilgal they have sacrificed bullocks: their altars are like droppings on the furrows of the field" (Hoshea 12:12).[5]

Scripture does not explicitly spell out the sin at Gilgal and Bet-El.  At first glance, though, it seems that Israel worships God in Gilgal in an undesirable way. Some people may have believed that there was a special sanctity in these places protecting visitors from all harm.[6]

As we know, sacrifices were permitted at the public bama in Gilgal after the destruction of Shilo (I Shemuel 10:8). It is possible that, following the division of the kingdom, the people of the northern kingdom sanctified the ancient bamot in Gilgal and worshipped there.

In analyzing its role in Scripture, several striking features characterize Gilgal:

First, Gilgal underscores primacy. This primacy is first expressed at the beginning of Israel's conquest of the land. It is even marked by placing the stones that testify to this and it is the site of the establishment of the first monarchy in the land.[7] These elements of primacy leave an imprint on the place, but they don't seem to endure over time.

Second, Gilgal is endowed with the status of a sacred place. According to Chazal, the Mishkan stood there for fourteen years, the entire period of the conquest and settlement of the land. In the days of Shemuel, following the destruction of Shilo, a public bama apparently stood there as well. So too, it is possible that Gilgal served as a place of worship at other times.

Third, Gilgal expresses contrast and transition. Transition is manifest in Gilgal during Eliyahu's departure. One contrast is between Gilgal’s statuses as a holy place, while also being condemned to destruction because of unsuitable modes of worship. On the one hand, it is the site where the kingdom of Israel was founded, but, on the other hand, also the place where it was cancelled.

According to this understanding, it is possible that there is a connection between Gilgal’s name and its essence. In Gilgal, things roll (mitgalgelim), change, and are overturned.[8]

It is possible that the Mishkan stood on the site where the stones were removed from the Jordan. The stones were meant to remind the people of the miraculous crossing of the Jordan, and, more broadly, their miraculous entry into Israel. This theme is additionally connected to the name Gilgal, after the pile (gal) of stones.

At Gilgal, the people of Israel underwent circumcision, as the covenant of each individual with the nation, and they also brought the Paschal offering, the covenant of the entire people with God.[9] The fact that Gilgal was the site of these covenants explains why the Mishkan might have been located there during the years of the conquest and settlement of the land. There is a clear connection between the entry into the land, forging the covenant, and the sanctity of the place.

The primacy of the place also symbolizes the transition from the years of wandering in the wilderness to the beginning of the settlement of the land. Alien rituals ultimately impaired the sanctity of the place, but the later rebukes of the prophets testify to the fact that even many years after the generation that entered the land, Gilgal continued to be an important place of worship.

The Structure and Character of the Mishkan

There is no explicit reference to the structure of the Mishkan itself in Gilgal. However, after mentioning the Mishkan in Gilgal, the Mishna describes the Mishkan in Shilo as unique with, "stones on the bottom and curtains at the top." Thus, it is reasonable to assume by contrast that the structure of the Mishkan in Gilgal was identical to the structure of the Mishkan in the wilderness.

The Mishna in Zevachim (112b) establishes that bamot were permitted when the Mishkan was in Gilgal. The main reason for this is that the ark was still wandering from place to place and taking part in the wars of conquest.  These two details regarding the structure and function of the Mishkan also highlight the primacy and transience of the Mishkan in Gilgal.

In light of all this, we can understand that the three events mentioned above took place specifically in Gilgal because of their thematic connection to its history. Shemuel requested that Shaul come to Gilgal as part of the overall process of anointing him as king. Shemuel's appeal to the people to go to Gilgal to renew the kingdom was directly connected to the people's recognition of Shaul's kingdom at the outset. Finally, Shemuel and Shaul's return to Gilgal following the sin regarding the Amalekites symbolized the end of Shaul's kingdom. As we have explained, this is an expression of Gilgal's connection to the kingdom. The major themes of primacy, transition and contrast are directly connected to the events that took place there.

It seems, therefore, that the prophet Shemuel deliberately chose to go to Gilgal even though the Mishkan was at Nov during that time. For our purposes, it seems entirely possible to accept the position of Chazal that following the destruction of Shilo, the great bama moved directly to Nov. Certain events connected to the kingdom of Shaul that occurred in Gilgal had special significance because of the place’s unique nature, without any need to say that the Mishkan stood there at that time.

Conclusion

In the last two shiurim we addressed the position of Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Halevi that the Mishkan returned to Gilgal before it was moved to Nov. Major events took place in Gilgal after the destruction of Shilo, despite the fact that the Mishkan was in Nov, because of Gilgal’s unique connection to possession of Eretz Israel. This is manifest through Gilgal’s holiness and its political significance, imbued through the covenants forged with God by way of the land, circumcision and the Paschal offering. The location of the Mishkan in this place, which served as a living memorial of the crossing of the Jordan through the placement of the stones, accords with and expresses its essence.

, full_html, In this shiur we will explain the way the events that took place in Gilgal during the time of Shemuel and Shaul relate to its historical significance.