
PEOPLE OF THE LAND
Selections from classical Torah sources
which express the special relationship between
the People of Israel and Eretz Yisrael
KALEV AND OTHNIEL -
A TALE OF TWO BROTHERS
Kalev ben Yefuneh appears in the Torah as the spy who
together with Yehoshua bin Nun who brought back to the people a positive
report about Eretz Israel in defiance of the slander perpetrated
by their fellow spies. He reappears over forty years later as the head
of the Tribe of Yehuda involved in the conquest of that promised land
being led by Yehoshua.
In his efforts to drive out the Canaanites who inhabited the part of
the land awarded to his tribe, Kalev ran into a serious challenge from
the city of Kiryat Sefer. In order to motivate someone to meet this
challenge Kalev offered the conqueror of the city the hand of his daughter,
Achsah, in marriage. It was Kalev's half-brother Othniel ben Knaz, who
succeeded in conquering Kiryat Sefer and marrying his extraordinary
niece.
The Talmudic interpretation of Othniel's triumph ascribes to him the
success of restoring to his people, through his scholarly talents, the
1700 halalchic issues which were forgotten upon the passing of
Moshe. The name Kiryat Sefer, literally translated as the "City
of the Book", supports this interpretation of what Othniel achieved
in order to marry his brother's daughter.
Love of the Land Archives
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Written by Rabbi Mendel Weinbach, Dean, Ohr Somayach Institutions
General Editor:
Rabbi Moshe Newman
Web Production: Binyamin Rosenstock
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