False Milk

For forty years the Israelites

had peace, and only minor fights

with foes, although most other nations

much disapproved, and lost their patience

in councils of security,

deploring the impurity

of Hebrews who abuse their trust

by winning wars when win they must.

They still deplore, in high percentiles,

ganging up against them, gentiles,

making it a must for Jews

to win when they declare “J’accuse!”,

worse sin than one that is not doubled

in Issachar, the tribe that troubled

Sisera, helping Deborah destroy

the general who’d Yael’s false milk enjoy.

The poem ‘s last verse suggests a new explanation for the suppression of the second sin in the pronunciation of the name of Issachar, pointing out the emphasis of the role of role played by the tribe of Issachar in the the defeat of the Philistine general, Sisera. The suppression prevents the confusion of the name of Isaachar with that of Sisera, a confusion that might occur due to the fact that both names have two sibilant consonants. Judg. 5:15 implies that the credit for Sisera’s defeat by Deborah and Yael should be shared by Issachar, whose name should not be confused with that of Sisera. Judg. 5:15 states:

טו  וְשָׂרַי בְּיִשָּׂשכָר, עִם-דְּבֹרָה,  {ס}  וְיִשָּׂשכָר  {ר}  כֵּן בָּרָק, בָּעֵמֶק שֻׁלַּח בְּרַגְלָיו;  {ס}  בִּפְלַגּוֹת רְאוּבֵן, גְּדֹלִים חִקְקֵי-  {ר}  לֵב.  {ס} 15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; as was Issachar, so was Barak; into the valley they rushed forth at his feet. Among the divisions of Reuben there were great resolves of heart.