Sicha, 20 Av 5711
A. It’s Not About the Identity—It’s the Genes.
The 20th of Av was a day of celebration for a particular family during the time of the Holy Temple, because they would bring wood for the altar on that date. The Talmud brings a debate: was this family descended from King David or from Yoav ben Tzeruya?
How can there be a factual disagreement about their lineage? The answer: they were in fact descendants of both. The disagreement is about something deeper: which side of the family inspired the act of giving? Was it the influence of David or of Yoav?
Why does this matter? What’s so significant about a donation of wood on the 20th of Av that we’re analyzing what kind of traits it came from?
Explanation: After the 15th of Av, it was no longer possible to chop fresh wood for the altar. The hot summer sun begins to weaken, and the wood might be damp or infested. Anyone donating wood after that point—like on the 20th of Av—had to prepare it in advance: cutting, drying, and storing it ahead of time.
This wasn’t a simple donation. It required planning, forethought, and the willingness to give something that couldn’t just be replaced. And it wasn’t for a personal sacrifice—it was wood that would help any Jew bring an offering on the altar. It was a gift to the entire community.
B. The Soldier or the Torah Scholar?
The Talmud says that Yoav’s military success came in the merit of David’s Torah study. At the same time, David was only free to learn because Yoav was out fighting. Each one devoted themselves to fulfill G-d’s will in their own unique way: David through Torah, and Yoav through waging Israel’s wars. They worked together to make each other’s role possible. This teaches a fundamental lesson: We need both—the soldier who fights and the Torah scholar who gives the moral and spiritual foundation for the battle.
This is also reflected in the partnership between Issachar and Zebulun. Issachar learned Torah, while Zebulun supported him financially (Source 2). The Midrash even places Zebulun first, because his support made the Torah learning possible (Source 3).
So too with David and Yoav. Without David’s spiritual backing Yoav wouldn’t have succeeded, but Torah alone isn’t enough. G-d wants the world to operate through natural means, which includes actual soldiers going out to war.
C. Giving Without Personal Benefit
The lesson for us:
Some acts of giving come with personal satisfaction, recognition, or reward—like donating a regular sacrifice. It’s visible, appreciated, and directly linked to the person who gave it.
But there’s another kind of giving that’s hidden. It brings no direct benefit to the giver. That’s where true selflessness is revealed—when a person gives their best for the sake of someone else, with no thought of return. Like the wood offering, which made it possible for others to bring their own offerings and achieve atonement—even though the donor didn’t benefit directly.
