ABSTRACT
The lion's share of Eldad's account is devoted to the army's operations along the border. The Tribes' intrepid equestrian warriors frighten off the enemy with their battle cry. God-fearing Jews, they refrain from fighting on Shabbat unless attacked; the spoils of war are shared with Torah scholars; and their king is an exemplary leader. God helps the meek Jew, by imbuing him with divine wisdom and other tools to defeat Satan. In addition, the Lord promises Adam eternal life. The implicit message of this legend is that in lieu of political power, the Jewish people can count on Providence and their own wiles to survive the travails of the Diaspora. The Jews pointed to some remnants of political power, such as the rashai galuta in Babylon. The scholar writes, suited the ideological needs of the embryonic Jewish Diaspora at the outset of the Middle Ages.
