Rachav: From Harlot to Righteous

How does a non-Jewish harlot, famed for her good looks and beauty, marry the leader of the Jewish nation, Yehoshua Bin Nun? Yet this was precisely the destiny of Rachav haZonah.

We meet Rachav in Sefer Yehoshua in the second chapter. Yehoshua was tasked with conquering the land of Israel and apportioning it to the twelve tribes who would take up residence therein. To assure the success of his mission, Yehoshua sent two spies by the name of Pinchas and Kalev to go and scout out the land of Canaan. They were told to go to the city of Yericho as this was the entrance to the land of Israel.

The spies followed Yehoshua’s orders and went to stay at Rachav’s house. One might question why such holy and righteous men such as Pinchas and Kalev selected the home of a harlot to lodge in. According to some opinions, Rachav was known as an innkeeper¹, and since they needed a place to stay, they sought lodgings at her inn. Others say that they were aware of her reputation as a harlot, and since the Canaanim knew that the Jews hated immorality, her inn would be the last place they would look for them². This was ideal for the undercover spies who wished to remain incognito. Rachav was in fact reputed for having sinned with every noble in the land of Canaan. This made her an ideal source of information for Pinchas and Kalev.

When the spies arrived at Rachav’s house, she hid them immediately on the roof of her house and covered them in flax to conceal their presence. Once the danger of them being discovered had passed, Rachav ascended to the roof and engaged the spies in conversation. She revealed to them that the Canaanim were aware that the Jewish people were coming to inherit the land of Canaan³, and they were all deathly afraid of the conquest. Furthermore, they had heard of the miraculous splitting of the sea and of the remarkable way the Jews had decimated Sichon and Og. They were therefore terrified of a Jewish invasion. In this way, she emboldened Pinchas and Kalev.

Rachav is singled out for her extraordinary beauty. She was one of four majestically beautiful women, the others being Sarah, Esther and Avigail⁴. When she heard of the miracles of kriyat Yam Suf, she was just a young girl of ten, but it made a deep impression on her sensitive soul. It stirred within her an awareness of Hashem which she constantly strove to deepen. She practiced prostitution for 40 years, coinciding with the 40-year wanderings of the Jewish people through the desert. Finally, at age 50, she was ready to make the great leap, convert and join the Jewish people.

Rachav teaches us the tremendous power of repentance. Human beings fall and falter but the door to teshuva is always open. We need only regret our actions, and call out to Hashem to forgive us, and Hashem will wipe our slate clean. Even though Rachav had sinned for many years in the lowliest of ways, this didn’t discourage her from seeking the purity and beauty of Judaism.

Rachav made a startling statement about herself. She proclaimed, “I sinned with three objects, and I shall repent with these same three objects.” Which objects was Rachav referring to? To her rope, her window, and her hut. The rope and window were used to admit men into her house for sinful purposes. The hut was the place where Rachav engaged in sin. Rachav now sought to do Teshuva and to use all three objects for something positive. She would allow Pinchas and Kalev to escape with the rope via the window, and to save their lives from the king whose messengers sought their whereabouts, Rachav hid them in her tent⁵. Rachav teaches us the tremendous power of repentance. Human beings fall and falter but the door to teshuva is always open. We need only regret our actions, and call out to Hashem to forgive us, and Hashem will wipe our slate clean. Even though Rachav had sinned for many years in the lowliest of ways, this didn’t discourage her from seeking the purity and beauty of Judaism.

Before sending the spies away, Rachav made them swear to her that just as she risked her life to save them, they would save her life and the lives of her family members in the conquest of Canaan. As Rachav lowered the spies out of her window, she prayed a heartfelt tefilla that the rope that was now being used to save the lives of these two tzaddikim should be a rectification of her past sins⁶. We see the sincerity and sensitivity that Rachav possesses. Rachav illustrates that no object is intrinsically good or evil. It all depends on the way in which the object is used. By using the rope for something positive, she transforms it from something profane into an item of holiness.

When Rachav witnessed Hashem’s might and His Divine supervision of the world, she realized that He is the only true G-d. She made an awesome kiddush Hashem (sanctification of G-d’s name) by abandoning her previous way of life to join the Jewish people. Since she was famous amongst the Canaanim, the impact of her conversion was very great. We too have the power to make a kiddush Hashem by our deeds and actions. When we choose good over evil and walk in the ways of Hashem, we inspire those around us to do the same.

Rachav reached towering heights and merited to marry none other than Yehoshua himself. Transforming herself from a sinful woman into a supremely righteous one, gave her the merit to marry the leader of the Jewish nation. Rachav had no yichus, no illustrious lineage, and yet she merited to great have things once she joined the Jewish people. This shows us that Hashem judges each person based on personal merit, regardless of whether their ancestors were righteous or sinful. Hashem peers into the hearts of man and discerns the purity therein. One shouldn’t be hesitant to do great things even if one comes from degenerate ancestors.

Many great people descended from Rachav. Amongst them were prophets and priests. Some famous descendants of hers were Yirmiyahu, Ezra, Chulda the prophetess, and Yechezkel.

Many people blame their parents or surroundings for their wayward life-choices. Rachav shows us that we cannot make excuses for ourselves. We may have originated from questionable roots, but, like Rachav we have the choice to produce beautiful and fragrant deeds which will blossom and flower to bear fruits of holiness.   

1. Rashi on Yehoshua, perek alef, pasuk alef ↩︎
2. Mabim on Yehoshua, perek alef, pasuk alef ↩︎
3. Zevachim 116 ↩︎
4. Megilla 15 ↩︎
5. Zevachim 116 B ↩︎
6. Zevachim 116 B, Rashi ↩︎