Chapter 22 in Sefer Yehoshua is the chapter of parting from the tribes whose inheritance lay on the eastern side of the Jordan. Yehoshua calls to the tribe of Reuven, the tribe of Gad and half the tribe of Menashe, praises them for their loyalty, blesses them and sends them home. But on their way they build a great altar, and from it there unfolds a long episode of suspicion, a mission of reconciliation and clarification, ending with the restoration of peace between the tribes. We will proceed through the pesukim according to the explanations of the Malbim, and add the words of the Radak, the Abarbanel, Rashi and the words of Chazal cited in the shiur.
Yehoshua's Praise: You Fulfilled the Words of Moshe and Also My Words
אָז יִקְרָא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לָראוּבֵנִי וְלַגָּדִי וְלַחֲצִי מַטֵּה מְנַשֶּׁה׃ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם אַתֶּם שְׁמַרְתֶּם אֵת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֶתְכֶם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד יְהֹוָה וַתִּשְׁמְעוּ בְקוֹלִי לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־צִוִּיתִי אֶתְכֶם׃ - Then Yehoshua called to the Reuvenites, the Gadites and the half tribe of Menashe, and said to them: You have kept all that Moshe the servant of Hashem commanded you, and you have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you.
We saw that Moshe Rabbeinu made a condition with the tribes of Reuven and Gad: you will cross over armed before your brothers until Israel conquers the land. Afterward Moshe added and commanded them to remain there not only until the end of the conquest but until the end of the division, for they conquered for seven years and divided for seven years. This is what Yehoshua tells them: "You have kept all that Moshe commanded you" - everything, including the final addition of the seven years of division.
And he adds further: "and you have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you." Not only did you fulfill the commands of Moshe, but also all the instructions that I gave you, and you fulfilled them in the very best way. Sometimes a person does things as one who is forced and coerced, and then he looks for ways to evade and to do the least amount of work. Here Yehoshua says: everything I commanded you, all of it you did completely.
"And You Have Kept the Charge" - What Can Yehoshua Command
לֹא־עֲזַבְתֶּם אֶת־אֲחֵיכֶם זֶה יָמִים רַבִּים עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֵת מִשְׁמֶרֶת מִצְוַת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃ - You have not abandoned your brothers these many days until this very day, and you have kept the charge of the commandment of Hashem your God.
The pasuk details the two praises that preceded it. Corresponding to "you have kept all that Moshe commanded you" - "you have not abandoned your brothers these many days," seven years of conquest and seven years of division, and in this you fulfilled the word of Moshe. And corresponding to "and you have listened to my voice" - "and you have kept the charge of the commandment of Hashem your God."
Why specifically the term "charge" (mishmeret)? Because Yehoshua cannot command new commandments; he does not receive the Torah, and he does not add mitzvot. What he can do is make a safeguard for the Torah, meaning fences and precautions. Like the prohibition of handling muktzeh: one who handles a pen may come to write with it, or it may appear to him like a weekday. All of these are called "charge" (mishmeret), for they are an addition of fences and precautions. Yehoshua says: regarding the charge I can command, regarding the mitzvot of the Torah I do not command, and even this charge you have kept.
"And Now Hashem Has Given Rest" - Time to Return Home
וְעַתָּה הֵנִיחַ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם לַאֲחֵיכֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָהֶם וְעַתָּה פְּנוּ וּלְכוּ לָכֶם לְאׇהֳלֵיכֶם אֶל־אֶרֶץ אֲחֻזַּתְכֶם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד יְהֹוָה בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן׃ - And now Hashem your God has given rest to your brothers as He spoke to them, and now turn and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moshe the servant of Hashem gave you beyond the Jordan.
Yehoshua uses precisely the language written in the Torah in Sefer Devarim: "until Hashem gives rest to your brothers as to you." Now Hashem has given rest to your brothers as He spoke, and therefore the time has come for each one to go and return to his place, after you have fulfilled your obligation.
Why specifically they need an added warning
רַק שִׁמְרוּ מְאֹד לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־הַמִּצְוָה וְאֶת־הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֶתְכֶם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד־יְהֹוָה לְאַהֲבָה אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְלָלֶכֶת בְּכׇל־דְּרָכָיו וְלִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֺתָיו וּלְדׇבְקָה־בוֹ וּלְעׇבְדוֹ בְּכׇל־לְבַבְכֶם וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁכֶם׃ - Only take great care to fulfill the commandment and the Torah that Moshe the servant of Hashem commanded you, to love Hashem your God and to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and to cleave to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Why is a special warning of "only take great care" needed here? The Malbim explains: because you are heading to the eastern side of the Jordan, which is separated from the Land of Israel, and there added guarding is required. Indeed, we see that those who were first to become corrupt were the inhabitants of the eastern side of the Jordan, and they were also the first to be exiled. They do not have the protection of the sanctity of the Land, and therefore specifically they must take great care to fulfill the commandment and the Torah.
The double blessing and an additional parting
וַיְבָרְכֵם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וַיְשַׁלְּחֵם וַיֵּלְכוּ אֶל־אׇהֳלֵיהֶם׃ וְלַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה נָתַן מֹשֶׁה בַּבָּשָׁן וּלְחֶצְיוֹ נָתַן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עִם־אֲחֵיהֶם בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן יָמָּה וְגַם כִּי־שִׁלְּחָם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל־אׇהֳלֵיהֶם וַיְבָרְכֵם׃ - And Yehoshua blessed them and sent them off, and they went to their tents. And to the half tribe of Menashe Moshe had given a portion in the Bashan, and to its other half Yehoshua gave a portion with their brothers on the western side of the Jordan, toward the sea. And also when Yehoshua sent them off to their tents, he blessed them.
Yehoshua blesses them and sends them off to their tents. Afterward the verse relates that the half tribe of Menashe was divided: part of it received a portion in the Bashan from Moshe, and its other half received a portion from Yehoshua with their brothers "on the side of the Jordan, toward the sea," that is, on the western side of the Jordan, on the side of the sea. But there is a difficulty: what does "and also when Yehoshua sent them off" mean? It has already been stated "and Yehoshua blessed them and sent them off," so what is added here?
The Radak brings one explanation, that some interpret "and also when he sent them off" as referring to the half tribe of Menashe, that even though they were included in "and he sent them off," the verse tells you that he sent off this half, as it were, on its own. But the Radak says it is difficult to apply this specifically to Menashe, and it is more logical that "and also when Yehoshua sent them off" refers back to the three tribes: Gad, Reuven, and half of Menashe. And why repeat it? Because the verse comes to complete the matter, and this is in fact an introduction to the next verse: "And also when Yehoshua sent them off to their tents and blessed them, he said to them, saying, return to your tents with great wealth." The main point here is the blessing he gives them, that they should return with great wealth and abundant livestock.
Midrash: one who parts from his teacher and lodges in the city
There is a well known Midrash here. The rule is that a person who parts from his teacher in the evening must go to his city, and if he remains to lodge in the city, the Gemara says that when he goes in the morning to his city he should part from his teacher again. And this is learned from here: why is it written again "and also when Yehoshua sent them off to their tents and blessed them"? Chazal say, because they tarried there two days and again took leave a second time, and therefore there is an additional blessing here.
The Malbim's explanation: a special blessing for the tribe that was divided
The Malbim comes to resolve both the repetition and the question of why the verse needs to tell us here anew that Moshe gave half of Menashe a portion in the Bashan, since this is already known to us. The Malbim explains: since the tribe of Menashe was divided into two, it required an added blessing. Blessing rests more upon something that is whole, but when something is split, it needs a special blessing. Therefore an additional blessing comes here on account of the tribe of Menashe being split into two.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם לֵאמֹר בִּנְכָסִים רַבִּים שׁוּבוּ אֶל־אׇהֳלֵיכֶם וּבְמִקְנֶה רַב־מְאֹד בְּכֶסֶף וּבְזָהָב וּבִנְחֹשֶׁת וּבְבַרְזֶל וּבִשְׂלָמוֹת הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד חִלְקוּ שְׁלַל־אֹיְבֵיכֶם עִם־אֲחֵיכֶם׃ - And he said to them, saying, with great wealth return to your tents, and with very abundant livestock, with silver and with gold and with copper and with iron and with very many garments, divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers.
The Malbim explains: the children of Gad and the children of Reuven had abundant livestock, but it is not said of the half tribe of Menashe that they had abundant livestock. Therefore they in particular need the blessing: a tribe that was split, its division as if diminishing its strength, and it does not have the wealth of the children of Gad and the children of Reuven.
"Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers"
Seemingly, why does he need to tell them to divide the property? This is self understood. Rather, there is an instruction here: now, as you return to the eastern side of the Jordan, remember that some of you remained there to guard the women, the children, and the flocks. Not everyone crossed over. Only forty thousand crossed the Jordan, which is less than a third, and two thirds remained there. Therefore he tells them: divide the spoil with your brothers, those who remained with the belongings also need to receive a portion, and do not say we fought and only we will receive.
The Abarbanel explains that the spoil that Israel took was certainly divided among the tribes, and therefore the children of Reuven and the children of Gad could also take their portion with them as was due to them, portion for portion with all who fought. But the half tribe of Menashe were mixed, half on the eastern side of the Jordan and half on the western side, and to them it must be said "divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers": the tribe of Menashe will divide the spoil, half to this half and half to that half. And this is why Scripture prefaced "for to the half tribe of Menashe Moshe had given in the Bashan" - we asked why we need to be told that Menashe was split, and the answer is that this is a preface to the matter of dividing the spoil. And since this involves a new sending, the sending of half of Menashe to the other half to share the spoil with it, therefore it again says "and also when Yehoshua sent them away."
"And they returned and went" - why Shiloh first
וַיָּשֻׁבוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי־גָד וַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה מֵאֵת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִשִּׁלֹה אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ־כְּנָעַן לָלֶכֶת אֶל־אֶרֶץ הַגִּלְעָד אֶל־אֶרֶץ אֲחֻזָּתָם אֲשֶׁר נֹאחֲזוּ־בָהּ עַל־פִּי יְהֹוָה בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁה׃ - And the children of Reuven and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Menashe returned and went from the children of Israel, from Shiloh which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of the Gilead, to the land of their possession in which they had taken possession according to the word of Hashem by the hand of Moshe.
What is "and they returned and went"? It would have been enough to write "and the children of Reuven and the children of Gad went to their land." Rather, the half tribe of Menashe had to delay in order to divide the spoil with the other half. The children of Gad and the children of Reuven each take their spoil, but Menashe needs to share, and therefore they go to Shiloh to share there with the other half, and the children of Gad and the children of Reuven accompany them and only afterward return to their land. Therefore it is written "and they returned and went": there was a return to Shiloh here, and only afterward a going to their land.
The Malbim adds: Yehoshua summoned them to Timnat Serach which is in the hill country of Ephraim and sent them away from there, and they did not go from there eastward to the other side of the Jordan, but first went up to Shiloh, which was at the northern edge of the inheritance of Yosef. And beyond the division of the property between the two halves of the tribe, they came there also to pray at the Sanctuary of Hashem and to take leave of Israel who were gathered there. They are going to part, and therefore they want to take leave of the whole of Israel. And this is an important observation of the Malbim: this comes to show that their heart did not turn away from the holiness of the Sanctuary of Hashem and from the unity of the stone of Israel. For precisely on this point they would be suspected, as though they did not desire the Sanctuary and made themselves an altar, and here on the contrary, they come to the place of the Sanctuary to show that Shiloh is the important and precious place for all of us.
The building of the altar
וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־גְּלִילוֹת הַיַּרְדֵּן אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וַיִּבְנוּ בְנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי־גָד וַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ עַל־הַיַּרְדֵּן מִזְבֵּחַ גָּדוֹל לְמַרְאֶה׃ - And they came to the regions of the Jordan which are in the land of Canaan, and the children of Reuven and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Menashe built there an altar by the Jordan, a great altar to look at.
Here we enter the section of the building of the altar, a long section that will accompany us until the end of the chapter. The altar that the children of Gad, the children of Reuven, and the half of Menashe built caused great suspicions among the rest of the tribes, that perhaps there was an intention here to split off and make a separate sanctuary, and as a result Israel go out against them to war, until the latter explain themselves and the anger subsides.
The Malbim clarifies two emphases. First, they did not build the altar on the eastern side of the Jordan but on the western side, opposite their portion. And this itself testifies about them that they had no intention in their heart to separate from the people of Israel, for had they wanted to separate they would have built the altar among themselves. Second, the altar was "to look at" and not for burnt offering and sacrifice: an altar upon which one offers needs a ramp to ascend it, and here there was no ramp, and moreover it was very high. All this proves that it was not made for the purpose of service but only to look at. And what is the need for an altar to look at, a kind of monument? This we will see further on.
How Israel understood this
וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה בָנוּ בְנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי־גָד וַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֶל־מוּל אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֶל־גְּלִילוֹת הַיַּרְדֵּן אֶל־עֵבֶר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - And the children of Israel heard it said: Behold, the children of Reuven and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Menasheh have built the altar facing the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan, on the side belonging to the children of Israel.
They heard and saw that the children of Gad and the children of Reuven were building the altar according to the form of the altar, and that they had set it facing the land of Canaan. From this they understood, in a more negative way than was truly the case, that since they did this specifically within the land of Canaan, apparently their intent was to draw after it also the hearts of the children of Israel in the land. In other words: had you built it on your own side, I would have said you want a worship of your own; but since you place it on the western side of the Jordan, right inside the land of Israel, it is a sign that you are not content with yourselves but wish to draw after you portions of the nine and a half tribes. And over this the anger flared even more.
וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ כׇּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל שִׁלֹה לַעֲלוֹת עֲלֵיהֶם לַצָּבָא׃ - And the children of Israel heard, and the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go up against them in war.
They hear and come to make war against them, because from the moment the Mishkan was established in Shiloh the bamot were forbidden, and from then on it was prohibited to offer on a bamah. The Radak explains "to go up against them in war" - to go up against them with an army, because they thought they wished to make themselves a place of sanctuary of their own. The Malbim, on the other hand, explains: "and they gathered together for war" means to muster an army if they would need to fight, the lamed meaning "toward." Had it said "and they gathered together in war" it would mean they had already decided to fight; but "for war" means they assembled so that they would have an army ready if it should be needed against the rebels. And the Malbim notes: here we see that they did not judge them favorably, but rather listened to all those who judged them unfavorably, and saw in the matter grounds for rebellion against Hashem.
The sending of Pinchas and the princes
וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וְאֶל־בְּנֵי־גָד וְאֶל־חֲצִי שֵׁבֶט־מְנַשֶּׁה אֶל־אֶרֶץ הַגִּלְעָד אֶת־פִּינְחָס בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן׃ וַעֲשָׂרָה נְשִׂאִים עִמּוֹ נָשִׂיא אֶחָד נָשִׂיא אֶחָד לְבֵית אָב לְכֹל מַטּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאִישׁ רֹאשׁ בֵּית־אֲבוֹתָם הֵמָּה לְאַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - And the children of Israel sent to the children of Reuven and to the children of Gad and to the half tribe of Menasheh, to the land of Gilad, Pinchas son of Elazar the Kohen. And ten princes with him, one prince, one prince for each ancestral house of all the tribes of Israel, each one a head of their fathers' houses among the thousands of Israel.
First they send a warning, to try and see whether they will return. They send Pinchas because there is here a betrayal toward Hashem, and Pinchas is the Kohen of Hashem, and he is the one who is meant to rebuke in spiritual matters. And since there is here also a betrayal toward Israel, ten princes are sent with him, a head for each tribe, and they came primarily regarding this last matter: the separation and distancing from the rest of the people.
וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וְאֶל־בְּנֵי־גָד וְאֶל־חֲצִי שֵׁבֶט־מְנַשֶּׁה אֶל־אֶרֶץ הַגִּלְעָד וַיְדַבְּרוּ אִתָּם לֵאמֹר׃ - And they came to the children of Reuven and to the children of Gad and to the half tribe of Menasheh, to the land of Gilad, and they spoke with them, saying.
"And they spoke with them, saying" - with the intent of hearing their answer. And this is an important practical observation: many times a person comes to speak and to be heard, and does not come to listen. He comes to say his piece and to leave. Here the verse taught us a different way: "and they spoke with them, saying," I also want to hear what you have to say to me.
The claims of the messengers
כֹּה אָמְרוּ כֹּל עֲדַת יְהֹוָה מָה־הַמַּעַל הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר מְעַלְתֶּם בֵּאלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָשׁוּב הַיּוֹם מֵאַחֲרֵי יְהֹוָה בִּבְנוֹתְכֶם לָכֶם מִזְבֵּחַ לִמְרׇדְכֶם הַיּוֹם בַּיהֹוָה׃ - Thus says the whole congregation of Hashem: What is this trespass that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following Hashem, in that you have built for yourselves an altar, to rebel this day against Hashem?
The Malbim asks: what was the sin that appeared so grave to them that they came to wage war? Moreover, the words seem disorganized and repetitive: first a proof from the sin of Peor and then from Achan, and they multiply words endlessly, when it all could have been summed up in two sentences. The Malbim explains: they were in doubt about the purpose of building the altar, and there were two possibilities: perhaps they built an altar for idol worship, or perhaps they built an altar to offer sacrifices upon it to Hashem. Against both possibilities they argue.
Against the possibility that the altar was for idol worship: "What is this treachery that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following Hashem." If you build an altar for idol worship, you are turning away from following Hashem, and this is a great betrayal, especially since you still remember the signs and wonders that Hashem performed for you. And not only do you turn away from Him passively, but actively you build an altar, that is, you make a place for idol worship. This is "in your rebelling this day against Hashem" - open rebellion, to transgress and to deny Hashem.
The proof from the sin of Peor: the sin of the individual harms the whole
הַמְעַט־לָנוּ אֶת־עֲוֺן פְּעוֹר אֲשֶׁר לֹא־הִטַּהַרְנוּ מִמֶּנּוּ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וַיְהִי הַנֶּגֶף בַּעֲדַת יְהֹוָה׃ - Is the sin of Peor too little for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, and there was a plague in the congregation of Hashem?
Should you argue: what business do you have taking up Hashem's dispute, for Hashem will fight His own battle, and are you His representatives? To this they answer them: indeed we do, because the matter will harm us all. Look at the sin of Peor, in which there were two forms of damage: damage for the generations - "from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day" - and damage at the time of the act - "and there was a plague in the congregation of Hashem" - when twenty four thousand men died then. This shows that the sin of a few individuals brings punishment upon the whole. Do not say "what does this have to do with you" - you are drilling a hole in the ship in which we all sit.
וְאַתֶּם תָּשֻׁבוּ הַיּוֹם מֵאַחֲרֵי יְהֹוָה וְהָיָה אַתֶּם תִּמְרְדוּ הַיּוֹם בַּיהֹוָה וּמָחָר אֶל־כׇּל־עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל יִקְצֹף׃ - And you would turn away this day from following Hashem, and it will be that you rebel this day against Hashem, and tomorrow He will be angry with the entire congregation of Israel.
And if you turn away this day from following Hashem and repeat the same folly, two forms of damage will result. The first, "you rebel this day against Hashem" - a great and immediate sin. And the second, "and tomorrow He will be angry with the entire congregation of Israel" - the anger will fall not only upon you but upon the whole, and not only today but for many days.
The second possibility: an altar to Hashem - and even in this there is a double rebellion
וְאַךְ אִם־טְמֵאָה אֶרֶץ אֲחֻזַּתְכֶם עִבְרוּ לָכֶם אֶל־אֶרֶץ אֲחֻזַּת יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר שָׁכַן־שָׁם מִשְׁכַּן יְהֹוָה וְהֵאָחֲזוּ בְּתוֹכֵנוּ וּבַיהֹוָה אַל־תִּמְרֹדוּ וְאֹתָנוּ אַל־תִּמְרֹדוּ בִּבְנֹתְכֶם לָכֶם מִזְבֵּחַ מִבַּלְעֲדֵי מִזְבַּח יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ׃ - But if the land of your possession is impure, cross over to the land of Hashem's possession, where the Tabernacle of Hashem dwells, and take hold among us, and do not rebel against Hashem, and do not rebel against us, by building for yourselves an altar besides the altar of Hashem our God.
With the word "but" they turn to argue against the second possibility: perhaps you will say that this is not idol worship at all, but rather an altar upon which to serve the Holy One, blessed be He, since the land of your possession is impure and unfit for offerings, and therefore you built a nearby altar, within the Land of Israel itself. To this they respond that there are two rebellions in the matter. The first, Hashem forbade offering sacrifices on private altars, and one who offers on a private altar is liable to karet. The second, this is a rebellion against the whole of Israel, against the gathering and the unity, for it is fitting that we all serve one God together, as one, in one place, whereas you are beginning to create division: a sanctuary here and a sanctuary there. Therefore they propose: "cross over to the land of Hashem's possession," come and take hold among us, and unite with us both in holding the Holy Land and in serving Hashem at the same sanctuary. If it is too far for you - come and dwell with us, but this is no reason to build a nearby altar and thereby divide the people.
"And do not rebel against us" - a precision in the language
Let us note the language: "and do not rebel against Hashem, and do not rebel against us." The Malbim is troubled, for we never find the verb "rebel" with the word "et" (against, as an object marker), but always with a bet: do not rebel against Hashem. The reason is that the rebel is always the lowly one against the exalted one: the servant rebels against his master, the subject rebels against his king. Rebellion is always against an entity above me, and it is not applicable for one half to rebel against the other half; you are not my servant, so how can it be said that I rebel against you.
Rather, the Malbim explains, "rebellion" here carries the sense of a split between the sides, something that will lead us to rebel against one another. The meaning is not that you are rebelling against us as one who rebels against his master, but that if you rebel against us, we will rebel against you, and a mutual rebellion will arise in which each side rejects the other. For we know that when one side initiates a split, the other side too ceases to desire unity and pushes back. Such a mutual rebellion would damage the unity of Israel and lead to division, and this is certainly a state we have no wish to reach.
The Proof From Achan
הֲלוֹא עָכָן בֶּן־זֶרַח מָעַל מַעַל בַּחֵרֶם וְעַל־כׇּל־עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה קָצֶף וְהוּא אִישׁ אֶחָד לֹא גָוַע בַּעֲוֺנוֹ׃ - Did not Achan son of Zerach commit a trespass with the devoted thing, and wrath fell upon the entire congregation of Israel? And he was but one man, yet he did not perish alone in his sin.
And if you ask why we are pursuing Hashem's cause, here too a comprehensive harm was brought upon the entire nation. Achan trespassed with the devoted thing: everything in Jericho was cherem, consecrated to Hashem, sanctified property of the Sanctuary, and he took some of the silver and gold. Your sin too resembles this, for it is against the Sanctuary. And see what happened there: wrath fell upon the entire congregation, and he did not perish alone in his sin. Rather, we went out to the battle of Ai and all of us fell, and Israel failed in the war. Here we see that the sin of a single individual causes Hashem to remove His providence from the whole. And if one man brought about a hiding of the face over the whole, how much more so two and a half tribes: what a hiding of the face and how much harm this would bring, until Hashem removes His providence entirely.
The Tribes' Response: Why They Answered Only the Heads of the Thousands of Israel
וַיַּעֲנוּ בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי־גָד וַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֶת־רָאשֵׁי אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - And the children of Reuven and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Menasheh answered, and they spoke to the heads of the thousands of Israel.
Let us take note: they speak to the heads of the thousands of Israel, while Pinchas is not mentioned. Why? The Malbim explains: Pinchas came to rebuke them chiefly for the trespass against Hashem, for he is the priest of Hashem and the emissary of the supernal providence; the princes came to rebuke them for the rebellion against the collective. The rebellion against Hashem is the great rebellion, and the rebellion against the collective is the smaller of the two. And if we succeed in clearing ourselves of the smaller rebellion, all the more so have we not rebelled in the greater one. If I prove that I did not even rebel against you, and that I am shoulder to shoulder with you in your service, then it is proven that I did not rebel against Hashem. Therefore they had no need to answer specifically regarding the rebellion against Hashem.
"Kel, Elohim, Hashem" - A Double Oath
אֵל אֱלֹהִים יְהֹוָה אֵל אֱלֹהִים יְהֹוָה הוּא יֹדֵעַ וְיִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא יֵדָע אִם־בְּמֶרֶד וְאִם־בְּמַעַל בַּיהֹוָה אַל־תּוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃ - Kel, Elohim, Hashem, Kel, Elohim, Hashem, He knows, and Israel shall know: if it be in rebellion or in trespass against Hashem, do not save us this day.
What is the meaning of the repetition? The Radak says that "Kel, Elohim" is like "King of kings." For what sense is there in saying "God of gods": are there other gods? Rather, "Kel" means power, and when we say God of gods our intent is that He is above all the powers: the angels and all the forces that Hashem created in nature, He is above them, God of gods and Lord of lords. And they double the expression in order to strengthen it and establish it, just as we cry out "Hashem is the God, Hashem is the God," and say "Hashem reigns, Hashem reigned, Hashem shall reign forever and ever": doubling in order to strengthen.
"He knows" - He knows our intent, that our sole aim is to strengthen faith in Hashem. "And Israel shall know" - Israel will know from here onward, according to the explanations we now give and according to the deeds we will perform. What until now falls in the realm of the hidden, for we are certain that Hashem knows hidden things while Israel does not know hidden things, will now become clear to them.
Here too the Malbim dwells on the length of the wording and explains that the repetition is not in vain. The first "Kel, Elohim, Hashem" is against the suspicion that the altar was for idolatry: Hashem is the God, there is none besides Him; do not imagine that we served idolatry or that we hold faith in some other power. The second "Kel, Elohim, Hashem" is against the suspicion that we came to offer sacrifices to Hashem on an altar not in Shiloh, which would be slaughtering outside and a forbidden bamah: to this they say that Hashem knows the concealed truth, and Israel will know the truth when they see that we offer no sacrifices upon it. And the altar, as we shall see, is nothing but a monument and a symbol.
And to this they swear: "If it be in rebellion or in treachery against Hashem, save us not this day." Master of the Universe, You know what is in our hearts, and if there is here rebellion or treachery, cast us away from before You and do not save us. With this oath they prove that the truth is with them.
לִבְנוֹת לָנוּ מִזְבֵּחַ לָשׁוּב מֵאַחֲרֵי יְהֹוָה וְאִם־לְהַעֲלוֹת עָלָיו עוֹלָה וּמִנְחָה וְאִם־לַעֲשׂוֹת עָלָיו זִבְחֵי שְׁלָמִים יְהֹוָה הוּא יְבַקֵּשׁ׃ - To build for ourselves an altar to turn away from following Hashem, or if to offer upon it a burnt offering and a meal offering, or if to make upon it peace offerings, may Hashem Himself demand it.
Corresponding to "if in treachery" - that we built an altar to turn away from following Hashem and to serve idolatry; and corresponding to "if in rebellion" - to offer upon it a burnt offering and a meal offering, meaning to rebel against you and set up for ourselves a Sanctuary of our own and a place of worship unconnected to you. Regarding both possibilities: "may Hashem Himself demand it" - He will demand and punish us if indeed our intention is negative as you suspected.
The True Reason: "Out of Concern for a Matter"
וְאִם־לֹא מִדְּאָגָה מִדָּבָר עָשִׂינוּ אֶת־זֹאת לֵאמֹר מָחָר יֹאמְרוּ בְנֵיכֶם לְבָנֵינוּ לֵאמֹר מַה־לָּכֶם וְלַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - But truly out of concern for a matter did we do this, saying: In time to come your children will say to our children, What have you to do with Hashem, the God of Israel?
Rashi says that every instance of "da'agah" is an expression of fear, and he brings examples of this. The Malbim explains: the main purpose of building the altar was "out of concern for a matter" - that we are fearful and worried about something that might befall us in the future, about a trouble that might come upon us. And what do we fear? That perhaps they will say to us: you dwell on the eastern side of the Jordan, apparently you have been cast out, left on the outside. Some are buried outside the fence, and some are placed outside the country. We are worried that in time to come your children will say to our children that you are not part of the Jewish people, since the Jordan separates between you, and since there many mitzvot do not apply as they do in the Land of Israel, and they will say that you have no share and portion in Hashem.
וּגְבוּל נָתַן־יְהֹוָה בֵּינֵנוּ וּבֵינֵיכֶם בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי־גָד אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן אֵין־לָכֶם חֵלֶק בַּיהֹוָה וְהִשְׁבִּיתוּ בְנֵיכֶם אֶת־בָּנֵינוּ לְבִלְתִּי יְרֹא אֶת־יְהֹוָה׃ - For Hashem has made the Jordan a border between us and you, children of Reuven and children of Gad; you have no share in Hashem; and so your children would cause our children to cease from fearing Hashem.
And the worry is not about the insult itself. The worry is that if they distance our children, our children will say: what do we need them for, we have no connection with them, and they will set up for themselves a new religion and a new sect. This distancing will cause them to cease fearing God, and that is what troubles us.
The Altar as a Witness
וַנֹּאמֶר נַעֲשֶׂה־נָּא לָנוּ לִבְנוֹת אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לֹא לְעוֹלָה וְלֹא לְזָבַח׃ כִּי עֵד הוּא בֵּינֵינוּ וּבֵינֵיכֶם וּבֵין דֹּרוֹתֵינוּ אַחֲרֵינוּ לַעֲבֹד אֶת־עֲבֹדַת יְהֹוָה לְפָנָיו בְּעֹלוֹתֵינוּ וּבִזְבָחֵינוּ וּבִשְׁלָמֵינוּ וְלֹא־יֹאמְרוּ בְנֵיכֶם מָחָר לְבָנֵינוּ אֵין־לָכֶם חֵלֶק בַּיהֹוָה׃ - And we said, Let us now build for ourselves an altar, not for a burnt offering nor for a sacrifice, but that it be a witness between us and you and between our generations after us, that we may perform the service of Hashem before Him with our burnt offerings, our sacrifices, and our peace offerings; so that your children will not say in time to come to our children, You have no share in Hashem.
In order to remedy this worry we wanted to do something that would be a sign, a demonstration, and a mark that we are just like you. We built an altar not for a burnt offering and not for a sacrifice, but rather an altar whose purpose is to be seen, and it will be a witness between us and you. And how so? This altar is built after the pattern of the altar that stands before the Mishkan of Hashem, but it is certainly not fit for offering, for it is an altar of things slaughtered outside and of high places. Consequently you will not be able to claim that we have no share in the Torah of Hashem and in the service of Hashem, for before your eyes is an identical replica of the altar upon which you serve - indeed larger, indeed without a ramp, but a replica. A sign that your service is also our service, and you will not be able to say that our children serve another god.
וַנֹּאמֶר וְהָיָה כִּי־יֹאמְרוּ אֵלֵינוּ וְאֶל־דֹּרֹתֵינוּ מָחָר וְאָמַרְנוּ רְאוּ אֶת־תַּבְנִית מִזְבַּח יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ לֹא לְעוֹלָה וְלֹא לְזֶבַח כִּי־עֵד הוּא בֵּינֵינוּ וּבֵינֵיכֶם׃ - And we said, It shall be, when they say this to us and to our generations in time to come, that we shall say, See the pattern of the altar of Hashem which our fathers made, not for a burnt offering nor for a sacrifice, but that it is a witness between us and you.
Some explain that "and we will say" refers to the children who will speak in the future, for the verse speaks of "tomorrow, in our generations," and although it says "and we will say," it means that our children will say it, since the fathers stand in the place of the children and the children in the place of the fathers, as you say "and He brought us out from there" - but did He bring us out? He brought out our fathers, only that the children stand in the place of the fathers.
But the Malbim explains that "and we will say" does not refer to the children's claims in the future, but to what we are saying already now, at the time of building: "See the form of the altar of Hashem which our fathers made." That is, the children will claim in the future that their fathers already declared at the time of building that the matter of the altar was meant to show that we serve one God. And why does it say "which our fathers made," a phrase that includes all of Israel, when in fact only the fathers of these tribes made it? Because the rest of Israel did not protest, and this itself proves that they agreed. And though we now see that they protested, we will soon see that in the end they agreed with them. It turns out that there is here a sign and a proof upon which our children will be able to base their claim: behold, we are the sons of one man, we serve one God, and our service is like your service, so do not distance us and say that we were cast off beyond the eastern Jordan and that we are stepchildren.
"Far be it from us on its account"
חָלִילָה לָּנוּ מִמֶּנּוּ לִמְרֹד בַּיהֹוָה וְלָשׁוּב הַיּוֹם מֵאַחֲרֵי יְהֹוָה לִבְנוֹת מִזְבֵּחַ לְעֹלָה לְמִנְחָה וּלְזָבַח מִלְּבַד מִזְבַּח יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי מִשְׁכָּנוֹ׃ - Far be it from us on its account to rebel against Hashem and to turn away this day from following Hashem, to build an altar for burnt offering, for meal offering, or for sacrifice, apart from the altar of Hashem our God which is before His Mishkan.
The plain meaning is: "far be it from us on its account" - even of our own accord we have no interest in the matter. Like a person who is told: if you do such and such, we will threaten you and do to you thus and so, and he replies: you need not threaten, for on my own part too I do not wish to do this.
But the Malbim has an innovative interpretation here. After they explained that their intention was as a witness for future generations, they say: certainly there is no reason to suspect us, for "far be it from us on its account" - "its account" means from the altar itself. Its very form proves that it is for display and not for sacrifice. Had we wanted an altar for sacrifice, we would have made a ramp for it and would not have built it so high, but rather an altar that could be used. From the altar itself you may take proof and evidence that far be it from us to rebel against Hashem, and it will testify to our face that one may not offer sacrifices in any place except the altar of Hashem our God which is before the Mishkan.
Pinchas's Response
וַיִּשְׁמַע פִּינְחָס הַכֹּהֵן וּנְשִׂיאֵי הָעֵדָה וְרָאשֵׁי אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר דִּבְּרוּ בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי־גָד וּבְנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה וַיִּיטַב בְּעֵינֵיהֶם׃ וַיֹּאמֶר פִּינְחָס בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן אֶל־בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וְאֶל־בְּנֵי־גָד וְאֶל־בְּנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה הַיּוֹם יָדַעְנוּ כִּי־בְתוֹכֵנוּ יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־מְעַלְתֶּם בַּיהֹוָה הַמַּעַל הַזֶּה אָז הִצַּלְתֶּם אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּד יְהֹוָה׃ - And Pinchas the Kohen and the princes of the congregation and the heads of the thousands of Israel who were with him heard the words that the children of Reuven, the children of Gad, and the children of Menasheh spoke, and it was good in their eyes. And Pinchas son of Elazar the Kohen said to the children of Reuven, the children of Gad, and the children of Menasheh: Today we know that Hashem is in our midst, since you did not commit this treachery against Hashem; then you saved the children of Israel from the hand of Hashem.
At first glance this is difficult: did they until now have doubt whether Hashem was in their midst? The Malbim explains: Pinchas begins to appease them and says that certainly there was no doubt in this. We saw that Hashem dwells among Israel and did not hide His face from us, and even though in the past we committed treachery, the Holy One blessed be He did not hide His face. Therefore "that Hashem is in our midst" is like a parenthetical statement: today we know, because Hashem is in our midst, that you did not commit this treachery. That is, since Hashem is in our midst we were confident that He would not allow such treachery to occur, and the meaning is not that today it became known to us that Hashem is in our midst.
And what is meant by "then you saved the children of Israel from the hand of Hashem"? "Saving" here is not in the sense of rescue from death, but in the sense of separation, as in the phrase "and God took away (vayatzel) the livestock of your father and gave it to me" - He separated it. That is: had you committed such a great treachery, you would have separated the people of Israel from the hand of Hashem, from divine providence. And from the fact that we see that the hand of Hashem is still in our midst and that the Holy One blessed be He works wonders for us, it is clear to us that you did not commit treachery. And this itself proves that Hashem is in our midst, for He did not let you come to treachery in this matter, and He even removed the obstacle from the coming generations.
The Return of the Emissaries and the Joy of the People
וַיָּשׇׁב פִּינְחָס בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן וְהַנְּשִׂיאִים מֵאֵת בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּמֵאֵת בְּנֵי־גָד מֵאֶרֶץ הַגִּלְעָד אֶל־אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּשִׁבוּ אוֹתָם דָּבָר׃ - And Pinchas son of Elazar the Kohen and the princes returned from the children of Reuven and from the children of Gad, from the land of Gilad to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and they brought them back word.
וַיִּיטַב הַדָּבָר בְּעֵינֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְבָרְכוּ אֱלֹהִים בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא אָמְרוּ לַעֲלוֹת עֲלֵיהֶם לַצָּבָא לְשַׁחֵת אֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי־גָד יֹשְׁבִים בָּהּ׃ - And the matter was good in the eyes of Bnei Yisrael, and Bnei Yisrael blessed God, and they did not speak of going up against them in war, to destroy the land in which Bnei Reuven and Bnei Gad dwelt.
The emissaries return and report all the words of Bnei Gad and Bnei Reuven, and the matter is good in the eyes of Yisrael, meaning they accept them and see them as reasonable, and they do not try to argue or raise claims against them. "And they blessed God" - they bless Hashem and thank Him for having placed it in their hearts to send emissaries before they opened in war, for through this it became possible to clarify the matter. Had they opened in war without prior clarification, who knows what great calamity would have resulted.
The Proof That the War Was Not Out of Hatred
And seemingly, what does the end of the pasuk add, "and they did not speak of going up against them in war"? After the matter was good in their eyes, it is simple and clear that the army stands down, for the entire plan to fight was because of the wrong they saw, and once it became clear that there was no wrong, there is no war.
But the Malbim has a wonderful explanation here: the verse comes to show that their entire arousal to go out to war did not stem from an ancient enmity or personal hatred, but on the contrary, out of their great love for them they went out to rebuke them and bring them back in teshuvah, and if that would not help, then also to fight. And what is the proof? The manner in which they put away their weapons and return home. A man who hates his fellow and has finally found a reason to go up against him, and already has a formal pretext for a declaration of war, and suddenly is told that there is no need, returns depressed and grieved. But one who has no intention of war at all, and on the contrary wants peace, and only out of his love was forced to fight so that Hashem would not remove His providence from us, when he is informed that there is no need, he rejoices. And this is what the verse says: even at the outset of their going out to war they did not intend "to destroy the land," but rather to go up in order to turn them back from sin. "To destroy the land" is when a man goes out of hatred. Here their entire aim was for the sake of Heaven, and therefore when they were informed that they need not go up, they rejoiced.
The Name of the Altar
וַיִּקְרְאוּ בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי־גָד לַמִּזְבֵּחַ כִּי עֵד הוּא בֵּינֹתֵינוּ כִּי יְהֹוָה הָאֱלֹהִים׃ - And Bnei Reuven and Bnei Gad called the altar, "For it is a witness between us that Hashem is the God."
The pasuk here is seemingly lacking: they called the altar - and what did they call it? "For it is a witness between us" does not sound like a name. Therefore Rashi says that this is one of the abbreviated verses, and one must add to it one word: "And Bnei Reuven and Bnei Gad called the altar 'Ed' (Witness), for it is a witness between us." And there are many places in Scripture where a single word is written once and serves both here and there.
And the Malbim explains that they called the altar by a name that testifies to the purpose for which it was built: that it should be a witness that Hashem is the God, one God and none besides Him, and that we would not exchange the service of His altar for another place and another god. And who would testify to this? The altar itself, which is fashioned in the form of the altar upon which they serve God in Shiloh. It will attest that we too believe in one God and will not exchange His service for other gods.
In summary:
The chapter opens with the praise of Bnei Reuven, Gad and half of Menashe, who fulfilled the word of Moshe until the completion of the conquest and the division, and the charge of Yehoshua, and continues with Yehoshua's blessing and the special warning "only take great care," which was needed specifically for the dwellers of the eastern side of the Yarden who do not have the protection of the sanctity of the land. From the double blessing and the division of the spoils, the Malbim teaches about the tribe of Menashe, which was split and needed an extra blessing. The main part of the chapter is the episode of the altar: out of concern for future generations, that Bnei Yisrael should not say to their children "you have no portion in Hashem," the tribes built an altar for appearance, without a ramp and very high, and specifically on the western side of the Yarden, as a witness that their service is like the service of their brethren. Yisrael suspected them of rebellion against Hashem and of rebellion in general, sent Pinchas and ten princes, and out of a conversation conducted "saying" - in order also to listen - the matter was clarified for the good. And we learned from the conclusion that the entire going out to war was not out of hatred but out of love and for the sake of Heaven, and therefore they rejoiced when it was called off, and they blessed Hashem for having placed it in their hearts to clarify before they opened in war.