With Hashem's help, we begin our study of Sefer Yehoshua.
The Opening: Why Specifically Now?
(א) וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי מוֹת משֶׁה עֶבֶד ה' וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן מְשָׁרֵת משֶׁה לֵאמֹר: (ב) משֶׁה עַבְדִּי מֵת וְעַתָּה קוּם עֲבֹר אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה אַתָּה וְכָל הָעָם הַזֶּה אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לָהֶם לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: - (1) And it was after the death of Moshe, the servant of Hashem, that Hashem said to Yehoshua son of Nun, the attendant of Moshe, saying: (2) Moshe My servant has died, and now arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land that I am giving to them, to the Children of Israel.
Why must it be stressed that the speech to Yehoshua came specifically after the death of Moshe? The Malbim explains: as long as Moshe Rabbeinu was alive, it was impossible for Yehoshua to cross the Jordan, and for two reasons. First, it could not be that Yehoshua would be the commander at the head of the army during Moshe's lifetime. Second, the Jordan could not be crossed because of the oath that Moshe would not cross it. After Moshe's death both obstacles were removed: there was no longer any obstacle to crossing the Jordan, and no longer any obstacle to Yehoshua leading. This is what He said to him: "and now arise, cross the Jordan" - corresponding to the first obstacle, "you and all this people" - corresponding to the second obstacle, you at the head and all the people after you. And this is a general rule: wherever Scripture doubles the pronoun, there lies the main intent.
"To the land that I am giving to them, to the Children of Israel." It is the way of those who conquer lands that the conquered land is called by the name of the king or the general who conquered it, and it is his to do with as he wishes. So we find that Yoav says to David that he should come and conquer the city, so that it will be called by his name. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: in this land it will not be so. "That I am giving to them" - it is called by the name of the Giver, the land of Hashem, "a land upon which the eyes of Hashem your God are." And why does it double "to them, to the Children of Israel"? To say: to the Children of Israel specifically, and not to you. Do not think that the land comes to you by virtue of your being the conqueror and the commander - it is given to the entire nation.
Yehoshua - "The Attendant of Moshe"
The title "attendant of Moshe" is a wondrous title. Our Sages said in the Midrash: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moshe: Yehoshua served you and gave you much honor, he would rise early and stay late at your house of assembly, he would arrange the benches and spread out the mats. Since he served you with all his strength, he is worthy to serve Israel, for I do not lose his reward - "take for yourself Yehoshua son of Nun," to fulfill what is stated, "one who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit" (Bamidbar Rabbah 21:15). And this is what Chazal said: "Greater is the service of Torah than its study" (Berachot 7b) - one who serves the sage sees his daily conduct, and receives from him far more than he would from the mere study of his books.
And from the words of the Ramban in Parashat Shelach it is proven that there were greater men in Israel than Yehoshua, for he wrote there that Scripture listed the spies according to their rank, and Yehoshua was listed fifth. And the Baal HaTurim wrote that all those listed there were officers of fifty. Nevertheless, Yehoshua merited to be appointed leader over Israel, because he served Moshe Rabbeinu, and through that service he was made fit to receive from him the divine influence and wisdom (Sichot Mussar, Pinchas 5732).
And more than this: there is a Midrash difficult to bring to one's lips, that people defined Yehoshua as a fool. To such an extent did he conceal himself that they did not recognize his greatness at all. Therefore when Yehoshua rose to lead and they said, "the face of Moshe was like the face of the sun, the face of Yehoshua like the face of the moon," their faces changed - for now it became clear to them why this one whom they had belittled merited it, "what is this, the sun that arranges the study hall?" From here we see the greatness of Yehoshua and his humility. And so it is told also about the Chazon Ish, that in his young married years he presented himself as the simplest of the simple, and whoever saw him did not grasp his greatness at all, until he dreamed a dream in which he saw a bell (we brought this in "Mishnat HaChalomot"), and he told his sister, the wife of the Steipler, that apparently Heaven wished him to be revealed. Following this he came up to the Land, and it was he who established the world of Torah in the Land of Israel - the character of the kollelim and the character of the observance of the mitzvot dependent on the Land are the work of his hands. Those of true stature know how to remain hidden until the time comes, and here the time of Yehoshua had come to be the leader of Israel.
Incidentally, why is he called "Yehoshua bin Nun" and not "ben Nun"? The Radak explains that since it is read as a single word, it is read with a chirik, for it is easier on the pronunciation to say "bin Nun." And there is another explanation: at first he was called Hoshea, and they added to him the letter yud. To vocalize the yud with a sheva they needed two dots, and they took them from the "ben" - and instead of a segol a chirik remained.
Why Is Moshe Called "Servant of Hashem" After His Death?
The Malbim explains: Scripture reminds us that Yehoshua merited both prophecy and the leadership of the nation by virtue of being the attendant of Moshe, and greater is the service than the study. And it calls Moshe by the name "servant of Hashem" even after his death, as Chazal said: just as here he stands and serves, so there he stands and serves. And this seems puzzling - for he has died, and "among the dead one is free"! Rather, the righteous person who labors only to perfect himself, his service ceases at the time of his death: when the "self" is no more, the service is finished. But one who labors for the perfection of the generation and the generations to come, he merits and grants merit to the last generation, and the continual service that comes about through him even after his death is called by his name, as it is written, "and his righteousness endures forever."
And whom do we study today? "The Torah of Moshe My servant." By whose power? By the power of Moshe. There is a Midrash that the Holy One gave the Torah to Moshe, and Moshe acted generously toward us and gave it to us. And since the enterprises that Moshe Rabbeinu established stand and endure forever, it turns out that Moshe never ceased to labor, and he is in the category of one who stands and serves even after his death.
"Moshe My servant is dead" - obviously!
Seemingly, does Yehoshua need to be informed that Moshe died? Rather, it is as if He is saying to him: had Moshe been alive, I would have preferred him; and now that he has died, you shall go and grant the people their inheritance. Chazal said that when Moshe died, three thousand halachot were forgotten (and some say three hundred), and they asked Yehoshua and he did not know, and they wanted to kill him. The Holy One told him to preoccupy them with war so they would forget the matter, and so indeed it was, until Otniel ben Kenaz came and restored them through his sharp analysis.
And why did Yehoshua in particular forget, he who was second in authority to Moshe and received the entire Torah from him? Chazal said: before his death, Moshe told him to ask whatever was difficult for him, for soon there would be no one to ask, and Yehoshua answered him that he had served him much and had not departed from his side, and that he knew everything. There was in this a most subtle trace of pride, and whoever becomes prideful, his wisdom departs from him. And this is "Vayehi," which is an expression of distress: over those halachot being forgotten.
And we already discussed that halachot are not derived from prophecy, and therefore it was not possible for Yehoshua to receive them through divine inspiration; rather, they had to be restored through analysis and the ways in which the Torah is expounded, for "it is not in heaven" - one does not rule halacha from heaven. And even though the holy Ari received his teaching from Eliyahu, the Chida wrote that when Eliyahu comes in a physical body he is like a living person in his lifetime and one may receive from him, but when he reveals himself as an angel, one does not receive Torah from angels.
The borders of the Land and "the sole of your foot"
(ג) כָּל מָקוֹם אֲשֶׁר תִּדְרֹךְ כַּף רַגְלְכֶם בּוֹ לָכֶם נְתַתִּיו כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי אֶל משֶׁה: (ד) מֵהַמִּדְבָּר וְהַלְּבָנוֹן הַזֶּה וְעַד הַנָּהָר הַגָּדוֹל נְהַר פְּרָת כֹּל אֶרֶץ הַחִתִּים וְעַד הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל מְבוֹא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ יִהְיֶה גְּבוּלְכֶם: - (3) Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, to you have I given it, as I spoke to Moshe. (4) From the wilderness and this Lebanon to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun, shall be your border.
Seemingly there is a contradiction here: if it is every place their own foot treads, why does the verse immediately afterward limit the borders? Let us first understand the borders themselves. "From the wilderness" - the wilderness of Kadesh and the wilderness of Tzin near Edom, which are at the southeastern corner of the Land, and from there they entered, as it is written "and behold, we are in Kadesh." And Rashi proves this from what is said, "and your southern side shall be from the wilderness of Tzin alongside Edom." "To the great river, the river Euphrates" - this is the width of the Land from south to north, and all the land of the Hittites is included. "To the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun" - this is the length from the east, from the direction of the Jordan, to the west, toward the Mediterranean Sea.
This verse was already mentioned in Parashat Ekev, and Chazal expound that if you tread upon any place outside the Land in order to conquer it, it will be yours. And not only in terms of ownership, but halachically: they shall separate terumot and maasrot there, they shall observe there all the mitzvot dependent on the Land, and the sanctity of the Land of Israel shall take effect upon it. And what is "shall be your border"? Here it is an obligation. The bounds stated in verse 4 we are obligated to conquer, and one cannot say "a little is enough for me." This is the original Land of Israel that was promised. And whatever is beyond it, if you conquer it it will be yours and in the category of the Land of Israel, but there is no permission to conquer outside the Land before the conquest within the Land has been completed. And therefore, even though David conquered in Aram Tzova, this does not have the status of the actual Land of Israel with all its mitzvot, because he went to conquer before the absolute conquest of the Land was finished.
And the Malbim explains: it is already known from the words of Chazal that had Moshe crossed over and conquered, they would not have needed war at all; rather, in every place their foot trod, the enemies would have fallen slain before them. And this is what was said to Moshe, "every place that the sole of your foot shall tread" - by the treading of the feet alone they would acquire it. However, sin brought it about and Moshe did not enter, and now they needed war. Even so, the word of Hashem does not return empty, and therefore it is said even now, "every place that the sole of your foot shall tread, to you have I given it, as I spoke to Moshe," except that the matter depends on a condition: "From the wilderness and this Lebanon... shall be your border" - if you first conquer all of the Land of Israel.
And this itself depends on the improvement of deeds, as it is said in Shoftim chapter 3: "And these are the nations that Hashem left, to test Israel by them" - since He saw that their heart was not wholehearted with Him, He left some of the nations to test them. But had their heart been wholehearted so that they did not require a test, they would have conquered their entire border as the promise given to Moshe, without sword and without war. It turns out that the promise still stands pending, and they can attain it if they conduct themselves according to the divine command.
Two promises: leadership and clinging to Hashem
(ה) לֹא יִתְיַצֵּב אִישׁ לְפָנֶיךָ כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיִיתִי עִם משֶׁה אֶהְיֶה עִמָּךְ לֹא אַרְפְּךָ וְלֹא אֶעֶזְבֶךָּ: - (5) No man shall stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moshe, so I will be with you; I will not fail you nor forsake you.
There are two promises here. The first: "No man shall stand before you" - no one will seize authority or speak against you. And indeed, throughout all of Yehoshua's days there was no rebellion, unlike Moshe, against whom Korach challenged his leadership. The Malbim is precise in the language: "stand before you" (yityatzev lefanecha) with a lamed refers to a lesser one presenting himself before a greater one on equal terms, as in "before kings he shall stand," "who is he who will stand before Me"; whereas "stand against you" (yityatzev befanecha) means rising up to fight against him, as in "no man shall stand before you" in Devarim 7 and Devarim 11. Here the promise is that all the days of his life he will be the leader, and no one will raise his head apart from him, even to seize authority, and not merely that they will not rise up against him.
The second promise concerns the Divine attachment: "as I was with Moshe, so I will be with you" - to rest My Shechinah upon you with miracles and wonders as with Moshe. Corresponding to the first, He said "I will not fail you" (lo arpecha), that I will hold you by your right hand to strengthen you always; and corresponding to the second, He said "I will not forsake you" (lo e'ezvecha), that My holy spirit will not depart from you. For opposite physical strength is slackening, as it is written "I held him and would not let him go" (lo arpenu), and opposite the resting of spiritual abundance is abandonment.
Be strong and courageous - and why time after time?
(ו) חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ כִּי אַתָּה תַּנְחִיל אֶת הָעָם הַזֶּה אֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לַאֲבוֹתָם לָתֵת לָהֶם: (ז) רַק חֲזַק וֶאֱמַץ מְאֹד לִשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכָל הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ משֶׁה עַבְדִּי אַל תָּסוּר מִמֶּנּוּ יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול לְמַעַן תַּשְׂכִּיל בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ: - (6) Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. (7) Only be strong and very courageous, to observe and do according to all the Torah which Moshe My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may succeed wherever you go.
The Malbim asks: why did He repeat and triple the exhortation of courage and strength? And why in the second did He add "very"? And what is the meaning of "Have I not commanded you" in verse 9? He answers that He now comes to explain His earlier words. Corresponding to what He said, "No man shall stand before you," He tells him that he must strengthen and courage himself, for the heavenly help rests upon a person according to his human preparation.
And what is the difference between "strong" (chazak) and "courageous" (ematz)? The beginning of the awakening of might is called strengthening, and its maintenance and persistence, which is courage of heart, is called encouraging. When a person grasps a thing, that is strengthening; when he holds it with all his might so it will not fall from him, that is encouraging. This is their definition everywhere.
And why is strength needed here, when he was promised that no man would stand before him? Because let no person say: the Holy One, blessed be He, promised me, I can be slack. The promise was given on condition that he make the effort required of him in the natural way, and then the heavenly help will rest according to human preparation. From here is a great lesson: a leader may not conduct himself with such humility that he is degraded and does not respond, that his words are nullified and he takes no notice. "A king who forgoes his honor, his honor is not forgone," and he is even held accountable for it, for this is not his private position but he is a servant to the people, and his honor is the honor of the people. And as for David HaMelech remaining silent when Shimi disgraced him, at that moment he had already been removed from his kingship, and there was no place to demand accounting; but afterward, when he returned to his kingship, he commanded that the matter be raised and to see how to exact payment from him.
"For you shall cause them to inherit" - and it is chiefly for this that strength is needed, that no man stand before him in matters of the inheritances and burden him with quarrels and litigation. Do we not know what happens when real estate is divided? We already noted this regarding the sending of the spies, "and you all approached me" in confusion. And where did we hear that twelve spies were sent? Because each tribe did not trust its fellow to look after its interests. From this you will understand where we get our hundreds of splinter parties: each one wants someone who will look after his own private interest. And one who is about to divide inheritances, into what battles does he enter! If he is not strong and courageous, they will nullify his words, they will be grumblers and dissatisfied with their portion. And when a leader conducts himself with strength, they see in him a leader and accept his words.
The Malbim explains that it is fitting for him to strengthen himself and not fear, for three reasons: (a) from his own side - for you will be the one who causes them to inherit, and no other. (b) from the side of the inheritor - "this people," the chosen people. (c) from the side of the inheritance - "the land which I swore to their fathers," and My oath will not return empty.
"Only be strong and very courageous" - the war of the yetzer
After explaining that he must strengthen himself so that no one rise against him physically, He now turns to the second matter - the Divine attachment, of which it was said "as I was with Moshe, so I will be with you." In this too the awakening must begin from him, an awakening from below, except that here a greater strength is needed than the first, and therefore He added "very" - for the essence of might is to conquer one's yetzer. Moreover, the physical strengthening itself depends on the spiritual strengthening found in observing the Torah.
There is a story brought in Chovos HaLevavos: A wise man saw troops returning from war. He asked them where they had come from, and they told him that they had won the battle. He said to them: You have won the small battle, but the great battle still lies before you. They asked him: Which one? He answered them: The battle against the yetzer. A person can finish the small battle and immediately the great one begins - he walks with pride, "Do you know who I am, which war I won, what heroism I displayed."
The Malbim explains that this strengthening has two parts: "to keep" - to guard against transgressing the negative commandments, and "to do" - to fulfill the positive commandments. "According to all the Torah" - that you should not keep them because your intellect determines it, but because the Torah commands it, and this is "which Moshe My servant commanded you"; and it will also not suffice if you keep only part of the Torah, but rather all of the entire Torah. "Do not turn from it right or left" - right refers to the side of addition and left to the side of subtraction, meaning do not add to it and do not subtract from it. "So that you will be wise in all that you go" - and through this you will attain success in all your deeds.
What Comes Before What - The Words of Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky
It is told about the Gaon Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky zt"l that toward the end of the year 5728 the government appointed a committee of ministers to deliberate on deferring the conscription of yeshiva students, and he, who was then president of the "Vaad HaYeshivos," was invited to appear before it, to represent the world of the yeshivos and to voice the opinion of the Torah. During the deliberation, one of the ministers turned to him and asked: Does the honored Rabbi not hold that the duty to defend the state takes precedence over the defense of the Torah?
The Rabbi was aroused and said: The word of Hashem to Yehoshua, the first conqueror of the Land, proves the very opposite! In the first chapter of Sefer Yehoshua we find two commands - one about conquering the Land and the second about keeping the Torah. Regarding conquering the Land it says "Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the Land which I swore to their fathers to give them," and in the verse afterward, which speaks about keeping the Torah, there is an addition: "Only be very strong and courageous to keep, to do according to all the Torah which Moshe My servant commanded you, do not turn from it right or left so that you will be wise in all that you go." Consider for yourselves, Rabbi Yechezkel concluded, and see about what it says "be very strong and courageous" and about what it says "only be strong and courageous." These holy words made a powerful impression on all those present.
And the Gemara already said: They asked who are the guardians of the city, and they showed him the guards. He said to them: These are not the guardians of the city, they are the destroyers of the city. Show me the beis midrash, the kollelim and the yeshivos, these are the true guardians of the city. And when one hurls the challenge "Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here," one must know that even the plain meaning of the verse has not been understood: the verse was said about shepherds, who were justly asked why they would go to make money while their brothers fought. But one who goes out to learn Torah - here "the portion is equal," corresponding to those who went out to the army were those who sat by the equipment and engaged in Torah. And on the other hand, this demands of us: if I am the one sustaining the world with my Torah, I cannot be idle, I cannot chase after pleasures. If something happens - a great responsibility rests upon us: did we learn properly, did we fulfill our duty.
"Do Not Turn from It" - To Picture the Image of the Rebbe
The Yerushalmi says: One who says a teaching in the name of the one who said it should see the author of the teaching as if he stands before him. And the disciples of the Arizal z"l said that if a matter of halacha is difficult for a person, he should picture in his mind the image of his teacher and not let his thought stray from him, and this will help him understand the matter. And where is this hinted at? "Only be strong and courageous, which Moshe My servant commanded you, do not turn from it" - do not remove your thought from Moshe, picture in your mind the author of the teaching as if he stands before you, "so that you will be wise."
And if a person should ask: How can I fulfill the entire Torah, when there are mitzvos that pertain to the king, and some to the kohanim, and some to women and slaves? To this comes the continuation "This book of the Torah shall not depart from your mouth" - a person fulfills the entire Torah by learning all its mitzvos. Whoever learns the laws of the olah is as if he offered an olah, the laws of shelamim as if he offered shelamim. And therefore on erev Pesach, after midday, we read the matter of the korban Pesach in verses and mishnayos - since it is not in our power to offer it, "and let us render the bulls of our lips."
Learning, Contemplation, Success and Wisdom
(ח) לֹא יָמוּשׁ סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה מִפִּיךָ וְהָגִיתָ בּוֹ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה לְמַעַן תִּשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכָל הַכָּתוּב בּוֹ כִּי אָז תַּצְלִיחַ אֶת דְּרָכֶךָ וְאָז תַּשְׂכִּיל: - (8) This book of the Torah shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you will keep, to do according to all that is written in it, for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will be wise.
The Malbim asks: Why did he repeat his warnings about keeping the Torah, and why did he say first "so that you will be wise" and afterward "for then you will succeed and then you will be wise"? He answers that there is here an additional condition beyond the deed, and that is learning, contemplation and engagement in Torah. "Shall not depart from your mouth" - engage to learn and review the laws of the Torah and its mitzvos. "And you shall meditate on it" - that he should always think and contemplate the theoretical part of the Torah. There are two parts: reviewing the Torah, which is with speech, and meditating on the Torah, which is in thought. One who comes to contemplate a sugya cannot speak; he must be silent, concentrate, give all his thought to find the distinction between things that are similar and the connection between things that are different - this is meditation.
And the purpose of study and engagement is for the sake of action, to guard against the negative commandments and to fulfill the positive ones. For if a person merely studies Torah and does not observe it, he can be in the category of a donkey carrying books, a student of Talmud. Someone once told Rav Kahaneman about a certain person that he was a "doctor of Talmud." He replied: the Talmud is not ill, it does not need a doctor. Another time they said to him "this is the rabbi doctor," and he said: one thing I know, when the doctor is attached to the rabbi, apparently the rabbi is ill. It is well known that there were great Torah leaders who were forced to obtain a title, like Rav Mertzbach, head of Yeshivat Kol Torah, for in Germany the students were required to do so; yet all his days he hid and concealed it, and it was not a source of pride but the opposite. Our pride is in the knowledge of Torah and its study alone.
"For then you will prosper, and then you will succeed" - and the Malbim explains the difference between prospering and succeeding. The wise man who always knows how to choose the good means that lead to the goal, through his intellect and understanding, is called maskil (successful in wisdom); and one whose fortune stands by him and he always attains the goal by chance is called matzliach (prospering). The maskil has a sharp and keen mind to always choose the path closest to what is sought; the matzliach has good fortune and a favorable arrangement. And it says to him: through the study of Torah you will prosper, for Hashem will turn your fortune for the good, and you will also succeed in choosing the good, you will prosper in worldly matters and succeed in matters of the soul.
There is a story about the intellect and fortune who argued over which of them is more successful. Said the intellect: what good is fortune to you without intellect? Said fortune: and what good is intellect to you without fortune? They went to conduct an experiment. The intellect walked on the sidewalk as intelligent people do, and fortune relied on its luck and walked in the middle of the road. A car came speeding along, the driver saw a man in the middle of the road, swerved the wheel to the right, went up onto the sidewalk and ran over the intellect. This teaches you that even though it is not a way for a person to conduct himself, in the end everything depends on fortune, even a Torah scroll in the ark.
"And you shall meditate on it day and night"
In the Yerushalmi Peah: they asked Rabbi Yehoshua, may a person teach his son Greek? He said to them: let him teach it at an hour that is neither day nor night, for it is written "and you shall meditate on it day and night." That is, there is no such hour, and all of a person's time is holy for Torah. So too the Rav (Bartenura) wrote in Avot (5:22) on "and from it do not stir": that you should not say I have learned the wisdom of Israel, I will go and learn Greek wisdom, for it is only permitted to learn Greek wisdom in a place where it is forbidden to contemplate words of Torah, such as in the bathhouse or the privy.
So too was the Gaon of Vilna: since it is forbidden to contemplate words of Torah there, he would force himself to occupy his mind with mundane matters, and he would solve complex mathematical problems while in the privy. All his time was dedicated to Torah, and he would sleep two hours at night in intervals of half an hour, and even then his lips would murmur words of Torah. So too the Arizal, who murmured words of Torah in his sleep, and Rabbi Avraham, one of his students, bent down to listen, and the Rav told him that even eighty years would not suffice to explain what he had learned in a brief moment in his sleep.
The Rogatchover too would solve complex mathematical problems in the privy. There was a maskil he knew who once brought academics to see him, and they asked him complicated questions and he answered them within seconds. They left amazed, and that maskil returned and said to him: the professors said that from the Rav's brain one could hew several Einsteins. The Rogatchover replied: and from the chips that would remain, another hundred maskilim. And the maskilim, as is known, caused many troubles for Israel in that generation.
Incidentally: the Chafetz Chaim was very insistent that they not learn the language of the country, for such study causes one to draw close to the surroundings and behave like them. It is told that his daughter traveled during a vacation to relatives, and when she returned he heard her say a few words in Polish. He asked her where she knew them from, and she said that they had taught her, and the daughter relates that this was the last time she traveled to those relatives. So too in Eretz Yisrael, at that time they waged war against speaking the Hebrew language that the maskilim had adopted. Afterward, when it had already become the spoken language, zealots came to the Chazon Ish with the complaint of how a cheder had been opened in which they speak Hebrew. The Chazon Ish told them about an old general who retired and came to advise a young general based on a war that had taken place sixty years earlier, and the young one looks at him and does not know whether to laugh or cry: are the weapons today like they were then? Is the battlefield today like it was then? Said the Chazon Ish to them: is the battle today over the Hebrew language? We have other wars.
And this is exactly why we need the eyes of the congregation, the great ones of the generation, who know in every generation what the battlefield is and where to place the emphasis. When they came to Rav Ovadia Yosef about a concert evening of singers, and he knew that it was not right, he said: and what do you want, that we come out against this? They will not listen, and instead they will listen to secular songs, and is that better? There are matters in which the way is to overlook. And once they came to the Chazon Ish to protest a certain matter, and he said: they will not listen to me. They said to him: to the Rav they listen. He said to them: do you know why they listen to me? Because I am silent. Were I to issue a new protest every morning, who would listen? And indeed, when the Chazon Ish did speak, regarding the conscription of the daughters and sons of the yeshivot, and he said "let one be killed rather than transgress," there was no one who did not listen to him. For he knew at which point to open his mouth and when to speak; whereas new warnings and prohibitions every morning end up being ignored.
The order of the day: eight, eight and eight
The Rambam wrote that there are twenty four hours in the day and night, and one must divide them: eight hours to study, eight hours for commerce, and eight hours to sleep. And those who expound on hints found a sign for this in the verse in Iyov "had I slept, then I would have rest" - if I have slept eight hours, the numerical value of "az" (then), I will have rest. So too here: "then you will prosper" - eight hours for commerce, "then you will succeed" - eight hours for Torah study (Tzavarei Shalal).
And they asked the Gra, who managed with four hours of sleep per day, how does this fit? He answered that he reads the verse differently: "had I slept az" - eight hours, "I would have rest li" - I can rest in the toil of Torah for forty hours, which are two days; thus eight hours of sleep for two days, four hours per day. Do not try to outsmart the Gaon of Vilna, for everything he will find you an explanation.
"Have I not commanded you" - the strengthening for war
(ט) הֲלוֹא צִוִּיתִיךָ חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ אַל תַּעֲרֹץ וְאַל תֵּחָת כִּי עִמְּךָ ה' אלקיךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ: - (9) Have I not commanded you: be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified and do not be dismayed, for Hashem your God is with you wherever you go.
Up to this point He commanded him about strengthening himself in dividing the inheritances and in keeping the Torah, but where did He command him to be strong in the war against the enemies - after all, he comes to conquer the land and to fight thirty one kings? To this He responds: "Have I not commanded you" - about this I already commanded you in the Torah through Moshe, as it says in Parashat Vayelech (31:23): "And Moshe called to Yehoshua and said to him before the eyes of all Israel: be strong and courageous, for you shall come with this people to the land which Hashem swore to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it."
And corresponding to "be strong" He said "do not be terrified," and corresponding to "courageous," which is the persistence of strength in the heart, He said "do not be dismayed" - do not be broken, do not fall from your level at any time, neither when you see the enemies strong nor when you see them mighty. "For Hashem your God is with you wherever you go" - even when you go to war against the enemy, Hashem your God is with you to give your enemies into your hand. Note that He did not say "for I am with you," as would be expected in direct speech, but rather shifted to the third person - and this is a proof for the words of the Malbim, that here He is repeating what Moshe told him: "And Hashem, He is the one who goes before you, He will be with you."
Prepare provisions for yourselves
(י) וַיְצַו יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת שֹׁטְרֵי הָעָם לֵאמֹר: (יא) עִבְרוּ בְּקֶרֶב הַמַּחֲנֶה וְצַוּוּ אֶת הָעָם לֵאמֹר הָכִינוּ לָכֶם צֵידָה כִּי בְּעוֹד שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִים אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה לָבוֹא לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה' אלקיכֶם נֹתֵן לָכֶם לְרִשְׁתָּהּ: - (10) And Yehoshua commanded the officers of the people, saying: (11) Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, saying: prepare provisions for yourselves, for in another three days you will cross this Jordan to come to take possession of the land which Hashem your God is giving you to possess.
The Malbim explains, and as will become clear from verse 12 and from the beginning of chapter 2, that before the word of Hashem came to him, Yehoshua was afraid. A heavy responsibility rested upon him, and therefore he acted through natural means: he spoke with the sons of Reuven and the sons of Gad to go armed to his aid, and he sent spies secretly to inquire and investigate, and his intention was to wait until they returned and to act according to their words. But once the word of Hashem came to him and he received backing from Heaven - he grew strong, and did not want to wait for the spies, but rather commanded immediately to proclaim "prepare provisions for yourselves."
And with this a great difficulty in the counting of the three days is resolved: seemingly, how could he say "in another three days," when the spies who were sent did not return until at least five days later? Rather, the original plan was through the natural path, and when the divine speech came he abandoned all those calculations, did not wait for the spies and did not rely on the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuven, but rather proclaimed: within three days we are entering the land.
And what is the preparation of provisions? On the second day in the morning they traveled from Shittim, and the preparation of provisions is to grind the manna in a mill and pound it in a mortar. And some explain that his intention is not to food, for they had manna in their vessels from the seventh of Adar on which Moshe died, but rather his intention is to weapons, for they are about to enter war. And some said in a conceptual manner: prepare yourselves for the land with repentance and good deeds, "prepare yourself in the antechamber" - just as a person needs to prepare provisions for the journey before he comes to the world of truth, so too before entering the land upon which the eyes of Hashem your God are.
The speech to the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuven - and when it was said
(יב) וְלָראוּבֵנִי וְלַגָּדִי וְלַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה אָמַר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֵאמֹר: (יג) זָכוֹר אֶת הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֶתְכֶם משֶׁה עֶבֶד ה' לֵאמֹר ה' אלקיכֶם מֵנִיחַ לָכֶם וְנָתַן לָכֶם אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת: - (12) And to the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to the half tribe of Menashe Yehoshua said, saying: (13) Remember the word which Moshe the servant of Hashem commanded you, saying: Hashem your God is giving you rest and has given you this land.
Why did the verse change the order of the wording? It should have said "And Yehoshua said to the Reubenites and to the Gadites." Rather, there is a principle held by the Malbim: when the verse wishes to relate a matter that began before what was related earlier, it uses the verb alone and places the noun before the verb, and this is what is called the "prior past." And so Rashi explained regarding "And the man knew," and likewise "And Hashem remembered Sarah" - before He healed Avimelech.
According to this, from the fact that it does not say "and Yehoshua said," it is clear that this is not in chronological order. Rather, "and to the Reuveni he said" was earlier. That is, even before the word of Hashem came to him, Yehoshua was contemplating the conquest of the land, and out of his fear of the war he told the Reuveni and the Gadi to cross over armed before their brethren, and he also sent spies, all out of his fear and dread. When Hashem saw that his heart was faltering, He spoke to him to cross the Yarden, that he should not wait for spies, that he should be strong and courageous and not rely on the might of the sons of Reuven. Therefore, immediately after the speech, he commanded the people to prepare provisions, for in three days they would cross the Yarden. It emerges that this entire section, until the end of chapter 2, preceded in time the word of Hashem.
"Remember the word" refers to what is said in Devarim 3:18: "And I commanded you at that time saying, Hashem your God has given you this land to possess it; armed you shall cross over... only your wives, your little ones... until Hashem gives rest to your brethren as to you." The Malbim notes a change: in Parashat Matot Moshe said "and the land shall be subdued before Hashem and afterward you shall return," which obligated them to remain only until the completion of the conquest; whereas in Sefer Devarim he commanded them to remain until after the division of the land, even though he had not made this a condition with them, and he said that in fairness they should do this.
And what is the reason for the change? In Parashat Matot Moshe stipulated that they should go armed "before Hashem," "and every armed man of you shall cross over before Hashem and the land shall be subdued before Hashem," for he thought that the conquest would be miraculous, and the Holy One, blessed be He, would go before them as He split the sea for them, and then it would suffice for them to remain until the end of the conquest. But in Sefer Devarim he already saw that the war would be close to the natural order, and therefore he said "and you shall cross over armed before your brethren" and did not specify "before Hashem," and therefore they needed to remain until the completion of the division, for only then does the war cease entirely. For as long as the land is not divided, there is still concern from the enemies; and only after they divide and actually take possession is it possible to return.
So too Yehoshua explained here: "Hashem your God gives you rest" - you have two privileges that we do not have. The first is rest: your wives and little ones dwell in peace and are no longer wandering, for the land of Sichon and Og on the eastern side of the Yarden has already been conquered; and the second, "and He has given you this land" - the land you requested is already in your hands.
(יד) נְשֵׁיכֶם טַפְּכֶם וּמִקְנֵיכֶם יֵשְׁבוּ בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם משֶׁה בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן וְאַתֶּם תַּעַבְרוּ חֲמֻשִׁים לִפְנֵי אֲחֵיכֶם כֹּל גִּבּוֹרֵי הַחַיִל וַעֲזַרְתֶּם אוֹתָם: - (14) Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall dwell in the land that Moshe gave you on the eastern side of the Yarden, but you shall cross over armed before your brethren, all the mighty men of valor, and you shall help them.
Your wives, little ones, and cattle dwell and are not wandering like the wives of your brethren, and therefore in fairness you should cross over armed before your brethren. And according to what has been explained, that the expression "before your brethren" indicates that the war will be natural and not "before Hashem," he therefore said precisely that "all the mighty men of valor" should cross over. For if the war were miraculous, what need would there be for mighty men of valor? Nothing restrains Hashem from saving by many or by few. But when the war is conducted according to natural measures, one needs strong men, one needs them to cross over armed, and one needs to do everything in the earthly way.
(טו) עַד אֲשֶׁר יָנִיחַ ה' לַאֲחֵיכֶם כָּכֶם וְיָרְשׁוּ גַם הֵמָּה אֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה' אלקיכֶם נֹתֵן לָהֶם וְשַׁבְתֶּם לְאֶרֶץ יְרֻשַּׁתְכֶם וִירִשְׁתֶּם אוֹתָהּ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם משֶׁה עֶבֶד ה' בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן מִזְרַח הַשָּׁמֶשׁ: - (15) Until Hashem gives rest to your brethren as to you, and they too take possession of the land that Hashem your God is giving them; then you shall return to the land of your possession and possess it, which Moshe the servant of Hashem gave you on the eastern side of the Yarden toward the rising of the sun.
Until when will they remain here? Until after the division of the land, so that their brethren will have rest and inheritance just as they have. Corresponding to "Hashem your God gives you rest" he said "until Hashem gives rest to your brethren as to you"; and corresponding to "and He has given you the land" he said "and they too take possession." And when he said "which Moshe gave you," it means: only on this condition did he give it to you, that you inherit it, that you not abandon your brethren but help them. Incidentally, in the work "Me'am Lo'ez" a lengthy account is brought concerning a king named Yaniach who assisted Yehoshua in his conquest, and this is not the place to elaborate upon it.
The Tribes' Response: Accepting the Kingship
(טז) וַיַּעֲנוּ אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֵאמֹר כֹּל אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָנוּ נַעֲשֶׂה וְאֶל כָּל אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁלָחֵנוּ נֵלֵךְ: - (16) And they answered Yehoshua saying, All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.
They said to him: you need not remind us of Moshe's command, as though you must come with heavy artillery; your command alone suffices for us. And not only in this matter to which we are obligated by fairness and justice, but "wherever you send us we will go" - even if you issue new commands that are not included in the original agreement with Moshe, we will go. That is, we accept your kingship absolutely.
(יז) כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְנוּ אֶל משֶׁה כֵּן נִשְׁמַע אֵלֶיךָ רַק יִהְיֶה ה' אלקיךָ עִמָּךְ כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיָה עִם משֶׁה: - (17) Just as we obeyed Moshe in all things, so will we obey you; only may Hashem your God be with you as He was with Moshe.
"Only may Hashem your God be with you as He was with Moshe" - then you are reckoned by us as Moshe your teacher. These words are far from simple, for we saw that there were those who said "the face of Moshe was like the face of the sun, the face of Yehoshua like the face of the moon," and there were those who thought there was an eclipse here, wondering what power Yehoshua had to bring us into the Land. Yet they come and strengthen precisely their faith in him: the very fact that Hashem is with you as He was with Moshe is enough for us to rely on you one hundred percent.
(יח) כָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יַמְרֶה אֶת פִּיךָ וְלֹא יִשְׁמַע אֶת דְּבָרֶיךָ לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר תְּצַוֶּנּוּ יוּמָת רַק חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ: - (18) Any man who rebels against your word and does not obey your words in all that you command him shall be put to death; only be strong and courageous.
"Whoever rebels against your word shall be put to death" - like the law of one who rebels against the kingship. And what is the difference between "rebels against your word" and "does not obey your words"? Rebellion is in a negative commandment: you say about something that it should not be done, and he rebels against your word and does it. And not obeying is in an active commandment: you said to do something, and he does not obey you. This is "who rebels" - to do the opposite of what he was commanded, "and does not obey" - that he does not do what he was commanded. "In all that you command him" - even in a small matter, he is liable to death like the law of one who rebels against the kingship.
And in closing, "only be strong and courageous" - that you strengthen yourself as befits a leader of the people. Here they remind him of the two things that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "no man shall stand before you" and "as I was with Moshe I will be with you," and in both he must strengthen himself. For naturally, a person who steps into shoes several sizes too large for him is seized with faintheartedness: who will obey my words, where am I compared to Moshe my teacher? Therefore they saw a need to strengthen him: take up the kingship, fear no man, and whoever rebels against your word shall be put to death - and only in this way will you lead the kingship properly and fittingly, without fearing rebellion by the people.
Summary:
Chapter 1 is the chapter of Yehoshua's inauguration. With the death of Moshe, the two obstacles that had prevented entry into the Land were removed, and Yehoshua - who merited all his greatness through the principle that "serving Torah scholars is greater than studying Torah" - is appointed leader. The Holy One, blessed be He, promises him two things: that no man will rise against him, and that the Divine Presence will rest upon him as in the days of Moshe; and regarding both He commands him "be strong and courageous," for the supernal aid takes effect according to human preparation. And regarding the keeping of the Torah it says "be very strong and courageous" - for this is the great battle, the battle against the evil inclination, and upon it depends the protection of the people of Israel and of their land. The Land is not named for the conqueror but for the Giver, and the promise "every place that the sole of your foot treads" stands and depends on the improvement of one's deeds. And finally, once Yehoshua saw his fears and his natural efforts give way to the word of Hashem - he strengthened himself, did not wait for spies, and commanded: in another three days you will cross the Jordan.