*************************************************************** THE TANACH STUDY CENTER [http://www.virtual.co.il/torah/tanach] In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag *************************************************************** YEHOSHUA CHAPTERS 7->8 Whenever something 'goes wrong', (instinctively) we tend to blame 'somebody else'. Sefer Yehoshua appears to arrive at a similar conclusion, for in chapter seven we find that one person - ACHAN - is blamed for Bnei Yisrael's defeat in their battle against HA'AI! Could that really be so? Does it make sense that an entire nation should be punished so severely due to the personal sin of one individual! In the following shiur, we take a closer look at the events surrounding the Battle against HA'AI in order to arrive at a more comprehensive understanding of our Sages' principle of "kol Yisrael areyvim zeh l'zeh" - 'all Israel are responsible for one another'. INTRODUCTION As we explained in the previous shiur, chapters 6->12 detail Yehoshua's conquest of Eretz Canaan. However, because Sefer Yehoshua is a "sefer nevuah" [a book of prophecy], we must analyze the presentation of that conquest in search of prophetic message. On the other hand, [in Tanach] that message is more often implicit rather than explicit. Therefore we must always begin our study with a careful analysis of the 'technical' details in order to uncover that prophetic message. The story of the ACHAN and the battle against HA'AI is a classic example of this approach. Clearly, the Navi states that Bnei Yisrael's defeat was due to Achan's sin. However, when we analyze the details of the two battles against HA'AI, it is possible to arrive at a very different conclusion. We begin our study with an outline that summarizes the events that transpire in chapters 7->8. [I recommend that you verify this outline by following the psukim in your Tanach.] 7:1 Introductory remarks [setting the stage] [Note that the parshia actually begins in 6:27!] 7:2-3 Yehoshua sends SPIES to HA'AI, and their report 7:4-9 The defeat in the first battle, and Yehoshua's prayer 7:10-15 God's response - find the 'sinner' who caused the defeat 7:16-26 Singling out Achan & his punishment 8:1-2 God's command to fight HA'AI again (and HOW to fight) 8:3-8 Yehoshua's plan to defeat HA'AI (using the ambush...) 8:9-17 Stage One of the battle - the fake retreat 8:18-24 Stage Two of the battle - the ambush works! 8:25-29 Summary information concerning this victorious battle 'DOUBLE' BLAME Chapter seven leaves us in doubt concerning who really is to blame for the original defeat. On the one hand, it opens with a very harsh statement concerning all of Bnei Yisrael: "VA'YIMALU BNEI YISRAEL BA'CHEREM - And the children of Israel transgressed by taking from the booty..." (7:1); however that very same pasuk continues with "VA'YIKACH ACHAN - And ACHAN took...", indicating that it was only Achan who sinned. This quandary continues later in the chapter when God explains to Yehoshua WHY Bnei Yisrael have been punished. First God declares: "CHATAH YISRAEL - Israel has sinned!" (7:11); but only two psukim later God instructs Yehoshua to find the lone individual who has taken from the booty (see 7:13-19) So who is to blame - all of Bnei Yisrael or only Achan? To answer this question, we must pay careful attention to the detail of the SECOND battle against HA'AI (as explained in chapter 8), as well as an interesting parallel to the story of the "meraglim" in chapter two. THE NEW BATTLE PLAN If ACHAN's sin was ONLY reason why Bnei Yisrael lost the first battle against HA'AI, then we should expect the following sequence of events to follow: 1) Achan must be punished for his sin. 2) Bnei Yisrael can then resume their battle against HA'AI 3) To prove that Achan's sin was the ONLY reason for their defeat, the second battle should be fought just like the first, i.e. a frontal attack by 3000 soldiers (see 7:4!). [To prove that an identical second battle would prove this point - see I Melachim 20:23-25 & its context!] However, after Achan's punishment (see 7:20-26), we find quite the opposite. Instead of sending another unit of 3000 men to attack, God instructs Yehoshua to launch a totally DIFFERENT style of attack. This time, Bnei Yisrael take full advantage of their numeric superiority by setting two ambushes (one of 5000 men and another of 30,000 men) before the remainder of the army engages HA'AI head on. [See 8:1-9 for more complete details.] This battle is very different than the original battle where only 3000 soldiers were sent into battle. This time, Yehoshua employs a much better military strategy. Furthermore, God Himself commands Yehoshua to take his entire army to battle! Note once again how chapter 8 begins with God's NEW battle plan: "And God commanded Yehoshua: Do not fear... Take with you the ENTIRE fighting nation and go up to HA'AI - see I have given you the king and his people... Put an AMBUSH behind the city." (see 8:1-2) At first glance, God's battle plan in chapter 8 appears to contradict His primary message in chapter 7! From chapter 7 it appears that Achan's sin is to blame; while from chapter 8 it appears that the first battle was lost due to poor military planning. So why does God change the battle plan? To answer this question, we must take a closer look at the reason for the first battle plan and its thematic connection to Achan's sin. OVERCONFIDENT SPIES Recall that Yehoshua's decision to send only 3000 men in the first attack against HA'AI was based on the report of the spy mission which he had commissioned (see 7:2-3). Note the confident nature of their report: "...DON'T take up the ENTIRE army, 2000 men or 3000 men [will be sufficient] - no need to weary out the entire army, for they [HA'AI] are small in number." (7:3) Considering that HA'AI boasts a WALLED city and a population of at least 12,000 (see 8:25), the spies' strategy for a small frontal attack of only 2->3000 men clearly reflects an overconfidence in their own military ability. What led to this overconfidence? There are two possibilities. Either they were overconfident in GOD; or they were overconfident in THEMSELVES! To determine which possibility is correct, we can employ a thematic parallel. Recall that before his battle against Yericho, Yehoshua had also sent spies to assist him in forming his battle plans (see chapter 2). Let's compare their report to the report of the spies sent to HA'AI. 'HEADLINES' It is pretty safe to assume that when the spies return to Yehoshua, their detailed report contained more than 'one line'. As military spies, it is their duty to provide their commander with as much military information as possible. Nevertheless, Sefer Yehoshua summarizes the reports of each of these two spy missions with simply 'one line'. Let's compare them: Spies sent to Yericho (see 2:24): "And they said to Yehoshua: for GOD has given the entire land in our hands, and in fact, all the inhabitants of the land are quaking before us." Spies sent to the Ai (see 7:3): "And they reported to Yehoshua: It is not necessary to send up ALL of the troops - two, maybe three thousand should be enough to go up and attack - do not trouble all of the troops for the people are few." Just like the 'headlines' of a newspaper story, these 'one line' reports reflect the gist of the reports of these two spy missions. Clearly, the report of the spies of Yericho reflects their perception of the HAND OF GOD behind all of the events that they had observed. [Events such as Rachav's willingness to hide them, the conversations they overheard in her house, the divine Providence that saved them from 'being caught', etc. led them to conclude that indeed God had prepared the 'ground work' for Bnei Yisrael's attack and had instilled fear in the hearts of the inhabitants of Yericho.] In contrast, the report of the spies of HA'AI does not mention God at all! Instead, their report reflects their overconfidence in their own military might. But what led them to this overconfidence? One could suggest that the victory over Jericho, even though it was won with the help of God's miracle, left the army with a sense of overconfidence in their own military capabilities. After all, even though God helped them make a 'breach in the wall', the remainder of the battle they fought on their own (see 6:20-21). However, as we explained in the last shiur, this is the precise reason WHY God found it necessary to perform a miracle in the FIRST battle in the conquest of Eretz Canaan - IN ORDER that the people realize that even though they are fighting, they must relate that victory to God's assistance. For this very reason, it was forbidden to take from the booty of Jericho - so that the people could show their recognition that God was fighting for them. [Recall that the spoils of war belong first and foremost to the soldiers who do the fighting. Since breaching the wall of Jericho constitutes the primary battle, then the booty belongs to God for He alone caused the wall to fall!] Therefore, by not taking from the CHEREM of Jericho, Bnei Yisrael show their recognition that God has fought for them. Consequently, when ACHAN takes from the CHEREM, it reflects his own understanding that he truly deserved this booty. In other words, ACHAN totally misunderstood the purpose of the God's miracle at Jericho. THE WORST OF THE BUNCH Even though Achan was the only person who actually took from the CHEREM, there were probably many more who didn't view this as anything so terrible. Achan may have been the worst of the bunch, but his actions may have reflected an overall feeling within the army that they deserve credit as well for the victory at Jericho. This attitude is seen once again in the spies' report to Yehoshua, and in the military's own decision to accept that report and its subsequent poor battle strategy. Therefore, ACHAN's personal sin AND the misguided report of the spies - both stem from the same problem of overconfidence caused by a under appreciation of God's assistance in the battle of Yericho. Obviously, Achan's sin's was much more severe; and hence his punishment was harsher. However, Bnei Yisrael themselves are also at fault - but to a much lesser degree; and hence they too are punished by losing in their first battle against HA'AI. This background enables to explain all of our original questions: Who is to blame? BOTH Achan AND Bnei Yisrael; and hence the chapter intentionally connects Achan's personal sin to a more general sin in the nation's attitude (see again 7:2 & 7:11). As we explained above, even though Achan's sin is more severe, both sins are thematically related. One could even suggest that the national mood of overconfidence provided the setting that allowed Achan to take this attitude to the extreme of actually taking from the CHEREM. From this perspective, it is easy to understand why the entire nation carries collective responsibility for Achan's sin. This would also explain the importance of the public punishment of Achan (as explained in 7:12-26), as well as the public display of the items from the CHEREM that he had taken. Why is the battle plan changed? Once again, based on the above background, the change in battle plan also makes perfect sense, since the original battle plan itself was a result of this basic sin of national overconfidence. God's battle plan for the defeat of HA'AI (see 8:1-5) reflects a more conservative military approach, based on the true relative strengths of the armies involved. Not only must God teach Yehoshua how to plan his battles, He must also remind the people not to be so overconfident in their military ability. [This also explains why Sefer Yehoshua dedicates such intricate detail to this new battle plan.] THE TELL-TALE SPEAR Additional support for the above interpretation is found in the Navi's closing remarks concerning this battle. After summarizing the enemies casualties (see 8:24-15), we find a very interesting detail: "And Yehoshua did not put down his outstretched hand holding the KIDON [his spear] until all the inhabitants of HA'AI were defeated." ( Now we know from 8:18 that Yehoshua first raised his hand with the KIDON to provide a signal for the ambush to attack the city. However, once the ambush receives that sign and begins its mission, there appears to be no reason for Yehoshua to keep his hands raised high. Why then does he remain with his hands outstretched during the entire battle? Most likely, the answer lies in the obvious parallel to Moshe's outstretched hand in Bnei Yisrael's battle against AMALEK. Recall that when Moshe lifted his hands high - a sign for Bnei Yisrael to recognize that their victory is truly from God - they were victorious in battle. [See Shmot 17:8-12!] In a similar manner, and for the same reason, Yehoshua also keeps his hands outstretched holding the KIDON during the duration of the entire battle - a sign to the soldiers - so that they will recognize that even though they are fighting, their victory is due to God's providence over them. Considering that their original defeat in the first battle against HA'AI was because they had forgotten that critical point, this detail concerning Yehoshua's outstretched hand carries a key prophetic message. KOL YISRAEL AREYVIM ZEH LA'ZEH Based on the above shiur, we can arrive at a very important conclusion concerning Chazal's principle of "kol Yisrael areyvim zeh la'zeh". Collective responsibility for the sin of an individual becomes logical when that individual's sin stems from the nation's sin (even though that sin may be at a much lower level). Individual behavior is highly influenced by the public mood and national standards; and hence the public becomes responsible for the behavior of the individual within that society. ==== Iy"h, our next bi-weekly shiur will discuss the Mizbayach that Yehoshua builds on Har Eival and the story of the Givonim. ========================== FOR FURTHER IYUN A. Recall from our introductory shiur that one of Yehoshua's primary military problems is taking walled cities. Note how the 'battle plan' for the second battle against HA'AI solves this problem? B. Note from 8:27 that unlike Yericho, the booty of this battle belongs to the people (not to Hashem). Can you explain why? [In your answer, relate to WHO performs the critical fighting in each of these two battles.] C. In Parshat Korach, Moshe Rabeinu asks: Should ONE MAN sin and the ENTIRE NATION be punished?" (see Bamidbar 16:22). Relate this question (and God's answer) to the above shiur. [See also TSC shiur on Parshat Korach!] ============================== QUESTIONS FOR PREPARATION / CHAPTERS 8->12 Chapter 8: The Mizbayach on Har Aival 1. Chapter 8:30-35. Compare these psukim to Devarim chapter 27 and Shmot chapter 24. Did Yehoshua fulfill the mitzvah properly, at the proper time? (See Radak and other commentaries) In what way is this event similar to Matan Torah? What is the importance of such an event at this time? Chapters 9-10: The Story of the Givonim and the Conquest of the Southern Kings 2. Find Givon on a map. Is it in a strategic location? Why was Givon the first nation to attempt a peace treaty? Why were the other kings of the area so angry with the Givonim? 3. Were the seven nations allowed to make peace with Bnei Yisrael? Under what conditions did this apply? [See Rambam Hilchot Melachim Chapter 6 and Gittin 46a] Why were the Nesi'im (leaders of the tribes) so eager to make the treaty? What is the relationship between Yehoshua and the Nesi'im in this chapter? What was the basic difference between the first brit (treaty) made with the Givonim and the brit that was made after the Givonim were caught? Why couldn't the Jews break their "shvuah" [oath] considering the fact that they were tricked? Would this have been a Chilul Hashem (desecration of God's name)? Why? 4. Did the five kings expect Yehoshua to attack them? Who decided to help the Givonim - God or Yehoshua? What major problem did Yehoshua solve through his surprise attack? Why did Yehoshua need additional time to fight so badly that he asked God to miraculously make the day longer? 5. Trace on a topographical map the path of Yehoshua's conquest of the major cities of the south. What areas are not captured? Why? 6. To whom does the Navi credit this impressive list of victories? Chapters 11-12: The Capture of the Northern Kings 7. Was the fact that the northern kings were organized against Yehoshua to his advantage or disadvantage? Explain. In what manner was the battle with the northern kings similar to the battle with the southern kings? In what way was it different? Locate the cities mentioned in this chapter on a map. 8. How did God help Yehoshua in these battles? See chapter 11 psukim 6-9. Why did the Jews destroy all the captured chariots and horses? Is there any logic to this? Relate to Parshat ha'melech in Devarim chapter 17! 9. See chapter 11 psukim 16-19. Find these areas on a map. Compare with the places in chapter 12. Do the places in chapter 11 coincide with the places in chapter 12? See chapter 11 pasuk 20. What point is the Navi trying to explain? Why is this point important? 10. Trace the major battles in Sefer Yehoshua as a function of God's intervention. Is there a definite pattern? Can you explain why? Relate this to life in Eretz Yisrael vs. life in the Desert. [In your opinion, is it better for battles to be won through miracles or through natural means? Similarly, is it better to eat bread from heaven (man), or bread from the ground?] 11. Why are the defeated kings listed as a "shira" (song)? Compare the style of this "shira" to others in Tanach. (See the commentaries and TSC shiur on Parshat Ha'azinu).