פרשת פינחס תשי"ב - סמיכת יהושע

וצויתה אתו AND GIVE HIM A CHARGE concerning Israel; say to him, “Know that they are troublesome, that they are refractory — accept your office having in mind that you will have to take upon yourself all this (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 92 on 11:16).

"Assail the Midianites" - Why? "For they assailed you" (Numbers 25:18). From here the sages said, 'rise and kill the one who comes to kill you.' Rabbi Shimon says, "From where [do we know that it is true] even more of one who causes a man to sin than one who kills him - as the one who kills, kills in this world but [the victim] has a share in the world to come; [whereas] the one who causes him to sin, kills him in this world and in the world to come. Two nations greeted Israel with the sword and two with sin: The Egyptians and the Edomites greeted with the sword - 'The enemy said, "I will pursue, I will reach, I will empty my sword"' (Exodus 15:9); 'And Edom said to him, "You shall not pass through me, else I will go out against you with the sword."' And two [nations greeted] with sin, the Moabites and the Ammonites. About the ones that came out with the sword, it is written (Deuteronomy 23:8), 'You shall not abhor an Edomite... you shall not abhor an Egyptian.' But [about those] that greeted with sin to cause Israel to sin, [it is written] (Deuteronomy 23:4), 'No Ammonite or Moabite shall be admitted... even in the tenth generation... forever.'" And the daughters of Tzelophad approached: In that generation, the women would seal what the men would puncture. As so do you find that Aharon said to them (Exodus 32:2), "Remove the earrings of gold that are in the ears of your wives" - and the women did not want and they protested against their husbands, as it is stated (Exodus 32:3), "And the entire people removed the earrings of gold, etc." And the women did not participate with them in the [building of the] golden calf. And so [too] with the scouts that put out calumny: "And they came back and they brought the entire congregation to complain" (Numbers 14:36), and upon them was the decree decreed, as they [were the ones that] said, "we cannot go up" (Numbers 13:31). But the women were not with them in the counsel, as it it written beyond this section (Numbers 26:65), "As God said to them, 'You shall surely die in the desert,' and not a man remained from them except for Calev the son of Yefuneh" - [it is written] "a man," but not a woman; because of [the men] not wanting to enter the land, but the women approached to request an inheritance in the land. Therefore, this section is written adjacent to the death of the generation of the wilderness (that came out of Egypt) - as from there did the men puncture and the women seal. ..."And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Ascend to this Mount Eivarim...'" (Numbers 27:12), Mount Nevo (Deuteronomy 32:48-49). What he saw was said after the division of the inheritances. However, when Moses our Teacher heard (Numbers 27:7): "...give to them...," he thought that he was necessary to the Holy One, blessed be He - he said, "Here I am exalting Israel." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "My decree stands firm. 'Ascend to this Mount Eivarim...just as your brother, Aaron, was gathered in.' You are not better than your brother." ..."And Moshe said to the Lord saying, 'Appoint, Lord, God of the spirits'" - anyone who seeks the needs of the community is as if he comes by force. "Appoint, Lord" - what did he see to seek this thing after the arrangement of the inheritance? Rather, when the daughters of Tzelophad inherited [from] their father, Moshe said, "Behold, it is the time in which to claim my needs. If daughters inherit, it is appropriate that my sons inherit my glory." The Holy One, blessed be He, said [back] to him, "'He who tends a fig tree will enjoy its fruit' (Proverbs 27:18) - your sons sat for themselves and were not occupied with Torah. Yehoshua served you much and gave you much honor; and he would come early and leave late your council chamber; he would arrange the benches and roll out the mats - since he served you with all of his strength, he is worthy to tend to Israel, so as to not lose his wage. 'Take Yehoshua the son of Nun,' in order to fulfill, 'He who tends a fig tree will enjoy its fruit.'"