Establishing a memorial at Gilgal/ Perek 4 (Teacher copy)

לְמַ֗עַן תִּֽהְיֶ֛ה זֹ֥את א֖וֹת בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־יִשְׁאָל֨וּן בְּנֵיכֶ֤ם מָחָר֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר מָ֛ה הָֽאֲבָנִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לָכֶֽם׃

Joshua 4:6

This shall serve as a symbol among you: in time to come, when your children ask, ‘What is the meaning of these stones for you?’

יהושע ד׳:ז׳

וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֣ם לָהֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִכְרְת֜וּ מֵימֵ֤י הַיַּרְדֵּן֙ מִפְּנֵי֙ אֲר֣וֹן בְּרִית־ה' בְּעׇבְרוֹ֙ בַּיַּרְדֵּ֔ן נִכְרְת֖וּ מֵ֣י הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן וְ֠הָי֠וּ הָאֲבָנִ֨ים הָאֵ֧לֶּה לְזִכָּר֛וֹן לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃

Joshua 4:7

you shall tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off because of the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant; when it passed through the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ And so these stones shall serve the people of Israel as a memorial for all time.”

What is the importance of a memorial?
Do you have a family story (or stories) that are remembered?
What is a collective memory?
Why is that important for the Jewish nation?

יהושע ד׳:י״ד

בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא גִּדַּ֤ל ה' אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ בְּעֵינֵ֖י כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּֽרְא֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר יָֽרְא֥וּ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֖ה כׇּל־יְמֵ֥י חַיָּֽיו׃ {פ}

Joshua 4:14

On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, so that they revered him all his days as they had revered Moses.

Why would this פסוק come up here?

יהושע ד׳:כ׳

וְאֵת֩ שְׁתֵּ֨ים עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה הָֽאֲבָנִים֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָקְח֖וּ מִן־הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן הֵקִ֥ים יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ בַּגִּלְגָּֽל׃

Joshua 4:20

And Joshua set up in Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.

יהושע ד׳:י״ח

וַ֠יְהִ֠י (בעלות) [כַּעֲל֨וֹת] הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים נֹשְׂאֵ֨י אֲר֤וֹן בְּרִית־ה' מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן נִתְּק֗וּ כַּפּוֹת֙ רַגְלֵ֣י הַכֹּהֲנִ֔ים אֶ֖ל הֶחָרָבָ֑ה וַיָּשֻׁ֤בוּ מֵֽי־הַיַּרְדֵּן֙ לִמְקוֹמָ֔ם וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ כִתְמוֹל־שִׁלְשׁ֖וֹם עַל־כׇּל־גְּדוֹתָֽיו׃

Joshua 4:18

As soon as the priests who bore the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant came up out of the Jordan, and the feet of the priests stepped onto the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan resumed their course, flowing over its entire bed as before.

What was the cause of the stop of the flow of water?
Why do you think ה׳ might have done it this way?

יהושע ד׳:כ״א

וַיֹּ֛אמֶר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר אֲשֶׁר֩ יִשְׁאָל֨וּן בְּנֵיכֶ֤ם מָחָר֙ אֶת־אֲבוֹתָ֣ם לֵאמֹ֔ר מָ֖ה הָאֲבָנִ֥ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

Joshua 4:21

He charged the Israelites as follows: “In time to come, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of those stones?’

יהושע ד׳:כ״ב

וְהוֹדַעְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם לֵאמֹ֑ר בַּיַּבָּשָׁה֙ עָבַ֣ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן הַזֶּֽה׃

Joshua 4:22

tell your children: ‘Here the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry land.’

What other moment in תנ״ך could you think of that has a similar question and answer?
Pesach
How do they compare (what is the same/ different)?

יהושע ד׳:כ״ד

לְ֠מַ֠עַן דַּ֜עַת כׇּל־עַמֵּ֤י הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֶת־יַ֣ד ה' כִּ֥י חֲזָקָ֖ה הִ֑יא לְמַ֧עַן יְרָאתֶ֛ם אֶת־ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶ֖ם כׇּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃ {פ}

Joshua 4:24

Thus all the peoples of the earth shall know how mighty is the hand of the LORD, and you shall fear the LORD your God always.”

Do you recognize a pattern with this sentence?
Malbim- all nations recognize the hand of H', even if they didn't see the splitting of the Reed Sea.

What does this mean for us?