בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗יא אָמַ֤ר ה' אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ עֲשֵׂ֥ה לְךָ֖ חַֽרְב֣וֹת צֻרִ֑ים וְשׁ֛וּב מֹ֥ל אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שֵׁנִֽית׃
At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and proceed with a second circumcision of the Israelites.”
כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל אֶרֶץ מוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם (במדבר טו, ב), הֲלָכָה, כַּמָּה דְבָרִים חַיָּב אָדָם לַעֲשׂוֹת לִבְנוֹ, שָׁנוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ חֲמִשָּׁה דְבָרִים הָאָב חַיָּב לַעֲשׂוֹת לַבֵּן, הָאָב זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְהַבֵּן אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהָאָב חַיָּב לָמוּל אֶת בְּנוֹ, כֵּן עָשָׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, מָל אוֹתָם עַל יְדֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (יהושע ה, ב): עֲשֵׂה לְךָ חַרְבוֹת צֻרִים. הָאָב חַיָּב לִפְדוֹתוֹ, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא פָּדָה יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל ב ז, כג): לִפְדוֹת לוֹ לְעָם. לְלַמְּדוֹ תּוֹרָה, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל (דברים יא, יט): וְלִמַּדְתֶּם אֹתָם אֶת בְּנֵיכֶם, וּכְתִיב (ישעיה מח, יז): אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ מְלַמֶּדְךָ לְהוֹעִיל. לְלַמְּדוֹ מִצְווֹת, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִמֵּד אֶת הַמִּצְווֹת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. לְהַשִֹּׂיאוֹ אִשָּׁה, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אָמַר לָהֶם (בראשית א, כח): פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ. הָאָב זָקוּק לִבְנוֹ לְהַאֲכִילוֹ וּלְהַשְׁקוֹתוֹ לְרָחֲצוֹ לָסוּכוֹ וּלְהַלְבִּישׁוֹ, וְכֵן עָשָׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל (יחזקאל טז, ט י): וָאֶרְחָצֵךְ בַּמַּיִם וָאֶשְׁטֹף דָּמַיִךְ וגו' וָאַלְבִּשֵׁךְ רִקְמָה. (יחזקאל טז, יט): וְלַחְמִי אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לָךְ. (במדבר כא, יז): עֲלִי בְּאֵר עֱנוּ לָהּ. מָה הָאָב נוֹתֵן לִבְנוֹ נְכָסִים, כָּךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עָשָׂה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל (ירמיה ג, יט): וְאֶתֶּן לָךְ אֶרֶץ חֶמְדָּה. וּמַה הַבֵּן חַיָּב לִהְיוֹת מַעֲלֶה לְאָבִיו, דּוֹרוֹן, כָּךְ אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל: כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל אֶרֶץ וגו' וַעֲשִׂיתֶם עֹלָה לַה'.
(1) "When you come to the land of your dwellings": What is the halacha of how many things a person is obligated to do for his son? Our rabbis taught: A person is obligated to do five things for his son. G-d can be compared to a father and the Jewish people to His son. Just like a father is obligated to circumcise his son, G-d did so for the Jews by circumcising them by the hand of Yehoshua as it says (Joshua 5:2) "Make for yourself stone knives." A father is obligated to redeem his son [if he is a firstborn] and G-d redeemed the Jews, as it says [II Samuel 7:23) "to redeem it as a nation." [A father is obligated] to teach [his son] Torah, [and] G-d taught the Jews Torah as it says (Deuteronomy 11:19) "Teach them to your children" and it is written "I am G-d your teacher." [A father is obligated] to teach [his son] mitsvot, [and] G-d taught the mitsvot to the Jews. [A father is obligated] to marry [his son] to a woman, [and] G-d told mankind: "Be fruitful and multiply." A father is obligated to his son [in the following ways]: to give him food and drink, to bathe him, to give him ointments, and to clothe him, and thus did G-d for the Jews, as it is written (Ezekiel 16: 9) "And I washed you in water, and I washed away your blood...and I clothed you with embroidered clothing...and My bread which I gave you..." [and in Numbers 21:17] "Arise, o well, sing to it." What does a father give to a son? Possessions. Thus G-d did for the Jews, as it says in Jeremiah 3:18, "And I gave you a beloved land." And what must a son give to his father? A gift. Thus G-d said to the Jews, "When you come to the land...and bring an olah-offering to G-d."
To which ברית מילה can this one be compared?
What do you think is the reason that this was the chosen moment yo have a ברית מילה?
What do you think is the reason that this was the chosen moment yo have a ברית מילה?
כִּ֣י ׀ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֗ה הָלְכ֣וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ בַּמִּדְבָּר֒ עַד־תֹּ֨ם כׇּל־הַגּ֜וֹי אַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ הַיֹּצְאִ֣ים מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־שָׁמְע֖וּ בְּק֣וֹל ה' אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֤ע ה' לָהֶ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֞י הַרְאוֹתָ֣ם אֶת־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁבַּ֨ע ה' לַֽאֲבוֹתָם֙ לָ֣תֶת לָ֔נוּ אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ׃
For the Israelites had traveled in the wilderness forty years, until the entire nation—the men of military age who had left Egypt—had perished; because they had not obeyed the LORD, and the LORD had sworn never to let them see the land that the LORD had sworn to their fathers to assign to us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
What was the reason that the previous generation was not allowed to see the land?
וַיְהִ֛י כַּאֲשֶׁר־תַּ֥מּוּ כׇל־הַגּ֖וֹי לְהִמּ֑וֹל וַיֵּשְׁב֥וּ תַחְתָּ֛ם בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה עַ֥ד חֲיוֹתָֽם׃ {פ}
After the circumcising of the whole nation was completed, they remained where they were, in the camp, until they recovered.
וַיֵּשְׁבוּ תַּחְתָּם (תַּרְגּוּם:) בַּאֲתַרְהוֹן, וְלֹא צָרוּ עַל הָעִיר.
They remained in their places. They remained in their places and they did not besiege the city.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר ה' אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ הַיּ֗וֹם גַּלּ֛וֹתִי אֶת־חֶרְפַּ֥ת מִצְרַ֖יִם מֵעֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וַיִּקְרָ֞א שֵׁ֣ם הַמָּק֤וֹם הַהוּא֙ גִּלְגָּ֔ל עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃
And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” So that place was called Gilgal, as it still is.
גַּלּוֹתִי הֲסִירוֹתִי אֶת חֶרְפַּת מִצְרַיִם, שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים: רְאוּ כִּי רָעָה נֶגֶד פְּנֵיכֶם, כּוֹכָב אֶחָד יֵשׁ שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ 'רָעָה' וְהוּא סִימָן שֶׁל דָּם, רוֹאִין אָנוּ אוֹתוֹ עֲלֵיכֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר, וְהוּא שֶׁאָמַר משֶׁה בַּמִּדְבָּר (שמות לב יב): לָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר בְּרָעָה הוֹצִיאָם, וְהֵם אֵינָם יוֹדְעִים שֶׁהוּא דַּם מִילָה, וּכְשֶׁמָּלוּ בִּימֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וּבָא אוֹתוֹ הַדָּם הוּסְרָה אוֹתָהּ הַחֶרְפָּה שֶׁעֲדַיִין עֵרֶב רַב שֶׁעָלוּ עִמָּהֶם הָיוּ מוֹנִים לָהֶם, כָּךְ דָרַשׁ רַבִּי משֶׁה הַדַּרְשָׁן.
I have removed. (Lit. I have rolled) I have removed the ridicule of the Egyptians who had said [when they were leaving], “See that ‘Raah’ is before you. There is a star named Raah, which is a symbol of blood. We see it overpowering you in the wilderness.” This is what Moshe referred to in the wilderness [when he said,] “Why should the Egptians speak, saying, ‘With Raah, He took them out.’” But they did not know that [the blood they saw] was the blood of circumcision. And now when they were circumcised in the days of Yehoshua, and the blood of circumcision appeared, that ridicule was removed; for the mixed multitude that went up with them [from Egypt] were still taunting them. This is the way R’ Moshe, Ha Darshan explained [this passage.]
Why was this place called גלגל?
ובמדרש ראו כי רעה נגד פניכם, כוכב אחד יש ששמו רעה ואמר להם פרעה רואה אני באצטגנינות שלי כוכב אחד עולה לקראתכם במדבר והוא סימן דם והריגה, והכוכב הזה הוא כוכב מאדים ועשו הרשע קראו אדום ומזה נכפל בו הלשון (בראשית כה) מן האדום האדום הזה וכמו שבארתי שם, ופרעה הרשע שהיה אצטגנין גדול קראו רעה לפי שהוא סבת הרעות כלן הוא כוכב מורה על הדם והחרב והשממון והפצעים והמכות ושם נפל שדוד מדה כנגד מדה כי נענש במה שחטא הוא הקשה את לבו וכתיב (משלי כח) ומקשה לבו יפול ברעה ועל כן נאבד בסוף, ואמר נגד פניכם הוא בכחו הגדול לנגדכם מביט אליכם ומעותד להזיק לכם בדרך הזה במדבר, והיה ראוי זה כנגד מה שחטאו ישראל בעגל ונתחייבו מזה הריגה זהו שהזכיר בתפלתו למה יאמרו מצרים לאמר ברעה הוציאם, כלומר אם אתה מכלה אותם עתה במדבר בחטאם יתחלל שמך הגדול ויאמרו מצרים כי היה זה בכח אותו כוכב ששמו רעה שהוציאם בו ולכך מתו במדבר ויכחישו למפרע האותות והמופתים אשר ראו כבר ויאמרו שגם הם היו בכח המזלות ואין הממשלה כ"א להם ח"ו. מיד וינחם ה' על הרעה, הפך הדם לדם מילה שמל אותם יהושע הוא שכתוב (יהושע ה) היום גלותי את חרפת מצרים מעליכם שהיו אומרים לכם דם אנו רואים עליכם במדבר.
A Midrashic approach quoted by Rashi understands the word רעה as the name of a star or planet (Mars) which is so named as it symbolises bloodshed and war. Pharaoh foresaw in his astrological charts that the Jewish people would suffer a blood bath in the desert. He warned them that their leaving Egypt would prove worse for them than their remaining in Egypt. Esau used to call that star Edom. This is why he referred to מן האדום האדום הזה, when he asked Yaakov to share with him that famous dish of broth (Genesis 25,30 — see our commentary there). The wicked Pharaoh who was an expert astrologer called the star in question רעה. He attributed all misfortune in the world to the influence of that planet. He himself became a victim of that planet’s force as part of G’d’s retribution of measure for measure. When he foresaw a blood bath facing the Jews, he did not realize that this was the reference to the Israelites who would be killed because they served the golden calf. This is what Moses referred to in his prayer after the sin of the golden calf when he said to G’d: “why should the Egyptians who would take note of G’d killing the entire people be able to say (boast) ברעה הוציאם, ‘He took them out under the auspices of the planet (horoscope) רעה, only in order to kill them’” (Exodus 32,12). Moses pointed out that if G’d carried out His intention of killing the people (32,10) He would cause a desecration of His recently established great name by playing into the hands of the Egyptians who had predicted this already here. As a result they would retroactively deny their recently held conviction that G’d had orchestrated the plagues out of His love for the Jewish people. They would henceforth attribute all those plagues to the stars and their respective constellations. When G’d accepted Moses’ argument, i.e. וינחם ה' על הרעה אשר דבר לעשות, “G’d relented concerning the רעה He had said He would do,” (32,14) He decided that the bloodletting would be that when Joshua would perform mass circumcision of the Israelites born in the desert. In Joshua 5,9 we find the expression “to-day I have removed from you the shame (full prediction) of Egypt.”
Explain how the prediction of the Egyptians led to this moment. What was the role that משה played?
וַיַּחֲנ֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בַּגִּלְגָּ֑ל וַיַּעֲשׂ֣וּ אֶת־הַפֶּ֡סַח בְּאַרְבָּעָה֩ עָשָׂ֨ר י֥וֹם לַחֹ֛דֶשׁ בָּעֶ֖רֶב בְּעַֽרְב֥וֹת יְרִיחֽוֹ׃
Encamped at Gilgal, in the steppes of Jericho, the Israelites offered the passover sacrifice on the fourteenth day of the month, toward evening.
When was the ירדן crossed?
How many years have passed since יציאת מצריים?
How many years have passed since יציאת מצריים?
גְּמָ׳ תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: בְּפֶסַח קוֹרִין בְּפָרָשַׁת מוֹעֲדוֹת וּמַפְטִירִין בְּפֶסַח גִּלְגָּל, וְהָאִידָּנָא דְּאִיכָּא תְּרֵי יוֹמֵי, יוֹמָא קַמָּא — בְּפֶסַח גִּלְגָּל, וּלְמָחָר — בְּפֶסַח יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ.
GEMARA: The Sages taught in a baraita: On the first day of Passover, the congregation reads from the portion of the Festivals (Leviticus 22:26–23:44), and they read as the haftara the account of the Passover celebrated at Gilgal (Joshua 5:2–14). The Gemara comments: And nowadays, in the Diaspora, when there are two Festival days of Passover, on the first day they read as the haftara the account of the Passover celebrated at Gilgal, and on the next day they read from the account of the Passover observed by Josiah (II Kings 23).
וַיִּשְׁבֹּ֨ת הַמָּ֜ן מִֽמׇּחֳרָ֗ת בְּאׇכְלָם֙ מֵעֲב֣וּר הָאָ֔רֶץ וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה ע֛וֹד לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מָ֑ן וַיֹּאכְל֗וּ מִתְּבוּאַת֙ אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה הַהִֽיא׃ {ס}
On that same day, when they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. The Israelites got no more manna; that year they ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.
ובני ישראל אכלו את המן ארבעים שנה. לפי הנראה לא היו מ' שלמים כי חדש אחד יחסר מהם שהרי המן התחיל לירד באחד בשבת וחצי אייר היה ובצק שהוציאו ממצרים הספיק להם חדש אחד ואם כן היה ראוי שישבות המן בחצי אייר וזה הכתוב מעיד ששבת בחצי ניסן כשהיו ישראל בערבות יריחו וכתיב (יהושע ה) ויאכלו מעבור הארץ ממחרת הפסח מצות וקלוי וישבות המן ממחרת, על כן יש לומר כי טעם מ' שנה קרוב למ' שנה וכדי שלא תבין שהיו מ' שלמים לכך הוצרך לחזור סתם את המן אכלו עד באם אל קצה ארץ כנען כי כן תמצא כתוב וישבת המן ממחרת באכלם מעבור הארץ ולא היה עוד לבני ישראל מן ויאכלו מתבואת ארץ כנען בשנה ההיא ולמדנו כי ישראל שירד להם המן כל ימי משה עוד ירד להם אחר פטירתו של משה והם ברשותו של יהושע ל"ח ימים שהרי בז' באדר מת משה ובכו אותו כל ישראל שלשים יום ועברו את הירדן בעשור לחדש הראשון כי כן מפורש ביהושע והמן לא פסק עד ט"ו בניסן וכאשר תחשוב מז' מאדר שמת משה עד ט"ו בניסן שפסק בו המן תמצא ל"ח ימים.
ובני ישראל אכלו את המן ארבעים שנה, “and the Children of Israel ate the manna for forty years.” At first glance there could not have been forty whole years as the first month after the Exodus they did not have any manna. It did not start descending until the middle of Iyar and the dough they had taken out of Egypt had lasted them for a month. If the report of the Torah is correct the manna should not have stopped until the middle of Iyar after Moses’ death, i.e. more than a month after the Israelites crossed the Jordan. We have a report in Joshua 5,11-12. that on the morrow of the Passover i.e. on the sixteenth of Nissan they ate from the produce of the land both unleavened bread and parched grain! The verse continues by reporting that on the day the Israelites ate from that produce the manna ceased. We are forced to understand the words “for forty years” in our verse as an approximate figure. In order to make certain that we do not misunderstand and believe that the manna was eaten for a full forty years, the Torah repeats giving further details by saying “they ate the manna until they came to an inhabited land, the edge of the land of Canaan.” You will find that this information corresponds exactly to what is written in Joshua 5,12: “on that same day, when they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. The Israelites got no more manna.” According to our tradition the manna fell from the 15th of Iyar in the first year of the people’s wanderings and ceased falling the day after Moses died on the seventh day of Adar. For the next 38 days when the Israelites were already under the authority of Joshua no manna fell. The first thirty days were observed as mourning for Moses. They were followed by three days of preparing to cross the Jordan (Joshua 1,10) after which they crossed the Jordan on the 10th of Nissan. This was followed by the male Israelites born since the Exodus being circumcised at Gilgal (Joshua 5,9).
וַיְהִ֗י בִּֽהְי֣וֹת יְהוֹשֻׁ֘עַ֮ בִּֽירִיחוֹ֒ וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּה־אִישׁ֙ עֹמֵ֣ד לְנֶגְדּ֔וֹ וְחַרְבּ֥וֹ שְׁלוּפָ֖ה בְּיָד֑וֹ וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ יְהוֹשֻׁ֤עַ אֵלָיו֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ הֲלָ֥נוּ אַתָּ֖ה אִם־לְצָרֵֽינוּ׃
Once, when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing before him, drawn sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and asked him, “Are you one of us or of our enemies?”
אָמַר לוֹ: אֶמֶשׁ בִּטַּלְתֶּם תָּמִיד שֶׁל בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם, וְעַכְשָׁיו בִּטַּלְתֶּם תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה. אָמַר לוֹ: עַל אֵיזֶה מֵהֶן בָּאתָ? אָמַר לוֹ: ״עַתָּה בָאתִי״, מִיָּד: ״וַיָּלֶן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא בְּתוֹךְ הָעֵמֶק״, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן:
As for the angel’s mission, the Gemara explains that the angel said to Joshua: Yesterday, i.e., during the afternoon, you neglected the afternoon daily offering due to the impending battle, and now, at night, you have neglected Torah study, and I have come to rebuke you. Joshua said to him: For which of these sins have you come? He said to him: I have come now, indicating that neglecting Torah study is more severe than neglecting to sacrifice the daily offering. Joshua immediately determined to rectify the matter, as the verses states: “And Joshua lodged that night” (Joshua 8:9) “in the midst of the valley [ha’emek]” (Joshua 8:13), and Rabbi Yoḥanan said:
Who is this stranger and what is his task?
What do we learn from this?
Why do you think that this is more important?
What do we learn from this?
Why do you think that this is more important?
How does this encounter of meeting a "stranger" compare to the encounter יעקוב had with the מלאך of אשיו?
וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ שַׂר־צְבָ֨א ה' אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ שַׁל־נַֽעַלְךָ֙ מֵעַ֣ל רַגְלֶ֔ךָ כִּ֣י הַמָּק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתָּ֛ה עֹמֵ֥ד עָלָ֖יו קֹ֣דֶשׁ ה֑וּא וַיַּ֥עַשׂ יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ כֵּֽן׃
The captain of the LORD’s host answered Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.
What makes this ground קודש?
Where did we learn this as well?
Where did we learn this as well?
שַׂר צְבָא ה' יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהוּא צָבָא לַה', וּמִיכָאֵל הָיָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דניאל י כא): מִיכָאֵל שַׂרְכֶם.
The officer of Hashem's host. This refers to Bnei Yisrael, who are Hashem’s host. The officer mentioned here is the Angel, Michael, as it is said, ‘Michael, your officer.’