Haftorah Shelach L'cha, Joshua 2:1-24 With Commentaries from Rashi, Me & Others Much Wiser than I

1And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men out of Shittim to spy secretly, saying, Go see the land and Jericho. And they went, and came to the house of an innkeeper named Rahab, and they lay there.

Isn’t it interesting that of the 12 spies sent to scout out THE land, only Joshua and Caleb brought back a good report and were the only ones of that generation to actually be able & ready to go into that promised land…

And Joshua [the son of Nun] sent [two men out of Shittim to spy]: Against my will I must say that he dispatched them during Moses’ mourning period, for after three days following the termination of Moses’ mourning period, they crossed the Jordan, for thence we deduced that Moses died on Adar 7 by counting back thirty-three days from the day they came up from the Jordan, namely, the tenth day of the first month. Now, of necessity, from the time the spies were dispatched, they did not cross the Jordan until the fifth day, as it is stated: and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. On that night they crossed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and Joshua rose up early in the morning, and they moved from Shittim, here is a fourth day. And they lodged there before they crossed over. Hence, they did not cross until the fifth day.

secretly: Secretly. So did Jon. render it. He said to them: Disguise yourselves as deaf-mutes (חרשים) so that they will not conceal their affairs from you. Another explanation is: חרש [with a “shin”] is like חרש [with a “sin” or “samech,” namely pottery.] Load yourselves with pots so that you appear as potters.

and see the land and Jericho: Now, was Jericho not included in the generalization? Why, then, is it specifed? Because it was as strong as all of them [the cities combined], it was situated on the boundary. Similarly, and there were missing of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel. Now, was Asahel not included in the generalization? Why, then, was he specified? Because he was as strong as all of them [combined]. Similarly, and King Solomon loved many foreign wives and Pharaoh’s daughter. Now, was Pharaoh’s daughter not included in the generalization? Why, then, was she specified? Because he loved her as much as all of them [combined]. And regarding the sin, since she caused him to sin more than all of them. This was taught in Sifrei.

Innkeeper: זונה. Targum Jon. renders: Innkeeper, one who sells various foodstuffs (מזונות).

2And it was told to the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, men have come here this night from the children of Israel to search the land.

to search: לחפר [lit. to dig,] to spy. And similarly: Thence he sought (חפר) food.

3And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men who have come to you, that have entered your house, for they have come to search out the entire land.

4Now the woman had taken the two men, and had hidden them, and she said, Indeed the men came to me, but I did not know from where they were.

and had hidden them: [lit.“and had hidden him.”] Some Scriptural passages treat the plural as singular. [In this case,] because she hastened to hide them, and [she hid them] in a narrow place as though they were one man. The Agadic Midrash of Rabbi Tanhuma states: They were Phinehas and Caleb, and Phinehas stood before them, yet they did not see him because he was like an angel. Another explanation is: And she hid him, [i.e.,] each one by himself. And we have found the like thereof: Oil and incense make joyful the heart. (ישמח לב), sing. form.) And it is not written ישמחו לב (plural form), [implying that each one makes the heart joyful.]

5And it was time to close the gate, at darkness, that the men went out. I do not know where they went. Pursue after them quickly, for you will overtake them.

6And she had brought them up to the roof, and she hid them with the stalks of flax, that she had laid arranged upon the roof.

with the stalks of flax: With their capsules.

7And the men pursued them in the direction of the Jordan, to the fords; and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, they shut the gate.

to the fords: the place for crossing the water, for they thought that they had turned back towards the Plains of Moab, and the Jordan stood in between.

they shut the gate: [I.e.,] the gatekeepers.

8And before they were asleep, she came up to them upon the roof.

9And she said to the men, I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away because of you.

10For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt; and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you completely destroyed.

11And as soon as we heard, our hearts melted, nor did there remain anymore spirit in any man because of you, for the Lord your God He is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
I truly appreciate the fact that this first statement of faith came from this woman of questionable character…

nor did there remain (or arise) anymore spirit: And there did not remain anymore spirit, even to lie with a woman. [This was evident to Rahab] because, as the Rabbis said: There was neither prince or ruler who had no relations with Rahab the harlot. She was ten years old when the Israelites departed from Egypt, and she practiced harlotry for forty years.

12And now, I pray, swear to me by the Lord, since I have showed you kindness, that you will also show kindness to my father's house, and give me a true token.

a true token: That you will make, so that when you come and conquer the city, that you will recognize the sign and let me live.

13And you shall preserve alive my father, and my mother, and my brothers and my sisters, and all that they have, and you shall deliver our lives from death.

14And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if you will not tell this our discussion. And it shall be, when the Lord gives us the land, that we will deal with you with kindness and truth.

15And she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was in the town wall and she dwelt in the wall.

And she let them down by a rope through the window: [lit., by] the [rope.] By this very rope and window the sinners would ascend to her. She said: “O Lord of the universe! With these I have sinned. With these forgive me.”

16And she said to them, Go to the mountain lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days until the pursuers return, and afterwards you will go your way.

until the pursuers return: There sprouted in Rahab an expression of Divine Spirit that they would return at the end of three days.

17And the men said to her, we will be blameless of this your oath which you made us swear;

We will be blameless: We are making this matter dependent upon you to make this sign.

18Behold when we come into the land, you shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window by which you let us down; and you shall bring your father and your mother, and your brothers and all your father's household home to you.

line of scarlet thread: תקות - an expression of a line (קו) or rope.

19And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of your house outside, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be blameless, and that whosoever shall be with you in the house, his blood shall be upon our head if any hand be upon him.

his blood shall be upon his head: The guilt of his slaying will be upon his own head, for he will have caused his own death.

his blood shall be upon our head: The guilt of his slaying will be upon us.

20And if you tell this our discussion, then we will be blameless of your oath which you have made us swear.

21And she said, According to your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed; and she bound the scarlet line in the window.

22And they went, and came to the mountain, and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned; and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but they did not find them.

23And the two men returned and descended from the mountain, and crossed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had happened to them.

and crossed over: the Jordan.

24And they said to Joshua, -For the Lord has delivered into our hands all the land; and also the inhabitants of the country have melted away because of us.

This final statement of this Haftorah reading declares without any question or doubt that this land belongs to the children of Israel…

And now, let’s see what MyJewishLearning has to offer:

Haftarah for Sh’lach

Two spies tour Jericho.

BY MY JEWISH LEARNING

The haftarah selection is from the Book of Joshua2:1-24.

In Parashat Sh’lach Moses sends 12 spies into the Land of Israel to gather information that will make the Israelites more enthusiastic about entering the Promised Land. The spies are also charged with scouting out the land for military purposes.

In the haftarah for Sh’lach, Joshua is continuing the mission that Moses began: planning a military crusade to conquer the land. Joshua sends two spies into the city of Jericho to survey the region and assess the military options. The spies lodge with a prostitute named Rahab, who lives along the wall built around the city.

Somehow, the king of Jericho is alerted that there are Israelite spies in his city and orders Rahab to produce the men she is hiding. Luckily, Rahab is able to hide the men on her roof while her home is being searched. She successfully convinces the king that the spies have already left and can be caught if the king’s men give chase.

Once the king’s men are gone, Rahab goes up to the roof to speak with the spies. She tells them that she heard about the miracles God performed for the People of Israel, and she believes in the Israelite God. This is why she protected the Israelite men, and turned against her own king. Then she demands that she and her family be spared when the Israelites attack Jericho, and requests some kind of sign that to prove that her family will not be harmed.

The men promise to protect Rahab and her family and climb out of her window to safety. As they are leaving, they tell Rahab to leave a crimson cord hanging outside her window. The cord will mark her home as a safe house, and everyone inside it will be spared from harm, but anyone who ventures out of her house will be taking his life into his own hands.

When the spies return to the Israelite camp and report to Joshua they say, “The Lord has delivered the whole land into our power; in fact, all the inhabitants of the land are quaking before us” (2:24).

Spies and Cords

There are obvious parallels between this week’s parashah and haftarah, since both are stories of spies who are sent out to survey land that the Israelites have been promised by God. Much of the language used in the book of Joshua is very similar to the language in Numbers. However, while Moses sends 12 spies, and 10 of them come back quaking in fear of the giants they saw in the land, Joshua sent only two spies, who returned with a message of confidence.

Additionally, the structure of the Torah portion and the haftarah are very similar. The Torah reading begins with the spies being sent into Israel, and ends with the mitzvah of tzitzit, or fringed garments. God instructs the people to put fringes on the corners of all of their four cornered garments. The fringes are meant to be a deterrent for sin: “Look at it and recall the commandments of the Lord and observe them, so that you do not follow your hear and eyes in your lustful urge.” (Numbers 15:39)

The haftarah also begins with spies being sent into Israel, and also ends with a symbolic string: the crimson cord that Rahab must hang out of her window in order to be spared when the Israelites attack. Like tzitzit, this cord will remind invading Israelites to curb their vengeful or lusty desires.

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Haftorat Parashat Shelach Lecha
The Book of Yehoshua 2:1-24
By Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum.

Rachav the Harlot “Yehoshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying go view the land, and Yericho. They went and came to the house of a woman harlot named Rachav, and lodged there...” (Yehoshua 2:1). Most commentaries agree that Rachav was a harlot, and although the word zonah can also be translated as inn-keeper (from the same root as the word mazon which means food), she was only called thus as clean language – to diminish her disgrace. Possibly her “inn” served as both a place for lodging and meals, where even her body became food for the lodgers. Rachav, the harlot was a “loose” woman. Just as she lacked the boundary of morality, her home, rather than being inside of the boundary of the city, was strategically built into the city-wall. Rachav became well-known in the world, since important officials visited her “inn” and confided in her. The spies of Israel went to Rachav, because top secrets were revealed to her through her important connections. Rachav: Woman of Ultimate Renewal upon meeting the Jewish spies, a spark was ignited in Rachav’s soul. She was inspired to turn her life completely around and perform the highest teshuva possible. She risked her life to save the Jews from the king of Yericho, as she explained the reason for her heroic action: “I know that Hashem has given you the Land, and that dread of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of you. For we have heard how Hashem dried up the waters of the Sea of Suf before you, when you came out of Egypt…” (Yehoshua 2: 9-10). The midrash explains how there was no ruler or noble-man who had not come to Rachav, the harlot. She was ten years old when Israel left Egypt. Although she was involved in an immorality the entire forty years during which Israel journeyed in the wilderness, she converted in the end of her fiftieth year (Yalkut Shimoni, Yehoshua 1:9). What motivated Rachav the harlot to such intense teshuva? It was hearing about the miracles that Hashem had performed for Israel which inspired her, as she stated, “For we have heard…” There are many different levels of hearing. The rest of the Canaanites also heard. They became afraid and were trembling, but their hearing did not motivate them to any personal commitment or action. Only Rachav responded to the truth that she heard – about Hashem’s miraculous salvation of the children of Israel, and she processed what she had heard for forty years. At the age of fifty, she was finally moved to act upon what had made such an impression upon her as a little girl. Her recognition of Hashem being the Master of the Universe moved her greatly. However, it was only by meeting the righteous Israelites that she received the impetus to change her life completely. In response to Rachav’s intense teshuva, the Jewish spies promised her that they would save the lives of her and her family, at the time of the Jewish conquest of the city.
Elevating the Tools of Immorality
The highest form of repentance is through using and elevating the identical tools employed for the previous sin. This kind of teshuva is called teshuvat hamiskal. For example, if someone used to cook milk and meat together daily, for a decadent non-Jewish restaurant, then the highest form of repentance would be elevating his cooking skills by cooking for a holy Jewish event, such as a wedding or sheva bracha. This kind of teshuva transforms the previous sins into merits. Perhaps the reason why Scripture mentions Rachav’s previous occupation, calling her “the harlot” even after her conversion (Yehoshua 6:22), is to emphasize the greatness of her teshuva. Davka (specifically) from the lowest place of being a harlot, a person can seek refuge under the wing of Hashem and be saved from both physical and spiritual death. It was actually the extent of her prior sins that eventually brought her to convert and seek closeness with Hashem. Rachav saved the Jewish spies by “letting them down by the rope through the window” (Yehoshua 2:15) Rashi explains that by means of this same rope and window the adulterers used to come up to her. She said, “Master of the Universe! Through these I sinned, through these please forgive me! Through these I had my escapades. With these very tools of sin, I'm going to risk my life and let down these two Jewish spies.” Rachav teaches us that human beings can use the exact tools of their failure to anchor themselves closer to the Ribono shel Olam, and merit to be accepted into the elite of Klal Yisrael. Rachav merited becoming the wife of Yeshoshua, and having eight prophets and Kohanim descend from her. They were: Yermiahu, Chilkiah, Shariah, Ma’aseha, Baruch ben Niriah, Chanmael and Shalom....
Rabbi Yehudah says even Chuldah the prophetess was descended from Rachav. If someone who came from a people [the Canaanites] about whom it states, “Don't keep any soul alive,” could bring herself so close to Hashem, how much more so concerning the Jews when we keep the Torah. There are several pious female converts: Hagar, Osnat, Tziporah, Shifra, Puah, Bat Pharaoh, Rachav, Ruth and Yael the wife of Chaver the Keni The Wall, the Rope and the Window There are different opinions as to which tools of sin Rachav elevated through her teshuva. According to Yalkut Shimoni they were the wall, rope and window. These three things can be compared to the three main mitzvoth of women: Chalah, Family Purity and Candlelight. The wall protects the home and teaches us proper boundaries, this corresponds to the mitzvah of chalah. Taking a piece of our bread and giving to the Kohen teaches us the proper boundary of holding ourselves back from grabbing everything for ourselves. Like the wall, the gift of chalah protects and blesses the rest of the fruits in our orchard. It is interesting that only after her realization of Hashem’s oneness does Scripture emphasize that Rachav lived in the wall (Yehoshua 2:15). Now she has learned to place the proper wall around her being, which used to be open for all to take. However, she keeps a window open in order to interact with the outside world. She is learning when to open herself to others and how to elevate her vulnerability. Instead of being taken advantage of by men, now, with full consciousness, she allows ב“ה herself be vulnerable, by risking her life for the sake of saving these holy men of Israel. From the window light emanates into the home. This corresponds to the mitzvah of candlelight, which enlightens the home. With the rope you connect. This corresponds to the mitzvah of family purity through which a woman connects herself to her husband. Possibly, the rope can also symbolize how Rachav elevated her past sins and thus connected her past and her future.

The Flax and the Rope
According to the Maharal of Prague, it was the flax, the rope and the window that Rachav used to help the men who came to her for prostitution. She would hide them with the flax, to save their reputation. Through these same three objects, she merited to rescue the spies. The Maharal explains that someone who commits illicit relations, sins first with his eyes. This can be compared to the window as we know the eyes are the windows of the soul. Afterwards he begins to sin with lustful thoughts, and finally, G-d forbid, through the deed itself. Just as flax is used to produce the rope, so is the thought (hirhur) the beginning of actual sin. The lustful thought is still present during the sin, in the same way as flax continues to be part of the rope. The rope is compared to the act itself, as the rope can be used to connect two people together for bad or for good Becoming White as Snow “She bound the scarlet cord in the window” (Yehoshua 2:21). The red thread of our haftorah ties together with the blue thread of this week’s parasha reading, where we read about the mitzvah of the techelet string in the tzitzit. Why was Rachav instructed specifically to hang a red thread of scarlet from her window as a sign to Yehoshua’s men that her family was to be saved? The color scarlet, in Hebrew is usually referred to as tola’at shani. The word “tola’at” means “worm” and “shani” refers to the dye (or the dyed material) obtained from the eggs of the insects which attach themselves to the kermes oak. The red color carries associations to Rachav’s previous occupation, such as the “red light” district. However, just as the red color of fire turns in to white ashes, the red string is a vivid symbol of no matter how immoral and wormy anyone has become, there is always hope of returning. Actually, the Hebrew word used for cord in our verse, is the very unusual “tikva,” which means hope, like in Israel’s anthem “Hatikva.” The exquisite Torah verse that we read in Shabbat hachazon eternally reminds us that “Although your sins be like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be like [white] wool” (Yeshauyahu 1:18). Even if our sins are as striking as a red dye, through teshuva we can rise above them, like Rachav, the harlot, who became the wife of the leader of Israel. Transforming the Fire of Lust into Passion for Holiness While the color scarlet contrasted with white usually is a negative color symbolizing sin, The Eishet Chail uses the color of scarlet in the reverse way, to protect her household against the cold of snow. “She does not fear the snow for all of her household are clothed with scarlet” (Mishlei 31:21). The color of scarlet – deep red – is the color of fire. Perhaps we can say that the Eishet Chail has her own and her family’s fire in control. She protects her family by channeling the very same fire which usually causes people to sin, into fire and passion for Hashem’s mitzvoth. One of the problems of our time is that even when a person is able to overcome his passion for sin; he sometimes forgets to remain hot for holiness. This makes him susceptible to Amalek’s influence, which cooled down ב“ה Israel’s desire and yearning for holiness. Pursuit of holiness such as Torah learning, tefilah, yearning for the Temple and for Mashiach requires deed, initiative and warmth. The scarlet string may symbolize how Rachav transformed her fire for immorality into the greatest passion for holiness.
Her Name of Space
Our Rabbis taught that Rachav was one of the four strikingly beautiful women in the world. While Yael evoked passion with her voice, Avigail by remembering her, Michal the daughter of Shaul by seeing her, Rachav’s attraction was so great that she evoked passion only through mentioning her name (Babylonian Talmud, Megilah 15a). Her name “Rachav” literary means “wide.” Rav Tzadok of Lublin explains, the advantage of the ba’al tshuva over the tzaddik is that when a crooked line is made into a straight line, the line becomes broader. It is interesting that “Rachav – Broad” represents the ultimate Ba’al Teshuva in the way she used the means to her sins for mitzvot. Likewise, her name is connected with widening the border, just as the Torah emphasizes that her house was in the wall, meaning the border of the city of Yericho, which in itself is a city on the border of the land of Israel. Rachav also had the key role in enabling Israel to conquer the border of Yericho and the entire Israel. By straightening herself she extended her borders to become part of the land of Israel. Pious Convert Rabbi Shmuel son of Nachman said this can be compared to a king who had an orchard wherein has planted rows of nut, apple and pomegranate trees, which he gave to his son. When his son would do his will, the king would return and see a beautiful plant in the world which he would uproot and plant in his orchard. However, when his son would not do his will the king would see a beautiful plant inside the orchard and uproot it. Likewise, all the time that Israel is doing the will of G-d (the Place), He sees a Tzaddik among the nations of the world like Yitro, and Rachav and brings him to cleave to Israel. But at the time when Israel is not doing the will of Hashem, he sees a Tzaddik and righteous, kosher and fear of heaven among them and expel him from within them (Midrash Rabah, Shir Hashirim, Parsha 6 Piska 10).

So now let’s conclude with this Haftorah in a Nutshell from Chabad.org…

Shelach Haftorah in a Nutshell

Joshua 2:1-24.

This week's haftorah tells the story of the spies that Joshua sent to scout the city of Jericho, prior to the Israelites' invasion of the Holy Land, a point in common with this week's Torah reading, which discusses the twelve spies that were sent by Moses years earlier to explore the Holy Land.

Joshua sent two spies to Jericho, where they lodged at an inn located in the city's walls, operated by a woman named Rahab. Their presence was quickly discovered by the king who sent for Rahab and asked her to turn in her guests. Rahab responded that her guests had already left the city — when actually she had hidden them on her rooftop.

"And she said to the men, I know that G‑d has given you the land, and that your terror has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away because of you. For we have heard how G‑d dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt; and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you completely destroyed."

At Rahab's request, the two spies assured her that she and her family would not be harmed during the conquer of Jericho—provided that she would tie a scarlet thread and hang it from her window. This would be a symbol that this home is a safe haven. Rahab helped the men escape via a rope she lowered from her window and told them how to hide from possible pursuers. The spies escaped safely and returned to report to Joshua.

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