The Inner Dimension of Tanach - Yehoshua 12 31 Kings, 10 Sons and the Battle for Eretz Yisrael

When I first learned the 12th Perek of Sefer Yehoshua, I honestly didn't know what I was going to write about. The Pessukim seemed so simple and devoid of meaning at first glance, just a casual list of the kings that Klal Yisrael conquered in battle...
But as always, every word in Torah offers us endless depth and wisdom, but if it doesn't come across on the surface, that just means we have to dig deeper!

With that introduction, take a look at a few key Pessukim in the Perek:

יהושע י״ב:א׳

(א) וְאֵ֣לֶּה ׀ מַלְכֵ֣י הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִכּ֤וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַיִּֽרְשׁ֣וּ אֶת־אַרְצָ֔ם בְּעֵ֥בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן מִזְרְחָ֣ה הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ מִנַּ֤חַל אַרְנוֹן֙ עַד־הַ֣ר חֶרְמ֔וֹן וְכׇל־הָעֲרָבָ֖ה מִזְרָֽחָה׃

Joshua 12:1

(1) The following are the local kings whom the Israelites defeated and whose territories they took possession of: East of the Jordan, from the Wadi Arnon to Mount Hermon, including the eastern half of the Arabah:

יהושע י״ב:ט׳

(ט) מֶ֥לֶךְ יְרִיח֖וֹ אֶחָ֑ד מֶ֧לֶךְ הָעַ֛י אֲשֶׁר־מִצַּ֥ד בֵּֽית־אֵ֖ל אֶחָֽד׃

Joshua 12:9

(9) They were: the king of Jericho one, the king of Ai, near Bethel, one

יהושע י״ב:כ״ד

(כד) מֶ֥לֶךְ תִּרְצָ֖ה אֶחָ֑ד כׇּל־מְלָכִ֖ים שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים וְאֶחָֽד׃ {פ}

Joshua 12:24

(24) the king of Tirzah 1 Total number of kings 31.

All seems pretty straightforward... except for the structure of the text itself, take at look at this picture and the following comment of the Gemara in Megilla:

תלמוד ירושלמי מגילה ג׳:ז׳:ג׳

אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֵּירִבִּי בּוּן. שִׁירַת הַלְוִיִּם לֹא יִפְחֲתוּ לָהּ מִשִּׁשָּׁה קְרִיאִיּוֹת. סֵימָנָהּ הזי״ו ל״ך. רִבִּי זְעוּרָה רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה בְשֵׁם רַב. [שִׁירַת הַיָּם] וְשִׁירַת דְּבוֹרָה נִכְתָּבִים אַרִיחַ עַל גַּבֵּי לְבֵינָה וּלְבֵינָה עַל גַּבֵּי אַרִיחַ. עֲשֶׂרֶת בְּנֵי הָמָן וּמַלְכֵי כְנַעַן נִכְתָּבִין אַרִיחַ עַל גַּבֵּי אַרִיחַ וּלְבֵינָה עַל גַּבֵּי לְבֵינָה. דְּכָל־בִּינְייָן דֵּכֵן לָא קָאִים...

Jerusalem Talmud Megillah 3:7:3

Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, in the Levites’ song they should not have less than six readings, Rav Jeremiah in the name of Rav: [the Song on the Sea] and Deborah’s song are written space on brick and brick on space, The ten sons of Haman and the kings of Canaan are written space on space and brick on brick, since any such building will not stand...

אסתר ט׳:ז׳-ט׳

(ז) וְאֵ֧ת ׀ פַּרְשַׁנְדָּ֛תָא וְאֵ֥ת ׀ דַּֽלְפ֖וֹן וְאֵ֥ת ׀ אַסְפָּֽתָא׃ (ח) וְאֵ֧ת ׀ פּוֹרָ֛תָא וְאֵ֥ת ׀ אֲדַלְיָ֖א וְאֵ֥ת ׀ אֲרִידָֽתָא׃ (ט) וְאֵ֤ת ׀ פַּרְמַ֙שְׁתָּא֙ וְאֵ֣ת ׀ אֲרִיסַ֔י וְאֵ֥ת ׀ אֲרִדַ֖י וְאֵ֥ת ׀ וַיְזָֽתָא׃

Esther 9:7-9

(7) They also killed Parshandatha,Dalphon,Aspatha, (8) Poratha,Adalia,Aridatha, (9) Parmashta,Arisai,Aridai,and Vaizatha,

That's cute. The Gemara is comparing the sons of Haman with the Kings of Canaan as these are the only two places in all of Tanach that have such a brick structure...
But why? Didn't we see the downfall of many of our enemies?
What is the deeper connection between the 10 sons of Haman and the 31 Kings that Yehoshua conquered?
The following idea is based upon the writings of Rav Moshe Shapira in Afikei Mayim.

Let's start off by looking at a famous Passuk in the Song by the Sea with the comment of the Gemara in Brachos:

שמות ט״ו:ט״ז

(טז) תִּפֹּ֨ל עֲלֵיהֶ֤ם אֵימָ֙תָה֙ וָפַ֔חַד בִּגְדֹ֥ל זְרוֹעֲךָ֖ יִדְּמ֣וּ כָּאָ֑בֶן עַד־יַעֲבֹ֤ר עַמְּךָ֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה עַֽד־יַעֲבֹ֖ר עַם־ז֥וּ קָנִֽיתָ׃

Exodus 15:16

(16) Terror and dread descend upon them;
Through the might of Your arm they are still as stone—
Till Your people cross over, יהוה,
Till Your people cross whom You have ransomed.

ברכות ד׳ א:י״ח

״עַד יַעֲבֹר עַמְּךָ ה׳״ — זוֹ בִּיאָה רִאשׁוֹנָה, ״עַד יַעֲבֹר עַם זוּ קָנִיתָ״ — זוֹ בִּיאָה שְׁנִיָּה. מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים: רְאוּיִם הָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵיעָשׂוֹת לָהֶם נֵס בִּימֵי עֶזְרָא כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה לָהֶם בִּימֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן. אֶלָּא שֶׁגָּרַם הַחֵטְא.

Berakhot 4a:18

The Gemara interprets homiletically that until Your people will cross refers to the first entry into Eretz Yisrael during the time of Joshua, while until the people You have acquired pass over refers to the second entry following the exile in Babylonia. Based on the juxtaposition of these two entries in this single verse, the Sages said: Israel was worthy of having a miracle performed on its behalf in the time of Ezra the scribe, just as one was performed on their behalf in the time of Joshua bin Nun. However, transgression caused the absence of a miracle.

A careful reading of this Gemara in Brachos reveals a whole new layer of understanding in this topic:
1) The Song of the Sea really included praise for the first entry to Eretz Yisrael in the times of Yehoshua and links that to the second entry in the times of Ezra.
2) The Gemara points out that the second entry was incomplete of miracles, perhaps alluded to in the follow Gemara in Yoma:

יומא ט׳ ב:ט״ו

רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ הֲוֵי סָחֵי בְּיַרְדְּנָא אֲתָא רַבָּה בַּר בַּר חָנָה יְהַב לֵיהּ יְדָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אֱלָהָא! סָנֵינָא לְכוּ — דִּכְתִיב: ״אִם חוֹמָה הִיא נִבְנֶה עָלֶיהָ טִירַת כָּסֶף וְאִם דֶּלֶת הִיא נָצוּר עָלֶיהָ לוּחַ אָרֶז״. אִם עֲשִׂיתֶם עַצְמְכֶם כְּחוֹמָה וַעֲלִיתֶם כּוּלְּכֶם בִּימֵי עֶזְרָא — נִמְשַׁלְתֶּם כְּכֶסֶף שֶׁאֵין רָקָב שׁוֹלֵט בּוֹ, עַכְשָׁיו שֶׁעֲלִיתֶם כִּדְלָתוֹת — נִמְשַׁלְתֶּם כְּאֶרֶז שֶׁהָרָקָב שׁוֹלֵט בּוֹ.

Yoma 9b:15

Reish Lakish was swimming in the Jordan River when Rabba bar bar Ḥana came and gave him a hand to help him out. Reish Lakish said to him: My God! I hate you Babylonians, as it is written: “If she be a wall we will build a silver turret upon her, if she be a door we will cover her with boards of cedar” (Song of Songs 8:9). This is the meaning of the verse as it applies to the Jewish people: Had you rendered yourselves a solid bloc like a wall and all ascended to Eretz Yisrael in the days of Ezra, you would have been likened to silver, which rot does not infest, in the sense that you would have merited experiencing the Divine Presence in all its glory. Now that you ascended like doors, and only some of you came to Eretz Yisrael, you are likened to cedar, which rot infests, and you merit experiencing only partial revelation of the Divine Presence.

Reish Lakish (a Baal Teshuva himself, who often times has a keep sense of passion and idealism) faults the Jewish people for not returning to Eretz Yisrael in the times of the second Temple. Had we returned in full, Hashem would have mirrored that with a reflection of the Divine Presence and open miracles.

And therefore, the Song of the Sea was in a certain sense, incomplete.
This idea is reflected in the Targum on Shir Hashirim where he describes that the complete song of the Jewish people is still awaiting the final redemption:

תרגום על שיר השירים א׳:א׳

עֲסַרְתֵּי שִׁירָתָא אִתְאֲמַרוּ בְּעָלְמָא הָדֵין שִׁירָא דֵין מְשׁוּבַּח מִן כּוּלְּהוֹן...

...שִׁירְתָא תִּנְיֵיתָא אֲמַר מֹשֶׁה עִם בְּנוֹי דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בִּזְמָן דְּבַזַּע לְהוֹן מָרֵי עָלְמָא יָת יַמָּא דְּסוּף פְּתַחוּ כּוּלְּהוֹן כַּחְדָּא וַאֲמַרוּ שִׁירְתָא דְּהַכְּדֵין כַּתִיב בְּכֵן שַׁבַּח מֹשֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.

וְשִׁירְתָא עֲשִׂרֵיתָא עֲתִידִין לְמֵימַר יָתַהּ בְּנֵי גָלְוָתָא בְּעִדָּן דְּיִפְּקוּן מִן גָּלוּתָא...

Aramaic Targum to Song of Songs 1:1

... Ten songs were spoken in this world, this song being the best of them all.

...The second song Moses said with the children of Israel at the time the Master of the World divided the Reed Sea for them. All of them opened their mouths together and spoke the song, as it is written: “Then sang Moses and the Israelites” (Exodus 15:1).

...And the tenth song the children of the Exile are destined to say at the time they are redeemed from Exile...

Very interesting, but what does this have to do with the 10 sons of Haman and the 31 Kings of Canaan?
Take a look at the following Passuk in Megillas Esther with the comment of Rashi:

אסתר ט׳:י׳

(י) עֲ֠שֶׂ֠רֶת בְּנֵ֨י הָמָ֧ן בֶּֽן־הַמְּדָ֛תָא צֹרֵ֥ר הַיְּהוּדִ֖ים הָרָ֑גוּ וּבַ֨בִּזָּ֔ה לֹ֥א שָׁלְח֖וּ אֶת־יָדָֽם׃

Esther 9:10

(10) the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the foe of the Jews. But they did not lay hands on the spoil.

רש"י על אסתר ט׳:י׳

(א) עֲשֶׂרֶת בְּנֵי הָמָן. רָאִיתִי בְסֵדֶר עוֹלָם אֵלּוּ י' שֶׁכָּתְבוּ שִׂטְנָה עַל יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלָיִם כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּסֵפֶר עֶזְרָא "וּבְמַלְכוּת אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ בִּתְחִלַּת מַלְכוּתוֹ כָּתְבוּ שִׂטְנָה עַל ישְׁבֵי יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלָיִם". וּמָה הִיא הַשִׂטְנָה? לְבַטֵּל הָעוֹלִים מִן הַגּוֹלָה בִּימֵי כוֹרֶשׁ, שֶׁהִתְחִילוּ לִבְנוֹת אֶת הַבַּיִת וְהִלְשִׁינוּ עֲלֵיהֶם הַכּוּתִים וְהֶחֱדִילוּם וּכְשֶׁמֵּת כּוֹרֶשׁ וּמָלַךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ וְהִתְנַשֵׂא הָמָן, דָּאַג שֶׁלֹּא יַעַסְקוּ אוֹתָן שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלַיִם בַּבִּנְיָן וְשָׁלְחוּ בְשֵׁם אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ לְשָׂרֵי עֵבֶר הַנָּהָר לְבַטְּלָן:

Rashi on Esther 9:10

(1) The ten sons of Haman. I saw in Seder Olam: These are the ten who wrote a [false] accusation against Yehudah and Yerusholayim, as it is written in the Book of Ezra: “And during the reign of Achashveirosh, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the dwellers of Yehudah and Yerusholayim.” And what was the [purpose of the] accusation? To stop those who were coming up from the exile during the days of Koresh, who had started to build the Beis Hamikdosh, and the Cutheans slandered them and stopped them. But when Koresh died, and Achashveirosh reigned, and Haman was promoted, he [Haman] saw to it that those in Yerusholayim would not engage in the construction, so they [Haman’s ten sons] sent in the name of Achashveirosh to the princes of the other side of the river to stop them [from building].

OK, now we are getting somewhere!
The 31 Kings of Canaan were the spiritual force blocking the Jewish people from entering Eretz Yisrael the first time. And with their demise and downfall, the first stage of the song was able to come to fruition.
And who was blocking the Jews from coming back the second time?
The 10 sons of Haman!
Downfall complete... except their was one problem:
The Jewish people.
We had failed to come back. We had become too comfortable in exile and while the bricks of the Persian monarchy had fallen and been rebuilt in our favor, we weren't quite ready to pick up the pieces and usher the final song in ourselves...
But the story is not quite over. Take a look at a fascinating Mishnah in Uktzin with the comment of the Tosafos Yom Tov:

משנה עוקצים ג׳:י״ב

(יב) אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי, עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהַנְחִיל לְכָל צַדִּיק וְצַדִּיק שְׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת וַעֲשָׂרָה עוֹלָמוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי ח), לְהַנְחִיל אֹהֲבַי יֵשׁ וְאֹצְרֹתֵיהֶם אֲמַלֵּא. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן חֲלַפְתָּא, לֹא מָצָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כְּלִי מַחֲזִיק בְּרָכָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֶלָּא הַשָּׁלוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים כט), ה' עֹז לְעַמּוֹ יִתֵּן ה' יְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמּוֹ בַשָּׁלוֹם:

Mishnah Oktzin 3:12

(12) Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: In the world to come the Holy One, Blessed be He, will make each righteous person inherit three hundred and ten worlds, for it is written: "That I may cause those that love me to inherit yesh (numerical value of; and that I may fill their treasuries" (Proverbs 8:21. Rabbi Shimon ben Halafta said: the Holy One, Blessed be He, found no vessel that could contain blessing for Israel save that of peace, as it is written: "The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace" (Psalms 29:11).

תוספות יום טוב על משנה עוקצים ג׳:י״ב:ג׳

... ויש לי לומר טעם למספר הזה. ע"ד מדרשם ז"ל בנקבה תסובב גבר. שישראל בזמן הזה. כנקבה היורשת עישור נכסים בלבד. שהאומות ע' הם. וירשו רק ז'. אבל לעתיד ירשו כולם. ולעומת זה יאמר בכאן ג"כ מספר יש. שהרי כשנחלו הארץ כבשו ל"א מלכים. ואם לעתיד יכבשו במספר י' פעמים ל"א. יהיו במספר יש...

Tosafot Yom Tov on Mishnah Oktzin 3:12:3

...

ירמיהו ל״א:כ״ב

(כב) עַד־מָתַי֙ תִּתְחַמָּקִ֔ין הַבַּ֖ת הַשּֽׁוֹבֵבָ֑ה כִּֽי־בָרָ֨א יְהֹוָ֤ה חֲדָשָׁה֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ נְקֵבָ֖ה תְּס֥וֹבֵֽב גָּֽבֶר׃ {פ}

Jeremiah 31:22

(22) How long will you waver, O rebellious daughter? For GOD has created something new on earth: A woman courts a man.

What does all of this mean?
What are these mysterious 310 worlds and what does this have to do with the complete conquering of Eretz Yisrael?
What is the allusion to Jeremiah 31:22 and what does it mean that the woman will run after the man? Is this an ancient allusion to modern feminism?
Take a look at the final comments of the Radak and Rav Nachman of Breslov which hopefully will wrap everything together...

רד"ק על ירמי׳ ל״א:כ״ב

(ג) כי ברא ה' חדשה בארץ. עתיד לברוא חדשה אחר שתשבי בגלות ימים רבים ומה היא החדשה כי נקבה תסובב גבר שדרך העולם שהאיש מחזר ומסובב אחר האשה וכן אמרו רז"ל בעל אבדה מחזר על אבדתו ואז הנקבה תסובב אחר אישה כלומר שישובו בני ישראל אל ה' אלהיהם ויגאלם...

Radak on Jeremiah 31:22

...There will be a new creation after you live in exile for many days. And what is the new? A female will surround a man, which is the way of the world, where a man seeks after a woman, and so the wise men said, "A man who has lost his wife seeks after his loss." Then the female will surround a woman, meaning that the children of Israel will return to the Lord their God and He will redeem them...

ליקוטי מוהר"ן ט״ו:ה׳:י׳

(י) וּכְשֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל מִתְפַּלְּלִין לְפָנָיו וּמְמַלְּאִין תַּאֲוָתוֹ, אֲזַי נַעֲשֶׂה, כִּבְיָכוֹל, בִּבְחִינַת אִשָּׁה, שֶׁהוּא מְקַבֵּל תַּעֲנוּג מֵעִמָּנוּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (במדבר כ״ח:כ״ד): אִשֶּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַה' – עַל־יְדֵי הָרֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ שֶׁמְּקַבֵּל נַעֲשֶׂה בִּבְחִינַת אִשָּׁה, וּ"נְקֵבָה תְּסוֹבֵב גָּבֶר" (ירמיהו ל״א:כ״ב), שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא נַעֲשֶׂה בִּבְחִינַת מַלְבּוּשׁ נִגְלֶה, הַיְנוּ מִבְּחִינַת שֶׁהָיָה מִתְּחִלָּה בְּנִסְתָּר, עַכְשָׁו נִתְגַּלֶּה עַל־יְדֵי הַתְּפִלָּה, וְקֻדְשָׁא־בְּרִיךְ־הוּא וְאוֹרַיְתָא כֹּלָּא חַד, וְאָז עַל־יְדֵי הַתְּפִלָּה נִתְגַּלֶּה אוֹרַיְתָא, הַיְנוּ סִתְרֵי אוֹרַיְתָא.

Likutei Moharan 15:5:10

(10) And, when the Jews pray before Him and satisfy His desire, then [God], as it were, takes on the aspect of IShaH (the feminine). This is because He receives pleasure from us, as is written (Numbers 28:8), “It is an ISheH (fire offering), an appeasing fragrance to God.” Through the appeasing fragrance that He receives, He takes on the feminine aspect. And, [because] “The female shall court the male” (Jeremiah 31:21), the Holy One takes on the aspect of a “revealed garment.” In other words, that aspect which was originally hidden is now revealed through prayer. And, God and the Torah are one (Zohar III, 73a). Thus, through prayer, Torah is revealed—i.e., the hidden mysteries of the Torah.

Their comments reveal that Hashem, the male in the analogy is waiting for us, Klal Yisrael, His beloved bride to get up and start being the pursuer in this cosmic relationship!
He brought the downfall of the 31 Kings and the 10 sons.
31 x 10 = 310
He is ready to give us the 310 worlds of his Divine Inheritance flowing down through Eretz Yisrael.
He did His part, but the song is not complete. He is waiting for us to do ours!
Living in Eretz Yisrael is not always easy, but it is worth it.
And in this unique opportunity in history, perhaps time for all of the bricks to come together and Klal Yisrael to sing the Final Song of Redemption. And He is waiting for us with open arms! Are we ready to come home?
With blessing and peace,
Doron Lazarus
Ramat Bet Shemesh