The conquest of Jericho was almost entirely divine. God help set up the miracle brought about by the Kohanim, the Ark, and the people. With the city’s defenses in shambles, it was easy for the Israelite army to overrun the city. Ai is different. After the poorly conceived attack that lead to defeat in the last chapter, Yehoshua gets a second chance to show his military acumen. God provides the pep talk in verses one and two, and hints at the properly military strategy- set a trap.

“And the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you and march on Ai… See, I give into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king—except that you may keep the spoil and the cattle as booty for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city, behind it.’” (verses 1–2).

וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אַל־תִּירָא וְאַל־תֵּחָת קַח עִמְּךָ אֶת־כָּל־עַם הַמִּלְחָמָה וְקוּם עֲלֵה עַי רְאֵה נָתַתִּי בְיָדְךָ אֶת־מֶלֶךְ הָעַי וְאֶת־עַמּוֹ וְאֶת־עִירוֹ וְאֶת־אַרְצוֹ׃

וְעָשִׂיתָ לָעַי וּלְמַלְכָּהּ כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ לִירִיחוֹ וּלְמַלְכָּהּ רַק שְׁלָלָהּ וּבְהֶמְתָּהּ תָּבֹזּוּ לָכֶם שִׂים לְךָ אֹרֵב לָעִיר מֵאַחֲרֶיהָ

(Joshua 8:1–2)

Yehoshua sets it all into motion. The military strategy in this chapter is unique until this point. Avraham’s war with the five and four kings in Genesis is low on detail. Levi and Shimon’s massacre at Shchem did not have much strategy beyond- wait until everyone was uncomfortable. The battle with Amalek- Yehoshua’s first battle was mostly focused on Moshe’s hands in the air. The Israelite conquests at the end of Deuteronomy are also devoid of strategy and detail.

Once again, the Israelites are faced with a walled city-state. Yehoshua positions a military unit behind the city hidden from view. The rest of the army moves with Yehoshua for a full-fledged attack with a quick retreat. The army from Ai pursues, and the Israelite army retreats. Once the Ai army vacates the city chasing the Israelite army, the ambush troops enter the city without any issues.

The genius of this strategy is that is it plays off of the Israelite defeat in the last chapter. Yehoshua knows that the inhabitants of Ai would expect a much larger force to attack this time- so Yehoshua sends a massive 30,000-person force. In the previous chapter, Ai only killed a handful of the Israelites. This time, faced with what looks like a similar outcome, the overconfident Ai army pursues. The small 5,000 ambush unit that eventually overtakes the city also parallels the small 3,000 troop unit that was defeated in the previous attack.

As an added bonus, God has Yehoshua pay homage the battle of Amalek by instructing Yehoshua to lift a spear into the air like Moshe’s arms.

“Then the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Hold out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.’ And Joshua held out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city.” (verse 18).

וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ נְטֵה בַכִּידוֹן אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדְךָ אֶל־הָעַי כִּי בְיָדְךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּהּ וַיֵּט יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בַּכִּידוֹן אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדוֹ אֶל־הָעִיר

(Joshua 8:18)

Yehoshua keeps the spear in the air without any assistance while the Israelite army is victorious.

After six chapters of triumphs, things unravel quickly in chapter seven. There are important factors missing in the first attack on Ai as opposed to the attack on Jericho. God was not part of the planning process. Joshua consults with his army and not God. The people decided to go into Ai with a smaller force. That displays a level of hubris after one victory. Joshua also did not follow through with the plans from the previous chapter of making sure all the spoils were left to God. Yes, the spoils were taken secretly, but this major part of the Jericho conquest seems to have been ignored. After the army’s defeat, Joshua reenacts Moshe’s encounter with God after the sin of the Golden Calf. Joshua falls on his face and confronts God with the notion that other nations will mock God for bringing the people to the land only to be killed right away. The problem is that Moshe was pleading with God not to destroy the people after the Golden Calf. Here, Joshua is complaining to God after one lost battle. In this context his complaining actually sounds more like the people before the crossing of the Yam Suf. “Why did You lead this people across the Jordan only to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites, to be destroyed by them? If only we had been content to remain on the other side of the Jordan!” (verse 7).

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֲהָהּ אֲדֹנָי ה׳ לָמָה הֶעֱבַרְתָּ הָעָם הַזֶּה אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן לָתֵת אוֹתָנוּ בְּיַד הָאֱמֹרִי לְהַאֲבִידֵנוּ וְלוּ הוֹאַלְנוּ וַנֵּשֶׁב בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן (Joshua 7:7) And: “Was it for want of graves in Egypt that you brought us to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt?” (Exodus 14:11).

הֲמִבְּלִי אֵין־קְבָרִים בְּמִצְרַיִם לְקַחְתָּנוּ לָמוּת בַּמִּדְבָּר מַה־זֹּאת עָשִׂיתָ לָּנוּ לְהוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם

(Exodus 14:11) God’s response to Joshua is the same as to Moshe before the crossing of the sea. “But the LORD answered Joshua: ‘Arise! Why do you lie prostrate?’” (verse 10).

וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ קֻם־לָךְ לָמָּה זֶּה אַתָּה נֹפֵל עַל־פָּנֶיךָ

(Joshua 7:10) And: “Then God said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward.’” (Exodus 14:15). וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה מַה־תִּצְעַק אֵלָי דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִסָּעוּ (Exodus 14:15) God sees what Joshua is doing. It is a wonky attempt at using the Moshe card. But God’s response is also telling. Like the evergreen leader in Exodus, God has to remind Joshua that not every difficult event requires prostrating to God. The answer is simple—the people have sinned! As a leader, especially one who clerked under Moshe, Joshua should have known something was amiss. Instead, he overreacted like someone whose football team starts the season 1–1. It is extraordinary that the text includes this hiccup by Joshua. However, the book is very much about Joshua’s personal growth as a leader as it is about the people’s conquest of the land. To leave out a misstep would be an injustice to Joshua.

“Joshua fit the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down…” (https://youtu.be/IsEmF9urYDk). The story of the conquest of Jericho is one of the Bible stories that is famous beyond Judaism, including a popular Christian hymn describing the heroic battle (performed by Elvis in the linked clip). The story itself is a combination of a variety of strategies concocted by God and Joshua to announce the Israelite arrival in the land of Canaan in a way that served multiple purposes.

The first was to strike fear in the hearts and minds of the local population. Jericho was known as a city with impenetrable walls. The city was slammed shut with the Israelites approaching. No one could enter.

“Now Jericho was shut up tight because of the Israelites; no one went out and no one came in.” וִירִיחוֹ סֹגֶרֶת וּמְסֻגֶּרֶת מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין יוֹצֵא וְאֵין בָּא (Joshua 6:1) The shock and awe strategy was achieved in three parts. The first was the ceremonial encircling of the city accompanied by the shofar blowing and ending with the battle cry of the people.

“You shall march around the city, all the warriors, going around the city once… and seven priests shall carry seven ram’s horn shofars before the Ark.”

סֹבּוּ אֶת־הָעִיר כָּל־אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה הַקֵּף אֶת־הָעִיר פַּעַם אֶחָת… וְשִׁבְעָה כֹּהֲנִים יִשְׂאוּ שִׁבְעָה שׁוֹפְרוֹת הַיּוֹבְלִים לִפְנֵי הָאָרוֹן (Joshua 6:3–4) The second was the miraculous deconstruction of the indestructible walls. “When the people heard the sound of the shofar, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat.”

וַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ הָעָם אֶת־קוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר וַיָּרִיעוּ הָעָם תְּרוּעָה גְדוֹלָה וַתִּפֹּל הַחוֹמָה תַּחְתֶּיהָ

(Joshua 6:20) The third was the massacre of the entire population of the town. “They proscribed everything in the city to destruction—man and woman, young and old, ox, sheep, and donkey.” וַיַּחֲרִימוּ אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר בָּעִיר מֵאִישׁ וְעַד־אִשָּׁה מִנַּעַר וְעַד־זָקֵן וְעַד־שׁוֹר וָשֶׂה וַחֲמוֹר לְפִי־חָרֶב

(Joshua 6:21) This combination of miraculous intervention and brute strength sent shockwaves through the land and proclaimed Joshua as a tenacious leader. The importance of these three military notes is emphasized by their repetition in the chapter. But it was not all about destruction and death. The chapter also repeats another story—the rescue of Rahav and her family. God instructs the people to save Rahav, Joshua tells the two spies to save her, they save her, and then she is noted again in the summary. “But Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, ‘Go into the house of the prostitute and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.’”

וְלִשְׁנֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים הַמְרַגְּלִים אָמַר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֹּאוּ בֵּית־הָאִשָּׁה הַזּוֹנָה וְהוֹצִיאוּ מִשָּׁם אֶת־הָאִשָּׁה וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָהּ כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתֶּם לָהּ

(Joshua 6:22) “So the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahav and her father and her mother and her brothers and all who belonged to her.”

וַיָּבֹאוּ הַנְּעָרִים הַמְרַגְּלִים וַיּוֹצִיאוּ אֶת־רָחָב וְאֶת־אָבִיהָ וְאֶת־אִמָּהּ וְאֶת־אַחֶיהָ וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָהּ

(Joshua 6:23) Helping Rahav and keeping the promise made to her also sends a message. The message is that those who assist with the conquest will be rewarded and saved, as opposed to those who stand in the way. The chapter also has a message for the Israelites. God will assist them in their conquest, but they must follow God’s instructions carefully. Circling the city both scares the local population, but also tests the discipline of the people. God’s commandment to keep the spoils holy is another test that the people fail in the next chapter. These three messages provide the basis for the story of Jericho leading off the conquest of the land. The power of God, the loyalty of God’s servants, and the promises kept are also why this story has resonated beyond its initial audience.

After crossing the Jordan, God instructs Joshua to make sure the people are circumcised. After the mass circumcision, the people celebrate Pesach. Both of these incidents are firsts post Exodus.

“At that time the LORD said to Joshua: Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites a second time.”

בָּעֵת הַהִיא אָמַר ה׳ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עֲשֵׂה לְךָ חַרְבוֹת צֻרִים וְשׁוּב מֹל אֶת־בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל שֵׁנִית

(Joshua 5:2)

“The Israelites encamped at Gilgal and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month, at evening, in the plains of Jericho.”

וַיַּחֲנוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּגִּלְגָּל וַיַּעֲשׂוּ אֶת־הַפֶּסַח בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ בָּעֶרֶב בְּעַרְבוֹת יְרִיחוֹ

(Joshua 5:10)

What is the connection between the circumcision and Pesach? On a halachic level there are two connections. The first is that anyone who is uncircumcised cannot partake of the Pesach offering as instructed in Exodus 12:48.

“If a stranger who resides with you would offer the Passover to the LORD, all his males must be circumcised; then he may draw near to offer it.”

וְכִי־יָגוּר אִתְּךָ גֵּר וְעָשָׂה פֶסַח לַה׳ הִמּוֹל לוֹ כָל־זָכָר וְאָז יִקְרַב לַעֲשֹׂתוֹ

(Exodus 12:48)

The second connection is that Brit Milah and the Pesach offering are the only two positive commandments that one can be punished for not doing. It makes sense then, that God wanted the people to fulfill both of these commandments early on after their entry into the land.

On a historical level, there is a parallel between these events and the events in Exodus. Before returning to Egypt, Tzipporah is forced to circumcise Moshe or Moshe’s child (Exodus 4:25).

וַתִּקַּח צִפֹּרָה צֹר וַתִּכְרֹת אֶת־עָרְלַת בְּנָהּ

(Exodus 4:25)

Moshe agreed to return to Egypt, but he complained to God that he had a speech problem before speaking with Pharaoh. He described it as “uncircumcised lips” (Exodus 6:30).

וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי ה׳ הֵן אֲנִי עֲרַל שְׂפָתָיִם וְאֵיךְ יִשְׁמַע אֵלַי פַּרְעֹה

(Exodus 6:30)

God reassured Moshe by providing the help of Aaron. It was only after these two “circumcisions” that Moshe was able to take the people out of Egypt.

Now, forty plus years later, the people are about to embark on the final arc of the Exodus narrative—conquering the land. The people may be unsure about this task. By linking the circumcision and Pesach, God reminds the people that Moshe too was nervous and unsure of the task God set before him. But once he was circumcised, he was able to lead the nation out of Egypt.

This could also be why after the circumcision here God says that “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt” (verse 9).

וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הַיּוֹם גַּלּוֹתִי אֶת־חֶרְפַּת מִצְרַיִם מֵעֲלֵיכֶם

(Joshua 5:9)

Why was the circumcision considered the disgrace of Egypt? No other nation was circumcised at the time. The people entering the land were not circumcised because of the travels in the wilderness, not because of Egypt. Perhaps God is referring to the mental disgrace of Egypt, where Moshe would not believe that God could help him take the people out. Now that the people had rededicated themselves to God and reenacted the Exodus, they were ready for their task of conquering the land.

In the middle of chapter 3 there is a verse that seems out of place: “Now therefore take twelve men out of the tribes of Yisrael, out of every tribe a man” (verse 12).

וְעַתָּה קְחוּ לָכֶם שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר אִישׁ מִשִּׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִישׁ אֶחָד אִישׁ אֶחָד לַשָּׁבֶט

(Joshua 3:12) The Navi does not explain what should be done with these twelve people, and the story simply continues. It is not until chapter 4 that their job is revealed. “Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man / and command them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of the Yarden, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and you shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where you shall lodge this night” (verses 2–3).

קְחוּ לָכֶם מִן־הָעָם שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר אֲנָשִׁים אִישׁ אֶחָד אִישׁ אֶחָד מִשָּׁבֶט׃

וְצַוּוּ אוֹתָם לֵאמֹר שְׂאוּ לָכֶם מִזֶּה מִתּוֹךְ הַיַּרְדֵּן מִמַּצַּב רַגְלֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים הָכִינוּ שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר אֲבָנִים וְהַעֲבַרְתֶּם אוֹתָם עִמָּכֶם וְהִנַּחְתֶּם אוֹתָם בַּמָּלוֹן אֲשֶׁר תָּלִינוּ בוֹ הַלָּיְלָה

(Joshua 4:2–3) The chapter takes a lot of time emphasizing that these stones are to be taken from the actual feet of the Kohanim in the river. What are these twelve stones? At first, they seem like they could be the stones that Moshe commands back in Deuteronomy: “As soon as you have crossed the Jordan into the land that your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones. Coat them with plaster / and inscribe upon them all the words of this Teaching” (Deuteronomy 27:2–3).

וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר תַּעַבְרוּ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ וַהֲקֵמֹתָ לְךָ אֲבָנִים גְּדֹלוֹת וְשַׂדְתָּ אֹתָם בַּשִּׂיד׃

וְכָתַבְתָּ עֲלֵיהֶן אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת בְּעָבְרֶךָ

(Deuteronomy 27:2–3)

But there are some differences. Yehoshua does not command anything beyond simply taking the stones as a sign. He does not instruct the people to inscribe anything on the stones. The stones also are kept in the camp and not brought to Mt. Ebal or accompanied by a sacrificial ceremony, as they are supposed to be in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy also does not mention twelve stones. Rashi believes Yehoshua is doing exactly what Moshe instructed, it just is not mentioned in the text. The problem with Rashi here is precisely the differences mentioned above. If Yehoshua was doing what Moshe commanded, at the very least the text should have said “as Moshe instructed,” even if the details were not mentioned. The story seems to happen in chapter 8 at Mt. Ebal, but that is well after the people cross the Jordan.

It is possible that Yehoshua is simply borrowing the idea from Moshe and using it here as a simple remembrance to the crossing and continuing the theme in chapter 3 of the Cohanim as carriers of the Ark. That is why he instructs each tribe to take stones from the very spot where the priests stood. This Jordan crossing souvenir is meant as a reminder for each tribe that the nation did not do this on their own. God was with them from the very beginning, and God will continue to be with the people in the new land, even if it will not be as obvious all the time as the splitting of the Jordan.

Chapter three and chapter four comprise one long story detailing the crossing of the Jordan river. The story parallels the story of the Israelites crossing the Yam Suf. This time, however, instead of the two walls of water, the Jordan only halts on one side. Joshua introduces the crossing in similar fashion to Moshe, namely, that the splitting will show that God will lead the people to victory. “And Yehoshua said, Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Kena῾ani, and the Ḥitti, and the Ḥivvi, and the Perizzi, and Girgashi, and the Emori and the Yevusi” (verse 3) and “Moshe said to the people:

Do not be afraid! Stand fast and see God’s deliverance, which he will work for you today, for as you see Egypt today, you will never see it again for the ages! God will do battle for you, and you—be still” (Exodus 14:13). Instead of Moshe raising his staff above the water, this time the waters split by the touch of the feet of the Priests carrying the Aron. It is this last part that seems to be emphasized the most in the chapter. The phrase “the priests that bear the ark of the Lord” appears six times in this chapter. Why would the Navi need to repeat this phrase so often? After the first time, the text could have simply said the priests or the Ark. The answer may have to do with the last difference between the two stories. Moshe was from the tribe of Levi and his brother Aaron was a Cohen. Yehoshua is from the tribe of Ephrayim. Throughout much of the Torah following the sin of the Golden Calf, the tribe of Levi and the Cohanim play an outsized role in the text. But now that leadership role takes a back seat to Yehoshua, and eventually many other leaders and judges who are not from the tribe of Levi. The tribe of Levi will also not play an obvious role in the conquest of the land. The emphasis here on the connection between the Cohanim and the Ark is a reminder of the role that the Cohanim will play in this next phase of the Israelite story. It may not be in the forefront as it was in the Torah, but the tribe of Levi and the Cohanim as intrinsically linked to the God and act as protectors of the literal Ark as well as the spiritual Ark in the new land.

The second chapter of Yehoshua is the perfect example of the books of the Prophets referencing stories in the Torah. These references show both contrasts and connections between the well-known stories in the Torah, and the current ones being played out. Three examples in Chapter 2.

The chapter begins with Yehoshua sending two spies to Jericho. It is no coincidence that Yehoshua’s first act as leader of the people is sending two spies. Yehoshua was one of the original 12 spies sent to the land of Canaan in Numbers. This time, Yehoshua himself orders the spies be sent. In the Torah, it seems as if the people had made the request and God and/or Moshe reluctantly agreed.

Yehoshua also makes sure to send only two spies for a very specific mission in one location. Perhaps this is an indication that the original spies with their grandiose mission was doomed from the onset. The success of this mission is also an indication that Yehoshua is trying to right the wrongs of the past. He may also realize that the people will be calmer with a successful mission.

The two spies encounter Rahav, an innkeeper/prostitute. She hides them on her roof when the king of Jericho comes looking for them. This story evokes the story of the two angels who came to visit Lot in Genesis. In that story, Lot tries to confront the angry mob by offering his own daughters to save the guests. In the end, the two angels must save Lot and his family—telling them to flee to the mountainside while Sodom is destroyed. Here, Rahav is the one who saves the two visitors. She artfully distracts the local guard and tells the two men to run to the hills to safety. Rahav takes the place of the angels in this flipped story. Perhaps the message here is that in the books of the Prophets, God does not always act in an outward manner. Help may not come from obvious angels, but from the most unlikely places.

Rahav also tells the spies that she believes in God because she has heard all about the wonders God performed on behalf of the Israelites including “For we have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Sea of Suf before you, when you came out of Miżrayim” (verse 10).

כִּי שָׁמַעְנוּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר־הוֹבִישׁ ה׳ אֶת־מֵי יַם־סוּף מִפְּנֵיכֶם בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרָיִם

(Joshua 2:10)

This recalls another foreigner who favored the Israelites because of what he heard about Egypt: “Jethro priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, God’s people, how God had brought Israel out from Egypt” (Exodus 18:1).

וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ כֹּהֵן מִדְיָן חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֱלֹהִים לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ כִּי־הוֹצִיא ה׳ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם

(Exodus 18:1)

The text specifically links Rahav to Yitro to signal that she is a true believer in God and is to be trusted. These three examples show that the books of the Prophets are carefully written with the previous books of the Torah in mind as a way to convey a deeper message or evoke a specific feeling about a character.

Joshua had the unenviable task of following up Moshe’s leadership. How does one take over from the first and greatest leader of a nation? The book of Joshua begins with a double dose of support. The name Moshe appears ten times in the first chapter, more than any other chapter in the book.

“After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ attendant…”

וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי מוֹת מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה׳ וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן־נוּן מְשָׁרֵת מֹשֶׁה

(Joshua 1:1)

Moshe’s tutelage and selection of Joshua gives him legitimacy in the eyes of the people. What better way to gain the respect of your followers than to continuously name drop your connection with their beloved leader? The second way is through the repetition of the Joshua tagline: “chazak v’ematz”—be strong and resolute.

Back in Deuteronomy 31, when Moshe publicly announces that Joshua will succeed him, he tells Joshua to be strong and resolute twice:

“Be strong and resolute, for you shall go with this people into the land…”

חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ כִּי־אַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֶת־הָעָם הַזֶּה אֶל־הָאָרֶץ

(Deuteronomy 31:7)

“The LORD… He will be with you; He will not fail you nor forsake you. Do not fear and do not be dismayed.”

הוּא הַהֹלֵךְ לְפָנֶיךָ… לֹא יַרְפְּךָ וְלֹא יַעַזְבֶךָּ לֹא תִירָא וְלֹא תֵחָת

(Deuteronomy 31:8)

The phrase is then repeated four times here in chapter one. Just like the repetition of Moshe’s name, the repetition of Joshua’s tagline given by Moshe is another way to solidify Joshua’s status.

God’s charge to Joshua here is multifaceted. In verse 6, Joshua is told to be strong to lead the people:

“Be strong and of good courage, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.”

חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ כִּי־אַתָּה תַּנְחִיל אֶת־הָעָם הַזֶּה אֶת־הָאָרֶץ

(Joshua 1:6)

Here God wants Joshua to be physically strong and courageous for the battles that are ahead. But God also wants Joshua to be spiritually resolute in verse 7:

“Only be strong and very courageous, to observe to do according to all the Torah that Moses My servant commanded you…”

רַק חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ מְאֹד לִשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכָל־הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי

(Joshua 1:7)

The third time starts with a rhetorical question:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not fear and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

הֲלוֹא צִוִּיתִיךָ חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ אַל־תַּעֲרֹץ וְאַל־תֵּחָת כִּי עִמְּךָ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ

(Joshua 1:9)

The rhetorical question here can be understood as God saying to Joshua: “Would I command you to be strong and resolute all on your own? Of course not! I will be there with you to help you be strong and resolute.”

The chapter ends with the fourth and final pronouncement. This time it does not come from Moshe or from God, but from the people:

“Only be strong and resolute.”

רַק חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ

(Joshua 1:18)

The people reassure Joshua that they will follow his every word and that he has their backing to be strong and resolute. The people have accepted their new leader.

I will admit it. Every year on Simchat Torah I get emotional listening to the last chapter of the Torah. The chapter is both beautiful and mournful at the same time. Moshe—the greatest prophet the world will ever know, a man who spoke face to face with God—is held back just at the last moment before reaching the land of Canaan. One can feel the mixed emotions in Moshe’s heart during verses 1–4 and the description of the land. The Torah lists the areas not by physical description, but by city and tribal name. It is as if Moshe has a chance to see the land as it will be once his people finally fulfill the promise God made to the forefathers.

“Then Moses went up from the steppes of Moab to Mount Nebo… and the LORD showed him the whole land… And the LORD said to him, ‘This is the land that I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob… I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross there.’”

וַיַּעַל מֹשֶׁה מֵעַרְבוֹת מוֹאָב אֶל־הַר נְבוֹ… וַיַּרְאֵהוּ ה׳ אֶת־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ…

וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֵלָיו זֹאת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב… הֶרְאִיתִיךָ בְעֵינֶיךָ וְשָׁמָּה לֹא תַעֲבֹר

(34:1–4)

Moshe dies in the wilderness near Peor.

No one knows his final resting place by design. The commentators say that God did not wish for Moshe’s tomb to become a pilgrimage site or even a place of idol worship. The people mourn for him for 30 days and then, the mourning period ends.

“The Israelites bewailed Moses in the steppes of Moab for thirty days.”

וַיִּבְכּוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־מֹשֶׁה בְּעַרְבוֹת מוֹאָב שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם

( 34:8)

The show must go on and Joshua immediately steps into the limelight. This sudden shift at the end of the book mirrors the fact that Moshe’s burial place is not known, and that Moshe received the same treatment at death as his brother Aaron. Moshe, as great as he was, was no deity. He was God’s humble servant.

Deuteronomy ends as a bookend to the previous four books of the Torah. Genesis ended with Joseph dying in Egypt and being placed in a sarcophagus. Deuteronomy ends with Moshe dying and being buried in a secret location.

Exodus ends with a description of how the Israelites would travel in the wilderness:

“For over the Tabernacle a cloud of the LORD rested by day, and fire would appear in it by night, in the view of all the house of Israel throughout their journeys.”

כִּי עֲנַן ה׳ עַל־הַמִּשְׁכָּן יוֹמָם וְאֵשׁ תִּהְיֶה לַיְלָה בּוֹ לְעֵינֵי כָּל־בֵּית־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל־מַסְעֵיהֶם

(Exodus 40:38)

Deuteronomy ends with the Israelites at the last point of the journey in the wilderness.

Leviticus ends with a summary of the laws given on Mount Sinai when Moshe and God spoke face to face:

“These are the commandments that the LORD gave Moses for the Israelite people on Mount Sinai.”

אֵלֶּה הַמִּצְוֹת אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ אֶת־מֹשֶׁה אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהַר סִינָי

(Leviticus 27:34)

In Deuteronomy, Moshe is up on a mountain again to face God, but this time he will not be coming down.

Numbers ends with a similar verse:

“These are the commandments and regulations that the LORD enjoined upon the Israelites, through Moses, on the steppes of Moab, at the Jordan near Jericho.”

אֵלֶּה הַמִּצְוֹת וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁה אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעַרְבוֹת מוֹאָב עַל־יַרְדֵּן יְרֵחוֹ

(Numbers 36:13)

Deuteronomy ends in the same location.

“And the Israelites bewailed Moses in the steppes of Moab for thirty days.”

וַיִּבְכּוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־מֹשֶׁה בְּעַרְבוֹת מוֹאָב שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם

(34:8)

Moshe’s final send off is not about the laws, though; his final send off is a tribute to the miracles that he performed. As we begin the books of the Prophets, God is quick to remind everyone that:

“Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses.”

וְלֹא־קָם נָבִיא עוֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמֹשֶׁה

(34:10)

At the end of his life, Yaacov was given the opportunity to bless his 12 sons. At the time, his family was just that- a small family living in a strange land. Now Moshe is given the opportunity to bless Yaacov’s twelve sons. Only this time, they are no longer a small family- but a large nation. A few thoughts on each blessing:

Reuven: Moshe lists him first as he is the first born of Yaacov, but the blessing itself is vanilla. Reuven is small, I hope he does not die. Perhaps Moshe still harbored resentment against Revuen for requesting to stay outside the land of Israel when Moshe was not able to enter the land. At least Moshe’s blessing is not negative like Yaccov’s.

יְחִי רְאוּבֵן וְאַל־יָמֹת וִיהִי מְתָיו מִסְפָּר (Deut. 33:6)

Yehuda: Listed second, even though he is the third son. This is symbolic of his future role as the leading tribe of Israel. Unlike Yaacov, however, Moshe does not provide any monarchial symbols. This is also stark given Levi’s extended blessing about their future role as priests and caretakers of the Mishkan. Perhaps this juxtaposing belies Moshe’s concern that the people will turn towards a Monarchy and away from the Temple as the center of authority.

שְׁמַע ה׳ קוֹל יְהוּדָה וְאֶל־עַמּוֹ תְּבִיאֶנּוּ יָדָיו רָב לוֹ וְעֵזֶר מִצָּרָיו תִּהְיֶה (Deut. 33:7)

Shimon: Moshe does not give Shimon a blessing, many commentator’s believe this is likely because of Shimon’s involvement in Baal Peor.

(no verse)

Levi: Moshe’s personal tribe gets one of the longest blessings. The blessing is focused on Levi’s role in the Mishkan and as teachers of the Torah. A cynical view would be that Moshe shows favoritism to his own tribe, but it is also not surprising that the tribe closest to Moshe is the most personal.

תֻּמֶּיךָ וְאוּרֶיךָ לְאִישׁ חֲסִידֶךָ… יוֹרוּ מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ לְיַעֲקֹב וְתוֹרָתְךָ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל (Deut. 33:8–10)

Benjamin: Listed out of order chronologically but perhaps listed thematically after Levi as the Temple will eventually be in Benjamin’s territory.

יְדִיד ה׳ יִשְׁכֹּן לָבֶטַח עָלָיו חֹפֵף עָלָיו כָּל־הַיּוֹם וּבֵין כְּתֵפָיו שָׁכֵן (Deut. 33:12)

Yosef: The longest blessing for the largest double tribe. Moshe blesses Yosef’s vast territory for a bountiful harvest. There is also a references to the famous blessing of Yaacov placing his hands on the heads of Ephraim and Menashe. Moshe doubles down on that blessing and charges that it shall continue to rest on the head of Yosef.

Zebulon and Issachar: Listed together as they were with Yaacov. Zebulon was the master of oceanic commerce, while Issachar stayed in their tents studying the Torah.

Gad: Moshe pays homage to the excellent warriors that come from Gad that will assist in the conquest of Canaan. This blessing matches the one given by Yaacov as well. As one of the tribes outside the boundaries of Canaan, Gad needed to be strong as the first line of defense.

Dan: Dan’s blessing is interesting. Thematically, it matches Yaacov’s. Both use animal imagery of attacking stealthily. But Moshe uses a lion similar to Yaacov’s blessing of Yehuda. Perhaps this is foreshadowing the great warrior Judge Shimshon that will come from Dan.

Naftali: Naftali’s blessing is also straightforward. Moshe wishes that Naftali is able to conquer the lands allotted to the tribe near the sea and south. Normally, in Biblical context, the Hebrew word “yam” means west as the Mediterranean was in the west of the land. Here, though, yam refers to the Kinneret lake in the north east of the country right next to Naftali’s lands.

Asher: Later in the books of the Prophets, Asher mostly takes a backseat role. The tribe does not take an active role in any of the major campaigns of their brothers and struggles to conquer their own territory. On these facts alone, one would assume they were a cursed group. But both Yaacov and Moshe give them high praise. Perhaps this high praise provides some softening tones to the seemingly negative picture painted by the Prophets.