Kommentar zu Dewarim 3:28

וצו את יהושע AND GIVE JOSHUA CHARGE regarding the cumbrance, the burdens and strifes that he will have to bear (cf. Deuteronomy 1:12).

וצו את יהושע, "and command Joshua, etc." What precisely was Moses to command Joshua? Yalkut Shimoni item 823 quoting Sifri on Pinchas claims that Moses was to command Joshua not to be taken in by the Gibeonites. Another opinion cited claims that Moses warned Joshua concerning possible strife amongst the people. There is no hint in the text of this and unless it is based on tradition we do not have to accept this explanation. I believe that the plain meaning of the verse may be understood in light of Samuel I 13,14: ויצוהו ה׳ לנגיד על עמו, "the Lord appointed him as ruler over His people." The word means "he appointed." Please refer to what I have written on Exodus 6,13 ויצום אל בני ישראל. Moses simply told Joshua to exert authority over Israel already while he was still alive. He personally would support him in this before the eyes of the whole nation.

Regarding the troubles, the burdens, etc. As the verse says (above 1:12), “Your troublesomeness, your burdensomeness, and your contentiousness.” For if וצו (command) is referring to אמצהו וחזקהו (embolden him and encourage him), then וחזקהו would not be preceded by a vov (and), which implies that besides the command given to Yehoshua, you are also to encourage him and embolden him. We see from this that the command is one matter, and “encourage him and embolden him,” is a separate matter.

V. 28. וצו .וצו וגו׳: Nimm ihn in Pflicht, trage ihm die Verpflichtungen seines Amtes auf (siehe Bamidbar 27, 19). וחזקהו: mache ihn fest, dass er sich durch nichts von der Bahn seiner Pflicht ablenken lasse, ואמצהו: und mache ihn stark zur Überwindung aller Schwierigkeiten und Hindernisse.

וחזקהו ואמצהו AND STRENGTHEN HIM AND MAKE HIM FIRM through thy words, so that he may not become faint-hearted, saying, “Just as my master was punished on account of them, so eventually will I be punished on account of them and not enter the land. I promise him “that he shall pass over [before this people] and he shall cause [them] to inherit [the land]”” (cf. Sifrei Devarim 29:9).

With your words so that he will not become faint- hearted, etc. I.e., not with your actions, for you are not able to encourage him and embolden him except with words. In other words, I assure him that he will cross over. For afterwards Rashi says: “He will cross over, etc.” We see from this that the encouraging and emboldening is with speech.

כי הוא יעבר (this may mean: if he passes) — If he will pass before them, they will possess the land, and if not, they will not possess it. So, indeed, you find that when he sent some of the people against Ai and he remained in the camp, “the men of Ai smote of them [thirtysix men]” (Joshua 7:5). And when he fell on his face, He said to him, קם לך: the verb is written קם (without ו, so that it may be read קָם) i.e. “It is thou who standest in thy place and sendest My children to war, who hast brought about this defeat. Why is it that thou fallest on thy face? Did I not thus tell thy master, Moses: If he will pass, they will pass on, but if not, they will not pass on? (Sifrei Devarim 29:9).

If he will cross at the head [of this people] they will possess [the land], but if not, etc. Rashi is answering the question: The verse only needed to say ינחיל (and he will apportion), etc. Rather the [extra] word והוא (and he) is intended to teach us that only when he will cross, then they will possess, but if not, etc.

And when he fell on his face, he [Hashem] said to him, etc. I.e., when the Israelites were being killed in the war against Ai, Yehoshua fell [in supplication] before Hashem.

It [the word קם] is written [without the vov], etc. In other words: [The defeat was] because you remained in your place and did not go with them.