Midrasch zu Dewarim 1:28

(Numb. 34:1–2:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, ‘Command the Children of Israel [and say unto them], “When you come into the Land of Canaan, [this is the land]....”’” [“This is the land”]⁶These words occur also in Deut. 34:4 (cited below). The midrash, therefore, interprets the two passages together. What follows in Numb. 34:3ff. describes what Israel is about to receive, while Deut. 34:4 (cited below) speaks of the promise to Israel’s future seed and adds that Moses shall see it. teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses all that had been and all that was going to be.⁷Numb. R. 23:5. He showed him Samson arising from Dan, and Barak [arising] from Naphtali. So also it was for every generation with its expounders, every generation with its leaders,⁸Gk.: pronoos. every generation with its sages, every generation with its wicked, every generation with its righteous, as stated (in Deut. 34:4,) “This is the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob....” [This] teaches that He showed him gehinnom. Moshe said in front of Him, “Master of the world, who is sentenced to it?” He said to him, “The wicked and those that rebel against Me, as stated (in Is. 66:24), “And they went out and saw the corpses of the people....” Moshe began to fear. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (as in Deut. 34:4), “I have shown it to your eyes, but you will not pass there.” And what is the meaning of “This is the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying?” [The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses,] “The oath that I swore to them I have fulfilled for their children.” It is therefore stated (in Deut. 34:4), “saying.”⁹The Hebrew here can imply the giving of one’s solemn word. (Numbers 34:2:) “This is the land that shall fall to you as your portion.” And does the land fall? But is it not written (in Eccl. 1:4), “but the land stands forever?” It is simply that when the spies came and put out slander on the land and said (in Numb. 13:33), “And we saw the Nephilim there,” and they said (in Numb. 12:31), “it is stronger than us,” Moshe got angry. [Then] all of Israel said, “Moses, our teacher, if these spies were two [or] three, it would be correct for us to trust [them], as stated (Deut. 17:6), ‘By the testimony of two witnesses....’ And behold, they are ten, (as in Deut. 1:28), ‘To where shall we go up?’” As it were, [they were complaining that] the Master of the house is not able to remove his vessels (the inhabitants) from there. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He took the ministering angel of the land and bound him and put him down in front of them, as stated (Deut. 1:21), “See the Lord, your God, has placed in front of you....” And was [the land] in front of them? It is simply that He put down its ministering angel. And He said to them (in Deut. 1:21, cont.), “Go up and possess..., do not fear and do not tremble,” not from the Nephilim and not from the people that [you say] are bigger and more numerous than us. (Ezek. 45:1:) “When you allot the land as an inheritance....” This text is related (to Psalms 16:6), “Portions of land fell to me in pleasantness, even a beautiful inheritance for me.” “Portions of land fell to me.” These are the twelve tribes, since the land was divided to the twelve tribes, as stated (in Ezek. 47:13), “Thus said the Lord God, ‘These shall be the boundaries of the land that you shall allot to the twelve tribes of Israel.’” “In pleasantness,” in the merit of the Torah, about which it is stated (in Prov. 22:18), “As it is pleasant that you should store them in your belly....” “Even a beautiful inheritance for me.” There is a man who is handsome but his clothing is ugly, and one is ugly but his clothing handsome. But Israel is not like this. They are handsome and their clothing is handsome. They adorn the land and the Land of Israel adorns them. Hence it is stated (in Ps. 16:6), “Even a beautiful inheritance for me.” And so too is it stated (in Job 29:14), “I clothed myself in righteousness and it clothed me.”

(Fol. 90b) We are taught in a Mishna that there was a round place for collecting the ashes in the middle of the altar, and there were at times in it nearly as much as three hundred cors of ashes. "This must be an exaggeration," remarked Raba. R. Ami said: "The Pentateuch, the Prophets and the sages are wont to speak in a hyperbolical language. That the sages speak in a hyperbolical language, as quoted above; that the Pentateuch speaks in a hyperbolical language, we find in the following verses (Deut. 1, 28) Cities great and walled up to heaven; that the Prophets speak in a hyperbolical language, we find in the following verse (I Kings 1, 40) So that the earth rent with the sound of them." R. Isaac said: "In three places did the Rabbis use a hyperbolical language. They are: In connection with the ash-pile [in the altar] in connection with the vine, and in connection with the veil [of the Temple]. As to the ash-pile it was stated above; as to the vine, we find in the following Mishna: There was a golden vine at the entrance of the Temple, trailing on crystals, on which people, who donated fruit or grape clusters, would suspend on it. R. Elazar b. Zadok said: "It happened once that three hundred priests were summoned to clear [the vine of such offerings]." The veil refers to the following Mishna: Rabban Simon b. Gamaliel says in the name of R. Simon, the High-priest's substitute: "The thickness of the veil [of the Temple] was a hand-breadth. It was woven of seventy-two cords, each cord consisting of twenty-four strands. Its length was forty cubits, by twenty in width. It was made by eighty-two myriads of damsels, and two such veils were made every year. It took three hundred priests to immerse and cleanse it [if it becomes unclean]." (Fol. 91) R. Joshua b. Levi said: "The passage states (Gen. 32, 26) And he wrestled with him. This means that they did like a man wrestles with his friend, when his hand reaches the right thigh of his friend." R. Samuel b. Nachmeni said: "The Angel appeared to him in the guise of a heathen, as the master said [elsewhere] that of an Israelite is joined by a heathen on the road, the latter should join at the right side of the Israelite." R. Samuel b. Acha said before R. Papa, in the name of Raba b. Ulla that the Angel appeared to Jacob in the guise of a scholar, as the master said [elsewhere] whoever walks at the right side of his teacher is to be considered an ignorant [hence he walked at the left of Jacob and thus reached Jacob's right thigh]. The Rabbis, however, maintain that he appeared at the back of Jacob and hit him at both thighs. But how will the Rabbis explain the passage, as he wrestled with him [which means that they had a frontal encounter]? This they explain in the way of the other interpretation of R. Joshua b. Levi, who said: "Infer from the above passage that the dust [caused by their wrestling] went upward until it reached the Divine throne; for it is written here (be'he'abko) as he wrestled with him, and again there is a passage (Nahum 1, 3) And the clouds are the dust (Abak) of His feet.

(Numb. 14:1:) “Then the whole congregation raised (rt.: ntn) their voices; [and that night the people wept.]” This text is related (to Jer. 12:8), “[My heritage] has set (rt.: ntn) its voice against Me; therefore I have hated (rt.: sn') it.” The very voice with which you wept caused you to be punished by enemies (rt.: sn').⁴²Numb. R. 16:20, cont. Moreover, it was over this very generation that Isaiah said (in Is. 17:11), “In the day you plant, you see it flourish; and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom.” Isaiah said, “On the day that I went to plant you in the land, you produced slag; ‘and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom,’ it has flowered before the heat [of the day].” (Is 17:11, cont.:) “[But the] harvest flees on a day of sickness (nahalah) and human pain.” On the day that I went to give you your ancestral inheritance (nahalah), you became a manifesto in the world. And “human pain” refers to the divine punishment that you received as a legacy for [future] generations.⁴³Ta‘an. 29a; yTa‘an. 4:8 (or 5) (68d); Sot. 35a. Because the congregation wept in the night of the Ninth of Ab,⁴⁴See Ta‘an. 4:6: FIVE [CALAMITOUS] THINGS BEFELL OUR ANCESTORS ON THE SEVENTEENTH OF TAMMUZ AND FIVE ON THE NINTH OF AB…. ON THE NINTH OF AB IT WAS DECREED AGAINST OUR ANCESTORS THAT THEY SHOULD NOT ENTER THE LAND, THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED THE FIRST TIME AND THE SECOND TIME, BETHAR (THE CENTER OF THE BAR COCHBA REVOLT) WAS TAKEN, AND THE CITY [OF JERUSALEM] WAS PLOWED UNDER (after this revolt, but cf. Ta‘an. 29a). the Holy One, blessed be He, has said, “You have wept for nothing. I shall establish this night for you as [a night of] a weeping for [future] generations.” And from that hour a decree on the Temple was ordained for it to be destroyed and that the Children of Israel would go in exile among the nations. It is so stated (in Ps. 106:26-27), “So He raised His hand toward them [in an oath], to make them fall in the wilderness. And to make their seed fall among the gentiles, even to scatter them among the lands.” The raising of [the divine] hand was corresponding to the lifting up of the voice (in Numb. 14:1). (Numb. 14:2:) “And all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them.” These are the sanhedraot. (Numb. 14:2, cont.:) “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt […].” [The matter] is comparable to a king at whose tribunal⁴⁵Gk.: Bema. a certain person came up for judgment.⁴⁶Numb. R. 16:21. He uttered a word from his mouth by which he convicted himself. The king set aside his bill of indictment⁴⁷Lat.: elogium; Gk.: elogion. and convicted him out of his own mouth. He said to him, “I am judging you by what has come out of your own mouth. So let it be for you according to what you have said.” Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (in Numb. 14:29), “In this desert shall your carcasses fall.” (Numbers 14:28:) “’As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘as they have spoken in My ears.’” They began to say (in Numb. 14:3–9), “And why is the Lord bringing us [unto this land…]?” They also said to each other, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces [before the whole assembly of the congregation of the Children of Israel]. Moreover, Joshua ben Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh, of those who had explored the land, rent their clothes and spoke unto the whole assembly of the Children of Israel, …. “If the Lord is pleased with us, [He will bring us into this land]…. Only do not rebel against the Lord….” The people said to them, “We have no faith in you! Our brothers care for us more than you do.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 1:28), “Where are we going up to? Our brothers have caused [our hearts] to melt (with fear).” (Numb. 14:10:) “So the whole congregation said to stone [them with stones].” And who was “them?” Moses and Aaron. (Ibid., cont.:) “Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting.” [This incident] teaches that they threw stones, but the cloud intercepted them. (Numb. 14:11:) “Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘How long ('ad-'anah) will this people scorn Me, and how long ('ad-'anah) will they have no faith in Me?’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I have uttered two cries (of 'ad-'anah) because of you.⁴⁸Numb. R. 16:22, cont.; see below, Numb. 4a:14. Your end shall be to cry out in the subjection of the four empires: (Ps. 13:2-3:) ‘How long ('ad-'anah), O Lord, will you forget me forever; how long ('ad'-'anah) will you hide Your face from me? How long ('ad-'anah) shall I take counsel in my soul with grief in my heart [all day]; how long ('ad-'anah) will my enemy be exalted over me?’ I cried out (in Numb. 14:27), ‘How long ('Ad-matay) shall this evil congregation [be murmuring against me]?’ Your end shall be to cry out (in Ps. 6:4), ‘My soul also is greatly dismayed; [and You, O Lord, how long ('ad-matay)]?’”

21 (Numb. 14:2) “And all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them”: These are the sanhedraot. (Numb. 14:2, cont.) “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt […]”: [The matter] is comparable to a king at whose tribunal³¹Gk.: Bema. a certain person came up for judgment. He uttered a word from his mouth by which he convicted himself. The king set aside his bill of indictment³²Lat.: elogium; Gk.: elogion. and convicted him out of his own mouth. He said to him, “I am judging you by what has come out of your own mouth. So let it be for you according to what you have said.” Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (in Numb. 14:29), “In this desert shall your carcasses fall.” (Numbers 14:28) “’As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘as they have spoken in My ears […]’”: They began to say (in Numb. 14:3–9), “And why is the Lord bringing us [unto this land…]?” They also said to each other, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces [before the whole assembly of the congregation of the Children of Israel]. Moreover, Joshua ben Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh, of those who had explored the land, rent their clothes and spoke unto the whole assembly of the Children of Israel, …. “If the Lord is pleased with us, [He will bring us into this land]…. Only do not rebel against the Lord….” The people said to them, “We have no faith in you! Our brothers care for us more than you do.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 1:28), “Where are we going up to? Our brothers have caused [our hearts] to melt (with fear).” (Numb. 14:10) “So the whole congregation said to stone [them with stones]”: And who was “them?” Moses and Aaron. (Ibid., cont.) “Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting”: [This incident] teaches that they threw stones, but the cloud intercepted them.

3 Another interpretation (of Numb. 15:2), “When you come unto the land of your habitations”: R. Zakkay of Sha'av (in Galilee) said, “Israel said, ‘Sovereign of the World, in every other place You call this the Land of Canaan, but here (in Numb. 15:2) it is “the land of your habitations.”’ The Holy One said to them, ‘By your life, I gave it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and all of [the references] are from scripture. Since the son inherits from the father, therefore (in Numb. 15:2), “When you come unto the land of your habitations.”’” And why did Canaan merit to have the land called by its name? When they heard that Israel was coming, they evacuated the place. The Holy One, said, “You evacuated the place. [Hence] the land will be called by your name, and I will give you a land as fine as your land.” And which is this? Africa. What is written above in the section on the spies (in Numb. 14:44)? “But they presumed (rt.: 'pl) to go up.” They brought darkness (rt.: 'pl) to its dwellers and they all remained in darkness (rt.: 'pl). (Ibid., cont.) “But the ark of the covenant of the Lord and Moses did not depart from the camp”: Thus they did not go up with them. Moses said, “Thus did the Holy One say (in Deut. 1:42), ‘You shall neither go up nor fight, for I am not in your midst.’ Now you have said (in Deut. 1:28) ‘Where are we going up to? Our brothers have caused our hearts to melt (with fear)….’” What is the meaning of melt (hemassu)? Our masters have said, “From here one deduces how they tithed the pomegranates.⁶yMa‘as. 1:2 (48d). Thus have our masters taught (in Ma'as. 1:2): They tithe pomegranates, when they become soft (rt.: MSS).” Moses said to them, “From the beginning you have been of two minds on the matter.” (Deut 1:22) “Then you all drew near unto me”: On the positive side (in Deut. 5:20), “and all of the heads of your tribes approached me.” But on the negative side (in Deut. 1:22), “Then you all drew near unto me and said, [‘Let us send men ahead of us to explore the land for us’]”; and it is written (in vs. 27), “And you murmured in your tents and said, ‘It is because the Lord hated us.” The Holy One says to them (in Mal. 1:2), “I have loved you!” But they say, (in Deut. 1:27), “It is because the Lord hated us.” They interpreted the verse and said, “You yourself know that He hates us. Take the case of a king of flesh and blood who has two sons. Now he also has two fields, one with irrigation and one watered by rain. Is it not that the field with irrigation will be given to whichever one the king loves, while the one watered by rain will be given to that one whom he hates? The land of Egypt has irrigation, and we were in its midst, while the land of Canaan has rain. So He brought us out from Egypt to give us the land of Canaan. Nevertheless (according to Deut. 1:41–42), “and each of you girded on his weapons of war, and you ventured to go up into the hill country. But the Lord said unto me, ‘Say to them, “Do not go up and do not fight.”’” I had intended to go up with you; but now, “Do not go up.” For you it will be a downfall. Nevertheless (according to vs. 41), “[each of] you girded,” and you all had become a single unit. (Ibid., cont.) “And you ventured to go up into the hill country”: What is the meaning of “and you ventured (rt.: hyn)?” That they were saying, “Drop by drop, the hin⁷A liquid measure equal to about a gallon and a half. will be filled.”⁸I.e., they had accumulated almost enough sin to overflow their allotted measure. One text (Deut. 1:43) says, “and you acted presumptuously”; while another text (Deut. 1:41) says, “and you ventured (rt.: HYN).” What is the meaning of “and you acted presumptuously?” That they acted presumptuously against the encampments (hanayot, rt.: HNH) of the Holy One.”⁹ I.e., they ignored the fact that the ark of the covenant had not departed out of the camp (Numb. 14:44). (Deut. 1:43-44) “To go up into the hill country. Then the Amorites [that dwelt in that hill country came out to meet you, and they pursued you as do the bees]”: What is the meaning of “bees?” Just as the bee immediately dies when it strikes someone, so also it was with you. When one of them touched you, his soul immediately departed. Just as the bee flies, so did they fly about you. In the past, when they merely heard a report of you, they died. It is so stated (in Exod. 15:14), “When the peoples hear, they tremble.” Now (in Deut. 1:44) “and they pursued you […] and crushed you.” (Deut. 1:45) “So you returned to weep before the Lord, but the Lord would not heed”: You, as it were, made strict justice as though it were brutal. (Deut. 10:11) “And the Lord said [unto me], ‘Arise, continue the journey’”: Now if I had come to execute justice with them, they would not be entering the land. Instead, “Arise, continue the journey.” Ergo (in numb. 15:2), “When you come unto the land.”

[Another interpretation (of Numb. 15:2): WHEN YOU COME UNTO THE LAND OF YOUR HABITATIONS.] What is written above on the matter in the section on the spies (in Numb. 14:44)? BUT THEY PRESUMED TO GO UP UNTO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. What is the meaning of BUT THEY PRESUMED (rt.: 'PL)? They brought darkness (rt.: 'PL), they made it dark (rt.: 'PL), <and> they all remained in darkness (rt.: 'PL). Why? (Ibid., cont.:) BUT THE ARK OF THE COVENANT OF THE LORD AND MOSES DID NOT DEPART FROM THE CAMP. Thus they did not go up with them, since it is stated <that> they DID NOT DEPART FROM THE CAMP. Moses said: Thus did the Holy One say (in Deut. 1:42): YOU SHALL NEITHER GO UP NOR FIGHT, FOR I AM NOT IN YOUR MIDST. Moses had said to them: Now you have said (in Deut. 1:28) WHERE ARE WE GOING UP TO? OUR BROTHERS HAVE CAUSED OUR HEARTS TO MELT (with fear)…. What is the meaning of MELT (hemassu)? He made our hearts sink (himsiv).⁴⁵As Buber notes, p. 84, n. 91, the meaning or this word of uncertain.

(Deut. 1:28, cont.:) THEY ARE A PEOPLE LARGER AND MORE NUMEROUS THAN WE. He said to them: From the beginning you have been of two minds on the matter. <On the positive side> (according to Deut. 1:22): THEN YOU ALL DREW NEAR UNTO ME AND SAID: LET US SEND MEN AHEAD OF US <TO EXPLORE THE LAND FOR US>; but it is written <on the negative side> (in vs. 27): YOU MURMURED IN YOUR TENTS AND SAID: IT IS BECAUSE THE LORD HATED US THAT HE BROUGHT US OUT <FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT>. The Holy One says to them (in Mal. 1:2): I HAVE LOVED YOU! But they say (in Deut. 1:27): IT IS BECAUSE THE LORD HATED US THAT HE BROUGHT US OUT. Jose b. R. Hanina said, while teaching in the name of R. Ishmael: There is a common⁴⁸Gk.: idiotes (“commoner”). proverb that says: What lies in your heart concerning your companion is what lies in my heart concerning me. (Deut. 1:27:) IT IS BECAUSE THE LORD HATED US <THAT HE BROUGHT US OUT>. They interpreted <the verse> and said: You yourself know that he hates us. <Take the case of> a king of flesh and blood who has two sons. Now he also has two fields, one with irrigation and one watered by rain. <The field> with irrigation will be given to whichever one the king loves, while the one watered by rain will be given to that one whom he hates. The land of Egypt has irrigation, and we were in its midst, while the land of Canaan has rain.⁴⁹Cf. above, Numb. 4a:5. So he brought us out from Egypt [to give us the land of Canaan]. Nevertheless (according to Deut. 1:41–42): AND EACH OF YOU GIRDED ON HIS WEAPONS OF WAR, AND YOU VENTURED TO GO UP INTO THE HILL COUNTRY. BUT THE LORD SAID UNTO ME: SAY TO THEM: DO NOT GO UP AND DO NOT FIGHT. I had intended to go up with you, but now: DO NOT GO UP. For you it will be a downfall; going up is not for you. Nevertheless (according to vs. 41), [EACH OF] YOU GIRDED ON <HIS WEAPONS>, and you all had become a single unit. (Ibid., cont.:) AND YOU VENTURED TO GO UP INTO THE HILL COUNTRY. What is the meaning of AND YOU VENTURED (rt.: HYN)) TO GO UP INTO THE HILL COUNTRY? That they were saying: Drop by drop the hin⁵⁰A liquid measure equal to about a gallon and a half. will be filled.⁵¹I.e., they had accumulated almost enough sin to overflow their allotted measure. One text (Deut. 1:43) says: AND YOU ACTED PRESUMPTUOUSLY; while another text (Deut. 1:41) says: AND YOU VENTURED (rt.: HYN). What is the meaning of AND YOU ACTED PRESUMPTUOUSLY? That they acted presumptuously against the pleasures (hanayot, rt.: HNH)⁵²The initial letter here is a he. Cf. the parallel in Numb. R. 17:3, where the initial letter is a het. With such an emendation the text would read: “They acted presumptuously against the encampments of the Holy One.” I.e., they ignored the fact that the ark of the covenant had not departed out of the camp (Numb. 14:44). of the Holy One.

(Numb. 14:2:) AND ALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL MURMURED AGAINST MOSES AND AGAINST AARON; AND THE WHOLE CONGREGATION SAID TO HIM (sic): WOULD THAT WE HAD DIED IN THE LAND OF EGYPT…. <The matter> is comparable to a king at whose tribunal⁵¹Gk.: Bema. a certain person came up for judgment.⁵²Tanh., Numb. 4:12, cont.; Numb. R. 16:21. He uttered a word from his mouth by which he convicted himself. The king set aside his bill of indictment⁵³Lat.: elogium; Gk.: elogion. and convicted him out of his own mouth. He said to him: I am judging you by what has come out of your own mouth. So let it be for you according to what you have said. Similarly the Holy One said to them (in Numb. 14:29): IN THIS DESERT SHALL YOUR CARCASSES FALL. They began to say (in Numb. 14:3–9): AND WHY IS THE LORD BRINGING US <UNTO THIS LAND> …? THEY ALSO SAID TO EACH OTHER: LET US APPOINT A LEADER AND RETURN TO EGYPT. THEN MOSES AND AARON FELL ON THEIR FACES < BEFORE THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL>. MOREOVER, JOSHUA BEN NUN AND CALEB BEN JEPHUNNEH, OF THOSE WHO HAD EXPLORED THE LAND, RENT THEIR CLOTHES AND SPOKE UNTO THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, SAYING:…. IF THE LORD IS PLEASED WITH US, <HE WILL BRING US INTO THIS LAND>…. ONLY DO NOT REBEL AGAINST THE LORD…. The people said to them: Do you have no faith in us? Our brothers care for us more than you do. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 1:28): WHERE ARE WE GOING UP TO? OUR BROTHERS HAVE CAUSED OUR HEARTS TO MELT (with fear). (Numb. 14:10): SO THE WHOLE CONGREGATION SAID TO STONE THEM WITH STONES. And who were they? Moses and Aaron. (Ibid., cont.:) THEN THE GLORY OF THE LORD APPEARED IN THE TENT OF MEETING. <This incident> teaches that they threw stones,⁵⁴See Sot. 35a, according to which they threw the stones against the one who is above. but the cloud received them.

6 (Numb. 34:2) “This is the land that shall fall to you as your portion”: And does the land fall? But is it not written (in Eccl. 1:4), “but the land stands forever?” It is simply that when the spies came and put out slander on the land, Moses got angry. [Then] all of Israel said, “Moses, our teacher, if these spies were two [or] three, it would be correct for us to trust [them], as stated (Deut. 17:6), ‘By the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ And behold, they are ten, (as in Deut. 1:28), ‘To where shall we go up; our kinsmen have taken the heart out of us, saying, “We saw there a people stronger and taller than we.”’” As it were, [they were complaining that] the Master of the house is not able to remove his vessels (the inhabitants) from there. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He took the ministering angel of the land and bound him and put him down in front of them, as stated (Deut. 1:21), “See the Lord, your God, has placed in front of you....” And was [the land] in front of them? It is simply that He put down its ministering angel. And He said to them (in Deut. 1:21, cont.), “Go up and possess..., do not fear and do not tremble,” not from the Nephilim and not from the numerous people. (Ezek. 45:1) “When you allot the land as an inheritance....”: This text is related (to Ps. 16:6), “Portions of land fell to me in pleasantness, even a beautiful inheritance for me.” “Portions of land fell to me”: These are the twelve tribes, since the land was divided to the twelve tribes, as stated (in Ezek. 47:13), “Thus said the Lord God, ‘These shall be the boundaries of the land that you shall allot to the twelve tribes of Israel.’” “In pleasantness,” in the merit of the Torah, about which it is stated (in Prov. 22:18), “As it is pleasant that you should store them in your belly [...].” There is a man who is handsome but his clothing is ugly, and one who is ugly but his clothing handsome. But [regarding] Israel, they adorn the land and the Land adorns them. Hence it is stated (in Ps. 16:6), “Even a beautiful inheritance for me.” And so too is it stated (in Job 29:14), “I clothed myself in righteousness and it clothed me.” It is written (in Josh. 7:19), “Then Joshua said unto Achan, ‘My son, please give glory to the Lord God of Israel [and make a confession to Him; please tell me what you have done, do not hide it from me.]’” Achan said to him, “Am I to die because of this thing that you are saying?” When Achan saw [the situation], he said in his heart, “Now I shall be entrapped by the lot. Then I shall be found untrue (rt.: 'mn) and deemed a liar before Joshua.” At that moment Achan said to Joshua, “Why are you casting lots between me and my house? Let me cast lots between you and Phinehas! If the lot does not come up for both of you, I also shall believe (rt.: 'mn) [in it].” At that moment (according to Josh. 7:19) Joshua said to Achan, “My son, please give glory to the Lord God of Israel and make a confession to Him. Please tell me what you have done.” Achan said to him, “You also tell me what you have done.” Immediately discord broke out in Israel, so that [Achan's] tribe of Judah arose in strife and killed one group in Israel after another. When Achan saw this, he said in his heart, “If anyone saves a single life in Israel, it is as though he had saved the entire world; yet in my case, it has been through me that several people in Israel have been killed. I am a sinner and one who causes [others] to sin. It is better [for me] to confess my transgression before the Holy One, blessed be He, and before Joshua, so that no calamity come about through me.” What did Achan do? He arose and made his voice heard, so that the whole congregation turned to him. He said to Joshua (in vs. 20), “’(Truly) I am the one who sinned before the Lord God of Israel; thus and so (literally, like this and like this) is what I have done.’ So it was not this alone, but I have already misappropriated other [things].”⁶See Gen. R. 85:14, according to which Achan had acted dishonestly in the person of his great grandfather, Zerah, the son of Judah by Tamar. Joshua said to him, “Indeed I also knew that you were responsible for the situation; (Josh. 7:19,) ‘please tell me what you have done. Do not hide it from me.’” (Vs. 21) “I saw among the spoils”: [He said,] “I have seen what is written in the Torah (in Deut. 20:14), ‘you may eat the spoils of your enemies.’” (Josh. 7:21, cont.) “A fine shinar mantle”: [He continued,] “Now do not say that I am poor and in need, for there is no one in the tribe [of Judah] wealthier than I. Immediately (there follows vs. 22), “Then Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent and behold buried in his tent was the silver […].” For what reason did Joshua send them? So that the tribe of Judah would not steal them (i.e., the stolen articles) and continue in the discord. Joshua therefore sent quickly, and (according to vs. 23) “they brought them unto Joshua and unto all the Children of Israel; and they spread them out before the Lord.” What is the significance of “and they spread them out?” Joshua said in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, is it because of these that You have been angry with Your children? Here they are set before you.” Immediately [we read] (in vs. 24), “Then Joshua took Achan ben Zerah, the silver, the mantle, and the wedge of gold, together with his sons and his daughters,” [the latter] in order to teach them a lesson; “his ox, his ass, […] and his tent,” for burning. (Vs. 24, cont.) “And all Israel [Joshua took] with him,” to see his punishment so that they would not become accustomed to acting in this way. (Vs. 24, cont.) “And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor (akhor; rt.: 'kr).” (Vs. 25) “Then Joshua said, ‘Just as you have afflicted (rt.: 'kr) us, [may the Lord afflict (rt.: 'kr) you] this day:’”⁷Without the bracketed words, the verse would read: HOW YOU HAVE AFFLICTED US THIS DAY! This day [only] is he to be afflicted ('akhur; rt.: 'kr), but he will have a share in the world to come. (Vs. 25, cont.) “Then all Israel pelted him with stones,” him alone; “and they burned them with fire”: The text is speaking of his wealth, for so it had been told [Joshua] by the Almighty (in vs. 15), “And it shall come to pass that the one who has been seized with what has been proscribed shall be burned with fire....” If so, what do we learn from the verse (vs. 15, cont.), “him, and all that he has?” [This passage] is only to teach you that Achan had confessed that he had stolen them on the Sabbath, when he took them out of Jericho and buried them in the midst of his tent. Thus he was stoned for profaning the Sabbath and burned because he had transgressed the ban. And where is it shown? You find that the Holy One, blessed be He, said so to Joshua (in Josh. 6:2–4), “See, I have given Jericho into your hands, along with its king and the mighty warriors. So you shall go around the city with all the men of war to encompass the city one time, thus shall you do for six days. [… but on the seventh day you shall go around the city seven times].” [This passage serves] to teach you that Jericho was conquered on the Sabbath. Now Joshua did this thing on his own, and the Holy One, blessed be He, gave his consent. Joshua said (to himself), “The Sabbath is holy, as stated (in Exod. 31:14), ‘You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you.’ And whatever we conquer shall be holy.” It is so stated (in Josh. 6:19), “But all the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord.” And where is it shown that he received consent? Where it is stated (in Josh. 6:17), “The city and everything in it are to be proscribed for the Lord.” At that time (according to Josh. 7:26) “the Lord turned from His burning anger.” Concerning [this matter], it is stated (in Prov. 16:14), “The king's anger is like messengers of death, and whoever is wise will appease it.” This refers to Joshua, who caused the burning anger of the Lord to turn away from Israel.

(Devarim 1:28) "Whither are we going up? Our brothers have melted our hearts, saying, etc.": They said to him: Moses, our teacher, if we had heard such words from others, we would not believe them, but (we heard them) from those whose sons are our sons, and whose daughters are our daughters!