Talmud zu Jehoschua 7:19

The ‘meal of comfort’¹⁸The first meal partaken by the mourners on their return from the funeral is termed ‘the meal of comfort [habra’ah]’; cf. 2 Sam. 3, 35, to cause David to eat bread (lehabroth). It was prepared by friends and consisted of lentils and eggs (cf. Sanh. 63a, Sonc. ed., p. 430, n. 6) the round shape of which being a reminder of the revolving wheel of fortune. is not eaten in their case, as it is stated, Ye shall not eat [anything] with the blood.¹⁹Lev. 19, 26. This is homiletically interpreted to mean: where blood is shed (i.e. an execution has taken place) no ceremonial meal of mourners should be eaten. Cf. Sanh. loc. cit.
[The judges of] a Court who ordered the execution of a man used not to eat anything on that day.²⁰Sanh. loc. cit.
[The condemned] are allowed to converse with their brothers and relatives; and not to delay matters²¹i.e. to avoid giving the appearance that the execution of justice is unduly protracted. they are given to drink wine containing frankincense²²To numb the senses; cf. Sanh. 43a (Sonc. ed., p. 279). so that they should not feel grieved. They are urged²³lit. ‘they teach them’. to confess, because he who confesses has a portion in the World to Come. We find it so with Achan to whom Joshua said, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and make confession unto Him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide nothing from me. And Achan answered Joshua, and said: Of a truth I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done.²⁴Josh. 7, 19f. What is the meaning of and thus and thus? It teaches that he violated the ban twice.²⁵By taking from the devoted things on two occasions. Sanh. 43b (Sonc. ed., p. 284) explains that he took of the ban three times, twice in the days of Moses and once at Jericho. [44b] I have sinned, i.e. I and not my household, I and not my children. This teaches that he truthfully²⁶Of a truth (’omnam) is explained as be’emunah (‘truthfully’). confessed. And whence do we know that his confession made atonement for him? As it is stated, And Joshua said: Why hast thou troubled us? The Lord shall trouble thee this day²⁷ibid. 25.—this day art thou to be troubled but thou shalt not be troubled in the World to Come; and it states, And the sons of Zerah: Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol and Dara: five of them in all.²⁸1 Chron. 2, 6. Do we not know that there were five of them in all?²⁹Since five names are specified. It teaches that Achan will be with them in the world to come.³⁰Cf. Sanh. 44b (Sonc. ed., p. 291). Zimri, according to a tradition, is identical with Achan. As Achan is mentioned together with the other four, who are considered to be worthy men, it is an indication that his confession was accepted and with them he shared in the World to Come.
Similarly one who steals the tax³¹i.e. eludes the customs; cf. B.Ḳ. 113a (Sonc. ed., p. 663), Tosiftha B.Ḳ. X, 8. or anything devoted [to the Sanctuary] is as if he shed blood; and not only is he as if he shed blood, but he is also as if he worships idols, was guilty of immorality and desecrates the Sabbath.³²[On this passage, cf. Büchler, Studies in Sin and Atonement, p. 198n.]

MISHNAH: Ten cubits’ distance from the place of stoning one tells him: confess! So is the way of any dying person to confess, since anyone who confesses has part in the World to Come. For so we find about Achan towhom Joshua said, my son, honor the Eternal, the God of Israel, confess to Him, and tell me what you did, do not hide it from me. Achan answered Joshua and said, in fact I sinned against the Eternal, the God of Israel, and such and such I did²⁶Jos. 7:19–20.. From where that his confession atoned for him? For it is said, Joshua said to him, how did you devastate us; may the Eternal devastate you on this day²⁷Jos. 7:25.. This day you are devastated; you are not devastated in the Future World.
If he does not know how to confess, one tells him, say: “My death shall be atonement for all my sins.” Rebbi Jehudah said, if he knows that he was the victim of perjurers, he says: “My death shall be atonement for all my sins except this one.⁴¹For which he is being stoned.” They told him, if so, everybody would say so to declare themselves innocent⁴²And to declare the witnesses perjured and the judges bribed or incompetent..

HALAKHAH: “Ten cubits’ distance from the place of stoning,” etc. You find that when Achan stole from the ban, Joshua started supplicating before the Holy One, praise to Him, and said: Master of the Universe, inform me who is the man. The Holy One, praise to Him, answered: I never publicize any creature. In addition, would I not be guilty of slander²⁸Babli 11a, 43b. An expanded version in Tanhuma Masˋe 5.? But go and let Israel stand up by its tribes and throw lots, then immediately I shall draw him out. That is what is written: Joshua got up early in the morning and summoned Israel by its tribes. Achan ben Karmi ben Zeraḥ from the tribe of Jehudah was caught²⁹Jos. 7:16.. Achan told him, how? Do you catch me by lots³⁰The entire procedure described in Jos. 7:16–26 cannot be justified either in pentateuchal or in rabbinic law.? There is nobody more pious in the present generation than you or Phineas. Let lots be thrown between you, certainly³¹Greek πάντως. The outcome of drawing of lots is essentially predetermined by the set from which the lot is drawn. one of you will be caught. Not only this, but your teacher Moses died only 30 or 40 days ago. Did not our teacher Moses instruct us: By the testimony of two witnesses³²Deut. 19:15.? You started erring. At that moment did Joshua have a vision by the holy spirit how he distributes the Land to Israel by lots. That is what is written: Joshua threw lots for them³³Jos. 18:10.. This means, we are giving lots a bad name. Not only this, but if lots are confirmed now, all of Israel will say, since the lots were true in criminal matters, so much more in money matters. But if they are repudiated now, all of Israel will say, since the lots were repudiated in criminal matters, so much more in money matters. At that moment, Joshua started supplicating Achan, entreated him in the name of Israel’s God, and said to him: my son, honor the Eternal,the God of Israel, … Achan answered Joshua and said, in fact²⁶Jos. 7:19–20.. What means אָמְנָה? Truth³⁴Deriving אמנה from the root אמן.. I sinned against the Eternal, God of Israel. He told him, I asked you for one and you are answering me two³⁵Referring to the doubling such and such in v. 7:20.? he answered, I stole from the ban of Midian and the ban of Jericho. Rebbi Tanḥuma said, he stole from four bans: The ban of the Phoenician, king of Arad, the ban of Siḥon and Og, the ban of Midian, the ban of Jericho. From where that his confession atoned for him? It is said³⁶The assassin of king Ela, 1K. 16:10. In Jos. 7:19, the son of Zerah and father of Carmi is called Zavdi, not Zimri. This underlies the talmudic doctrine that all of Chronicles is to be explained alegorically., the sons of Zeraḥ: Zimri and Ethan, etc. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, Zimri is Achan who behaved like Zimri³⁷The assassin of king Ela, 1K. 16:10. In Jos. 7:19, the son of Zerah and father of Carmi is called Zavdi, not Zimri. This underlies the talmudic doctrine that all of Chronicles is to be explained alegorically.. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman said, Heman³⁸Aramaic הֵימָן is Hebrew נֶאֱמָן, cf. Note 34. that is Achan, omna I sinned. Altogether five. Did I not know that they were five³⁹Since the verse enumerates five sons of Zerah.? But it teaches that Achan also has part in the World to Come⁴⁰Since he is counted together with Ethan and Heman, the composers of psalms. Tosephta 9:5..