Commentary for Deuteronomy 34:9
וִֽיהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ בִּן־נ֗וּן מָלֵא֙ ר֣וּחַ חָכְמָ֔ה כִּֽי־סָמַ֥ךְ מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־יָדָ֖יו עָלָ֑יו וַיִּשְׁמְע֨וּ אֵלָ֤יו בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֔וּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃
And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him; and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.
Sforno on Deuteronomy
כאשר צוה ה' את משה, a reference to the fact that political decisions such as expansionary wars needed G’d’s confirmation, which was to be obtained by means of the urim vetumim in the breastplate of the High Priest, i.e. Eleazar, son of Aaron. We were told this in Numbers 27,21 when Joshua was appointed Moses’ successor. [This was an example of Joshua’s inferiority as a leader compared to Moses, who never had to resort to such indirect methods of receiving a message from G’d. Ed.]
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Rav Hirsch on Torah
V. 9. ויהושע וגו׳ (siehe zu Bamidbar 27, 18).
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