Midrash for Joshua 1:16
וַֽיַּעֲנ֔וּ אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ לֵאמֹ֑ר כֹּ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוִּיתָ֙נוּ֙ נַֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה וְאֶֽל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּשְׁלָחֵ֖נוּ נֵלֵֽךְ׃
And they answered Joshua, saying: ‘All that thou hast commanded us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us we will go.
Shir HaShirim Rabbah
Rabbi Huna interpreted the verse regarding the Jordan. “Your hair is like a flock of goats” (Song of Songs 4:1) – the flocks that crossed the Jordan crossed only due to the merit of Jacob our patriarch. That is what is written: “You shall inform your children, saying: Israel crossed [this Jordan] on dry land” (Joshua 4:22). Rabbi Huna said: Israel the patriarch.35The fact that the verse mentions Israel instead of the more common term for the nation, “children of Israel,” is meant to hint to the fact that they crossed in the merit of Israel, i.e., Jacob. Rabbi Yudan [said] in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: We find in three places, in the Torah, in the Prophets, and in the Writings, that Israel crossed the Jordan due only to the merit of Jacob our patriarch. In the Torah: “For with my staff I crossed this Jordan” (Genesis 32:11); in the Prophets: “You shall inform your children, saying: Israel crossed this Jordan on dry land” (Joshua 4:22) – Israel the patriarch; in the Writings: “What is it, sea, that makes you flee? The Jordan, [that you turn back?]” (Psalms 114:5). [It retreats] “from before the God of Jacob” (Psalms 114:7).
“That streams down [shegaleshu] from Mount Gilad” (Song of Songs 4:1) – the mountain from whose midst you took away [shegelashten], I rendered it a memorial for the nations of the world. Which is this? This is the Jordan. What is it that you took away from its midst? “Your teeth are like a flock of ordered ewes” (Song of Songs 4:2) – the plunder of Siḥon and Og.36The midrash understands the reference to ordered ewes as referring to the rows of soldiers who fought against Siḥon and Og (Etz Yosef). This occurred before the Israelites crossed the Jordan.
“That have come up from bathing” (Song of Songs 4:2) – Rabbi Elazar said: The land of Canaan was conquered with sixty thousand.37Commentaries struggle to explain how this is derived from the phrase of the verse cited here. Some suggest that the text should read “like a flock of ordered ewes” (Song of Songs 4:2). Rabbi Elazar then states that if this is an allusion to the army that conquered Canaan, they must have been sixty thousand, because if there were more they would not have been “ordered” and organized (Yefei Kol). This is the opinion of Rabbi Elazar, as Rabbi Elazar said: Every war that involves more than sixty thousand is a war of pandemonium. Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Ḥizkiya: Wherever it states about ten, about twenty, about thirty, about forty, it is saying either more or less. There it is stated: “About forty thousand, the vanguard of the army” (Joshua 4:13), and here it is stated: “Forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty” (I Chronicles 5:18). Rabbi Aḥa said: They were complete thousands, and the rest perished on the way.38Forty-five thousand soldiers actually went out to battle, but forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty returned. The verse in Joshua refers to this number as forty thousand. Those fifteen thousand, where are they?39The total number that went out to battle was forty-five thousand, whereas Rabbi Elazar said they would go out with sixty thousand. [Rabbi Elazar] said to them: They were guards of the equipment, and the verse did not include them in the tally. “That are all paired [matimot]” (Song of Songs 4:2) – as they were in the middle [metuamim] between the vanguard and the rearguard. That is what is written: “And the vanguard goes […and the rearguard goes]” (Joshua 6:9). “And there is none missing among them” (Song of Songs 4:2) – that not one of them was harmed.
“Your lips are like a scarlet thread” (Song of Songs 4:3) – when they said to Joshua: “Everything that you commanded us we will perform…” (Joshua 1:16). “Your speech is lovely” (Song of Songs 4:3) – as they said to him: “Anyone who will defy your word…will die” (Joshua 1:18). At that moment, Joshua began praising them: “Your temple [rakatekh] is like a pomegranate slice” (Song of Songs 4:3) – even the empty [hareikan] among you is packed with Torahs like this pomegranate. It goes without saying: “Behind your braid [letzamatekh]” (Song of Songs 4:3) – regarding the modest and the fervent [metzumatin] among you.
“Your neck is like the tower of [kemigdal] David” – how did David elevate [gidel] you in his book: “Who smote great kings” (Psalms 136:17)! “Built magnificently [letalpiyot]” – a book that was stated by many mouths [piyot].
“One thousand bucklers” – all those thousands and tens of thousands who crossed the Jordan and I defended them. I defended them only because of the merit of the one who came after one thousand generations.40Moses You relied not only upon him, but rather, “all the shields of the mighty” – anyone who arises and controls and overcomes his inclination, like Moses in his time, David in his time, Ezra in his time; their entire generation depends upon them. Due to whom did Israel cross the Jordan? It was due to “your two breasts” (Song of Songs 4:5) – these are Joshua and Elazar.
“That streams down [shegaleshu] from Mount Gilad” (Song of Songs 4:1) – the mountain from whose midst you took away [shegelashten], I rendered it a memorial for the nations of the world. Which is this? This is the Jordan. What is it that you took away from its midst? “Your teeth are like a flock of ordered ewes” (Song of Songs 4:2) – the plunder of Siḥon and Og.36The midrash understands the reference to ordered ewes as referring to the rows of soldiers who fought against Siḥon and Og (Etz Yosef). This occurred before the Israelites crossed the Jordan.
“That have come up from bathing” (Song of Songs 4:2) – Rabbi Elazar said: The land of Canaan was conquered with sixty thousand.37Commentaries struggle to explain how this is derived from the phrase of the verse cited here. Some suggest that the text should read “like a flock of ordered ewes” (Song of Songs 4:2). Rabbi Elazar then states that if this is an allusion to the army that conquered Canaan, they must have been sixty thousand, because if there were more they would not have been “ordered” and organized (Yefei Kol). This is the opinion of Rabbi Elazar, as Rabbi Elazar said: Every war that involves more than sixty thousand is a war of pandemonium. Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Ḥizkiya: Wherever it states about ten, about twenty, about thirty, about forty, it is saying either more or less. There it is stated: “About forty thousand, the vanguard of the army” (Joshua 4:13), and here it is stated: “Forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty” (I Chronicles 5:18). Rabbi Aḥa said: They were complete thousands, and the rest perished on the way.38Forty-five thousand soldiers actually went out to battle, but forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty returned. The verse in Joshua refers to this number as forty thousand. Those fifteen thousand, where are they?39The total number that went out to battle was forty-five thousand, whereas Rabbi Elazar said they would go out with sixty thousand. [Rabbi Elazar] said to them: They were guards of the equipment, and the verse did not include them in the tally. “That are all paired [matimot]” (Song of Songs 4:2) – as they were in the middle [metuamim] between the vanguard and the rearguard. That is what is written: “And the vanguard goes […and the rearguard goes]” (Joshua 6:9). “And there is none missing among them” (Song of Songs 4:2) – that not one of them was harmed.
“Your lips are like a scarlet thread” (Song of Songs 4:3) – when they said to Joshua: “Everything that you commanded us we will perform…” (Joshua 1:16). “Your speech is lovely” (Song of Songs 4:3) – as they said to him: “Anyone who will defy your word…will die” (Joshua 1:18). At that moment, Joshua began praising them: “Your temple [rakatekh] is like a pomegranate slice” (Song of Songs 4:3) – even the empty [hareikan] among you is packed with Torahs like this pomegranate. It goes without saying: “Behind your braid [letzamatekh]” (Song of Songs 4:3) – regarding the modest and the fervent [metzumatin] among you.
“Your neck is like the tower of [kemigdal] David” – how did David elevate [gidel] you in his book: “Who smote great kings” (Psalms 136:17)! “Built magnificently [letalpiyot]” – a book that was stated by many mouths [piyot].
“One thousand bucklers” – all those thousands and tens of thousands who crossed the Jordan and I defended them. I defended them only because of the merit of the one who came after one thousand generations.40Moses You relied not only upon him, but rather, “all the shields of the mighty” – anyone who arises and controls and overcomes his inclination, like Moses in his time, David in his time, Ezra in his time; their entire generation depends upon them. Due to whom did Israel cross the Jordan? It was due to “your two breasts” (Song of Songs 4:5) – these are Joshua and Elazar.
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