Commentaire sur L’Exode 24:13

ויקם משה ויהושע משרתו AND MOSES ROSE AND HIS MINISTER JOSHUA — I am not sure in what capacity Joshua appears here, but I think that as a disciple he was accompanying the teacher as far as the place where the bounds of the mountain were marked out, whence onward he was not permitted to proceed. From that point ויעל משה MOSES alone ASCENDED אל הר האלהים THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD, whilst Joshua pitched his tent there and stayed there during the whole forty days which Moses spent on the mountain. For thus we find that when Moses came down from the mountain it states, (Exodus 32:17) “and Joshua heard the voice of the people that they shouted” — from which we may infer that he was not with them in the camp.

AND MOSES ROSE UP, AND JOSHUA HIS MINISTER. “I do not know in what capacity Joshua was serving here. But it appears to me that the disciple was accompanying the master as far as the place where the limits of the mountain were marked out, for beyond them Joshua was not permitted to go, and from there Moses went up alone into the mountain of G-d, while Joshua pitched his tent there for the whole of the forty days. Thus we find that when Moses came down from the mountain it is written, And Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted,⁵⁵⁷Further, 32:17. from which we learn that Joshua was not with them in the camp” [at the time of the making of the golden calf]. Thus far is Rashi’s language.
In my opinion, Joshua was one of the seventy elders [who were asked to ascend the mountain], for there was nobody more worthy amongst the seventy elders of Israel to approach G-d than he, and when Moses separated from them [to ascend higher], Joshua accompanied his master up to the border [beyond which he was not permitted to go]. Now do not object to my explanation on this point from what the Rabbis have said⁵⁵⁸Tanchuma Beha’alothcha, 16. Rashi in Verse 10 here brings part of the Midrash with reference to Nadab and Abihu. concerning the punishment of these elders at Taberah,⁵⁵⁹Numbers 11:3. The place was called Taberah (which means “burning”) because the Eternal burnt among them — that is, among the most distinguished and prominent ones among them, namely the elders (see Rashi ibid., Verse 1). Now the reason why the elders were singled out for punishment at that time is stated by the Rabbis as follows: Since at the time of the Giving of the Torah they gazed more intently than they were permitted to, behaving as if they were eating and drinking (see here Verse 11), they were liable to death. But since G-d did not wish to disturb the joy caused by the Giving of the Torah, He waited with their punishment till Taberah. — Now on the basis of this Midrash you might think that Joshua, too, was like the elders and unworthy of seeing Divine visions. But, concludes Ramban, this was not the case with Joshua. for they said so concerning all of them except Joshua, for he was indeed worthy to see visions of G-d and to receive prophecy.

ויהושע משרתו, “whereas his personal valet, Joshua, etc.;” he remained seated at the bottom of the Mountain until his master would return; in the meantime he was fed daily by a portion of manna.

ויעל משה אל הר האלוהים, “Moses ascended to the Mountain of G’d.” This teaches that all the time Moses was on the mountain Joshua waited for him at the bottom of the mountain. Proof for this can be found in 32,17 where we read that as soon as Moses descended the Torah reports Joshua as “hearing the sound of the people in shouting.” Had he remained inside the camp, this verse would not make sense.