Commentaire sur Les Nombres 27:19

וצויתה אתו AND GIVE HIM A CHARGE concerning Israel; say to him, “Know that they are troublesome, that they are refractory — accept your office having in mind that you will have to take upon yourself all this (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 92 on 11:16).

AND THOU SHALT COMMAND HIM [Joshua] — “concerning Israel, [saying to him]: ‘Know that they are troublesome, that they are stubborn. [Accept this position of leadership over them with full awareness of this and] on condition that you take upon yourself [all this].’” This is the language of Rashi. But it is not correct in my opinion, because it says [and thou shalt command him] before their eyes [and Moses would not have told Joshua to say such words in their presence], for this matter ought rather to have been told to him [Joshua] between the two of them [Moses and Joshua]; for if he would say it in their presence, it would [only] have caused them to break off all restraint. And it would have been more fitting that he [Moses] should chastise the people, warning them separately [and not in Joshua’s presence] not to be troublesome and stubborn any more [rather than to tell Joshua, in their presence, that they were a troublesome and stubborn people]! But [the meaning of] and thou shalt command him before their eyes is that you should instruct him in the duties of a prince and judge, since it was because he [Joshua] was to be their leader that he entrusted them to his care. [Therefore] he should [indeed] have warned him to exert himself exceedingly on their behalf, and to fight the battles of the Eternal, and that he should be the one to go out before them [in battle] and to bring them in,¹⁷⁴Above, Verse 17. and that he should be careful in matters of judgment. These [instructions] indeed ought to be said in their presence, in order that they should trust him and listen to him, for they would then know that he will treat their affairs in a truthful manner, since his master had so commanded him. And this is what Moses [actually] did, as it is said there, And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel: ‘Be strong and of good courage etc. fear not, neither be dismayed.’¹⁷²Deuteronomy 31:7-8. And in the Sifre [we find the following text]:¹⁷⁵I have not found this exact text in our editions of Sifre. For the closest approximation, see my Hebrew commentary, p. 316, Note 93. “And command Joshua¹⁷⁶Deuteronomy 3:28. — concerning instruction [learning and teaching Torah].¹⁷⁷Moses is hereby told to transmit the Torah to Joshua, and to command him to teach it further to Israel. See Aboth 1:1 — “Moses received the Torah on Sinai, and handed it down to Joshua, and Joshua to the elders, etc.” And encourage ‘him,’ and strengthen ‘him.’¹⁷⁶Deuteronomy 3:28. This teaches us that there cannot be two leaders in one generation.” Now these are duties of the prince, to be firm and not to be afraid of the people.
In my opinion the plain meaning of Scripture is that the explanation of [the expression] ‘v’tzav’ (and thou shalt command) him before their eyes is [that it refers to] appointing [him officially as their leader], for Moses was to appoint Joshua in the presence of the people to be the ruler over them. This is similar to [the expression], from the time ‘tzivah othi’ (I was appointed) to be their governor etc.¹⁷⁸Nehemiah 5:14. So also: ‘vayetzaveihu’ (and the Eternal hath appointed him) to be the prince over His people.¹⁷⁹I Samuel 13:14. Similarly, Even from the day that ‘tzivithi’(‘I commanded’) judges to be over My people Israel,¹⁸⁰II Samuel 7:11. which means “I appointed” [and likewise all these expressions of ‘tzav,’ which literally mean “command,” here mean “appoint”].

וצויתה אותו לעיניהם, you appoint him as leader in their very presence so that they will accept his authority willingly and will be obedient to his directives. The expression צווי meaning appointment is not unique; we find it in Samuel I 25,30 וצוך לנגיד, “He will appoint you as leader.” (Avigail speaking to David) We find it also in Samuel II 7,11 למן היום אשר צוותי שופטים, “from the day I have appointed Judges, etc.” (G’d giving a message to the prophet Nathan for David)

וצוית אותו לעיניהם, “you will command him before their eyes;” Rashi comments that Moses presented the Israelites to Joshua as a nation that sorely tried any of its leaders, a people most difficult to govern, their having assumed that Moses would tolerate their difficult behaviour as a matter of course. [He wanted Joshua to know what kind of a burden he would assume by becoming leader. Ed.] Nachmanides writes that Rashi’s comment is not correct, as it would not be good manners for Moses to make such statements in public at that time. On the contrary, instead of being effective, psychologically speaking, such a comment by Moses at a time such as this would have a counterproductive effect and the people would become even more difficult. Accordingly, Nachmanides understands the words וצוית אותו לעיניהם as G’d’s instruction to Moses to impress upon Joshua, that now that he would assume such an awesome responsibility he must become very sensitive to the needs of the people, to their sense of dignity, etc. At the same time, he must know that the final responsibility rested on him when major decisions had to be made and he must be firm and fearless. When the people would hear how Moses had publicly impressed upon Joshua the qualities that a leader must display at all times, they in turn would feel confident that a man so instructed by the incomparable Moses would indeed do everything to live up to the task entrusted to him. Moses acted precisely in this manner, as we know from verses 22 and 23. According to my personal opinion (Nachmanides speaking) the plain meaning of the text is that the appointment of Joshua as Moses’ successor had to be made in public, in the presence of all the people so that it could not be challenged later on, or so that it could not be viewed as an high handed act by Moses. Nachmanides quotes several examples from Scripture where the expression ויצוהו על is used to describe the appointing of someone as a prominent leader with wide ranging powers.

V. 19. והעמדת אתו וגו׳ (vergl. Kap. 3, 6). Jemanden einem andern vorstellen heißt: ihn in dessen Dienst stellen. Indem Josua vor Elasar und vor die Gemeinde hingestellt wird, wird er in den Dienst des Gesetzesheiligtums und der nationalen Gesamtheit gestellt. So sprach Rabban Gamliel zu zwei Jüngern, die aus Bescheidenheit ein öffentliches Amt, zu welchem er sie erheben wollte, anzunehmen zögerten: כמדומין אתם ששרדה אני נותן לכם עבדות אני נותן לכם, ihr meint, ich gebe euch eine Hoheit, einen Dienst gebe ich euch (Horiot 10 a). צוה .וצויתה אתו לעיניהם ist der spezielle Ausdruck für: jemanden hinsichtlich eines zu übertragenden Amtes in Pflicht zu nehmen. So: וצוך לנגיד על ישראל (Sam. I. 25, 30), צויתי שופטים על עמי ישראל (Sam. II. 7. 11), לצות אותי נגיד (daselbst 6, 21), ויצום אל בני ישראל (Schmot 6, 13). So auch Wajikra 3, 28 וצויתה .וצו את יהושע וחזקהו ואמצהו: du sollst ihm in Gegenwart des Volkes die Pflichten seines Amtes auftragen, damit er als der von dir Beauftragte dastehe und sein künftiges Wirken von deiner Autorität getragen sei.

And you shall set him, etc.: This setting is [to give him] authority over them. And nevertheless it is only service, as he is obligated to serve them in that which he has authority over them. Therefore, it is written with the wording, "And you shall set him in front of " - with the same wording as later on [in verse] 21, which demonstrates subservience. This is because authority is truly also subservience.

Before Elozor the kohein. Yehoshua had authority over Elozor who was appointed over the service in the Mishkan, for Yehoshua was like a king, and a king has authority over the Beis HaMikdash, as explained in the Yerushalmi: The constant offering was sacrificed at the fourth hour in the days of Shlomo, because the keys were in his possession.