Midrash su Giosuè 11:15

R. Nachman said in the name of Rab: "What is the meaning of the passage (Prov. 18, 23) The poor speaketh entreatingly, but the rich answereth roughly. The poor speaketh, refers to Moses; and the rich, etc., refers to Joshua." What is the reason [for such an interpretation]? Shall I say because it is written (Josh. 6, 21) And he laid them out before the Lord? And R. Nachman explained this that he laid them down closely upon one another [and pleaded with Him], etc. Did not Pinchas do the same? As it is written (Ps. 106, 30) Then stood up Pinchas, etc. It ought to be written, va-yithpalel, which means, and he prayed, instead of va-ye phalel (debated). R. Elazar said: "Infer from this that he had debated with his Creator. He cast them before the Lord, saying: 'Sovereign of the Universe! were these so worthy that on account of them twenty-four thousand persons of Israel should fall? — as it is written (Num. 25, 9) And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.'" And if you infer it from the passage (Josh. 7, 7) Wherefore hast Thou caused this people to pass over the Jordan?— did not Moses say similar to this (Ex. 5, 22) Wherefore hast thou let so much evil come upon this people? We must therefore say, because Joshua said (Jos. 7, 7) Would that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan. (Ib., ib. 10) And the Lord said unto Joshua: Get thee up. R. Shilla lectured: The Holy One, praised be He! said to him: "Thine [transgressions] is worse than theirs, for I have said (Deut. 27, 4) And it shall be as soon as ye are gone above the Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, but ye went a distance of sixty miles before ye did this." After Shilla went away, Rab appointed an interpreter and lectured (Jos. 11. 15) As the Lord commanded Moses His servant, so did Moses command Joshua; and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses. But why is it written, Get thee up? It means that the Lord said to him: Thou thyself hast caused all the evils, [because thou didst declare as accursed the goods of Jericho]. And this is meant by the passage (Ib. 8, 2) Only its spoil and its cattle shall ye take for booty unto yourselves.

7) R. Shimon b. Gamliel says in the name of R. Shimon b. Lakish: And thus is it written (Joshua 11:15) ("And the name of Chevron of yore was the city of Arba [Abraham]), the great man among the Anakim, and the land had rest from war." Men who honored the tzaddik merited that their land rest (from war).

8) If "As the deed of the land of Egypt and as the deed of the land of Canaan, you shall not do," I might think they should not build or plant as they do; it is, therefore, written (Joshua 11:15) "and in their statutes you shall not walk." I have proscribed for you only those statutes which were instituted for them and for their forefathers and for the fathers of their forefathers. What did they do? A man would wed a man, and a woman, a woman. A man would wed a woman and her daughter, and a woman would wed two — wherefore Scripture states "and in their statutes you shall not walk."

(Fol. 96 b) R. Elazar went and expounded the Halacha in the college and did not say it in the name of R. Jochanan. Upon being informed, R. Jochanan became angry, whereupon R. Ami and R. Assi went to [appease] him. They said to him: "Did it not so happen in the Congregation of Tiberi when there was a dispute between R. Elazar and R. Jassi concerning a doorbolt which had on its top a [movable] fastening contrivance [which may occasionally be used as a pestle,] until they tore a scroll of the Torah in their anger. (How can you possibly think that they tore it? But say that it was torn through their anger.) R. Josi b. Kisma, who was then present, remarked: 'I wonder if that synagogue will become a house of idolatry! And so it did happen. [Hence anger is a very evil passion."] Whereupon R. Jochanan became still more angered and said: "They call me his associate!" He was again visited by R. Jacob b. Idi, who said to him: "It is written (Josh. 11, 15) As the Lord had commanded Moses, His servant, so did Moses command Joshua; and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses. How is it possible that Joshua should have said on every little thing: 'Thus said to me Moses?' We must therefore say that Joshua sat and lectured anonymously, yet everybody knew that his Torah was that of Moses. So also is it with R. Elazar thy disciple. Although he sits and lectures anonymously, yet everybody knows that the Torah is [that which he learned] from you." "Why don't you know how to appease in the way Ben Idi our comrade does?" remarked R. Jochanan. But why did R. Jochanan become angry at all? Because R. Juda said in the name of Rab: "What does the passage (Ps. 61, 5) Let me sojourn in thy tent in the worlds (i.e., both worlds) mean? How can a man live in both worlds? We must therefore say that David said thus before the Holy One, praised be He! 'Sovereign of the Universe, may it be Thy will (Fol. 97) that a traditional law should be taught in my name in this world'. And R. Jochanan said in the name of Simon b. Jochai, 'Every [deceased] scholar whose traditional law is repeated in his name in this world, [causes] his lips to move in the grave.' " R. Isaac b. Zeiri, and according to others R. Simon Nezira, said: "Where is the passage to prove this? (Songs 7, 10) And thy palate like the best wine, that glideth down smoothly for my beloved, moving gently the lips of those that are asleep. This means like the mass of heated grapes; just as the mass of heated grapes begins to drip as soon as one puts his finger on it, so also is a scholar. When they [his disciples] repeat a traditional law in his name in this world, his lips begin to move in his grave."

43) "for the anointing oil of the L–rd is upon you": What is the intent of this? I might think that only Aaron and his sons who were exalted with the oil of anointment, if they went out while officiating, would be liable to death — it is, therefore, written "for the anointing oil of the L–rd is upon you" (upon all high-priests, even if not anointed). "and they did according to the word of Moses": They fulfilled in themselves the mitzvah of Moses their teacher. And thus does Scripture praise Israel in the section of the sending (out of the camp) those who had become tamei, viz. (Bamidbar 5:4): "And the children of Israel did so, and they sent them outside the camp." And thus does Scripture praise Joshua, viz. (Joshua 11:15): "As the L–rd had commanded Moses, so had Moses commanded Joshua, and so did Joshua do."