Cytowanie Komentarza do Psalmów 113:3

Tanchuma Acharey Mot 9 focuses on the word דום “be silent,” rather than עמוד, which appears in Joshua chapter 10. The sun is perceived as constantly praising the Almighty, i.e. its motion is the way in which it praises the Lord. If it stands still, this results in its temporarily ceasing to praise the Lord. It therefore cannot proceed when it remains silent. Its function is aptly described by David when he said in Psalms 113,3: “from the east (where it rises) until it sets the name of the Lord is praised by means of it.” Seeing that this is the sun’s function, i.e. to praise the Lord, Joshua commanded it to be silent, i.e. to cease to function. Arrest of its motion is simply a corollary. The Midrash there elaborates that the sun did not simply accept Joshua’s command but demanded to know how it could be that a “minor” could command a “major?” It meant that seeing it had been created before man, how could man presume to issue orders to the sun? Joshua replied to this argument: “why should not a free (willed) person, even though junior, be able to give orders to a senior who has no freedom of choice?” Upon hearing this, the sun was silent and as a result its orbit ceased. This is the meaning of: “the sun stood in mid-heaven” (Joshua 10,13).

It is written in the Midrash. Joshua said to the sun, stand silent, because when the sun travels, it sings and praises the Holy One, as the verse says, “from east to west the name of the Lord is praised” [Psalms, 113:3]. This means, the sun praises God from the heaven when it shines, until night, when it sets. Therefore, Joshua said to the sun, stand silent. That is, do not sing and remain still. The sun responded: You, Joshua, are very small compared to me, so how do you tell me to stand? Furthermore, I was created on Wednesday and you were created on Friday. Joshua responded: I am a free person, like a son to the father, and you are a servant. The son, even when he is small, makes fun of the servant, even though he is big. The sun immediately stopped, as the verse says, “the sun halted in mid heaven” [Joshua, 10:13]. This means, the sun stood in the middle of heaven.²⁷Bahya, Deuteronomy, 2:25.