Midrash sa Josue 24:11: Midrash Tanchuma, Bamidbar Rabbah & Midrash Tanchuma Buber

(Numb. 10:2 translated literally:) “Make for yourself (lekha),” [i.e.,] at your own expense (literally: from what belongs to you [lekha]).²⁷Numb. R. 15:16. (Ibid.:) “Make for yourself.” For yourself you shall make [them] and not for others. You are to use them, and no one else is to use them. You yourself know that in the case of his disciple Joshua, he did not use those [trumpets] but horns (shofars). When they came to fight against Jericho, there gathered in Jericho seven peoples. It is so stated (in Josh. 14:11), “When you crossed the Jordan and came unto Jericho, the citizens of Jericho, the Amorites, the Perizzites, [the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites,] the Hivites, and the Jebusites fought against you." Did seven peoples make up the citizens of Jericho, in that it says [here], “the citizens of Jericho: the Amorites….” R. Samuel bar Nahmani said, “Jericho was the door bolt [for unlocking] the land of Israel. They said, ‘If Jericho is conquered, the whole land will be conquered immediately.’ For that reason seven peoples gathered within it.” What is written (in Josh. 6:20)? “So the people shouted when [the priests] blew on the horns.” [This] teaches that even though Joshua was [Moses'] disciple, he did not use them (i.e. the silver trumpets). Moreover you should not say [this only] about Joshua but even [about] our master Moses, [in that the trumpets] were hidden while he was [still] alive. R. Isaac said, “Note that when Moses was going to depart this world, he said (in Deut. 31:28), ‘Gather unto me all the elders of your tribes [and your officials].’ But where were the trumpets? After all, he did not say, ‘Blow on them for [those people] to gather.’ It is simply that [it was already] while he was [still] alive that they were hidden.” R. Joshua of Sikhnin said in the name of R. Levi, “It was to fulfill what was said (in Eccl. 8:8), ‘nor is there control on the day of death….’” Ergo (in Numb. 10:2), “Make for yourself....” Make it for yourself, but you shall not use them all the days of your life. Another interpretation (of Numb. 10:2), “Make for yourself.” You are to use them because you are a king, but another is not to use them except King David, as stated (in II Chron. 29:26, 28), “And the Levites stood… the song was sung and the trumpets were blown.”²⁸Numb. R. 15:16. Our masters have said, “The trumpets that were in the sanctuary were also hidden, but King David used the harp, as stated (in Ps. 57:9), ‘Awake, my glory; awake, O lyre and harp.’” R. Shimon Hassida said, “A harp was hanging above David's bed.²⁹yBer. 1:1 (2d); Ber. 3:b; PRK 7:4; PR 17:3; M. Pss. 22:8; Ruth R. 6:1; Lam. R. 2:19 (22). When midnight arrived, a north wind would blow strongly on it, and it would play of its own accord. Immediately David and the students would arise to occupy themselves with the Torah; and driving sleep from their eyes, they would meditate on the Torah until the dawn arose. Therefore, David said (ibid.), ‘Awake, my glory.’ It is customary for the dawn to awaken the people, but (ibid. cont.) ‘I will awaken the dawn.’” Another interpretation (of Ps. 57:9), “Awake my, glory.” What is the meaning of “my glory?” [My glory is] due to the glory of my Creator. For the [evil] drive would say to him, “David, are you not a king? It is customary for kings to arise at three hours into the day; so why are you arising at midnight?” Then [David] said to it, “Empty is my glory. My glory is nothing before the glory of my Creator.” It is therefore stated, “Awake my glory (words which can also be rendered: empty is ['urah] my glory.”³⁰The form ‘urah can be either a simple imperative (AWAKE) from the root ‘WR or a past intensive passive (WAS EMPTY) from the root ‘RH. (Ps. 119:62:) “At midnight I will arise to praise You.” David said, “It is my duty to arise at midnight and to praise You for the wonders that You have done with my ancestor (Ruth) at midnight.” It is so stated (in Ruth 3:8–9), “Now it came to pass at midnight that the man was startled, [so he turned aside, and here was a woman lying at his feet]. Then he said, ‘Who are you?’ And she said, ‘I am your handmaid Ruth.’” R. Judah bar Shallum the Levite said, “She said to him, ‘Are you sending me away with [mere] words?’ He said to her (Ruth 3:13) ‘”As the Lord lives,” I am not sending you away with [mere] words.’” (Ruth 3:13:) “As the Lord lives.” [This oath] teaches that he had imposed an oath on his [evil] drive, which was inciting him by saying to him, “You are an unmarried man and she is an unmarried woman. Now is the time to seduce her.” Immediately this righteous man swore, “As the Lord lives, I am not touching her tonight.” And not only Boaz, but all the righteous impose an oath on their [evil] drive. Thus you find it so with David, for when Saul fell into his hands, what did David say (in I Sam. 26:10)? “And David said, ‘As the Lord lives, the Lord shall smite him; either he will die when his day comes or he will go down and perish in battle; [the Lord forbid that I lay my hand on the Lord's anointed].’” Why did he swear two times? R. Samuel bar Nahman said, “His [evil] drive came and said to him, ‘If you had fallen into his hand, he would have shown you no mercy and killed you. [Moreover] according to the Torah it is permissible to kill him, since here he is pursuing [you].’ He therefore hastened to swear two times, ‘As the Lord lives, I will not kill him.’” Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the universe, You know the power of the evil drive, how strong it is.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “Remove it little by little in this world, and I will take it away from you in the future.” Thus it is stated (in Is. 62:10), “build up, complete the highway³¹The biblical text renders, BUILD UP, BUILD UP THE HIGHWAY. [take away some stone] (i.e. the evil drive)!” It also says (in Is. 57:14), “Build up, build up; clear out a way; remove an obstacle (i.e. the evil drive) from the way of my people!” Then in the world to come I will root it out of you, as stated (in Ezek. 36:26), “I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh.” Thus has R. Tanhuma bar Abba interpreted.

“Craft for you” – from your own. “Craft for you” – for yourself you craft, but not for another. You use them, but another does not use them. Know that Joshua, Moses’s disciple, did not use them, but rather shofars. When he came to wage war in Jericho, seven nations assembled in Jericho, as it is stated: “You crossed the Jordan, and you came to Jericho; the masters of Jericho made war against you, the Emorites, the Perizites, the Canaanites, the Hitites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Yevusites, and I delivered them into your hand” (Joshua 24:11). Were the masters of Jericho seven nations? Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: Jericho was the safeguard of the Land of Israel. If Jericho is conquered, immediately the rest of the Land will be conquered. That is why the seven nations assembled in it. What is written there? “The people shouted, and they sounded the shofars” (Joshua 6:20) – it teaches that even his disciple Joshua did not use them.
Do not say only for Joshua, but even Moses, as they were sequestered while he was still alive. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Moses says, when he comes to take his leave of the world: “Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes, and your foremen” (Deuteronomy 31:28). Where were the trumpets to sound and assemble them? It is, rather, that they were sequestered while he was still alive. Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi said: It is to realize what is stated: “There is no dominion on the day of death” (Ecclesiastes 8:8). That is, “craft for you two silver trumpets” – craft them for you, and no one else will use them all the days of your life.

Another interpretation (of Numb. 10:2 translated literally): MAKE FOR YOURSELF (lekha), <i.e.,> at your own expense (literally: from what belongs to you [lekha]).⁵⁷Tanh. Numb. 3:10 cont., Numb. R. 15:16. (Ibid.:) MAKE FOR YOURSELF. FOR YOURSELF you shall make <them> and not for others. You are to use them, and no one else is to use them. You yourself know that, in the case of his disciple Joshua, he did not use those <trumpets> but horns. When they came to fight against Jericho, there gathered in Jericho seven peoples. It is so stated (in Josh. 14:11): WHEN YOU CROSSED THE JORDAN AND CAME UNTO JERICHO, THE CITIZENS OF JERICHO: THE AMORITES, THE PERIZZITES, [THE CANAANITES, THE HITTITES, THE GIRGASHITES,] THE HIVITES, AND THE JEBUSITES FOUGHT AGAINST YOU. Did seven peoples make up the citizens of Jericho? After all it says <here>: THE CITIZENS OF JERICHO: THE AMORITES…. R. Samuel bar Nahmani said: Jericho was the door bolt <for unlocking> the land of Israel. They said: If Jericho is conquered, the whole land will be conquered. For that reason seven peoples gathered within it. What is written (in Josh. 6:20)? SO THE PEOPLE SHOUTED WHEN <THE PRIESTS> BLEW ON THE HORNS. <This> teaches that even though Joshua was <Moses'> disciple, he did not use them (i.e. the silver trumpets). Moreover you should not say <this only> about Joshua but even <about> our master Moses, <since the trumpets> were hidden while he was <still> alive. R. Isaac said: Note that when Moses was going to depart this world, he said (in Deut. 31:28): GATHER UNTO ME [ALL THE ELDERS OF YOUR TRIBES AND YOUR OFFICIALS]. But where were the trumpets? After all he did not say: Blow on them for <those people> to gather. It is simply that while he was alive they were hidden. R. Joshua of Sikhnin said in the name of R. Levi: <It was to fulfill what was said (in Eccl. 8:8): <NO HUMAN HAS CONTROL OVER THE WIND, TO CONTAIN THE WIND > NOR IS THERE CONTROL ON THE DAY OF DEATH… Ergo (in Numb. 10:2): MAKE FOR YOURSELF, and no one else is to use them all your days.