| 1And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, who were on the side of the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until they had passed over, that their heart melted, nor was there spirit in them anymore, because of the children of Israel. |
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אוַיְהִ֣י כִשְׁמֹ֣עַ כָּל־מַלְכֵ֣י הָֽאֱמֹרִ֡י אֲשֶׁר֩ בְּעֵ֨בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֜ן יָ֗מָּה וְכָל־מַלְכֵ֚י הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הַיָּ֔ם אֵ֠ת אֲשֶׁר־הוֹבִ֨ישׁ יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶת־מֵ֧י הַיַּרְדֵּ֛ן מִפְּנֵ֥י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עַד־עָבְרָ֑ם (כתיב עָבְרָ֑נו) וַיִּמַּ֣ס לְבָבָ֗ם וְלֹא־הָ֨יָה בָ֥ם עוֹד֙ ר֔וּחַ מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל: |
| who were on the side of the Jordan westward. on the side to which the children of Israel had crossed, i.e. the west side. And previously, they had been on the east side. |
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אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן יָמָּה.
לְצַד שֶׁעָבְרוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, הוּא צַד שֶׁל מַעֲרָבִי, וְעַד עַכְשָׁיו הָיוּ בְּעֵבֶר מִזְרָחִי.
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| 2At that time the Lord said to Joshua, Make for yourself sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. |
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בבָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗יא אָמַ֚ר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ עֲשֵֹ֥ה לְךָ֖ חַֽרְב֣וֹת צֻרִ֑ים וְשׁ֛וּב מֹ֥ל אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שֵׁנִֽית: |
| sharp knives. חרבות צרים, according to Targum, sharp knives, also “You have turned back the edge of his sword.” When the sharp edge is turned sideways and does not cut well. And so: “Every weapon which will be sharpened against you.” |
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חַרְבוֹת צֻרִים.
כְּתַּרְגּוּמוֹ: אִזְמְלָוָן חֲרִיפִין, וְכֵן (תהלים פט מד): אַף תָּשִׁיב צוּר חַרְבּוֹ, כְּשֶׁהַחֲרִיפוּת נֶהְפָּךְ לַצְּדָדִין וְאֵינוֹ חוֹתֵךְ יָפֶה, וְכֵן (ישעיהו נד יז): כָּל כְּלִי יוּצַר עָלַיִךְ.
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| the second time. for they had already circumcised a large assembly on the night of their departure from Egypt, and this was the second time, for the entire forty years that they were in the desert, the north wind did not blow for them, and they did not have any day suitable for circumcision, as we learned in Job. Our Rabbis state, however, “ ‘the second time’ refers the uncovering the corona at circumcision,” [i.e. splitting the membrane and pulling it back] which Abraham was not commanded to do. |
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שֵׁנִית.
שֶׁמָּלוּ כְּבָר בְּלֵיל יְצִיאָתָם מִמִּצְרַיִם קָהָל גָּדוֹל יַחַד, וְזוֹ פַּעַם שֵׁנִית, שֶׁכָּל הָאַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה שֶׁהָיוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר לֹא נָשְׁבָה לָהֶם רוּחַ צְפוֹנִית וְלֹא הָיָה לָהֶם יוֹם נוֹחַ לָמוּל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁנִינוּ בִּיבָמוֹת (עא ב). וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ (שם): שֵׁנִית זוֹ פְּרִיעַת מִילָה שֶׁלֹּא נִתְּנָה לְאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ.
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| 3And Joshua made for himself sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. |
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גוַיַּעַשׂ־ל֥וֹ יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ חַֽרְב֣וֹת צֻרִ֑ים וַיָּ֙מָל֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶל־גִּבְעַ֖ת הָֽעֲרָלֽוֹת: |
| the hill of the foreskins. It was given this appellation to commemorate the event, because the foreskins were made into a sort of mound, or hillock. |
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גִּבְעַת הָעֲרָלוֹת.
עַל שֵׁם הַמְּאוֹרָע נִקְרָא, שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה כְּמִין גִּבְעָה.
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| 4And this is the reason why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, all the men of war, had died in the desert by the way after they came out of Egypt. |
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דוְזֶ֥ה הַדָּבָ֖ר אֲשֶׁר־מָ֣ל יְהוֹשֻׁ֑עַ כָּל־הָעָ֣ם הַיֹּצֵא֩ מִמִּצְרַ֨יִם הַזְּכָרִ֜ים כֹּ֣ל | אַנְשֵׁ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה מֵ֚תוּ בַמִּדְבָּר֙ בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ בְּצֵאתָ֖ם מִמִּצְרָֽיִם: |
| Now this is the reason. Through speech he circumcised them. He said to them, “Do you expect to inherit the land while being uncircumcised? Was it not thus stated to Abraham: 'And you shall keep my covenant etc. And I shall give to you and to your seed after you the land of your sojournings?’ ” |
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וְזֶה הַדָּבָר.
עַל יְדֵי דִּבּוּר מָל אוֹתָם, אָמַר לָהֶם: סְבוּרִים אַתֶּם לִירַשׁ אֶת הָאָרֶץ עֲרֵלִים, לֹא כָּךְ נֶאֱמַר לְאַבְרָהָם (בראשית יז ט): וְאַתָּה אֶת־בְּרִיתִי תִשְׁמֹר וְגוֹמֵר (שם שם ח), וְנָתַתִּי לְךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ אֵת אֶרֶץ מְגֻרֶיךָ.
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| all the people that came out. Not one of them was here, for they had all died, and they were circumcised, as it is stated: for… were circumcised. |
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כָּל הָעָם הַיּוֹצֵא.
לֹא הָיָה אֶחָד מֵהֶם כָּאן, שֶׁכֻּלָּם מֵתוּ, וְהֵם הָיוּ מוּלִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי מֻלִים הָיוּ.
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| 5For all the people that came out were circumcised, but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, they had not circumcised. |
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הכִּֽי־מֻלִ֣ים הָי֔וּ כָּל־הָעָ֖ם הַיֹּֽצְאִ֑ים וְכָל־הָ֠עָ֠ם הַיִּלֹּדִ֨ים בַּמִּדְבָּ֥ר בַּדֶּ֛רֶךְ בְּצֵאתָ֥ם מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם לֹא־מָֽלוּ: |
| they had not circumcised. as I explained, that the north wind had not blown, and they were the ones who were circumcised now. |
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לֹא מָלוּ.
כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּירַשְׁתִּי, שֶׁלֹּא נָשְׁבָה רוּחַ צְפוֹנִית, וְהֵם שֶׁמָּלוּ עַכְשָׁיו.
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| 6For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the people, the men of war, that came out of Egypt, were consumed, those who did not listen to the voice of the Lord, to whom the Lord had sworn that He would not show them the land, which the Lord had sworn to their forefathers that He would give us, a land that flows with milk and honey. |
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וכִּ֣י | אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֗ה הָֽלְכ֣וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֘ בַּמִּדְבָּר֒ עַד־תֹּ֨ם כָּל־הַגּ֜וֹי אַנְשֵׁ֚י הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ הַיֹּֽצְאִ֣ים מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־שָֽׁמְע֖וּ בְּק֣וֹל יְהֹוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֚ע יְהֹוָה֙ לָהֶ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֞י הַרְאוֹתָ֣ם אֶת־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁבַּ֨ע יְהֹוָ֚ה לַֽאֲבוֹתָם֙ לָ֣תֶת לָ֔נוּ אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ: |
| 7And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised, for they had not circumcised them by the way. |
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זוְאֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם֙ הֵקִ֣ים תַּחְתָּ֔ם אֹתָ֖ם מָ֣ל יְהוֹשֻׁ֑עַ כִּֽי־עֲרֵלִ֣ים הָי֔וּ כִּ֛י לֹא־מָ֥לוּ אוֹתָ֖ם בַּדָּֽרֶךְ: |
| And their children whom he raised up in their stead. i.e. And their children whom he raised up in their stead, (they are the ones who were born in the desert) them Joshua circumcised. |
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וְאֶת בְּנֵיהֶם הֵקִים תַּחְתָּם.
וְאֶת בְּנֵיהֶם שֶׁהֵקִים תַּחְתֵּיהֶם, הֵם הַיִּלּוֹדִים בַּמִּדְבָּר, אוֹתָם מָל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ.
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| 8And it was, when all the people were finished being circumcised, that they remained in their places in the camp, until they recovered. |
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חוַיְהִ֛י כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־תַּ֥מּוּ כָל־הַגּ֖וֹי לְהִמּ֑וֹל וַיֵּֽשְׁב֥וּ תַחְתָּ֛ם בַּֽמַּֽחֲנֶ֖ה עַ֥ד חֲיוֹתָֽם: |
| and they remained in their places. in their places (Jonathan) and they did not besiege the city. |
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וַיֵּשְׁבוּ תַּחְתָּם.
(תַּרְגּוּם:) בַּאֲתַרְהוֹן, וְלֹא צָרוּ עַל הָעִיר.
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| until they recovered. from the wound. |
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עַד חֲיוֹתָם.
מִן הַמַּכָּה.
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| 9And the Lord said to Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you. And he called the name of the place Gilgal to this day. |
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טוַיֹּ֚אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ הַיּ֗וֹם גַּלּ֛וֹתִי אֶת־חֶרְפַּ֥ת מִצְרַ֖יִם מֵֽעֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וַיִּקְרָ֞א שֵׁ֣ם הַמָּק֚וֹם הַהוּא֙ גִּלְגָּ֔ל עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה: |
| have I rolled away. I removed the reproach of the Egyptians who had said, “See that ‘Ra-ah’ is before your faces. There is a star named ‘Ra-ah’ which is a symbol of blood. We see it over you in the desert.” And that is what Moses said in the desert, “Why should the Egyptians say, With ‘Ra-ah’ He took them out.” But they did not know that that was the blood of circumcision. And when they circumcised in Joshua’s time, and that blood came, that reproach was removed, for the vast multitude which had gone up with them were still vexing them. In this manner, Rabbi Moses the preacher expounded. |
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גַּלּוֹתִי.
הֲסִירוֹתִי אֶת חֶרְפַּת מִצְרַיִם, שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים: רְאוּ כִּי רָעָה נֶגֶד פְּנֵיכֶם, כּוֹכָב אֶחָד יֵשׁ שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ 'רָעָה' וְהוּא סִימָן שֶׁל דָּם, רוֹאִין אָנוּ אוֹתוֹ עֲלֵיכֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר, וְהוּא שֶׁאָמַר משֶׁה בַּמִּדְבָּר (שמות לב יב): לָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר בְּרָעָה הוֹצִיאָם, וְהֵם אֵינָם יוֹדְעִים שֶׁהוּא דַּם מִילָה, וּכְשֶׁמָּלוּ בִּימֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וּבָא אוֹתוֹ הַדָּם הוּסְרָה אוֹתָהּ הַחֶרְפָּה שֶׁעֲדַיִין עֵרֶב רַב שֶׁעָלוּ עִמָּהֶם הָיוּ מוֹנִים לָהֶם, כָּךְ דָרַשׁ רַבִּי משֶׁה הַדַּרְשָׁן.
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| have I rolled away. גלותי - I have removed, like “(גל) Remove [or roll away] from me reproach and shame.” “ (ויגל) and he rolled off [or removed] the stone.” |
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גַּלּוֹתִי.
הֲסִירוֹתִי, כְּמוֹ: (תהלים קיט כב), גַּל מֵעָלַי חֶרְפָּה: (בראשית כט י), וַיָּגֶל אֶת הָאֶבֶן.
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| 10And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and they made the Passover sacrifice on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho. |
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יוַיַּֽחֲנ֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בַּגִּלְגָּ֑ל וַיַּֽעֲשֹ֣וּ אֶת־הַפֶּ֡סַח בְּאַרְבָּעָה֩ עָשָֹ֨ר י֥וֹם לַחֹ֛דֶשׁ בָּעֶ֖רֶב בְּעַֽרְב֥וֹת יְרִיחֽוֹ: |
| 11And they ate of the grain of the land on the morrow of the Passover, unleavened cakes and parched grain on this very day. |
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יאוַיֹּ֨אכְל֜וּ מֵֽעֲב֥וּר הָאָ֛רֶץ מִמָּֽחֳרַ֥ת הַפֶּ֖סַח מַצּ֣וֹת וְקָל֑וּי בְּעֶ֖צֶם הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה: |
| on the morrow of the Passover. the day of the waving of the 'Omer, for first they sacrificed the 'Omer. And from the seventh of Adar, when Moses died, whereupon the manna ceased to fall, they subsisted on the manna which was in their vessels, which they had gathered on the seventh of Adar, as it is stated: “the manna they ate forty years.” Now, was it not forty years less thirty days, for the beginning of the falling of the manna was on the fifteenth of Iyar? Hence we deduce that in the cakes which the Israelites took with them from Egypt they perceived the taste of manna. |
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מִמָּחֳרַת הַפֶּסַח.
יוֹם הֲנָפַת הָעוֹמֶר, שֶׁהִקְרִיבוּ עוֹמֶר תְּחִלָּה וּמִז' בַּאֲדָר שֶׁמֵּת משֶׁה, שֶׁפָּסַק הַמָּן, הָיוּ מִסְתַפְּקִין עַד עַכְשָׁיו מִמָּן שֶׁבִּכְלֵיהֶם שֶׁלָּקְטוּ בְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות טז לה): אֶת הַמָּן אָכְלוּ אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, וַהֲלֹא מ' שָׁנָה חָסֵר שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם, שֶׁהֲרֵי תְּחִלַּת יְרִידַת הַמָּן בְּט"ו בְּאִיָיר, אֱמוֹר מֵעַתָּה, בַּחֲרָרָה שֶׁהוֹצִיאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם טָעֲמוּ טַעַם מָן.
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| 12And the manna ceased on the morrow when they ate of the grain of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna anymore; and they ate of the produce of the land of Canaan that year. |
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יבוַיִּשְׁבֹּ֨ת הַמָּ֜ן מִֽמָּֽחֳרָ֗ת בְּאָכְלָם֙ מֵֽעֲב֣וּר הָאָ֔רֶץ וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה ע֛וֹד לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מָ֑ן וַֽיֹּאכְל֗וּ מִתְּבוּאַת֙ אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה הַהִֽיא: |
| neither had the children of Israel manna anymore. Therefore, they ate of the grain of the Land. Had they still had manna, they would not have eaten of the grain, for the manna was pleasing to them. An appropriate parable is: One says to a child, why do you eat barley bread? Because he has no wheat bread. Therefore, it is stated: “Neither had the children of Israel manna anymore, etc.” |
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וְלֹא הָיָה עוֹד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מָן.
לְפִיכָךְ: וַיֹּאכְלוּ מֵעֲבוּר הָאָרֶץ, אִם הָיָה לָהֶם מָן לֹא הָיוּ אוֹכְלִים מִן הַתְּבוּאָה, שֶׁהַמָּן הָיָה נוֹחַ לָהֶם, מָשָׁל אוֹמֵר לַתִּינוֹק: מִפְּנֵי מָה אַתָּה אוֹכֵל פַּת שְׂעוֹרִין, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין לִי פַּת חִטִּין, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: וְלֹא הָיָה עוֹד וְגוֹ'.
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| 13And it was when Joshua was in Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and saw, and, behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand; and Joshua went to him, and said to him, Are you for us, or for our adversaries? |
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יגוַיְהִ֗י בִּֽהְי֣וֹת יְהוֹשֻׁ֘עַ֘ בִּֽירִיחוֹ֒ וַיִּשָּׂ֚א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּה־אִישׁ֙ עֹמֵ֣ד לְנֶגְדּ֔וֹ וְחַרְבּ֥וֹ שְׁלוּפָ֖ה בְּיָד֑וֹ וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ יְהוֹשֻׁ֚עַ אֵלָיו֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ הֲלָ֥נוּ אַתָּ֖ה אִם־לְצָרֵֽינוּ: |
| when Joshua was in Jericho. Hence we deduce that the outskirts of a city are considered as part of the city, for it is impossible to say [that he was actually] inside Jericho. |
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בִּהְיוֹת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּירִיחוֹ.
מִכָּאן לְעִיבּוּרָהּ שֶׁל עִיר שֶׁהִיא מִן הָעִיר, שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר בְּתוֹךְ יְרִיחוֹ.*
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| Are you for us. Have you come to support us? |
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הֲלָנוּ אַתָּה.
(תַּרְגּוּם:) הַלְמִסְעַדְנָא אֲתֵיתָא.
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| 14And he said, No, but I am the captain of the host of the Lord; I have now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and prostrated himself, and said to him, What does my lord say to his servant? |
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ידוַיֹּ֣אמֶר | לֹ֗א כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י שַׂר־צְבָֽא־יְהֹוָ֖ה עַתָּ֣ה בָ֑אתִי וַיִּפֹּל֩ יְהוֹשֻׁ֨עַ אֶל־פָּנָ֥יו אַ֙רְצָה֙ וַיִּשְׁתָּ֔חוּ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ מָ֥ה אֲדֹנִ֖י מְדַבֵּ֥ר אֶל־עַבְדּֽוֹ: |
| I have now come. to your aid, for no man can wage war against it [Jericho] and seize it, to throw down the wall. But in the time of Moses your master, I came and he did not want me, as it is stated: “if Your presence does not go, etc.” |
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עַתָּה בָאתִי.
לְעֶזְרָתְךָ, שֶׁאֵין אָדָם יָכוֹל לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ וּלְתוֹפְשָׂהּ לְהַפִּיל הַחוֹמָה, אֲבָל בִּימֵי משֶׁה רַבָּךְ בָּאתִי וְלֹא חָפֵץ בִּי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות לג טו): אִם אֵין פָּנֶיךָ הֹלְכִים וְגוֹ'.
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| 15And the captain of the Lord's host said to Joshua, Remove your shoe from your foot; for the place upon which you stand is holy. And Joshua did so. |
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טווַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ שַׂר־צְבָ֨א יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ שַׁל־נַֽעַלְךָ֙ מֵעַ֣ל רַגְלֶ֔ךָ כִּ֣י הַמָּק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתָּ֛ה עֹמֵ֥ד עָלָ֖יו קֹ֣דֶשׁ ה֑וּא וַיַּ֥עַשׂ יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ כֵּֽן: |
| the captain of the Lord’s host. Israel, who is the Lord’s host. Now, this was Michael, as it is said: “Michael your prince.” |
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שַׂר צְבָא ה'.
יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהוּא צָבָא לַה', וּמִיכָאֵל הָיָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דניאל י כא): מִיכָאֵל שַׂרְכֶם.
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