“And after the death of Moshe. This is connected to the chapter of the Torah in Tanach such as Ruth, Esther, Yonah that begin with the word וַיְהִי, and it was, that are not connected to any previous event. But here the beginning is definitely connected with the conclusion of Sefer Devorim where the death of Moshe is related. which concluded with the passing of Moshe; and this (Seifer Yehoshua) is connected to it.”
“Moshe, My servant is dead. But if he were alive, this is connected to what follows: Since he is dead, you must arouse yourself and cross this Jordan. I would have wanted him [as the leader]. Hashem said that if Moshe was still alive, you would be unable to cross the Jordon because of the decree preventing him from crossing the Jordon. See Bamidbar 20:12; Ibid 27:12,13. Our Sages explain [that this passage is a reference] [to the three thousand laws that were forgotten] during the period of mourning for Moshe. Yehoshua then came and asked. the Holy One blessed is He, said to him: “Moshe, My servant is dead, and the Torah is called on his name, which is like telling you that it is impossible. Go and burden them with battles.””
“Every place upon which the sole of your feet will tread. This is similar to what was said to Moshe. Regarding this, we learned in the Sifre. ‘If [this verse] is to teach us about the boundaries of Eretz Yisroel, the Torah has already stated: From the wilderness and the Lebanon etc. If so, why is it said here: Every place upon which the sole will tread? This includes the lands outside Eretz Yisroel. After you have conquered the land, everything you conquer outside the land will be sacred and will belong to you.’”
“From the wilderness and this Lebanon. The wilderness refers to the wilderness of Kodeish, the wilderness of Tzin, which was adjacient to Edom which was to the south east, the direction from which they entered the land, as it is said: And behold we are in Kodeish. How do we know that it was southeast? It is said: ‘Your southern flank will be from the Tzin wilderness along Edom.’ To the great river, the Euphrates river. This refers to its width from south to north. This includes all the land of the Chitim. To the Great Sea [westward]. This refers to its length from east to west.”
“Be strong and courageous. In the physical sense, as He states: “For you will lead this people to inherit the land.””
“Just be very strong and courageous. This was said in reference to the Torah, as He states: ‘To preserve, to act in accordance with all the laws of the Torah.’ תַּשְּׁכִּיל—You will be successful.).”
“This Sefer Torah. implies a specific Book of the Torah. Which one? Thus Rashi comments that it refers to Sefer Devorim that was before Him. The Sefer Devorim was before Him. And you shall meditate in it. Every expression of הִגָיוֹן in the Torah refers to the [meditation] of the heart, says that הִגָיוֹן sometimes refers to speech as it is written: And my tongue will speak (תֶּהְגֶה) of Your righteousness (Tehillim 35:28). as it is said, ‘And the thoughts of my heart before you;’ ‘Your heart will give forth fearful thoughts.’”
“I have already commanded you to be stong and courageous. This was said in reference to actual war, as it is said: ‘Have no fear or trepidation.’ Where was he commanded this? He was so commanded in the time of Moshe, as it is said: ‘and command Yehoshua son of Nun etc.’”
“And Yehoshua commanded. He did this on the day that completed the days of mourning for Moshe.”
“Prepare your travel needs. [Prepare] everything necessary for (traveling) and weapons for the [upcoming] battle, he said to them. You cannot say the צֵדָה refers to food and drink maintains that while they still ate of the manna, they bought other varieties of food from the non-Jewish merchants, and it was these foods that they were commanded to prepare. for they had sufficient manna in their vessels to last them untill the sixteenth of Nissan, and so it is said: ‘The manna ceased on the morrow.’ After three days. At the end of three days. When you will have been here three days; then you will cross [the Jordan].”
“All who are mighty warriors among you shall cross over armed [for battle].”
“The sun rises. Refering to the eastern side of the Jordan.”
“Rebels—who challenge your words.”
“And Yehoshua sent. I am forced to say that it was during the mourning for Moshe that he sent them, since at the end of three days following the conclusion of the mourning for Moshe, they crossed the Jordan, and it was from this fact that we learned that Moshe died on the seventh day of Adar, by counting back thirty three days from the day they came up from the Jordan which was the tenth day of the first month. And you must say that from the time the spies were sent they did not cross the Jordan until the fifth day, as it is said: they remained there three days until the pursuers returned. That same night they crossed [the Jordan] and came back to Yehoshua ben Nun. Yehoshua rose early that morning and they departed from Shittim. That was the fourth day. They spent the night there before crossing. Therefore they did not cross the Jordan until the fifth day. Secret. In secret—this is the translation of Targum Yonason. He said to them: “Pretend to be deaf-mutes so they will not conceal their activities from you.” Another explanation: translate חֶרֶשׁ as חֶרֶשׂ or חֶרֶס, [חֶרֶס means pottery [in other words] “Load yourselves with pots in order to look like pottery salesmen.” And view the land and Yericho. Wasn’t Yericho part of the land? Why then was it mentioned specifically? To indicate that it was as strong [fortified] as the entire land combined, because it was situated on the border. There are other such verses: Among the servants of David that were missing were nineteen men and Asaheil. Wasn’t Asaheil included among the nineteen? [Why then was he mentioned specifically?] Because he was as strong as all of them. Another example: ‘And King Solomon was enamoured of many foreign wives and of Pharaoh’s daughter.’ Wasn’t Pharaoh’s daughter included among them? Why then was she mentioned specifically? Because he loved her as much as all of them. And also because of the sin involved since she caused him to sin more than all of them. This was taught in Sifre. A lady innkeeper. According to Targum Yonasson, an innkeeper who sold various kinds of foodstuff.”
“To scout. To search, and similarly it is said: ‘There he searched for food.’”
“And she hid them. There are scriptural verses that speak of the plural as if it were singular. Since she was in a hurry to hide them and she hid them in a narrow place it was as though they were one person. The Midrash of Rabbi Tanchuma states ‘That these two men were Pinchos and Caleiv, and Pinchos stood before them but they did not see him because he was [invisible] like an angel.’ Another interpretation: She hid each of them separately. We find a similar verse: ‘Oil and incense gladden the heart’ and it does not say יְשַׂמְחוּ לֵב, in the plural.”
“Stalks of flax. with their pods.”
“To the fords. These were places for crossing the water, for the pursuers thought they had turned back to return to the plains of Moav and the Jordan was between them. And the shut the gate. The gatekeepers shut the gate. this refers to the gate of the city. The pursuers suspected that the spies were still in the city and by shutting the gates, they would be locked in and they would be able to find them.”
“And there was no longer any spirit. [The men had no spirit (desire)] even to lie with a woman. It was said by the Sages: There was no prince or ruler who had not had [sexual] relationships with Rochav, the harlot. She was ten years old when the Bnei Yisroel went out of Egypt, and she engaged in harlotry for forty years.”
“A true sign. You create the sign, so that when you come and capture the city, you will recognize the sign and keep me alive.”
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