Difference between revisions of "Purpose of the Spies in Yehoshua 2/1/he"
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<page type="Introduction"> | <page type="Introduction"> | ||
<h1>מטרת שליחת המרגלים של יהושע</h1> | <h1>מטרת שליחת המרגלים של יהושע</h1> | ||
| − | <h2> | + | <h2>למה לשלוח מרגלים?</h2> |
<p><a href="Yehoshua2" data-aht="source">יהושע ב'</a> describes Yehoshua's dispatching of spies to Yericho, their near discovery by the king's officers, and their narrow escape with the aid of Rachav.   At first glance, it would seem that the stealth with which Yehoshua sent the spies confirms that their purpose was a covert military operation designed to discover the weak points in Yericho’s fortifications. However, if Yehoshua conquered Yericho through a Divine miracle in which the walls came tumbling down, why was such a mission necessary? Why risk lives for superfluous military intelligence?  Moreover, the text never describes any investigation of the city's ramparts, and, upon their return, the spies share no strategic information.  Was their mission aborted before accomplishing its goal, or did it have a different purpose to begin with?</p> | <p><a href="Yehoshua2" data-aht="source">יהושע ב'</a> describes Yehoshua's dispatching of spies to Yericho, their near discovery by the king's officers, and their narrow escape with the aid of Rachav.   At first glance, it would seem that the stealth with which Yehoshua sent the spies confirms that their purpose was a covert military operation designed to discover the weak points in Yericho’s fortifications. However, if Yehoshua conquered Yericho through a Divine miracle in which the walls came tumbling down, why was such a mission necessary? Why risk lives for superfluous military intelligence?  Moreover, the text never describes any investigation of the city's ramparts, and, upon their return, the spies share no strategic information.  Was their mission aborted before accomplishing its goal, or did it have a different purpose to begin with?</p> | ||
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<p>The spies' implementation of their mission raises several questions as well:</p> | <p>The spies' implementation of their mission raises several questions as well:</p> | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
| − | <li><b>Red light district?</b> Why, of all places, did the spies choose to go to a brothel to gather their information?<fn> | + | <li><b>Red light district?</b> Why, of all places, did the spies choose to go to a brothel to gather their information?<fn>לא כולם מסכימים שרחב היה זונה, אם כי השימוש הנפוץ במילה "זוֹנָה" בתנ"ך יתמוך בהגדרה זו. ראו <multilink><a href="JosephusAntiquitiesoftheJews5-1-1" data-aht="source">יוספוס</a><a href="JosephusAntiquitiesoftheJews5-1-1" data-aht="source">קדמוניות היהודים ה':א':א'</a><a href="Josephus" data-aht="parshan">אודות יוספוס</a></multilink> שטוען שרחב הייתה בעלת אכסנייה, ו<multilink><a href="TargumYonatanYehoshua2-1" data-aht="source">תרגום יונתן</a><a href="TargumYonatanYehoshua2-1" data-aht="source">יהושע ב':א'</a><a href="Targum Yonatan (Neviim)" data-aht="parshan">אודות תרגום יונתן (נביאים)</a></multilink> המתרגם את "זוֹנָה" כ"פונדקאית", מילה ארמית שבדרך כלל נהגה לציין בעלת אכסנייה. אולם, רד"ק מציין כי התרגום משתמש לעתים קרובות במלה "פונדקאית" כאשר בעברית המקורית כתוב "זוֹנָה". לכן הוא טוען כי התרגום נועד פשוט לתרגם את המלה "זוֹנָה" כמשמעה.</fn> In addition, what did they hope to gain from spending the night there? Would it not have been more sensible to leave at dusk rather than risk being cornered and caught inside a city which locked its gates at night?</li> |
| − | <li><b>Role of the scarlet cord</b> – Why did the spies insist that Rachav hang a scarlet cord from her window in the wall? If the rope was meant merely to identify Rachav's house, this would be of little value to invading soldiers who would be approaching her house from inside, and not outside, the city.<fn> | + | <li><b>Role of the scarlet cord</b> – Why did the spies insist that Rachav hang a scarlet cord from her window in the wall? If the rope was meant merely to identify Rachav's house, this would be of little value to invading soldiers who would be approaching her house from inside, and not outside, the city.<fn>מכיוון שהחוט היה תלוי מחלון שהיה פונה מחוץ לעיר (כפי שמתברר מן העובדה שהמרגלים ברחו מיריחו דרך החלון), חיילים שהיו נכנסים לבית רחב מתוך העיר לא היו רואים את החוט.</fn>  In addition, when the walls collapsed, what would remain of such a cord? </li> |
| − | <li><b>Condition of secrecy</b> – Why were the spies concerned lest Rachav reveal their pact? After all, they had escaped regardless!<fn> | + | <li><b>Condition of secrecy</b> – Why were the spies concerned lest Rachav reveal their pact? After all, they had escaped regardless!<fn>ראו <multilink><a href="RadakYehoshua2-14" data-aht="source">רד"ק</a><a href="RadakYehoshua2-14" data-aht="source">יהושע ב':י"ד</a><a href="RadakYehoshua6-5" data-aht="source">יהושע ו':ה'</a><a href="R. David Kimchi (Radak)" data-aht="parshan">אודות ר' דוד קמחי</a></multilink> שמציין כי לא הגיוני להניח שהשבועה נועדה למנוע מרחב לחשוף את המרגלים מכיוון שהיא כבר הצילה אותם ממלך יריחו.</fn> Was it not she who would stand to lose as she admitted to betraying her nation and abetting the enemy?</li> |
</ul> | </ul> | ||
| − | <h2> | + | <h2>כיבוש א-להי או אנושי?</h2> |
| − | Many of the above questions connect to a larger issue: what is the relationship between the description of the conquest of Yericho | + | Many of the above questions connect to a larger issue: what is the relationship between the description of the conquest of Yericho ב<a href="Yehoshua6-16-23" data-aht="source">פרק ו'</a> and the espionage mission של <a href="Yehoshua2" data-aht="source">פרק ב'</a>?  בעוד שפרק ב' speaks of human preparations for conquest, פרק ו' emphasizes Divine intervention. Details such as the scarlet cord seem forgotten, and the human efforts of פרק ב' appear irrelevant in face of Hashem's miracles. How are we to understand the apparent inconsistency between the chapters? |
</page> | </page> | ||
</aht-xml> | </aht-xml> | ||
Version as of 07:30, 23 September 2019
מטרת שליחת המרגלים של יהושע
הקדמה
למה לשלוח מרגלים?
יהושע ב' describes Yehoshua's dispatching of spies to Yericho, their near discovery by the king's officers, and their narrow escape with the aid of Rachav. At first glance, it would seem that the stealth with which Yehoshua sent the spies confirms that their purpose was a covert military operation designed to discover the weak points in Yericho’s fortifications. However, if Yehoshua conquered Yericho through a Divine miracle in which the walls came tumbling down, why was such a mission necessary? Why risk lives for superfluous military intelligence? Moreover, the text never describes any investigation of the city's ramparts, and, upon their return, the spies share no strategic information. Was their mission aborted before accomplishing its goal, or did it have a different purpose to begin with?
Interactions with Rachav
The spies' implementation of their mission raises several questions as well:
- Red light district? Why, of all places, did the spies choose to go to a brothel to gather their information?1 In addition, what did they hope to gain from spending the night there? Would it not have been more sensible to leave at dusk rather than risk being cornered and caught inside a city which locked its gates at night?
- Role of the scarlet cord – Why did the spies insist that Rachav hang a scarlet cord from her window in the wall? If the rope was meant merely to identify Rachav's house, this would be of little value to invading soldiers who would be approaching her house from inside, and not outside, the city.2 In addition, when the walls collapsed, what would remain of such a cord?
- Condition of secrecy – Why were the spies concerned lest Rachav reveal their pact? After all, they had escaped regardless!3 Was it not she who would stand to lose as she admitted to betraying her nation and abetting the enemy?
כיבוש א-להי או אנושי?
Many of the above questions connect to a larger issue: what is the relationship between the description of the conquest of Yericho בפרק ו' and the espionage mission של פרק ב'? בעוד שפרק ב' speaks of human preparations for conquest, פרק ו' emphasizes Divine intervention. Details such as the scarlet cord seem forgotten, and the human efforts of פרק ב' appear irrelevant in face of Hashem's miracles. How are we to understand the apparent inconsistency between the chapters?
