Stopping of the Sun at Givon/2
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
This topic has not yet undergone editorial review
Stopping of the Sun at Givon
Exegetical Approaches
Supernatural: Literal Stoppage
Hashem wrought a miracle in which the celestial spheres stopped their movement, causing a lengthening of the daylight hours.
Sources:Ben Sira, Bavli Taanit, Bavli Avodah Zarah, Bereshit Rabbah, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, R. Yehuda ibn Balaam, Radak, R. Asher Crescas, Abarbanel, Malbim
Need for the Miracle
- Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer suggests that the battle took place on a Friday and that Yehoshua requested a miracle so that the nation would not need to desecrate Shabbat so as to finish the battle.
- Malbim agrees that the miracle was not needed for strategic purposes, claiming instead that Yehoshua's sole purpose was to ensure that the nation knew "that Hashem was fighting for Israel". The obvious miracle left them no doubt that Hashem was on their side.
Miracles and nature – These sources are comfortable with Hashem suspending natural order, even when there might have been alternative methods of accomplishing the same goal. They feel no need to rationalize or minimize the extent that Hashem plays with natural laws.
Were Yehoshua's words a request or praise?
Comparison to Moshe's miracles
Sun versus moon?
"וְלֹא הָיָה כַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לְפָנָיו וְאַחֲרָיו"
