Yehoshua/0

Yehoshua

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Unique Traits

Faith in Hashem

Yehoshua exhibits consistent faith in Hashem, being one of the few in his generation not to participate in either of the nation's two biggest debacles in the Wilderness, the Sin of the Golden Calf and the Sin of the Spies.

Loyal Servant Several verses highlight the close relationship that Yehoshua had with Moshe:

• "משרת משה" – Yehoshua is referred to as Moshe's "servant" four times.¹ It is not clear from the text what duties are including in "serving Moshe," though it is possible that Yehoshua took care of Moshe's physical needs. Regardless, the title highlights the close connection between the two leaders, and suggests that Yehoshua might have been groomed from early on to be Moshe's successor.
• "לֹא יָמִישׁ מִתּוֹךְ הָאֹהֶל" – After the Sin of the Golden Calf, when Moshe erects his personal tent outside the camp, we are told that though Moshe would return to the camp, Yehoshua "did not depart from the tent".  What does this mean?  What does it teach about Yehoshua?
• Learned Torah – Ralbag and Netziv explain that Yehoshua spent his days delving into the Torah taught him by Moshe.² This diligence, Ralbag claims, is what merited Yehoshua to prophesy and lead the nation.Though we often tend to think of Yehoshua as primarily a military leader, these sources emphasize his great Torah knowledge as well.
• Stand guard – Seforno suggests that it was Yehoshua's job to watch over Moshe's tent and guard that others from Israel would not enter. Ibn Kaspi adds that this highlights the trust Moshe had in Yehoshua, allowing him full access to and responsibility over his private tent.
• Did not hear Hashem's word – Shadal, in contrast, suggests that the verse is highlighting the difference in level between Moshe and Yehoshua. While Moshe went to the tent's entrance so as to hear Hashem "face to face," Yehoshua was relegated to the inside, where Hashem's voice did not reach.³  
• "אֲדֹנִי מֹשֶׁה כְּלָאֵם" – In Bemidbar 11:28, after Eldad and Medad begin to prophesy in the camp, Yehoshua tells Moshe "אֲדֹנִי מֹשֶׁה כְּלָאֵם". From Moshe's reaction, "הַמְקַנֵּא אַתָּה לִי" it is clear that Yehoshua's accusation is motivated by a desire to protect Moshe's honor. Commentators explain that Yehoshua was upset either because Eldad and Medad were prophesying about Moshe's upcoming death (Rashi) or because, in contrast to the elders whose prophecy came via Moshe's spirit,⁴ they were prophesying on their own (R. Hirsch).⁵

Military Prowess

• Amalek
• Conquest of Canaan

Uncontested Leader

The transition of leadership from Moshe to Yehoshua is one of the only smooth transitions of leadership in all of Tanakh. Yehoshua takes on the mantle without opposition and appears to be respected from the very beginning of his tenure.  How did he accomplish this?

Possible Flaws

Lack in Leadership?

• Hesitancy in the Story of the Spies? – Both Yehoshua and Calev disassociate themselves from the negative report of the other spies, but perhaps surprisingly it is Calev, rather than Yehoshua, who appears to take the lead role in combating their claims. Thus, it is Calev who initially stands up to hush the people after the spies speak (Bemidbar 13:30), while Yehoshua is not mentioned until the next chapter. How are we to understand Yehoshua's initial silence?⁶

• Pointless to talk – Shadal and R. Hirsch claim that due to Yehoshua's position as "משרת משה", he realized that anything he would say to defend Moshe or sway the people would be ineffective. They would just attribute his stance to his loyalty to Moshe and not take his message to heart.
• Different ideology – Alternatively, it is possible that Yehoshua disagreed with the ideology behind Calev's speech. Calev attempted to persuade the people that they were capable of conquest, but this suggests that victory is about military strength rather than Hashem's aid. Yehoshua, thus, speaks up only afterwards to highlight how all is in Hashem's hand, "אִם חָפֵץ בָּנוּ י״י וְהֵבִיא אֹתָנוּ אֶל הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וּנְתָנָהּ לָנוּ".‎⁷
• Waiting for Moshe's guidance – While Moshe was still alive, Yehoshua might not have felt comfortable acting independently without guidance form his mentor.  As such, he might hesitated, seeking a clue from Moshe as to how to respond.

• Absence during the Sin of the Golden Calf – Most commentators assume that Yehoshua stayed at the foot of the mountain, apart from the Israelite camp, throughout the forty days that Moshe spoke with Hashem. As such, he was entirely unaware of the Sin of the Golden Calf and could not be expected to have intervened to stop it. However, when Moshe descends the mountain, Yehoshua tells him that he hears voices of war. Considering that Yehoshua is the nation's general, why, if he assumed that there was a battle taking place, did he not go to the people's aid?
• Waiting for Moshe - It is possible that Yehoshua was not independent enough to act without orders from superiors. As others had been put in charge of the nation during Moshe's absence he waited until they (or Moshe) turned to him.
• Unaware of cries - Alternatively, Yehoshua did not hear the cries before speaking with Moshe. It is possible that Yehoshua had actually ascended the mountain with Moshe, either part way⁸ or entirely,⁹ and that only midway down the mountain, as they neared the camp, did Yehoshua hear the cries.

Family Life

Tanakh does not share any details about Yehoshua's family life, but Bavli Megillah presents him as marrying Rachav after she converted and claims that among their descendants were 8 prophets.

Yehoshua vs. Moshe

¹ See Shemot 24:13, Shemot 33:11, Bemidbar 11:28, and Yehoshua 1:1.

² According to this reading, the phrase "לֹא יָמִישׁ מִתּוֹךְ הָאֹהֶל" parallels Hashem's later words to Yehoshua in Yehoshua 1:8, "לֹא יָמוּשׁ סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה מִפִּיךָ".

³ A. Belcher,in his article, יהושע משרת משה, raises a fourth possibility, that after the sin Yehoshua was so disappointed in the nation that he could not bear to interact with them. The verse, thus, highlights the two leaders' very differing reactions in the aftermath of the nation's sin. While the elder Moshe is willing to "return to the camp" despite the nation's failure, the younger Yehoshua's zealousness keeps him away from them, in the tent. [Cf. the story of R. Shimon b. Yochai and his son upon leaving the cave in Bavli Shabbat 33b.]

⁴ See Bemidbar 11:25: "וַיָּאצֶל מִן הָרוּחַ אֲשֶׁר עָלָיו וַיִּתֵּן עַל שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ הַזְּקֵנִים".

⁵ Thus, while it was

⁶ A similar question arises when Hashem punishes the nation.  At first Hashem explicitly exempts only Calev from the decree (Bemidbar 14:24), adding Yehoshua's exemption only several verses later in 14:30.  Why is Yehoshua exceptional status not mentioned from the very beginning?

⁷ This difference in outlook might be why it is Yehoshua, and not Calev, who leads the nation after Moshe's death. See, though, Abarbanel, who asserts that Calev, too, recognized from the outset the importance of highlighting Hashem's role, and that Calev only did not do so because he felt that Moshe would do a better job of it.

⁸ See Shemot 24:13-14 which implies that Yehoshua at least accompanied Moshe further than had the elders.

⁹ See Midrash Aggadah who allows for this more radical possibility that Yehoshua had accompanied Moshe the entire way, and perhaps served his needs on the mountain throughout the forty days: מלמד שלא היה יהושע נפרש ממשה אלא בשעת הדיבור בלבד.