Sefer Yehoshua

What should happen in Sefer Yehoshua? From our study of Chumash we know that God has high expectations for (and from) His chosen nation. They are to conquer and inherit Eretz Canaan in order to establish a nation which will follow His laws and serve as a 'model' for all other nations. Do Bnei Yisrael accomplish this goal? If not, we would expect Sefer Yehoshua to explain why. If yes, we would expect Sefer Yehoshua to explain how. Therefore, as we study Sefer Yehoshua, we will keep these questions in mind.

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Chapters 3-5: Crossing the Jordan

Is it just 'coincidental' that Bnei Yisrael cross the Jordan River on the 10th of Nisan - on the very same date on which their parents in Egypt were commanded to take their korban Pesach? Likewise, is it simply coincidental that Bnei Yisrael finally enter the Land of Israel 'just in time' for Pesach? Couldn't God have scheduled their crossing at a more 'convenient' time of the year? These questions reflect only two examples of the numerous parallels between the events of Yetziat Mitzraim and the events of the "knisa la'aretz" [entering the Land]. In the following shiur, we identify these parallels and discuss their significance.

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Chapters 5-6: The First Battle

Why must God instruct Yehoshua to 'take his shoes off' - simply because he has trespassed on 'holy soil'? In this week's shiur, as we study the battle of Jericho, we explain why.

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Chapters 7-8: Achan and Ha'ai

Whenever something 'goes wrong,' we (instinctively) tend to blame somebody else. Sefer Yehoshua appears to arrive at a similar conclusion, for in chapter seven we find that one person - Achan - is blamed for Bnei Yisrael's defeat in their battle against Ha'ai! Could that really be so? Does it make sense that an entire nation should be punished so severely due to the personal sin of one individual! In the following shiur, we take a closer look at the events surrounding the Battle against Ha'ai in order to arrive at a more comprehensive understanding of our Sages' principle of "kol Yisrael areyvim zeh l'zeh" - 'all Israel are responsible for one another.'

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Chapter 8: The Mizbayach on Har Eival

Re-living Har Sinai? That appears to be what the last five psukim of chapter 8 are all about. But why does Yehoshua fulfill the Biblical commandment to build a mizbayach on Har Eival specifically now, after his victory against Ha'ai? In the following shiur we discuss both the significance of this mitzvah as well as the various opinions concerning when this event took place.

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Chapters 9-10: The Givonim and Five Kings

Why were the Givonim the first nation to make a 'treaty' with Am Yisrael? Why were Bnei Yisrael so quick to accept them? Why does Yehoshua save them from the five kings? And why does he ask for a miracle in the ensuing battle? To answer these questions, and to explain the logic behind the events that place in Yehoshua chapters 9-10, this week's shiur takes into consideration some very basics of military strategy, as well as some very basic concepts which we discussed in our study of Sefer Breishit.

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Chapters 11-12: Completing the Conquest

At first glance chapters 11-12 in Sefer Yehoshua appear to lack the 'excitement' found in earlier chapters. Nevertheless, they do contain the details of several very important events; in fact, from a military perspective, they describe the primary account of Yehoshua's conquest of the land. In the following shiur, we will show how those events are described from a prophetic perspective as well.

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Chapters 13-19: The Nachala

Chapters 13-19 in Sefer Yehoshua are rarely ever studied, and for a very good reason - they contain a very detailed list of borders and cities that appear to have very little relevance. In the following shiur, we won't make those details any more exciting; however, we will find significance in the manner of their presentation.

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Chapter 18: Nachalat Binyamin

In the following shiur, we return to the second half of chapter 18 - in an attempt to understand why Sefer Yehoshua provides such minute detail in its description of the borders destined for the tribe of Binyamin.

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Chapters 20-21: Nachalat Levi

When studying Sefer Yehoshua, it is usually very tempting to simply skip over chapters 20 and 21, as they discuss the designation of "arei miklat" [cities of refuge] and "arei Leviim" (cities for the tribe of Levi). Other than locating these various cities on a map, there doesn�t appear to be too much to study. Nonetheless, we�ll give it a try.

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Chapter 22: The Mizbayach of Bnei Gad and Reuven

The delicate question of 'Who�s a Jew?'has been the source of a vicious debate in Israel for decades. Interestingly enough, this very same issue was already a 'hot topic' over three thousand years ago which almost led to a civil war - only a few years after Yehoshua first captured the land. In this week�s shiur, as we study the story of the "Mizbeach" that Bnei Gad and Bnei Reuven built, we�ll take a closer look at this problem (and we may find a message for today as well).

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Chapters 23-24: Two Farewell Speeches

Yehoshua's farewell speech, and 'another one' in Shechem

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