Joshua Part Ii

Front 1

1.Where in the Bible do we passage through water take place?

Back 1

1. Avraham- crosses into Kanaan. shows fear of Gd and trust 2. Yaakov, when he flees and returns to face Esav 3. Dead Sea the nation gains a newfound faith in Gd 4. the Jordan- newfound faith in Gd

Front 2

1.What does "passage through water" symbolize for Avraham?

Back 2

He is named the Ivri- the crosser. He crosses water to get to Canaan but there is also a spiritual crossing over from polygamy to monotheism.

Front 3

1. What does "passage through water" symbolize for Yaakov?

Back 3

Yaakov wrestles with an angel and is renamed Yisrael. He is forced to cross and once he returns, is given a new name and strength to face Esav. We see that just like Avraham there is a name change and transformation after a crossing of water.

Front 4

1. What does "passage through water" symbolize for Bnei Yisrael?

Back 4

Bnei Yisrael gain faith and trust in G-d after crossing water. It is also symbolic of transformation in both a literal and spiritual sense.

Front 5

2. Compare the memorial of the 12 stones with the other memorials we mentioned.

Back 5

1.When Moshe prepares BN"Y for receiving the Torah he makes a memorial of 12 pillars or builds the mizbayach with 12 stones. This is a sign to show that the nation is unified.
2.After Eliyahu wins at Har Carmel against the Navi HaBaal. Here memorial of stones represents repairing the relationship with Hashem.
3. when yaakov rests his head on 12 stones while he is running away.
This is the common theme: a new start to relationship with Hashem.

Front 6

2. What does the memorial after the crossing of the Jordan signify?

Back 6

The memorial was meant to be a sign for BN'Y so they will always remember that Hashem took them and helped them cross the Jordan. It also signifies a new start to their relationship with Hashem.

Front 7

3. What is the function of the Ark? What does Ramban mean when he refers to it as a "chariot" or a chair?

Back 7

The ark does not have "inherent powers", as the Plishtim mistakenly though. Rather, Hashem sits atop of it like a throne or a chair and that is what makes it holy. Without Hashem the ark is just a box.
There are four main functions of the ark.
1- it holds the luchot.
2- it’s a way for hashem to communicate with us
3- it is a place to meet hashem
4- splits the yarden.

Front 8

4. What are the views of Rashi and Radak with respect to the "flying ark"?

Back 8

Rashi- yes, there was a miracle and the ark flew over the waters carrying the Kohanim with it.
Radak- Rashi's got it all wrong. They crossed first, then the Aron came, and then the waters closed. There was no miracle.

Front 9

5. What does the angel tell Joshua? Why does he come to him now?

Back 9

He tells Joshua to remove his shoes. He also tells him that he should not worry because "Hashem will be with you" in the upcoming war against Yericho. The angel comes now to let Joshua to prepare spiritually, he is reminded that even in times of way we must always maintain a high level of morality and kedusha.

Front 10

6. Where else was someone instructed to remove shoes and why? Cite at least two examples.

Back 10

1. When Moshe is at the sneh 2. kohanim before entering the beit hamikdash. This is done for a few reasons:
1- holy place
2- connection with the land
3- to berid oneself of impurities
4- going down=humility

Front 11

7. Which generation of Israelites did not undergo brit milah and why?

Back 11

In Egypt and in the Midbar there was no circumcision. This is because Hashem did not give them any "healing wind" and it would have been dangerous to do while they were traveling

Front 12

8. What does circumcision symbolize and how is it related to the israelites slavery in Egypt?

Back 12

Brit Miylah represents commitment to brit with Hashem. Withoutit, BNY were saying to Hashem that we want to return to the land of Egypt where they had no brit milah and were not committed

Front 13

9. How are Circumcision and Korban Pesach related?

Back 13

Brit Milah is a prereq to eating from the Korban Pesach. They are similar in 4 ways:
1. Danger involved
2. External sign
3. Both involve blood
4. Punishable by Karet

Front 14

10. When does the man end and why then?

Back 14

The Maan ends after the nation enters the land. By eliminating the Man BNY are showing greater faith and that they dont need miracles to sustain them.

Front 15

11. What does Joshua add to G-d's battle instructions at Yericho and why?

Back 15

Yehoshua makes four changes:
1. the nation leads instead of the soldiers- to show their faith that they will win.
2. he had HaChiluf- Gad, Reuven and half of Minasheh, because they sed they would fight first for the next battle.
3. Seven Kohanim, seven Shofars and the aron
4. Shevet Dan

Front 16

12. Who ordered the Cherem of Yericho? Please explain the difference between the two?

Back 16

Razal- It was Yehoshua's idea. This makes it more of their land.
Radak- It was a commandment from Hashem even though it doesn't explicitly say so. "This land is holy, it is mine and you cannot take from it"

Front 17

13. How do we know that BNY's conquest of the Promised Land was not a "racial campaign"?

Back 17

One way we know it was not a racial campaign is because Rachav and her family were not killed.

Front 18

14. What justification can be offered for G-d being angry with all the Israelites if only Akhan sinned?

Back 18

1.BNY have a responsibility to watch over each other and they failed
2. BNY are like a body and when one part becomes infected the entire body gets sick

Front 19

15. Why doesn't G-d reveal the identity of Akhan and instead requires a complicated process to identify him as the sinner?

Back 19

It is humiliating and embarrassing and also a warning to the rest of the nation. He also wants to show bny the seriousness of the sin.

Front 20

16. Other than then sin of Akhan, were there other elements that contributed to the israelites' defeat at the first battle of Ai?

Back 20

1. they relied too much on Hashem.
2. Yehoshua should have sent more men and gone with them. He was too overconfident
3. they should have listened to yehoshua and spied out the whole land and not just ai

Front 21

17. Why does Yehosha speak gently to Akhan? What is he trying to accomplish and why?

Back 21

He wanted him to admit that he did something wrong, he wouldn’t have if yehoshua had yelled at him. By confessing, he would not be killed in olam habah. Also he did not want him to deny the results of the lottery

Front 22

18. Who was punished- Akhan alone or he and his family?

Back 22

Mesudat Dovid-Achan is punished with death and so is his entire family and children because they knew about it but did not do anything to stop it
Rashi says that only Akhan was punished but his family had to watch him be punished so they would see his downfall and learn not to do like him.

Front 23

19. Why does Joshua keep his spear raised throughout the second battle of Ai? What other event occurred similar to this?

Back 23

Yehosha keeps his spear raised just like Moshe did against the war with Amalek to show that they have faith in Hashem and they are winning because of Him and not their own military strength

Front 24

20. What are the differences between the spies of Ai and Jericho? What are the similarities between Ai and the Miraglim?

Back 24

Spies of Ai: winning was based on the military.No mention of Hashem.
Spies of Jericho: winning was based on hashem.
Similarities: both were not honest, one was not honest with the fact that they could do it or not do it

Front 25

21. Why does Joshua hang and then bury the Kind of Ai?

Back 25

a. He hangs the kind of Ai so all the other nations could see and be in fear of am yisrael, but he then takes him down before sundown, to give respect to the dead. Also man is created in tzelem elokim so we don’t leave the body up to rot all night, we show respect to the body and bury it.

Front 26

22. When did the ceremony occur on Mt. Ebal and why? Cite at least two sources.

Back 26

Rashi- It happened after they crossed the Yarden. He takes Moshes instructions to Yehoshua literaly that it had to be performed on that day.
Radak- It happened right here following the defeat of Ai exactly where it is mentioned. The torah does not go out of order.

Front 27

23. Why do the Canaanites Kings unite to fight BNY only after the second battle of Ai?

Back 27

The kings unite together after Ai is defeated because they know that they are going to be next. They also saw that Ai won the first time and no miracles took place so maybe Hashem is not with them and they have a chance to join together and defeat BNY.

Front 28

24. Why are the Israelites eager to make a treaty with the people of Gibeon thinking that they come from a far away land? Would they have been as willing to negotiate if they knew they actually lived in the promised land?

Back 28

Because BNY were fooled by their praises. Spreading knowledge of Hashem and his miracles was exactly what they wanted to achieve.
However, if they knew that they were from a close land they would not have agreed b/c close cities are supposed to get completely annihilated

Front 29

25. Is Joshua required to offer peace to cities targeted for conquest in the Promised Land? Cite at least two different opinions.

Back 29

1. Acc. to Devarim, first you must try to make peace and if that fails then you must declare war.
2. close cities no, far away cities just the men

Front 30

26. Why did the Gibeonites need to trick BNY? Cite at least three opinions.

Back 30

The people of Giveon got the peace offering but
1. they did not believe BNY
2. they thought BNY had made peace with Yericho and then tricked them
3. They didn't get the letter in time

Front 31

27. Why does Joshua help the Gibeonites against the Caananite kings?

Back 31

Because BNY made a treaty that they would keep them alive and also because they wanted to be allied with them. It was also better strategically to fight the kings while they were out of their fortified cities.