Brave Heart
INTRODUCTION TO
PARASHA
PARASHAT
VAYELEKH
Brave
Heart
by Rabbi Jonathan
Mishkin
"I am now one hundred
and twenty years old, I can no longer go out and come in; Moreover, the Lord has
said to me: You shall not go across yonder Jordan" (Deuteronomy
31:2).
As Moses nears the
end of his life, his final task is to oversee his own succession, the transfer
of leadership to the next generation.
Joshua, Moses' assistant, has been selected as that successor by God -
responding to a request by Moses not to leave the people without a
shepherd. The language Moses has
just used to describe himself, in this week's parasha, echoes the prayer he
presents to God in Numbers: "Let Hashem, the God of the spirits of all flesh,
appoint a man over the congregation, who shall go out before them, and who shall
come in before them, and who shall lead them out and who shall bring them in..."
(27:16-17).
Joshua was a younger
man, energetic, talented, and Moses was now old. In the face of all the work to be done
in entering the Land of Israel - conquering, dividing and settling it, it made
sense to pass the mantle to another.
Moses certainly had accomplished much in the past 40 years to be proud
of; there was no shame in retiring.
But, as Rashi (Rabbi Solomon ben Yitzchak 11th century) explains, Moses
by stating "I can no longer go out and come in" is not complaining about his
poor physical condition. We know
this because the Torah reports that at his death, "His eyes were undimmed and
his vigor was unabated" (Deuteronomy 34:7).
Instead, Moses is
reminding the nation that he is no longer permitted to lead the people in their
travels. God has decreed that the
continuing journey will be led by Joshua.
The nation's second leader will be the one to take the Jews out to battle
and bring them back to the lands they have been promised.
This then seems to be
Joshua's main task upon taking over as chief of the Jews - completing the
mission begun four decades ago upon leaving Egypt, coming to the land and
fighting the battles that will drive the inhabitants from Israel. That's some job to inherit, and Moses
believes that his assistant is probably a little nervous about his future. The nations that Joshua will have to
confront are city states who most likely have experience defending their lands,
who have fortified towns, and perhaps, most unsettling, know Israel is
coming. There is no element of
surprise here, rather forty years to map strategies, forge alliances, dig
trenches and store weapons - all possible reasons to bet on the home side over
the invading army.
These unknown
challenges that Moses is charging Joshua with might explain his need to
encourage his successor, confirming promises made before that God is on his
side. "Be strong and resolute, be
not in fear or in dread of them; for the Lord your God Himself marches with you:
He will not fail you." Moses in
31:6 attempts to embolden Joshua, repeating this idea in the next verse: "Then
Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel: 'Be strong and
resolute, for it is you who shall go with this people into the land that the
Lord swore to their fathers to give them, and it is you who shall apportion it
to them." CHAZAK VE-EMATZ is the
Hebrew phrase that appears again and again with regard to Joshua's mission - Be
brave! Be strong! Do not waver and do not fear! It is this very choice of message that
seems out of place, even unnecessary, when delivered to Joshua and it is his
character that this essay will discuss.
Who is this man,
Joshua, after all? He is not some
unknown who has applied to fill a vacancy - he figures in several major episodes
earlier in the Torah (and a few minor ones) and his history has proven that he
is indeed bold, courageous and fearless.
The first time we meet Joshua is in Exodus 17 soon after the flight from
Egypt. The nation of Israel has
barely climbed out of the sea bed when they are attacked by a people called
Amalek. Moses, the leader, reacts
to this confrontation by stepping aside: "Moses said to Joshua, 'Pick some men
for us, and go out and do battle with Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the
top of the hill, with the rod of God in my hand'" (17:9). And Joshua does it! Here's a man who has never fought in a
war, much less led people into battle.
He most likely has never even seen armed conflict or studied military
strategy, and without blinking he goes out and whips Amalek. True, the story does suggest that divine
providence was on hand, but that doesn't detract from the bravery of this
instant general who didn't stammer in hesitation, who didn't ask that Moses pray
for his success.
The second story to
prominently feature Joshua is the tale of the spies. As recorded in Numbers chapter 13, Moses
sends twelve men to scout out the land of Canaan prior to the invasion. Upon their return, ten of the spies give
a rather negative report and while agreeing that the land is bountiful in fruit,
claim that it is heavily defended by powerful peoples, too overwhelming for the
inexperienced Israelites to best.
In contrast are the other two spies - Joshua son of Nun from the tribe of
Efraim and Calev son of Yefuneh from Judah. These two argue that the land is a good
one and that its inhabitants can be taken with the help of God. Do not be discouraged, they plead with
the people, there is nothing to fear.
But the people panic and spend the night weeping and bemoaning their fate
wondering which is the least of three evils - dying in the desert, being cut
down by Canaanite swords, or returning to Egypt. Because of this rebellion against the
Land of Israel, God decrees that this generation of Jews shall not enter the
land they have rejected, but that it shall be given to their
children.
But what concerns us
here is Joshua. What he and Calev
did took guts. They not only went
against the majority opinion of their team, but they stood up to the nation
which had been convinced by the pessimistic report, and pleaded with them to
come to their senses. This is a
sign of true leadership - Joshua had the self-confidence to stick to his
beliefs, he refused to allow the weakness of the people to sway him. Even Moses in this episode is
speechless. His first utterances
are to God, begging him not to destroy the people. But Joshua takes charge of the
situation, fearing neither the peer pressure of his comrades nor the wrath of
the nation. And he certainly is not
afraid of the Canaanites! "Have no
fear then of the people of the country, for they are our prey!" he tells
Israel. As with the Amalek episode,
Joshua exhibits the qualities prescribed in Ethics of the Fathers (2:5): "Where
there are no men, you try to be a man!"
So why tell Joshua to
be brave? The first time Joshua is
told to stand tough is in Deuteronomy 3:28 when God commands Moses to encourage
and strengthen Joshua. He is told
twice again in our parasha and several times again in the first chapter of the
Book of Joshua. Readers would think
that Moses was appointing a spineless weakling, but we know it's not so. Admittedly, the two stories mentioned
above took place about 39 years prior to Joshua's promotion, and he may have
lost some of his fortitude by now (according to tradition, Joshua was 56 years
old at the Exodus and 96 now at the point of entry to Canaan), but age doesn't
seem to be a factor. Joshua was
chosen because he had the political skills to continue the job - indeed it might
be suggested that the Torah purposely emphasizes his participation in earlier
episodes as background for Joshua's future greatness. How then do we understand the statements
of CHAZAK VE-EMATZ?
In his book, Biblical
Images, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz writes of the contrast between the two characters
of Moses and Joshua. He argues
that:
"Ultimately, Moses
was not a man of action or the practical thinker. In order to get to the people, he had to
be helped by someone who had a closer relationship with them. The enormous spiritual gap between Moses
and the nation limited his ability to lead them... But the person who could transform the
vision and the prophetic message into practical reality, who could give body to
the spirit, was Joshua" (see chapter 11: Joshua).
Rabbi Steinsaltz's
theory is that while Moses was the greatest prophet who ever lived, he was
largely out of touch with the people and did not fully possess the skills
required of a politician. Joshua
was a more down-to-earth sort who understood the needs of the people and who
thought and behaved in a logical and pragmatic fashion. The attributes of Moses and Joshua
complemented each other; thus we see - at the war with Amalek, Joshua leading
the physical attack against the enemy, and Moses directing the spiritual front -
praying to God up on the mountain.
I don't think it's
correct to paint these two leaders simply as archetypes of the Prophet and the
General. Moses certainly had
moments where he exhibited able diplomacy: he repeatedly strides into the palace
room to confront Pharaoh, and he doesn't flinch in the face of Korach's open
rebellion. Conversely, Joshua is
credited by the Sages as being Moses' best student in the study of Torah as
hinted at in Exodus 33:11, "And the Lord spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man
speaks unto his friend. And he
would return into the camp; but his assistant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young
man, departed not out of the tent."
He certainly understood the importance of religion in the formation and
leadership of the nation of Israel.
However, I do think it's fair to say that Joshua was more sensitive to
the material details of running a nation than Moses (who has to be reminded that
the people need food and water), whereas the latter was more aware of the
religious overtones in God's political decisions than Joshua was. Two examples might make this point
clearer.
In Exodus chapter 32
the Torah reports the story of the golden calf. Moses is up on Mount Sinai receiving the
tablets of the law and Joshua spends the 40 days waiting for him near the foot
of the mountain. After God tells
Moses that the people have fashioned an idol which they are worshipping, Moses
heads down the mountain to confront them.
He meets Joshua before getting to the camp: "And Joshua heard the noise
of the people as they shouted, and he said unto Moses 'There is a noise of war
in the camp.' And he [Moses] said
'It is not the sound of the cry of triumph, nor the sound of the cry of defeat;
It is the sound of levity that I hear!'"
(Exodus 32:17-18). Joshua's
ear was tuned to the frequency of the physical causes for boisterousness, while
Moses was attuned to the sound of worship - of God or otherwise. Of course, Moses knew beforehand what
was going on in the camp, but he was still able to discern the nature of the
sounds, whereas Joshua was listening for something else
altogether.
Later, in an effort
to relieve some of the pressure from Moses' chores of governing, 70 elders are
gathered to assist him, and some of Moses' spirit is transferred to these men
causing them to prophesy. Two of
the elders are unable to stop, whereupon Joshua complains to
Moses.
"A youth ran out and
told Moses, saying: Eldad and Medad are acting the prophet in the camp! And Joshua son of Nun, Moses' attendant
from his youth, spoke up and said, 'My lord, Moses, restrain them!' But Moses said to him, 'Are you jealous
for my sake? Would that all the
Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord put his spirit upon them!" (Numbers
11:27-29).
Once again, Joshua
has misread the situation and it is because he doesn't immediately grasp the
significance of the inspired behavior he is witnessing. His immediate response is on a baser
level - he is concerned for the honor of Moses' position and sees Eldad's and
Medad's power as a challenge to the political leadership.
This tendency to
understand the dynamics of his nation and to act appropriately is of course a
critical ability for a leader, and one commentator at least sees this attribute
as the very reason Joshua was selected to succeed Moses. When Moses prays to God to choose his
successor he calls God "the God of spirits." Here is Rashi's interpretation of that
phrase: "Why is this stated? Moses
said before Him, 'Sovereign of the Universe, there is revealed before thee the
mind of each one, and they are not similar one to another. Appoint over them a leader who will be
able to bear every one according to his mind." We have so far characterized Joshua as a
talented general, statesman, in tune with the needs of his people. Perhaps what Joshua lacked was the
innate ability to perceive the divine elements in the earthly matters that he so
naturally mastered. The effort to
fine tune this sensitivity in Joshua's approach to rule, may be the meaning
behind the phrase which we began to analyze above - CHAZAK VE-EMATZ. God and Moses feel that as Joshua takes
over, maybe he needs to strengthen his faith.
Back in the story of
the spies, Joshua himself tells the people "you must not rebel against the Lord
- have no fear then of the people of the country, for they are our prey: their
protection has departed from them, but the Lord is with us. Have no fear of them!" (Numbers
14:9). Rabbeinu Bachye (14th
century) explains the connection between rebellion and fear: "The Torah teaches
that the nation's fear itself constitutes rebellion against God... fear of a
mortal enemy which causes man to tremble is in itself an obstacle which leads
man to forget God." This
exhortation that Joshua gives the people is now being given to him. When Moses tells Joshua in Deuteronomy
31:7 to be strong, he's not giving him advice that bravery is necessary for the
upcoming wars - Joshua has all the self-confidence he needs to march against the
Canaanites. What Moses is teaching
Joshua is that he must have unwavering faith that God will be with him - don't
believe only in yourself, believe that it is God who will defeat any resistance
and that your success will lie in God's deliverance. This is why the very next verse
emphasizes that "the Lord himself will go before you. He will be with you; He will not fail
you or forsake you. Fear not and be
not dismayed." If being strong and
resolute really meant that the general must be courageous, take charge, let the
enemy know that there is no escape from Joshua the Great, why this emphasis on
God's role in the conquest? On the
other hand, because God is to be the force behind the upcoming campaign, the
human figurehead need not really be the merciless marauder the world has seen in
other military conquerors. Of
course, Joshua could never lead the people if he were a coward relying
completely on the strength of the Lord to do all the work - he still has to
command a human army and needs the respect that only a bold figure can
demand.
Indeed, Joshua has
the support of the people who tell him, "We will do everything you have
commanded us and we will go wherever you send us" (Joshua 1:16). What Joshua does need in order to be the
perfect Jewish general is to understand and accept that his strategies will only
work if he truly believes that God is with him every step of the
way.
On two occasions when
Joshua is encouraged for his upcoming leadership role the Torah uses an odd
verb. In Deuteronomy 3:28 God says:
"Command Joshua - embolden him and imbue him with strength for he shall go over
before this people and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will
see." Similarly in our parasha, the
Torah says that Moses "commanded Joshua the son of Nun and said be strong and
resolute." Why is Joshua commanded
to be bold? Why isn't enough to
advise him - "Listen, as the next leader you should really exhibit the kind of
strength and determination necessary for the job?" It is my contention that Joshua is
commanded to believe in God - it is basically forbidden for him to feel that he
is on his own. If he does doubt,
that might lead him to forget God, which in turn will lead to God abandoning him
and the nation to their own abilities.
We see the same
approach to war in the speech delivered to the nation before a battle. Deuteronomy 20:1-4 describes this
necessary procedure for war preparation:
When you take the
field against your enemies, and see horses and chariots - forces larger than
yours - have no fear of them, for the Lord your God, who brought you from the
land of Egypt, is with you. Before
you join battle, the priest shall come forward and address the troops. He shall say to them, "Hear O
Israel! You are about to join
battle with your enemy. Let not
your courage falter. Do not be in
fear, or in panic, or in dread of them.
For it is the Lord your God who marches with you to do battle for you
against the enemy, to bring you victory."
The chief emotion is
not belief in your own military skills, but belief that God is on your
side. Fear of death in battle might
be impossible to totally dismiss, but fear in the enemy, as Rabbeinu Bachye puts
it, represents a lack of faith that God will take care of you. The message of CHAZAK VE-EMATZ is almost
a challenge to Joshua to suppress his own valor while strengthening his belief
in the role God will play. The
conquest of the land was one of holy war - the people and their leader had to
recognize that it was part of the divine plan for the future of the nation of
Israel.