1. What is the purpose of this book?
There were many, many true prophets who spoke in God's name during Jewish history, but most of their words were either not recorded, or their books were not canonized. Chazal tell us that the works that were canonized were those that had a message for future generations, an eternal message (albeit rooted in the historical context in which they were delivered.)
A few years ago, I listened to a number of shiurim of Rabbi Menachem Leibtag (and I highly recommend his shiurim on Tanach--more on that later). One of his central questions is: What is the purpose of this book? What is its prophetic message?
With a book like Yehoshua, we can easily just read it as a narrative, but not work on figuring out the message and themes of the book.
2. Specific to chapter 2: Why did Yehoshua send spies into Israel? Did he not remember the debacle of the spies Moshe sent (in which only Yesoshua and Kalev proved honorable)?
3. More generally, to what extent is Yehoshua guided by God in the details of what he is supposed to do (as opposed to the general mandate to conquer Eretz Yisrael)?
4. On Chapter 2, when the spies go to the house of the prostitute Rachav, Rachav tells them that the Canaanites are struck with fear, because they heard of how God split the sea for the Jewish people. My wife asked: But this occurred 40 years earlier, and the Jews have been wandering in the desert, and had an entire generation die since then! Why are the Canaanites so scared?
4a) A related question (and perhaps the beginning of the answer that seems simplest and most cogent): What did the events of the Jews' experience from Keriat Yam Suf to Har Sinai to wandering 40 years in the desert look like to the non-Jewish nations in Canaan and the surrounding areas? How did they experience and interpret these events? (Bear in mind Moshe's concerns about God's reputation in pleading for the survival of the people after the sin of the golden calf).
4 comments:
despite the previous spy failings, Joshua felt this was still important, however maybe less conflict with two vs twelve? These spys gained the knowledge of the emotional state of the opposition, very critical in negotiations and war. Although Joshua was a transition leader, he was moving from a manna system to warrior state. I would imagine that the nations of the world were either not noticing the Jews wanderings, or some became increasing fearful of this desert mass of people that might go from what appears to be unexplained movements to finally conflict and domination.
Michael Loren--
I agree that the information they could glean would be useful, even critical. But the twelve who Moshe sent were all righteous, solid people. I would imagine the danger would exist even with two.
I think your second possibility about the nations of the world makes more sense, in light of the effect of the splitting of Yam Suf and the wars with Sichon and Og on them. The unexplained wanderings probably did not allay their fears, but only postpone them.
This is why I am against teaching Navi in school at such a young age. Often these kids are not able to view the stories correctly and can have a very negative, mistaken view of holy tzadikim and nevi'im. Like the stories of David Hamelech and Shlomo etc.
Simcha--
What part of my post are you responding to when you say "This is why . . . "
Re: the second part of your comment, I think the phenomenon of bashing our forbears in Tanach is not so much found amongst children as it is amongst adults. On the other hand, perhaps it is possible to go too far the other way, and read the Nevi'im as a type of hagiography. This, too, is a way of losing the message of the nevuah.
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