בסיום תהליך ההתנחלות בארץ מוצאים את מנוחתם גם שבט לוי הנוחל בתוך אחיו, ושניים וחצי השבטים שמסיימים לסייע בכיבוש הארץ ומקבלים רשות להתישב בעבר הירדן.
וַֽיִּקְרְא֥וּ בַסֵּ֛פֶר בְּתוֹרַ֥ת הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים - בקיאות
(1) The heads of the ancestral houses of the Levites approached the priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the ancestral houses of the Israelite tribes, (2) and spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, as follows: “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given towns to live in, along with their pastures for our livestock.” (3) So the Israelites, in accordance with the LORD’s command, assigned to the Levites, out of their own portions, the following towns with their pastures: (4) The [first] lot among the Levites fell to the Kohathite clans. To the descendants of the priest Aaron, there fell by lot 13 towns from the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Simeon, and the tribe of Benjamin; (5) and to the remaining Kohathites [there fell] by lot 10 towns from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, the tribe of Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. (6) To the Gershonites [there fell] by lot 13 towns from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, the tribe of Asher, the tribe of Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. (7) [And] to the Merarites, by their clans—12 towns from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun. (8) The Israelites assigned those towns with their pastures by lot to the Levites—as the LORD had commanded through Moses.
(9) From the tribe of the Judites and the tribe of the Simeonites were assigned the following towns, which will be listed by name; (10) they went to the descendants of Aaron among the Kohathite clans of the Levites, for the first lot had fallen to them. (11) To them were assigned in the hill country of Judah Kiriath-arba—that is, Hebron—together with the pastures around it. [Arba was] the father of the Anokites. (12) They gave the fields and the villages of the town to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his holding. (13) But to the descendants of Aaron the priest they assigned Hebron—the city of refuge for manslayers—together with its pastures, Libnah with its pastures, (14) Jattir with its pastures, Eshtemoa with its pastures, (15) Holon with its pastures, Debir with its pastures, (16) Ain with its pastures, Juttah with its pastures, and Beth-shemesh with its pastures—9 towns from those two tribes. (17) And from the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon with its pastures, Geba with its pastures, (18) Anathoth with its pastures, and Almon with its pastures—4 towns. (19) All the towns of the descendants of the priest Aaron, 13 towns with their pastures. (20) As for the other clans of the Kohathites, the remaining Levites descended from Kohath, the towns in their lot were: From the tribe of Ephraim (21) they were given, in the hill country of Ephraim, Shechem—the city of refuge for manslayers—with its pastures, Gezer with its pastures, (22) Kibzaim with its pastures, and Beth-horon with its pastures—4 towns. (23) From the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its pastures, Gibbethon with its pastures, (24) Aijalon with its pastures, and Gath-rimmon with its pastures—4 towns. (25) And from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its pastures, and Gath-rimmon with its pastures—2 towns. (26) All the towns for the remaining clans of the Kohathites came to 10, with their pastures. (27) To the Gershonites of the levitical clans: From the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan—the city of refuge for manslayers—with its pastures, and Beeshterah with its pastures—2 towns. (28) From the tribe of Issachar: Kishion with its pastures, Dobrath with its pastures, (29) Jarmuth with its pastures, and En-gannim with its pastures—4 towns. (30) From the tribe of Asher: Mishal with its pastures, Abdon with its pastures, (31) Helkath with its pastures, and Rehob with its pastures—4 towns. (32) From the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee—the city of refuge for manslayers—with its pastures, Hammoth-dor with its pastures, and Kartan with its pastures—3 towns. (33) All the towns of the Gershonites, by their clans, came to 13 towns, with their pastures. (34) To the remaining Levites, the clans of the Merarites: From the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pastures, Kartah with its pastures, (35) Dimnah with its pastures, and Nahalal with its pastures—4 towns. (36) [And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with the open land about it, and Jahaz with the open land about it; (37) Kedemoth with the open land about it, and Mephaath with the open land about it; four cities.] (38) From the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead—the city of refuge for manslayers—with its pastures, Mahanaim with its pastures, (39) Heshbon with its pastures, and Jazer with its pastures—4 towns in all. (40) All the towns which went by lot to the Merarites, by their clans—the rest of the levitical clans—came to 12 towns. (41) All the towns of the Levites within the holdings of the Israelites came to 48 towns, with their pastures. (42) Thus those towns were assigned, every town with its surrounding pasture; and so it was with all those towns. (43) The LORD gave to Israel the whole country which He had sworn to their fathers that He would assign to them; they took possession of it and settled in it. (44) The LORD gave them rest on all sides, just as He had promised to their fathers on oath. Not one man of all their enemies withstood them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hands. (45) Not one of the good things which the LORD had promised to the House of Israel was lacking. Everything was fulfilled.
(9) From the tribe of the Judites and the tribe of the Simeonites were assigned the following towns, which will be listed by name; (10) they went to the descendants of Aaron among the Kohathite clans of the Levites, for the first lot had fallen to them. (11) To them were assigned in the hill country of Judah Kiriath-arba—that is, Hebron—together with the pastures around it. [Arba was] the father of the Anokites. (12) They gave the fields and the villages of the town to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his holding. (13) But to the descendants of Aaron the priest they assigned Hebron—the city of refuge for manslayers—together with its pastures, Libnah with its pastures, (14) Jattir with its pastures, Eshtemoa with its pastures, (15) Holon with its pastures, Debir with its pastures, (16) Ain with its pastures, Juttah with its pastures, and Beth-shemesh with its pastures—9 towns from those two tribes. (17) And from the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon with its pastures, Geba with its pastures, (18) Anathoth with its pastures, and Almon with its pastures—4 towns. (19) All the towns of the descendants of the priest Aaron, 13 towns with their pastures. (20) As for the other clans of the Kohathites, the remaining Levites descended from Kohath, the towns in their lot were: From the tribe of Ephraim (21) they were given, in the hill country of Ephraim, Shechem—the city of refuge for manslayers—with its pastures, Gezer with its pastures, (22) Kibzaim with its pastures, and Beth-horon with its pastures—4 towns. (23) From the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its pastures, Gibbethon with its pastures, (24) Aijalon with its pastures, and Gath-rimmon with its pastures—4 towns. (25) And from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its pastures, and Gath-rimmon with its pastures—2 towns. (26) All the towns for the remaining clans of the Kohathites came to 10, with their pastures. (27) To the Gershonites of the levitical clans: From the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan—the city of refuge for manslayers—with its pastures, and Beeshterah with its pastures—2 towns. (28) From the tribe of Issachar: Kishion with its pastures, Dobrath with its pastures, (29) Jarmuth with its pastures, and En-gannim with its pastures—4 towns. (30) From the tribe of Asher: Mishal with its pastures, Abdon with its pastures, (31) Helkath with its pastures, and Rehob with its pastures—4 towns. (32) From the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee—the city of refuge for manslayers—with its pastures, Hammoth-dor with its pastures, and Kartan with its pastures—3 towns. (33) All the towns of the Gershonites, by their clans, came to 13 towns, with their pastures. (34) To the remaining Levites, the clans of the Merarites: From the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pastures, Kartah with its pastures, (35) Dimnah with its pastures, and Nahalal with its pastures—4 towns. (36) [And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with the open land about it, and Jahaz with the open land about it; (37) Kedemoth with the open land about it, and Mephaath with the open land about it; four cities.] (38) From the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead—the city of refuge for manslayers—with its pastures, Mahanaim with its pastures, (39) Heshbon with its pastures, and Jazer with its pastures—4 towns in all. (40) All the towns which went by lot to the Merarites, by their clans—the rest of the levitical clans—came to 12 towns. (41) All the towns of the Levites within the holdings of the Israelites came to 48 towns, with their pastures. (42) Thus those towns were assigned, every town with its surrounding pasture; and so it was with all those towns. (43) The LORD gave to Israel the whole country which He had sworn to their fathers that He would assign to them; they took possession of it and settled in it. (44) The LORD gave them rest on all sides, just as He had promised to their fathers on oath. Not one man of all their enemies withstood them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hands. (45) Not one of the good things which the LORD had promised to the House of Israel was lacking. Everything was fulfilled.
1.
שבט לוי מחולק למשפחות וכל משפחה יושבת בנחלת שבט אחר. עיינו בפרק ובמפה המצורפת ובדקו היכן יושבת כל משפחה. שימו לב: באיזו נחלה מצוי המספר הרב ביותר של ערי לוויה? מה הקשר בין רשימת ערי המקלט בפרק כ,ז-ט לערי הלויים? עיינו במדבר לה, ח, על פי מה מחולקות ערי הלויים?
2.
עיינו ביהושע יג,א; כא,מא. מהו תפקידם של פסוקים אלו? השוו לשופטים פרק א, איזה קושי עולה מהתיאור שם?
(1) Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, (2) and said to them, “You have observed all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed me in everything that I commanded you. (3) You have not forsaken your kinsmen through the long years down to this day, but have faithfully observed the Instruction of the LORD your God. (4) Now the LORD your God has given your kinsmen rest, as He promised them. Therefore turn and go to your homes, to the land of your holdings beyond the Jordan that Moses the servant of the LORD assigned to you. (5) But be very careful to fulfill the Instruction and the Teaching that Moses the servant of the LORD enjoined upon you, to love the LORD your God and to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and soul.” (6) Then Joshua blessed them and dismissed them, and they went to their homes. (7) To the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had assigned territory in Bashan, and to the other Joshua assigned [territory] on the west side of the Jordan, with their kinsmen.
Furthermore, when Joshua sent them off to their homes, he blessed them (8) and said to them, “Return to your homes with great wealth—with very much livestock, with silver and gold, with copper and iron, and with a great quantity of clothing. Share the spoil of your enemies with your kinsmen.” (9) So the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan, and made their way back to the land of Gilead, the land of their own holding, which they had acquired by the command of the LORD through Moses. (10) When they came to the region of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, a great conspicuous altar. (11) A report reached the Israelites: “The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar opposite the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan, across from the Israelites.” (12) When the Israelites heard this, the whole community of the Israelites assembled at Shiloh to make war on them. (13) But [first] the Israelites sent the priest Phinehas son of Eleazar to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead, (14) accompanied by ten chieftains, one chieftain from each ancestral house of each of the tribes of Israel; they were every one of them heads of ancestral houses of the contingents of Israel. (15) When they came to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead, they spoke to them as follows: (16) “Thus said the whole community of the LORD: What is this treachery that you have committed this day against the God of Israel, turning away from the LORD, building yourselves an altar and rebelling this day against the LORD! (17) Is the sin of Peor, which brought a plague upon the community of the LORD, such a small thing to us? We have not cleansed ourselves from it to this very day; (18) and now you would turn away from the LORD! If you rebel against the LORD today, tomorrow He will be angry with the whole community of Israel. (19) If it is because the land of your holding is unclean, cross over into the land of the LORD’s own holding, where the Tabernacle of the LORD abides, and acquire holdings among us. But do not rebel against the LORD, and do not rebel against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God. (20) When Achan son of Zerah violated the proscription, anger struck the whole community of Israel; he was not the only one who perished for that sin.” (21) The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the contingents of Israel: They said, (22) “God, the LORD God! God, the LORD God! He knows, and Israel too shall know! If we acted in rebellion or in treachery against the LORD, do not vindicate us this day! (23) If we built an altar to turn away from the LORD, if it was to offer burnt offerings or meal offerings upon it, or to present sacrifices of well-being upon it, may the LORD Himself demand [a reckoning]. (24) We did this thing only out of our concern that, in time to come, your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? (25) The LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between you and us, O Reubenites and Gadites; you have no share in the LORD!’ Thus your children might prevent our children from worshiping the LORD. (26) So we decided to provide [a witness] for ourselves by building an altar—not for burnt offerings or [other] sacrifices, (27) but as a witness between you and us, and between the generations to come—that we may perform the service of the LORD before Him with our burnt offerings, our sacrifices, and our offerings of well-being; and that your children should not say to our children in time to come, ‘You have no share in the LORD.’ (28) We reasoned: should they speak thus to us and to our children in time to come, we would reply, ‘See the replica of the LORD’s altar, which our fathers made—not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but as a witness between you and us.’ (29) Far be it from us to rebel against the LORD, or to turn away this day from the LORD and build an altar for burnt offerings, meal offerings, and sacrifices other than the altar of the LORD our God which stands before His Tabernacle.” (30) When the priest Phinehas and the chieftains of the community—the heads of the contingents of Israel—who were with him heard the explanation given by the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassites, they approved. (31) The priest Phinehas son of Eleazar said to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassites, “Now we know that the LORD is in our midst, since you have not committed such treachery against the LORD. You have indeed saved the Israelites from punishment by the LORD.” (32) Then the priest Phinehas son of Eleazar and the chieftains returned from the Reubenites and the Gadites in the land of Gilead to the Israelites in the land of Canaan, and gave them their report. (33) The Israelites were pleased, and the Israelites praised God; and they spoke no more of going to war against them, to ravage the land in which the Reubenites and Gadites dwelt. (34) The Reubenites and the Gadites named the altar [“Witness”], meaning, “It is a witness between us and them that the LORD is [our] God.”
Furthermore, when Joshua sent them off to their homes, he blessed them (8) and said to them, “Return to your homes with great wealth—with very much livestock, with silver and gold, with copper and iron, and with a great quantity of clothing. Share the spoil of your enemies with your kinsmen.” (9) So the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan, and made their way back to the land of Gilead, the land of their own holding, which they had acquired by the command of the LORD through Moses. (10) When they came to the region of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, a great conspicuous altar. (11) A report reached the Israelites: “The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar opposite the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan, across from the Israelites.” (12) When the Israelites heard this, the whole community of the Israelites assembled at Shiloh to make war on them. (13) But [first] the Israelites sent the priest Phinehas son of Eleazar to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead, (14) accompanied by ten chieftains, one chieftain from each ancestral house of each of the tribes of Israel; they were every one of them heads of ancestral houses of the contingents of Israel. (15) When they came to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead, they spoke to them as follows: (16) “Thus said the whole community of the LORD: What is this treachery that you have committed this day against the God of Israel, turning away from the LORD, building yourselves an altar and rebelling this day against the LORD! (17) Is the sin of Peor, which brought a plague upon the community of the LORD, such a small thing to us? We have not cleansed ourselves from it to this very day; (18) and now you would turn away from the LORD! If you rebel against the LORD today, tomorrow He will be angry with the whole community of Israel. (19) If it is because the land of your holding is unclean, cross over into the land of the LORD’s own holding, where the Tabernacle of the LORD abides, and acquire holdings among us. But do not rebel against the LORD, and do not rebel against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God. (20) When Achan son of Zerah violated the proscription, anger struck the whole community of Israel; he was not the only one who perished for that sin.” (21) The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the contingents of Israel: They said, (22) “God, the LORD God! God, the LORD God! He knows, and Israel too shall know! If we acted in rebellion or in treachery against the LORD, do not vindicate us this day! (23) If we built an altar to turn away from the LORD, if it was to offer burnt offerings or meal offerings upon it, or to present sacrifices of well-being upon it, may the LORD Himself demand [a reckoning]. (24) We did this thing only out of our concern that, in time to come, your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? (25) The LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between you and us, O Reubenites and Gadites; you have no share in the LORD!’ Thus your children might prevent our children from worshiping the LORD. (26) So we decided to provide [a witness] for ourselves by building an altar—not for burnt offerings or [other] sacrifices, (27) but as a witness between you and us, and between the generations to come—that we may perform the service of the LORD before Him with our burnt offerings, our sacrifices, and our offerings of well-being; and that your children should not say to our children in time to come, ‘You have no share in the LORD.’ (28) We reasoned: should they speak thus to us and to our children in time to come, we would reply, ‘See the replica of the LORD’s altar, which our fathers made—not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but as a witness between you and us.’ (29) Far be it from us to rebel against the LORD, or to turn away this day from the LORD and build an altar for burnt offerings, meal offerings, and sacrifices other than the altar of the LORD our God which stands before His Tabernacle.” (30) When the priest Phinehas and the chieftains of the community—the heads of the contingents of Israel—who were with him heard the explanation given by the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassites, they approved. (31) The priest Phinehas son of Eleazar said to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassites, “Now we know that the LORD is in our midst, since you have not committed such treachery against the LORD. You have indeed saved the Israelites from punishment by the LORD.” (32) Then the priest Phinehas son of Eleazar and the chieftains returned from the Reubenites and the Gadites in the land of Gilead to the Israelites in the land of Canaan, and gave them their report. (33) The Israelites were pleased, and the Israelites praised God; and they spoke no more of going to war against them, to ravage the land in which the Reubenites and Gadites dwelt. (34) The Reubenites and the Gadites named the altar [“Witness”], meaning, “It is a witness between us and them that the LORD is [our] God.”
3.
שאלת היחס להתנחלות ולישיבה בעבר הירדן משמשת מסגרת סיפורית לספר יהושע. הסיפור מופיע בתחילת הספר א,יב-יח, ובפרקנו. עיינו במקורות הבאים: במדבר לב,א-לג; דברים ג,יח-כב וביהושע כב,טז-כ. האם ההתנחלות בעבר הירדן היא מלכתחילה או בדיעבד?
4.
המילה מזבח היא מילה מנחה המופיעה בפרק אחת עשרה פעמים ונושאת מספר משמעויות. עיינו בפסוקים ובדקו מה משמעות ה׳מזבח׳ לפי כל אחד מהשותפים לשיח.
5.
ההתייחסות לדורות הבאים מוזכרת בספר יהושע פעמיים: בפרק ד,כ-כד ובפרקנו בפסוקים כד- כח. מדוע הנושא עולה דווקא בשני אירועים אלה? מה הקשר ביניהם?
6.
עיינו בפסוק יז בפרקנו ובספר במדבר כה,א-יג. כיצד מאיר המסופר שם את תפקידן של הדמויות הפועלות בפרקנו?
מְפֹרָ֑שׁ וְשׂ֣וֹם שֶׂ֔כֶל - עיון
7.
בסיום ספר יהושע ובסיום ספר שופטים עומד עם ישראל בפני סכנת פילוג. השוו בין המסופר בפרקנו לסיפור פילגש בגבעה בשופטים כ,יב-מח. שימו לב לדפוסי התקשורת השונים, וכיצד הם משפיעים על תוצאות האירועים.
וַיָּבִ֖ינוּ בַּמִּקְרָֽא - הרחבה
"וַיִּשְׁלְח֨וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶל־בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵ֧ן וְאֶל־בְּנֵי־גָ֛ד וְאֶל־חֲצִ֥י שֵֽׁבֶט־מְנַשֶּׁ֖ה אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ הַגִּלְעָ֑ד אֶת־פִּֽינְחָ֖ס בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָ֥ר הַכֹּהֵֽן׃ וַעֲשָׂרָ֤ה נְשִׂאִים֙ עִמּ֔וֹ נָשִׂ֨יא אֶחָ֜ד נָשִׂ֤יא אֶחָד֙ לְבֵ֣ית אָ֔ב לְכֹ֖ל מַטּ֣וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל... הֲל֣וֹא ׀ עָכָ֣ן בֶּן־זֶ֗רַח מָ֤עַל מַ֙עַל֙ בַּחֵ֔רֶם וְעַֽל־כׇּל־עֲדַ֥ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הָ֣יָה קָ֑צֶף וְהוּא֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶחָ֔ד לֹ֥א גָוַ֖ע בַּעֲוֺנֽוֹ..." (יהושע כב,יג-כ)
"האחדות שבאה מפני דרישת טובתו של כל יחיד, למטרת אהבת כל יחיד לעצמו, היא אחדות מקרית, שיסודה היא אהבת הפרט העצמית, ואין סופה להתקיים, כי אין לה מרכז אמיתי, וגם כשהאחדות לכאורה מתגדלת סופה לשלהבת שנאה ומלחמת אחים, בהיות כל יחיד מושך להנאת עצמו. אבל האחדות, שבאה מצד ההכרה בערך תכלית העליון שבא רק על ידי שלום הבריות, יסודתה באהבת הכלל באמת וסופה להתקיים, וכרבות ימיה כן תוסיף להתגדל ולהתחזק... ואם כך עיקר שבח האחדות והשלום הוא שבהתאחדות הכוללת אותו ואת זולתו מתגלה איחוד וקישור כל הרצונות כולם לרצון העליון יתברך. לפיכך צריך שיהיה מתחילה שלום בעצמו, שכל רצונותיו בעצמו יפנו כולם לרצון האחד יתברך שמו ואז בכל מה שיתאחד ברצונו יוסיף לגלות את האחדות הרצונות כולם לראש אחד."
(ר׳ אברהם יצחק הכהן קוק, עולת ראיה א עמ׳ רנז-רנח)