Numbers and Joshua

Bemidbar, the fourth book of the Torah, deals with the preparations for Israel’s entry into its Land, and as such, presents a quantum change, from a lifestyle which is centered on miracles (the clouds of glory, manna, Miriam’s well, etc.) to one which must be lived on a natural level.    

            Bemidbar, in a real sense is the precursor to the Book of Joshua (since Deuteronomy is essentially Moses’ review of the experience of forty years in the wilderness). The events described in the early chapters of Joshua convey a gradual weaning of the Israelites from dependence upon overt miracles.

            To enter the Promised Land, Israel crossed the River Jordan in a miraculous manner:

… When the feet of the Kohanim who carried the ark dipped in the edge of the water (of the Jordan), the waters flowing from above stood and rose up in one heap …                Joshua 3:15-16

The Israelites took no part in the miracle of crossing the Jordan; it was exclusively God’s work.

            Israel’s first conquest in the Land, Jericho was accomplished miraculously, as we read:

Encircle the city and march around it once. Do this for six days. And seven Kohanim shall carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, circle the city seven times, with the Kohanim blowing the shofarot. Have them blow a long blast on the shofar, and when you hear the blast, have all the people shout a mighty shout, and the wall of the city will collapse…  And the vanguard went before the Kohanim who blew the rams’ horns, and the rearguard went after the ark …            Joshua 6:3-5,9

            While the conquest of Jericho was miraculous, the Israelites participated in effecting the miracle.

            The second conquest in the Land, the capture of Ai, was achieved without relying on an overt miracle, as described in Joshua 8:3ff.

            Thus, we see a progression from overt Divine intervention with no human component to God and the Israelites acting together to the Israelites acting without overt Divine intervention. It is to be noted, that lack of overt intervention by God, of course, does not imply lack of His providence over His chosen people. (In fact, God instructed Joshua: “Stretch out the javelin in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand,” [Joshua 8:18] which was the sign to begin the attack on Ai.)

            In the battle which Joshua fought after capturing Ai, the Battle of the Ayalon Valley, he and the Israelites benefitted from two overt miracles: at the Bet Ḥoron descent, God cast stones from the heavens upon the fleeing Amorites soldiers, killing more soldiers than were killed by Joshua’s troops, [ibid. 11] and the sun stood still long enough for Joshua to complete his victory over the coalition of five Amorite kings. [Joshua 10:12-13] This apparently reverses the trend and reverts to God’s open intervention. 

            However, as Yigal Ariel noted in his commentary on the Book of Joshua, Joshua did not request the first miracle. Thus the message is that when Israel is ready to its part, God, as it were, is not averse to performing miracles in support of Israel. It seems clear that had Joshua not acted in a natural manner, God would not have intervened on his behalf.