Joshua Eldad and Medad

 

The lad ran and reported to Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." Joshua, son of Nun, the servant of Moses since his youth, spoke up and said "My master Moses, incarcerate them."

                                                                  Numbers 11:27-28

            Rashi quotes the Sages' tradition that Joshua asked Moses to incarcerate Eldad and Medad due to the content of their prophecy: "Moses will die and Joshua will lead Israel into the Land."

            Midrash Tanḥuma [Tetzaveh, 9] states that Joshua should have lived one-hundred-twenty years, as did his master Moses, but he lost a decade of life [Joshua 24:29] because of the ten words he said to Moses, "My master Moses, incarcerate them." The question which begs asking is the fact that in the verse, Joshua spoke only three words (in the original Hebrew). Rabbi Ya'akov Ettlinger [Responsa Binyan Ẓion, 84] raises the question and resolves it by quoting Midrash Sifrei, which understood that the verse merely summarizes the content of Joshua's request of Moses, and presents the full sentence spoken by the student to the master, a sentence of ten words in length. The conclusion of Tanḥuma is: "A student may not speak in the presence of his master (without receiving permission), for anyone who teaches in the presence of his master has his years of life shortened."

            It is interesting and instructive that, according to a Midrash, we meet Eldad and Medad again. In Bemidbar Rabba, [3:7] Rabbi Berechya, son of Rabbi Ḥelbo, quoting Abba Simmukyad (in some versions, Abba Simmuka, a late 3^rd century – early 4^th century Sage), elucidates that the elders mentioned in the third to last verse of the Book of Joshua "And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of God, that He did for Israel" are Eldad and Medad. Thus, Eldad and Medad were the elders to whom Joshua transmitted the Torah, as stated in the opening Mishna of Pirkei Avot: "Moses received Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, and Joshua to the elders…"

            This Midrash teaches an important lesson: though Eldad and Medad, in a sense, deprived Joshua of a decade of life, he harbored no ill feelings because he understood that they were the ones worthy of continuing the tradition of Torah which he had received from his master.

            Joshua acted as a true leader, putting aside personal feelings and acting solely on behalf of his flock.