Written during the height of Coronavirus outbreak in NY and Israel


It's during these days that we long for the way things used to be and its that longing and the similarities to todays events ; that I discovered while reading the book of Joshua, chapter seven, this past Shabbat.

After the successfull victory over Jericho, Joshua and the Jewish people attempted to attack the city of Ai. Unfortunately, there was an individual by the name of Achan (and his family)that didn't heed the warning of Joshua to not partake in the spoils of Jericho. As a result of this rebellion, thirty six soldiers died in their attempt to attack the city of Ai.
Joshua not realizing the sin of Achan and his theft of the spoils, could not understand why G-D allowed the defeat and death of his soldiers.
Joshua prays to G-d the following prayer(translation below)

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ אֲהָ֣הּ ׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה לָ֠מָה הֵעֲבַ֨רְתָּ הַעֲבִ֜יר אֶת־הָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן לָתֵ֥ת אֹתָ֛נוּ בְּיַ֥ד הָאֱמֹרִ֖י לְהַאֲבִידֵ֑נוּ וְלוּ֙ הוֹאַ֣לְנוּ וַנֵּ֔שֶׁב בְּעֵ֖בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃

“Ah, Lord GOD!” cried Joshua. “Why did You lead this people across the Jordan only to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites, to be destroyed by them? If only we had been content to remain on the other side of the Jordan!

Robert Alter in his commentary wants to say that this prayer proves that Joshua was not as great as Moses because Joshua uses the same language in his prayer as the complaint of the mixed multitude when leaving Egypt.

I strongly disagree with Alter and in fact understand this prayer completely differently.
When the Jews left Egypt and complained that they wanted to return to Egypt; they were saying that they preferred the rule of Pharaoh over the rule of G-D.

When Joshua complained, he was saying that he preferred the rulership of G-D with all his protection, on the other side of the Jordan over the reality of Jewish life and its challenges when living under the rules of society and nature. The Jewish people were now forced to change their awareness and relationship with G-D as a result of entering the land and this was troubling to Joshua. For forty years the needs of the Jews were taken care of and they knew how to behave in order to guarantee their survival. Now they were forced to deal with G-D and their new environment in a way that was apparently unfamiliar.  This unknown was very  troubling to both Joshua and the elders.

When G-D answered Joshua, that it was sin and rebellion against the edict of the leadership, that caused their defeat in battle; Joshua realized that G-D was still with them and instead it was only man that had truly disconnected from the will of G-D.
Even though the environment changed, the relationship with G-D and the rules of their relationship remained the same.

In our time, we need to realize that the walls that we built in eastern Europe to protect us against Haskallah are no longer useful and in fact are harmful and dangerous. G-D  hasn't changed his relationship with us;  it's our relationship with our Jewish brothers and our approach to the world that needs to change.