yehoshua: could we
sholem aleichem,
Happy New Year.....a little late. My apologies that it has been a full month since the last newsletter. I spend all day typing for my day job and sometimes my hands need a little rest (and, unfortunately, my dictation software isn't great at switching fluidly between English and Hebrew!)
As it is, this will be a short newsletter, but I wanted to get it out to try to keep my desired schedule of finishing Yehoshua before the parsha cycle completes Shemos.
This week: Yehoshua 16-17
Summary: The territory of the Bnei Yosef is described by clan, both the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah -- the daughters of Zelophehad -- remind Elazar the High Priest that they were promised a portion of the land, and they receive it. Manasseh's daughters also receive a portion. The Bnei Yosef complain that their portion of the land is too small, and Yehoshua tells them to go clear out the forest country if they want more room. They complain that the Canaanites in the valley area have iron chariots, and Yehoshua says "if you're really so great, you'll defeat them."
If you'll recall, last time we studied the verse Yehoshua 15:63. I'd encourage you to check out the full newsletter, if you haven't already, but if not, here's a quick summary. The verse reads
וְאֶת־הַיְבוּסִי יוֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם לֹא־[יָכְלוּ] (יוכלו) בְנֵי־יְהוּדָה לְהוֹרִישָׁם וַיֵּשֶׁב הַיְבוּסִי אֶת־בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה בִּירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה
The sons of Yehuda did not overcome the Yevusi, dwellers in Yerushalayim, to disposses them. The Yevusi and the sons of Yehudah dwell in Yerushalayim until this very day.
In the last newsletter, we discussed the implications that the Yevusi -- a people haShem specifically promised to drive out for the Israelites -- dwell together with them inYerushalayim "until this very day".
Continuing the same theme, there are two verses in this week's reading that undercut the overarching narrative in which the inhabitants of the land are utterly disposessed.
In verse 16:10 we read
וְלֹא הוֹרִישׁוּ אֶת־הַכְּנַעֲנִי הַיּוֹשֵׁב בְּגָזֶר וַיֵּשֶׁב הַכְּנַעֲנִי בְּקֶרֶב אֶפְרַיִם עַד־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וַיְהִי לְמַס־עֹבֵד
And they did not disposess the Canaani, those dwelling in Gezer, and those Canaani dwell among the Ephraim unto this very day, but they became forced laborers.
In verse 17:12-13 we read
וְלֹא יָכְלוּ בְּנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה לְהוֹרִישׁ אֶת־הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיּוֹאֶל הַכְּנַעֲנִי לָשֶׁבֶת בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת
And the sons of Manasseh could not disposess these cities: the Canaani were determined to dwell in this land.
וַיְהִי כִּי חָזְקוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶת־הַכְּנַעֲנִי לָמַס וְהוֹרֵשׁ לֹא הוֹרִישׁוֹ
When the Bnei Yisrael grew stronger, they set the Canaani to forced labor, but did not completely disposess them
So between the last reading and this reading we have three examples where peoples haShem promised to drive out are not:
The Bnei Yehuda could not fully disposess the Yevusi in Yerushalayim, and they dwell together to this day
The Ephraim do not disposess the Canaani, and the Canaani live among them but as forced laborers
The Bnei Yisrael could not disposess the Canaani because they are determined to remain, but when they become strong enough they subjugate them as forced laborers
There's a version of Yehoshua where haShem promises to utterly drive out all these peoples (as he does in our text), and then the Israelites achieve that. There's a version of Yehoshua where the lesson is "if we have the god-given right, we can drive people from their land and wait for olam haba on our own in peace."
But that's not the version of Yehoshua we get. The narrative here is clear: no matter the promises of god or how strong we become, we cannot -- as the Israelites could not -- completely drive a people from their land.
That word "could" is important. The Hebrew is יכלו -- the same letters but not the same root as the word used to describe the completion of the creation of the heavens and the earth:
וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכׇל־צְבָאָם
the heavens and the earth were completed and all their host
If you read the writings of colonizers, they certainly think they are creating something (or they want you to think they are creating something). The metaphoric imagery of colonial projects is full of empty land being turned into cities, deserts being brought to life.
But this perspective is a mirage: it might have the letters of creation, but it does not have the essence of creation.
On the seventh day haShem completed/ויכל the work that he had done and rested. After creation, we rest. There is no "after" colonization. There is no "enough" for us if we become the taskmasters of Mitzrayim.
Is that really what we want?
...good shabbos?
ada