Calev and Yehoshua

When the delegation of twelve Spies return from Eretz Canaan their negative assessment triggers panic and despair in the Israelite Camp. Two men stand steadfast against the crowd, two lone figures resisting the peer pressure of the Spies, and the jeers of the tumultuous throng. As the people reject Eretz Yisrael and declare the unthinkable: "Let us appoint a (new) leader and return to Egypt!" these two individuals – Calev and Yehoshua - stand apart from their brethren insisting that "The Land is exceedingly good." They do not succeed in swaying public opinion, they fail to reverse the escalating momentum of the effects of the Spies. And yet, Calev and Yehoshua remain as the heroic figures who took a principled stand, who backed God and truth when all the odds were against them.

 

Who are these two men? We traditionally view them us a twosome, coordinated in attitude and spirit. But a closer look at the Parsha will reveal an interesting contrast between these two tenacious leaders of the Jewish People.

 

Chavruta:

 

Learn Bamidbar ch. 13-14.

While learning, focus upon the differences between Calev and Yehoshua.

 

Here are some points through which to examine the differences between these two personalities:

1. Tribal affiliation/Naming (13:4-8 and 16)

2. 13:17-25 : Is there any difference in the way they act during the 40 day tour of Eretz Yisrael.

See the famous Midrash brought by Rashi 13:22. Is there a textual basis for this view?

3. 13:26-14:10 : How do Calev and Yehoshua each respond to the Meraglim, and to the people?

4. 14:26-38 : Does God differentiate between Calev and Yehoshua? [Here you should be able to distinguish between two "speeches": 14:20-25 / 26-38. Note the differences in general , and the differences re. Yehoshua and Calev.]

 

As you can see the differences are considerable.

Can you develop a theory that explains the variance between Yehoshua and Calev? What factors contribute to their differing behaviour and the disparity in God's response to them?

 

Further study:

1. See Devarim 1:34-41.

How does the parsha contrast Calev and Yehoshua?

Is this identical or different to Sefer Bamidbar?

 

2. It might be worthwhile viewing the personality of Calev in the Book of Joshua. Interestingly, 40 years hence, Joshua and Calev remain in leadership positions. (One assumes that they are quite literally the "elder" statesmen of the generation – no one alive around their age.)  See the way that Calev acts in Joshua chapter 14:6-15.

Do Calev's actions here shed light on his personality years earlier?

 

Shiur:

 

Imagine the scene. The entire nation has waited for forty days to hear about the land that they are destined to enter, to capture in battle and that they are to make their home. The delegation of Spies is about to make their report. People are nervous, excited, eagerly anticipating the news. This is what they say:

 

'We came to the land to which you sent us, and indeed it flows with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. 28 However, the people that dwell in the land are fierce, and the cities are fortified, and very great; and moreover we saw the children of the Giant there. 29 Amalek dwell in the land of the South; and the Hittite, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite in the mountains; and the Canaanite live by the sea, and along the side of the Jordan.' 30 Calev quietened the people toward Moses, and said: 'We should go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.' (13:27-30)

 

The report aroused a stir amongst the people. Who knows what detail triggered the people to panic? Was it the lengthy description of the enemies of Israel, the inhabitants of Canaan, or possibly the name Amalek, or alternatively the notion of great military fortifications? Whichever way, we understand from the pesukim that as the report was given, a feeling, a shockwave of fear and worry spread through the crowd. Immediately, Calev takes the podium and expresses his confident opinion. We can do it, says Calev. We should set forth immediately. My assessment is that we can overcome the obstacles in our path and succeed.

 

Where is Yehoshua? If Calev and Yehoshua are a pair, unified in their opposition to the "bad" spies, then why does Yehoshua fail to speak up?

 

Later we read:

 

And Joshua the son of Nun and Calev the son of Yeffunneh, who were amongst those that spied the land, tore their clothes. And they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: 'The land, which we explored is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD desires us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it to us--a land flowing with milk and honey. Only rebel not against the LORD, and do not fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us; their defence is removed from over them, and the LORD is with us; fear them not.' (14:6-9)

 

Now Yehoshua and Calev stand united against the crowd. But it is too late:

 

"The congregation wanted to stone them!"

 

Why, initially, when the panic sets in, does Calev respond alone? Where is Yehosha? Why does Yehoshua remain in the shadows to emerge only as the intensity of the crisis gains momentum? Why didn't Yehoshua speak out? Was he still unsure of his opinion? Or was something else on his mind?

 

This is the first of our questions regarding the difference between Calev and Yehoshua.

 

Other questions may be added:

 

1. What is the significance in Yehoshua being singled out amongst the Spies. In 13:16 we read of Moses changing Yehoshua's name in particular[1]. What is the meaning of this act?

 

2. When God pronounces his "sentence" upon the nation and upon the Spies, the pronouncement is made in the form of two separate "speeches." (see 14:20-25 / 26-38.) In the first paragraph, Calev alone is singled out as possessing a "different spirit." In the second speech, both Yehoshua and Calev are contrasted with the other 10 spies. Once again, a differentiation is made between the two personalities. What is at the root of this difference?

 

PRAYERS FOR THE SPIES

 

Let us start with the Gemara in Sota in our search for some answers.

 

"'They went up via the Negev and HE came to Hevron' (13:22)  It should read: 'And THEY came up to Hevron!' Rava taught: This tells us that Calev separated himself from the council of the Spies and went to pray upon the graves of our forefathers. He prayed: My fathers! Seek mercy on my behalf that I be saved from the conspiring plans of the Spies. As for Yehoshua, Moses had already beseeched God on his behalf, as it states: 'Moses named Hoshea bin Nun Yehoshua' (13:6) – May God save you from the evil council of the Spies. This explains the phrase 'And my servant Calev had a different spirit about him.'" (Sota 34b)

 

The gemara here makes a deeply insightful contrast between Calev and Yehoshua[2] that is important to focus upon. Calev "has a different spirit" he has his own will, independence of opinion. It is interesting that Calev, with his strong will and independent mind senses the immense psychological pressure of the group – the council of the Spies – that is affecting his opinions, his orientation. He enters Hevron alone in order to pray at the graves of the forefathers and ask God to grant him strength to retain his own perspective, his independent mind.

 

What about Joshua? How does he gain his fortitude in the fae of the evil spies? Calev receives his inspiration in Hevron. However Joshua is different. It is Moshe who prays for Yehoshua. Moshe is the source of Yehoshua's strength. Or as the Gemara puts it, he bestows God's protective blessing upon him.

 

(Of course, this reading is enigmatic, since if Moshe knew that the Meraglim delegation were predisposed to a bad report, one wonders why he sent them, and why those individuals in particular. However, on the other hand it is specifically at this juncture in the Torah that the text stresses that Joshua's name became Yehoshua and this by virtue of Moshe. What is the meaning of Moshe changing Joshua's name? The Rashbam notes that there are other instances in Tanach in which a master renames a prodigy. For example, Pharaoh renames Joseph as he arises to a position of power. Moses renames Yehoshua this giving him extra prestige and stature.)

 

What I take from this Gemara is an insight into the inner world of these two individuals. Calev is a loner, a man who stands apart, holding his own ideas. Yehoshua is the protιgι of Moses. To that degree he walks the corridors of government, he follows the rules and serves his master loyally.

 

Yehoshua is already familiar to us from Torah. Our first glimpse of him was when Moshe hand-picked him in order to lead the battle against Amalek[3]. Next we see him at Mt. Sinai[4] waiting faithfully at the foot of the mountain, and later, by the Tent of Meeting[5], "His (Moses') assistant, Joshua bin Nun … never left the Tent. More recently, it is Yehoshua who in last week's parsha[6] is concerned for Moses' honour when prophecy is expanded to the seventy elders. Yehoshua is Moses' assistant. He is his loyal servant. Yehoshua is rooted at the centre of Israelite government. He works within the system. He is an "establishment" figure.

 

CALEV ALONE

 

In contrast we have the personality of Calev. First of all, Calev is not being groomed for future leadership; his is a new face in the public arena. Calev, who is beholden to no one, can speak his mind freely. When we read the Gemara regarding  Calev's lone visit to Hevron, Calev is depicted as separating from the group to visit the city. He carves out his own path, independently.

 

But this story reveals more about Calev than his rugged independence. Let us realise at the outset here that Hevron is not just any city. After all (see 13:22) Hevron is the city of the giants, and (see 13:28, 32-3) it is precisely these "men of unusual physical proportions" that most frightened the Spies. If Calev entered Hevron alone, then he was inspired by more than a simple desire for prayer. His act of entering Hevron alone clearly demonstrated his fearlessness, his courage, in the face of the imposing enemy. He was unfazed by the formidable obstacles. Calev is a man who is driven by his divine mission.

 

Maybe we can illustrate this by probing the textual origins of the Midrash brought in the Gemara in Sota. How does Rav in the Gemara know that Calev visited Hevron alone? Yes there is the grammatical form within passuk - They went up via the Negev and HE came to Hebron -  The verb which indicates entry into Hebron is phrased in the singular form. But how did Rav know that Calev in particular, of all the twelve, was the spy who ventured to Hevron? The answer to this is based in a perfect parallel between Devarim and the Book of Yehoshua.

 

In Devarim 1:35 we read:

 

"Not one of these men, this evil generation shall see the good land… none except Calev ben Yeffunneh; he shall see it, and to him and his descendents I will give the land on which he set foot…"

 

Later in Sefer Yehoshua we read the following episode:

 

" The tribe of Judah approached Joshua in Gilgal; and Caleb the son of Yeffunneh the Kenizzite said to him: 'You know what the LORD told Moses …  concerning me …  I was forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land; and I brought him back word as it was in my heart.  Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt; but I wholly followed the LORD my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying: Surely the land upon which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance to you and to your children for ever …. And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He spoke, these forty and five years … I am this day eighty five years old. I am as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; as my strength was then, … Now therefore give me this mountain of which the Lord  spoke that day; for you heard how the Anakim were there … and I shall drive them out …  And Joshua blessed him; and he gave Hebron to Calev the son of yeffunneh as an inheritance. " (Yehoshua 14:6-13)

 

The land that Calev walked upon in particular is Hevron. This is not coincidental. After all, Calev is the representative of the Tribe of Yehuda, and Hevron is the capital city of Yehuda. It is only natural for Calev to want to investigate this prime city during his spying mission. But let us draw out some other details from this passage in Sefer Yehoshua.

 

In this story, Calev is depicted as a driven individual, a man with a mission. He initiates the approach to Yehoshua demanding his territory before any Tribe has made its move. Calev is excited to capture the land. He is bursting with energy. At the age of eighty-five, he feels that he has the same vigour and drive as he did at age forty when he toured the land with the Spies. He has retained all his enthusiasm for forty-five years. Later in the Chapter we see him encouraging his tribe to embrace the enterprise of the conquest of the Land. Calev is certainly an individual who doesn't wait for orders. He takes initiative. He acts independently of the system. Later, in his role as elder statesman of Yehuda, he freely distributes incentives in order to enthuse his Tribes conquest of their inheritance:

 

"Calev announced: I will give my daughter Achsah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiryat Sefer." (Yehoshua 15:16)

 

CALEV'S CONFRONTATION; JOSHUA'S HESITATION.

 

Let us now begin to think about that scene in which the people begin to panic, Calev steps forward, Joshua remains silent. What was happening?

 

Calev was not afraid of confrontation. Calev heard the tone, he sensed the worry that was being sown into the minds of the people, and he immediately reacts, reassuring, encouraging. Calev expresses his conviction that it is all a matter of attitude. After all, Calev who is so eager to conquer the land, is unafraid even of the giants.

We can only imagine that Calev who had spent the last forty days in the company of the spies was fully aware of their mindset. They had all sat around the campfire together discussing the land they explored, and his had been a lone voice of confidence among the despair and disillusionment. Calev was used to disagreeing with his colleagues, his fellow delegates. Now, as they stood before the people of Israel, he hears the assessment of the spies, already familiar to his ears, a report that expressed fear and lack of confidence. He had prepared for this moment. He knew that e had to be outspoken.

 

Why might Yehoshua have stayed quiet?  After all, we know from the story's end that Yehoshua did not share the perspective of the Meraglim. What was he thinking?

 

I think that two possibilities come to mind.

 

MOSES' STUDENT

 

Yehoshua heard the report of the spies but he did not feel that it was his place to respond. Why? Because he was standing before his mentor Moses, the leader of the nation[7]. Yehoshua was sure that Moshe would find a way in which to bring matters under control, to calm the situation.  It was not for him to confront the Meraglim. That was Moshe's job.

 

And then, maybe this explains the moment in which Yehoshua joins Calev in his public opposition to the Meraglim. If we are correct, that Yehoshua was waiting for Moshe to make his move, then at what point should he emerge from his silence?

 

"The whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept all night. All the Israelites rallied against Moshe and Aharon. 'If only we had died in the Land of Egypt … Why is the Lord taking us to that land to fall by the sword?' … And they said to one another; 'Let us head back to Egypt.' Then Moses and Aharon fell on their faces before all the assembled gathering of the Israelites. And Yehoshua bin Nun and Calev ben Yeffunneh … tore their clothes. And they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: 'The land, which we explored is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD desires us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it to us--a land flowing with milk and honey. Only rebel not against the LORD…'" (14:1-8)

 

In other words. Yehoshua steps at the moment that Moshe gives up. Moshe falls on his face in despair, or possibly in prayer. Whichever way, Moshe at this point gives up hope of convincing the rebels. Now that Yehoshua sees his master in a state of helplessness, he takes his turn in directly confronting the people.

 

THE BREAKING POINT

 

"At the very moment in which he strode, proud and upright towards the fortifications of Hevron, his glance forwards, his faith strengthening him … as Calev's eyes burned with the divine fire of The Mission, Joshua read the faces of his co-delegates and saw their moods: "We felt like grasshoppers in their eyes." (13:33)

 

Joshua understood that any individual, however brave or courageous, would not have the power to overwhelm a nation whose leaders were those ten Spies. He had seen the heavy fortifications, the giants of Canaan. Joshua concluded that a nation whose leaders saw themselves as helpless as grasshoppers were simply unable to face the military challenge that they faced. He preferred to remain amongst the ten spies … and not to enter Hevron. Maybe he even debated with the spies and tried to convince them of a different view. But when he failed to convince them, he saw no advantage in breaking off all connection with them. For the same reason, he did not confront or contradict them as they reported back to Bnei Yisrael regarding the strength of the enemy and the fortified cities. His faith in God and his love of the land did not affect his understanding of the lack of confidence, the low spirit of the nation, a mood amongst the rank and file that had been engendered by the leadership. Joshua knew; with that national mindset, even the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud would be unable to push the nation to its goal.

 

Maybe Joshua hoped that time would pass and the people would calm down, that the fear would subside, and everything would resume its proper course. But suddenly, overnight, Joshua changed his mind. He shifted his strategy and moved from his position amongst the people, to the role of opposition, of he who stood alone, against the nation." (Rav Medan. Megadim #10)

 

 

Rav Medan poses the question; what made Yehoshua switch strategy? Why did he begin to confront the people?

 

His answer is simple. The people began to talk about returning to Egypt. What is the significance of a return to Egypt? It is an entire reversal of the grand enterprise of Jewish History. It is renegading upon the promises to Avraham, it is a reversal of the entire process of Yetziat Mitzrayim with its miracles and wonders. Above all, it is a downright rejection of the first Commandment: "I am the Lord your God WHO TOOK YOU OUT OF EGYPT."

 

The Jewish religion is predicated on the nation having a singular history, a distinct destiny. If we were to return to Egypt, the entire process of Jewish History would be finished, gone.

 

In other words, Joshua realised that the Mergalim episode had escalated to more serious levels. Here was an attack on the very essence of our being. This was a moment when one could not stand at the sidelines. One had to take sides. One had to make a statement. And when it comes to this, Joshua knows exactly on whose side he is.

 

Joshua is a realist. He knew that the Spies were dangerous, but he also knew that as a lone figure he could not stand against them and have any effect. Joshua is a politician. He knows when he has lost the battle. He will have to fight for Eretz Yisrael some other way, some other day. But Joshua is also a man of principle, and when the "Ani Maamin" of Judaism is under attack, when our very raison d'etre is in question, then Yehoshua stands against the people, declaring the truth because it is the truth, even if it will have no effect whatsoever. Like many prophets after him, some things need to be said simply because they are God's word. At this point, all that is left to do is to tear ones garments, to mourn the tragedy. But Joshua must look the people in the eye and state loud and clear; you have brought us to disaster. This he does, unflinchingly.

 

IN CONCLUSION

 

We have discussed two very different people, two very different leaders. In the long run, Yehoshua's realism and moderation, his experience and moral integrity make him God's choice for national leadership. And yet, Calev is still there, always acting outside the box, independently, with a sprit of passion and unfiltered idealism.

 

For us, we might learn that there is a place for many personality types within our ranks. The team-players, and the free spirits, the mavericks and the moderates. Every personality has a part to play in leading the Jewish people. But with one condition. That we follow God's plan. That we follow the path that leads to the Holy Land, to the realisation of the enterprise that we call Torah. If we follow the guidance of God's word, then we can use our personalities to lead the Jewish Nation.

 

Shabbat Shalom.

Rav Alex