[Par-navi] Yehoshua - chapter 18

[Menachem Leibtag]

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     THE TANACH STUDY CENTER [http://www.tanach.org]
          In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag
     Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem Leibtag
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             Yehoshua - chapter 18
                               
               "Nachalat Binyamin"

     In our previous shiur, we discussed the first half of
chapter 18, where Yehoshua transfers the Mishkan from the
Gilgal to Shilo - in the hope that this move would encourage
the seven remaining tribes to make a serious effort to
complete the inheritance of their respective portions (see
18:1-9).
  In the following shiur, we return to the second half of
chapter 18 - in an attempt to understand why Sefer Yehoshua
provides such minute detail in its description of the borders
destined for the tribe of Binyamin.

INTRODUCTION
     The "nachala" section of Sefer Yehoshua - i.e. chapters
13 thru 21 - neatly divides into three sections:
  
  A) Chapters 13-17 - The five tribes with initiative:
    A detailed discussion  of how the tribes of Reuven, Gad,
    Yehuda, Ephraim and Menashe made a rather serious effort
    to settle their assigned inheritance.
    
  B) Chapters 18-19: The remaining seven tribes
    How Yehousha gathers the nation in Shilo - to encourage
    the tribes of Binyamin,Yisachar, Zevulun, Naftali, Asher,
    Dan and Shimon to take a more serious effort in settling
    their assigned portions.

  C) Chapters 20-21 - The cities of the Levites

     In our study of chapters 18-19, we noted how Sefer
Yehoshua pays much less attention to the 'seven tribes' in
Section B, as they took very little initiative - in contrast
to the lengthy detail in Section A of the conquests and
settlement of the five tribes (who took an initiative).
However, the tribe of Binyamin appears to be an exception, as
its borders are described in extraordinary detail in the
second half of chapter 18.  In the following shiur, we attempt
to understand why.

A GEOGRAPHIC 'SHOULDER'
     When we read the detailed border of Binyamin in chapter
18, it is hard not to notice a several very conspicuous
phrases, each beginning with word "katef" [lit. a 'shoulder'
in Hebrew].  Take for example:
     KETEF YERICHO (in 18:12)
     KETEF LUZAH (in 18:13)
     KETEF HA'YVUSI (in 18:16)
     KETEF MUL HA'ARAVA (in 18:18), and
     KETEF BEIT CHOGLA (in 18:19)

     Technically speaking, the word "katef" in this context
refers to a steep cliff at the beginning of a mountain range
(like a 'shoulder' of that mountain range).  For example,
"ketef Yericho" refers to the steep drop from the mountain
range in the Judean desert just to the west of Yericho.  For
those of you familiar with the drive through the Jordan
Vallley near Jericho, you most probably have seen this.  You
have also seen it if you have visited the yishuv of Mitzpeh
Yericho, situated above that cliff.
  Similarly, the phrase "ketef Yevusi" refers to the southern
ridge of today's Mount Zion, just outside the walls of
Jerusalem's Old City.  This "katef" is easily discernable when
viewed from the neighborhood of Abu-Tor, or from near the
Ariel Hotel - where Derech Hevron meets the train station.
     However, this sort of phrase is unique to the tribe of
Binyamin, as no other tribe's borders are described in this
manner, with the single exception of the border of Yehuda
(15:8-10).  But there also, it is only used in relation to the
border between Yehuda and BINYAMIM!
  
"YEDID HASHEM"
  The reason for Sefer Yehoshua's special use of this word
"katef" in this border most probably relates directly back to
the blessing that the tribe of Binyamin received from Moshe
Rabeinu in Parshat v'Zot ha'bracha.
  Let's review that blessing, noting how (and why) it includes
the word "katef":
  "And to Binyamin [Moshe] said:
          Y'did Hashem
       - Beloved of the Lord
          yishkon lavetach alav
        - The SHECHINA shall dwell above him
          chofef alav kol ha'yom
       -  Ever does He protect him
          u'vein kteifav shacheyn
       - and he will rest between His shoulders."
                                       (see Devarim 33:12)
  
  Clearly, this blessing indicated that God's Presence was
destined to dwell somewhere within the borders of Binyamin,
and hence the Rabbi's conclude that the Bet Ha'Mikdash was
destined to be built in Binyamin's portion.
  However, at point in Jewish history, i.e. when the conquest
was only partially complete and it was not yet time to build
the permanent Temple, Sefer Yehoshua would like to allude to
the hope that the prophecy of Moshe will soon be fulfilled,
and the Bet-ha'Mikdash will soon be built somewhere within the
portion of Binyamin.  To express this hope, it uses the word
"katef" in its description of the border of Binyamin.
  This takes on additional significance, considering the fact
that Yehoshua had just moved the Mishkan to Shilo, located in
the portion of Efraim.  As we explained in our previous shiur,
the time was not yet ripe for the establishment of a permanent
Mikdash, as the process of "kibush and nachala" was still far
from complete (see Yehoshua 13:1-3, Devarim 12:5-12 and the
TSC shiur on Parshat Re'eh).
  Furthermore, it was not practical to move the Mishkan to the
portion of Binyamin at this time, as the conquest of their
"nachala" was far from complete.  Recall that many areas
within the proposed borders of Binyamin itself were still
under Canaanite (and Jebusite) rule.
  [See Shoftim 1:21, regarding the fact that Yerushalayim had
  not yet been captured, and that Yerushalayim itself was only
  captured several hundred years later during the time of King
  David, as detailed in Shmuel II 5:1-12.]
  
     Even though Yehoshua was not able to build the permanent
Mikdash in the portion of Binyamin, opting instead to
establish a temporary Mishkan in Shiloh; Sefer Yehoshua
alludes to this ultimate aspiration by describing the borders
of Binyamin (see 18:10-28), immediately after it describes how
the Mishkan was established 'temporarily' in Shiloh (see
18:1).
  [Note also the mention of Yerushalayim itself in last line
  of that border's description in 18:28!]

JUST LIKE THE DESERT
     We will now show how the special status of this tribe is
also reflected in the geographic location of Binyamin's
"nachala" among the other tribes.
     Recall from the opening section of Sefer Bamidbar
(Chapter 2) how God commanded Bnei Yisrael to organize their
camp in such a manner that the Mishkan would be located at its
center.  This served as a constant sign to the people that God
dwells within their midst.  Now, in Sefer Yehoshua, when the
shvatim received their "nachalot" (Chapters 13-19), we
amazingly find a very similar configuration!

    The following table illustrates this comparison:

     IN THE DESERT            IN ERETZ YISRAEL
     =============            ================
  
           Dan                    Efraim
            |                       |
Efraim-[Mishkan]-Yehuda    Dan-[Binyamin]-Reuven
            | 			      |
         Reuven                   Yehuda
         

     In both cases, the site representing the SHECHINA (which
in the desert was the "Camp of the Mishkan", and in Eretz
Yisrael was to be Nachalat Binyamin) is surrounded by the same
four "leadership" shvatim!  (The directions have simply
rotated 90 degrees, and inverted.  See TSC Shiur on Parshat
V'zot HaBracha.)
     This explains why Chazal refer to the nachala of Binyamin
as "nachalat shechina".

A PEACEFUL LOCATION
     In conclusion, it is also worth noting the special phrase
that Sefer Yehoshua employs to introduce the general location
of shevet Binyamin:
  "And the lot of Binyamin...the borders of their inheritance
  are located BETWEEN the tribe of YEHUDA and the tribes of
  YOSEF." (Yehoshua 18:11)

  Note the emphasis on Binyamin's location between YEHUDA and
YOSEF (not just Efraim).  Recall as well from Sefer Bereishit
that YEHUDA and YOSEF emerged as leaders among the brothers,
and how in Parshat Va'yigash YOSEF finally reunited with his
brothers when YEHUDA approached him regarding BINYAMIN!!
      Unfortunately, too often in Jewish history, the
'personalities' of YOSEF and YEHUDA remain in conflict.
(Take, for example, the "pilug ha'mamalacha" - the split among
the tribes during the time of Yerovam ben Nevat - between
Yehuda and theTen tribes - led by B'nei Yosef.)
     However, when Yosef and Yehuda do finally unite, it
becomes thematically significant that the Bet Ha'Mikdash can
then be established within the borders of "nachalat Binyamin",
bridging the way between the tribe of Yehuda and the tribe of
Yosef.
     As the navi Yechezkel later invisions in regard to the
final redemption:
  "Behold, I will take the stick of Yoseph, which is in the
  hand of Efraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions; and
  I will put them unto him together with the stick of Yehudah,
  and make them one stick, and they shall be one in My hand...
    thus I will take the children of Israel from among the
  nations ... and will gather them on every side, and bring
  them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in
  the land... and one king shall be king to them all; and they
  shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided
  into two kingdoms any more at all"
                              (see Yechezkel 37:15-22)

     In our next shiur, we'll complete our study of the
"nachala" section with a discussion of the importance of the
'scattering' of the tribe of Levi among the other tribes.