Haftarah Shelach LeCha

Haftarah Shelach LeCha

Joshua 2:1-24

Jos 2:1 Yehoshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men as spies secretly, saying, Go, view the land, and Yericho. They went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rachav, and lay there.

Jos 2:2  It was told the king of Yericho, saying, Behold, there came men in here tonight of the children of Yisra’el to search out the land.

Jos 2:3  The king of Yericho sent to Rachav, saying, Bring forth the men who are come to you, who have entered into your house; for they have come to search out all the land.

Jos 2:4  The woman took the two men, and hid them; and she said, Yes, the men came to me, but I didn’t know whence they were:

Jos 2:5  and it happened about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out; where the men went I don’t know: pursue after them quickly; for you will overtake them.

Jos 2:6  But she had brought them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.

Jos 2:7  The men pursued after them the way to the Yarden to the fords: and as soon as those who pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.

Jos 2:8  Before they were laid down, she came up to them on the roof;

Jos 2:9  and she said to the men, I know that YHWH has given you the land, and that the fear of you is fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

Jos 2:10  For we have heard how YHWH dried up the water of the Sea of Suf before you, when you came out of Egypt; and what you did to the two kings of the Amori, who were beyond the Yarden, to Sichon and to `Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

Jos 2:11  As soon as we had heard it, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more spirit in any man, because of you: for YHWH your Elohim, he is Elohim in heaven above, and on earth beneath.

Biblical critics often point to the book of Joshua and claim it is an example of genocide and evil on the part of Israel and Elohim.  However, it is clear from this verse that nothing is further from the truth.  The Cana’anites KNEW that Joshua was coming and that Elohim had given them the land.  There were no passports in those days, no visa requirements – all they had to do was pack up and leave, pure and simple.  It’s reasonable to assume that many thousands did just that.  The ones who stayed, however, did so KNOWING that they were going to have to fight Joshua and that Elohim was on his side.  They stayed specifically to defy YHWH Tzeva’ot, the same reason the Arabs refuse to leave Eretz Israel to this day.  Nobody had to die – the ones who refused to emigrate chose their fate.  They could have left free and clear to start a new life elsewhere but chose not to do so – they chose to fight both Joshua and Elohim, in the full knowledge that this was likely to be both stupid and deadly.

Joshua, continued:

Jos 2:12  Now therefore, please swear to me by YHWH, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a true token;

Jos 2:13  and that you will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters, and all that they have, and will deliver our lives from death.

Jos 2:14  The men said to her, Our life for yours, if you don’t utter this our business; and it shall be, when YHWH gives us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.

Jos 2:15  Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was on the side of the wall, and she lived on the wall.

Jos 2:16  She said to them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers light on you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may you go your way.

Jos 2:17  The men said to her, We will be guiltless of this your oath which you have made us to swear.

Jos 2:18  Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which you did let us down by: and you shall gather to you into the house your father, and your mother, and your brothers, and all your father’s household.

There is an interesting contrast here – the blue thread of the tzitziyot in the Torah Portion and the scarlet thread here in the Haftarah.  In Hebraic thought, nothing is just “symbolic.”  Symbolic items and symbolic acts here on earth have power and effectiveness on the Heavenly planes.

Joshua, continued:

Jos 2:19  It shall be, that whoever shall go out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his head, and we shall be guiltless: and whoever shall be with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be on him.

Jos 2:20  But if you utter this our business, then we shall be guiltless of your oath which you have made us to swear.

Jos 2:21  She said, According to your words, so be it. She sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.

She knew it would likely be days if not weeks before they returned with Joshua’s army, yet she rushed to fulfill her obligation immediately.  If only modern people had such faith!

Joshua, continued:

Jos 2:22  They went, and came to the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but didn’t find them.

Jos 2:23  Then the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Yehoshua the son of Nun; and they told him all that had happened to them.

Jos 2:24  They said to Yehoshua, Truly YHWH has delivered into our hands all the land; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land do melt away before us.

Next:  Talmidim Shelach LeCha.