Holy Stones

Yehoshua Perek 4

The fourth perek of Sefer Yehoshua was a bit difficult for me to understand. I have learned and reviewed it a number of times, so I'll explain it as I've come to understand it, although not necessarily in the order of the pesukim.

After the entire nation had completed crossing the Yarden, the men of the tribes of Reuven, Gad, and Menashe crossed over -- armed, alongside the rest of Bnei Yisrael. Approximately forty thousand warriors went across to the plains of Yericho for battle, as Hashem commanded.

What comes next? 

Hashem instructs Yehoshua to select twelve individuals, one from each shevet. These were prominent members of each shevet. They were the same men Yehoshua had previously selected, as described in the previous perek. Rashi and Radak¹ note they were designated to remain in the Yarden with Yehoshua and not accompany the rest of the people. Conversely, Abarbanel understands that these twelve men crossed over and then returned to the middle of the Yarden.

What does Hashem instruct Yehoshua to communicate to them?

He directs: "Take twelve stones from where the Kohanim who are carrying the Aronare standing in the Yarden, carry them to the Eretz Yisroel, and place them where you lodge tonight."

How did this unfold? 

Abarbanel explains that the Kohanim lifted their feet, and the stones beneath were taken. Other meforshim understand that the stones were taken from around where the Kohanim stood. The Kli Yakar reconciles these opinions, suggesting both happened. As we'll see, two sets of stones were collected from the Yarden. Yehoshua took twelve stones from beneath the Kohanim, and the twelve men took stones from around them.

Yehoshua summoned these twelve men, instructing them to approach the Aron, in the middle of the Yarden, and each lift a stone onto his shoulder.

Yehoshua further elaborated on the significance of collecting the stones. He stated, “This shall act as a symbol (אות) among you: in the future, when your children inquire, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ You shall explain, ‘The waters of the Yarden ceased due to the Aron's kedusha;’ Furthermore, these stones will serve as a perpetual memorial (זכרון) for the Bnei Yisrael”

Why are both the symbol and the memorial necessary? 

The Malbim clarifies that these served dual purposes. The אות, or symbol, was meant for the children of that generation to understand, while the זכרון, or memorial, was established for all future generations to remember the miracle.

Rav Avraham Remmer² explains in a deeper understanding, that the memorial of crossing the Yarden symbolizes the nation-building process initiated upon their crossing. He elaborates, "If splitting the Yam Suf required altering nature to not interfere with the redemption process, the crossing of the Yarden elevated nature, making it a testament to Israel's redemption. King David aptly captured this in Tehillim: 'When Israel left Egypt... The sea (Yam Suf) saw and fled, Yarden turned back...' The sea fled in fear, while the Yarden simply retreated. Although there was still a need to disrupt nature's course upon entering the land, this miracle harmonized with the universal process.”

Regarding Yehoshua's crossing of the Yarden, Radak explains that Yehoshua was the final person to cross. He instructed the men to accompany him but to precede him. This strategy assured them that the waters would remain parted, as Yehoshua still needed to cross. This detail intrigued me, as I had always presumed Yehoshua was the first to step foot into Eretz Yisrael. Yehoshua prioritized ensuring everyone's safety before his own crossing. This exemplifies a leadership principle echoed in many military organizations, known as "leaders eat last". This concept is observed when high-ranking officers wait to serve themselves at meals, ensuring that their subordinates are fed and cared for first.

So what happened next?

The twelve men fulfilled Yehoshua's command. They gathered twelve stones corresponding to the number of the shevatim from the Yarden, as Hashem had instructed Yehoshua, and carried them to their overnight encampment, placing them there. The Gemara³ informs us that each stone weighed around 40 se'ah, which is approximately 732 pounds.

The Navi then tells us that Yehoshua also set up twelve stones in the center of the Yarden at the place where the feet of the Kohanim carrying the Aron stood, and remain there to this day.

Rav Moshe of Frankfurt⁴ explains that these stones, placed by Yehoshua in the Yarden, have always been hidden by the water. The intention behind Yehoshua's action was to create a reminder for the time of the final Geula, when we would cross the Yarden again, see these stones, and be reminded of the original miracle. These stones have remained there to this day. ⁵

We see that now there are 3 sets of twelve stones. The original  set are those on which Moshe wrote the Torah in Moav. The second set were the ones that Yehoshua placed in Gilgal and the third set are what is mentioned above, which are now in the middle of the Yarden. 

The Maharsha⁶ explains that these three sets of twelve stones are symbolic of three core principles of the Torah:

1. Moshe’s set represent the Torah's origin from Shamayim as Moshe received the Torah

2. Yehoshua’s Yarden set remind us of the continual recreation of the world by Hashem, who steers its course, via the miracle of creation

3. The set in Gilgal show us the concept of reward and punishment as they were part of the Mizbeach on Har Eival.

The Gemara teaches that while still in the Yarden, Yehoshua conveyed to the people their mission upon entering Eretz Yisrael: to conquer it and transform it into Hashem's dwelling. This involved eradicating idol worship and dedicating the land solely to the Shechina. The directive extended beyond merely building a Beis Hamikdash; it was about conquering the land itself, elevating the natural world. Many mitzvos related to Eretz Yisrael involve nature, signifying the lifting of the land's inherent nature to a state of holiness. This elevation is an expression of Hashgacha Pratis and the continual renewal of the world by Hashem, manifested through nature.

Bnei Yisrael agreed with Yehoshua's vision, in essence reaffirming their commitment to the Torah and to mutual responsibility. At this juncture, they were unified, becoming intertwined with one another as a single entity. It is significant that this marks the first instance in which the Jewish people are described as a גוי (nation). By crossing the Yarden, they achieved such a level of unity that they emerged as one collective body. With this newfound unity, they were poised to enter and settle in Eretz Yisrael.

The Baal HaTanya teaches⁷ that the Meraglim in the times of Moshe believed that the agricultural responsibilities in Eretz Yisrael would detract from the nation's focus on the Torah. They thought it would be preferable to remain in the Midbar . We learn, however, that this perspective was not just in defiance of Hashem's will, but that Hashem Himself ensured the people encountered the land even before receiving the Torah. In that fleeting moment, as the Yarden resumed its flow, "the Aron and the Kohanim were on one side, and Bnei Yisrael on the other, with the Yarden flowing between them"⁸, symbolizing a divine statement about the significance of settling in the land. This was not just for the sake of fulfilling the Torah's commandments, but as a fundamental objective in its own right.

Rav Remmer writes further on the relationship between Bnei Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael:

After forty years of wandering through the desert, a barren landscape that dominated their existence, the people of Israel were met by the land of Israel in all its natural splendor. They entered the land on the tenth of Nissan,⁹ the season when spring emerges in its full vibrancy and the Yarden's currents are most robust. This detail is specifically mentioned in the pasuk: "And the Yarden overflows all its banks all the time of harvest".¹⁰ The intention is not merely to amplify the miracle but to capture the land's natural and abundant welcome.

With our entry into the land, we learned to recognize the miraculous within the natural. After they traversed the Yarden and the waters resumed their steady flow, the pasuk notes: "And the waters of the Yarden returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before".¹¹ The cessation of the river's flow was a transient, purposeful phenomenon, allowing the nation to reach its promised land. Once that purpose was fulfilled, the extraordinary made way for the ordinary. Having witnessed the miracle and its reversal—a second miracle returning nature to its regular state—we came to appreciate nature's significance, not as a mundane occurrence but as a manifestation of the miraculous.

The return of the Yarden to its generous flow, enriching the land, taught the people to regard the natural world with reverence, guarding against the dullness of routine perception.

The heap of stones erected at Gilgal serves as a reminder of the overt miracle, while the heap within the Yarden, placed by Yehoshua, was intended to instill in us that there is an inner source to all our practical strength.

 Hashem's command to raise the heap on the riverbank was to commemorate the miracle that facilitated their creation, the splitting of the Yarden. In contrast, Yehoshua's command to erect the heap within the Yarden aimed to anchor the covert source within the collective consciousness. This teaches that the invisible, internal foundation precedes visible creation. It is from the strength of the unseen that practical endeavors derive their force and meaning.

The Navi continues: 

The Kohanim who were carrying the Aron remained standing in the center of the Yarden until all the instructions that Hashem had commanded Yehoshua to convey to the people had been carried out. Thus, the people speedily crossed over, fulfilling Moshe's assurance to Yehoshua.

When all the people finished crossing, the Aron of Hashem and the Kohanim proceeded to the forefront of the people. The Gemara offers further insight into these events. After the crossing of the Yarden was complete, with the Kohanim still on the eastern bank, the waters began to flow once more. The Malbim indicates that the water's return was gradual, preventing a flood along the riverbanks. At this juncture, the miraculous nature of the Aron became evident to all. It levitated, carrying the Kohanim above the water, and in this extraordinary manner, they entered the Holy Land on the western bank of the Yarden.¹²

Rav Remmer, as is his style, digs deeper into this story, addressing the curiosity raised by Radak.¹³ Radak questioned the necessity of this miracle, suggesting that the pesukim could be understood without requiring such a miraculous event. If indeed there was such a miracle, Radak asks, why is it not mentioned in the Pasuk? After all, it was not a hidden miracle.

While it might be challenging to fully address Radak's question, Rav Remmer encourages reflection on this Gemara in the context of our contemporary return to our land. Drawing inspiration from Rav Kook¹⁴, he powerfully articulates:

Throughout the lengthy years of our diaspora, amidst the wilderness of nations, eminent Torah scholars led the way for the people of Israel. In the twilight of our most recent exile, it wasn't the Yarden's waters that flowed, but the rivers of blood and fire of Auschwitz, Treblinka, Majdanek, and Sobibor. Europe transformed into a massive, fiery obstacle for us to cross.

Mirroring how the Kohanim carrying the Aron paused at the brink of the Yarden, allowing the rest of the people to precede them into the land, the Torah sages, who shepherded us through the diaspora's wilderness, let the people lead in rejuvenating our desolate homeland. 

These people acted based on their understanding, at times even distancing themselves from the Torah. In the initial stages of the return to the land, it was possible to think that in the land, one could suffice with the natural flow, while the Torah would remain in exile. And now, years later, without explicit verses and without publicity, we return and find the Torah within us, and the Torah returns to its learners, God willing. 

Everywhere, we witness the resurgence of yeshivot and Torah scholars, steering the nation towards its ultimate purpose: לתקן עולם במלכות ש-די

At first glance, as Radak posited, this miracle might not have seemed necessary at the time, but it perhaps served to shed light on the redemption process for future generations. It remains our responsibility to discern why "it needs to be this way" and why "it is fitting to be this way."

So what happened to the stones that the people took?

Later, in Perek 8, Pesukim 30-35, we encounter additional significant insights about the stones. Rashi notes that Yehoshua constructed a Mizbeach for Hashem on Har Eival at this time. There, they offered Korbanos Olos and Shelamim as a celebration of the Bris Mila of Bnei Yisrael, which, as detailed in Perek 5, occurred after their crossing of the Yarden. This was a mizbeach of smooth stones which were never touched by iron, and Rashi mentions that these were the very stones taken out of the Yarden.

Chazal teach us that iron, which is associated with tools of war and destruction, is antithetical to the life-affirming purpose of the Mizbeach, which is meant to extend a person's life through atonement.¹⁵

After they brought the Korbanos, they cleaned it from any blood and Yehoshua inscribed the Mishnah Torah onto these stones. 

What does the ‘Mishnah Torah’ refer to?

There are a plethora of different ideas as to what ‘Mishnah Torah’ encompasses: 

Ramban suggests it was all five books of the Torah; Metzudas Dovid argues it was Sefer Devarim; Abarbanel believes it was the Ten Commandments; while Saadya Gaon asserts it was the mitzvos. The Gemara¹⁶ states that the Torah was inscribed in seventy languages upon these stones.

When were these stones inscribed?

Abarbanel likens the inscribing of the Torah on these stones to a mezuzah at the entrance of the land, meaning they were inscribed at Har Eival.  However, Malbim¹⁷ contends that the stones were inscribed in the Yarden itself, which raises the question of how they could be engraved without using iron, as the stones for the Mizbeach were not to be hewn with iron.

The Navi continues:

All of Bnei Yisrael—converts and natives alike—along with their elders, officials, and judges, stood on either side of the Aron, facing the Kohanim carrying the Aron. Half of them faced Har Gerizim and half faced Har Eival, as Moshe had previously directed to bless the people. Yehoshua read all the words of the Torah, the blessings, and the curses, just as they were written.

Rav Reuven Sasson in his sefer Ya’alat Chen¹⁸ offers an explanation for Yehoshua's choice to erect his Mizbeach on Har Eival and not proceed directly to Yerushalayim. He suggests it's because Mashiach ben Yosef must precede Mashiach ben Dovid. Yehoshua, who descended from Yosef buried near Shechem, which is close to Har Eival, erected the Mizbeach in Yosef's region. This act symbolizes the Midah of Yesod, which must come before Malchus.

The Navi continues:

On the tenth day of Nissan, the people emerged from the Yarden and encamped at Gilgal, located on the eastern edge of Jericho. It was there that Yehoshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Yarden.

Notably, these twelve stones were borne on the shoulders of the men throughout their journey on that eventful day. This included the brief pauses when the stones served as a Mizbeach and during the subsequent engraving. From their entry point into the land to Har Grizim was a trek of 60 biblical miles, and they then carried the stones back to Gilgal. According to Google Maps, the distance to Har Gerizim is roughly 80 kilometers, and then there’s the journey back to Gilgal. 

The Gemara¹⁹ attributes to them the miracle of Kefitzat HaDerech, a miraculous contraction of the earth which allowed them to cover this vast distance swiftly.

Where exactly is Gilgal?

My brother-in-law, R’ Nesanel Eisenman, a  sought after tour guide, shared with me that Gilgal does not refer to a fixed location but rather to the encampment site. Hence, there is considerable debate about the precise location of Bnei Yisrael's encampment and this particular Gilgal.

The Ralbag²⁰ maintains that the stones were placed at a site that served a role similar to the Beis Hamikdash. The Aron and the Mishkan resided in Gilgal for 14 years. The Mishbetzot Zahav, citing various Gemaras, argues that the Mishkan was not actually in Gilgal. Instead, it was a Bama, a high place where korbanos were brought and where the nation convened.

The perek concludes with Yehoshua imparting a message to Bnei Yisrael, preparing them for future generations' inquiries. He said, “When your children ask their parents in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ you shall let your children know, ‘Israel crossed over the Yarden on dry ground.’ For Hashem your God dried up the waters of the Yarden before you until you had crossed over, just as Hashem your God did to the Yam Suf, which He dried up before us until we had crossed. That all the peoples of the earth might know the hand of Hashem, that it is mighty, that you may fear Hashem your God forever.”

The crossing of the Yarden stands as a testament to the continued presence and guidance of Hashem in our lives. It serves as a reminder of the power and purpose that propelled Bnei Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael. As we reflect on this story, we recognize that we too are tasked with building upon the foundations laid by our ancestors. It is not merely the physical land that defines Eretz Yisrael but the confluence of Am Yisrael, the Torah, and the aspiration to create a dwelling place for the Shechinah. We carry the legacy of transforming the land into a spiritual home, a place where Hashra’as HaShechina is not just a historical memory but a living, breathing aspect of daily life. 

1. Yehoshua 3:12

2. Ma’avor Ha’Aretz

3. Sotah 34a, 36a. See Rashi who suggests that they weighed 120 sa’ah each.

4. Mincha Ketana

5. The Zohar (1:247b) suggests that these same twelve stones served as a fortification for Yaakov Avinu. However, this interpretation is not widely accepted regarding the fate of Yaakov's stones. The Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni 1:120) states that Hashem positioned the stone in the depths of the earth, naming it the Even Hashtiya, upon which the Aron rested in the Kodesh HaKodashim in Yerushalayim. The Mishbetzos Zahav suggests that the Zohar might actually be referring to the twelve stones that Eliyahu Hanavi used to construct a  Mizbeach on Mount Carmel.

6. Sota 36

7. Likkutei Torah, Parshat Shelach

8. Sotah 35a

9. Yehoshua 4:19

10. Yehoshua 3:15

11. Yehoshua 4:18

12. Sotah 35, Ben Yehoyada

13. Yehoshua 4:11

14. אורות, ישראל ותחיתו ב

15. Tosefta, Bava Kama 7:3 | Avel Rabasi 8 | Yalkut Shimoni Yehoshua 18

16. Sotah 36

17. Ki Savo

18. Chaye Sara, p. 510

19. Sota 36a

20. Yehoshua 4:20