Yehoshua 17:14-18 יהושע י״ז:י״ד-י״ח

וידברו בני יוסף. שבט מנשה:

And the descendants of Yoseif spoke. Referring specifically to the descendants of Menashe.⁶According to Rashi even though the tribe of Ephraim was part of the “descendants of Yoseif”, they did not join the tribe of Menashe in their complaint. The reason being, as Rashi later explains, was that while the tribe of Menashe had experienced a sharp increase of their population, the tribe of Ephraim experienced a decrease in its population, and were therefore quite satisfied with their portion of inheritance. This is based on the opinion that the size of the individual tribe’s inheritance was determined by their number at the time they left Egypt. During the years in the desert Menashe grew faster than any other tribe. When they left Egypt their number was 32,200 and when they entered Eretz Yisroel it was 52,700, an increase of 20,500. They were given land for 32,200 portions but they had to divide it among all 52,700 members of their tribe, and this was the basis of their complaint.

עד אשר עד כה ברכני ה'. עד אשר ראית שנתרבה מנינו ממנין ראשון למנין שני עשרים אלף וחמש מאות כמנין 'כה' בגימטריא, במנין ראשון אתה מוצא במנשה בספר במדבר (א לד): שנים ושלשים אלף ומאתים, ובפנחס (שם כו לד): שנים וחמשים אלף ושבע מאות. דבר אחר: עד אשר עד כה, ברכה נאמרה לאברהם (בראשית טו ה): כה יהיה זרעך, נתקיימה בי. ולפי פשוטו, עד אשר עד כה, עד אשר כך, כאשר אתה רואה:

For until now so much has Adonoy blessed me. For you have seen that my population has increased from the first counting to the second counting by twenty thousand, five hundred, which is the numerical equivilent of כּה (25). In the first counting you found the number of Menashe, stated in Seifer Bamidbar,⁷Parshas Bamidbar 1:35. to be thirty two thousand, two hundred, and in Parshes Pinchos⁸ Bamidbar 26:34. their number was fifty two thousand, seven hundred. Another explanation is: until now, until כּה referring to the blessing that was said to Avrohom, “So (כּה) shall be your seed.”⁹Bereishis 15:5. This blessing has been fulfilled in my tribe. And according to its plain meaning, until now-as I am now— until I am the multitude you see now.

אם עם רב אתה. יש בך כח לכרות יערות ולפנותה כעין שקורין אישרטי"ר בלע"ז, ושם תבנה ערים:

If you are indeed such a multitude of people— then you have the strength to cut down forests and to clear them, as expressed in old French, essarter, and there you will be able to build cities.¹⁰Yehoshua obviously could not change the portion that had been alloted to them in accordance with the method with which the Ribono Shel Olam had commanded him to distribute the land. He therefore suggested that they clear the forest in the mountains, which would give them sufficient land to settle their families and to build cities for them. This land was unclaimed and could be theirs after clearing it and settling there.

ובראת. לשון כריתה, כמו (יחזקאל כג מז): וברא אתהן בחרבותם, אישרטרא"ש בלע"ז:

And cut out— This is an expression of cutting, as stated, “And they will cut them down with their swords,”¹¹Yechezkeil 23:47. essarteras-in Old French,

אץ. דחוק:

Crowded—dense [or stress].

לא ימצא לנו ההר. כי אץ הוא לנו כאשר אמרת:

The mountain will not be sufficient for us. For it is too crowded for us as you [just] said.

לא ימצא. לא יספיק:

It will not be sufficient. It will not be enough.

ורכב ברזל. ומה שאתה אומר לעלות היערה ולכבוש בארץ הפרזי והרפאים, עם חזק הוא אותו כנעני ורכב ברזל לו, ואל תתמה אם קראו לפרזי ורפאים, כנעני, כי כולם בני כנען היו:

Iron chariots. ‘And that what you say, go up to the forest and conquer the land of the Perezzites and the Rephaim [is not so simple] because the Canaanites are a mighty people, and they possess iron chariots.’ Do not wonder if Scripture refers to the Perezzites and Rephaim as Canaanites for they were all descendants of the original Canaan.¹²The original Canaan was the grandson of Noach, who was cursed by Noach. See Bereishis 9:25.

כי הר יהיה לך. אותו שאמרתי לך עלה לך היערה:

For the mountain will be yours. The mountain of which I said to you “Go up to the forest.”

כי יער הוא ובראתו. כי יער הוא ואינו ראוי אלא לעם רב ויבראוהו ויפנוהו:

For it is a forest and you will cut it down. For it is a forest and it is only fitting for a multitude of people, that will cut it down and clear it.

ובראתו. אתה שאתה עם רב:

And you will cut it down. You who are a multitude of people.

והיה לך תוצאותיו כי תוריש את הכנעני. על ידי שאתה עם רב:

And as far as it extends will be yours. For you will drive out the Canaanites. Because you are a multitude of people.

כי רכב ברזל לו. ואין אחד משאר השבטים כדאי להלחם בו:

Even though they possess iron chariots. None of the other tribes have sufficient man power to fight them.

כי חזק הוא. ואתה יש בך היכולת ותורישנו ורבותינו פירשו (בבא בתרא קיח א): עלה לך היערה, החביאו עצמכם ביערות שלא תשלוט בכם עין הרע:

Even though they are stong. You have the ability and will drive them out. Our Rabbis explained [the meaning of] ‘Go up to the forest— Hide yourselves in the forest and the “evil eye” will have no power over you.’¹³ Yehoshua implied that the forest would protect them against the “evil eye.” Because they were so numerous and multiplied so rapidly, they would invoke jealousy from their neighbors. It was therefore to their advantage to live in a forest area where they would not be so visible. If they would live in the cities of the plains, everyone would see how numerous they were, but in the forest they would not be as visible.