Yehoshua 18:1-10 יהושע י״ח:א׳-י׳

וישכינו שם את אהל מועד. שעשו במדבר, ולא היה שם תקרה, אלא בית של אבנים מלמטן ויריעות מלמעלן, כך שנינו בשחיטת קדשים (זבחים נד ב):

And there they made a dwelling place for the Tent of Meeting. [This refers to the Tent of Meeting] that they had constructed in the wilderness.¹Since Scripture does not identify the Tent of Meeting, Rashi explains that it is the same one they had constructed in the wilderness. It did not have a roof, but it was a stone structure on the bottom and was covered with curtains above.²Zevachim 24b. During the fourteen years since they entered Eretz Yisroel, the Mishkan remained at Gilgal. They had been too occupied with conquering and dividing the land to establish a permanent dwelling place for the Tent of Meeting. Once they began settling in the land, they established a House of God. The walls of the House were made of stone, and instead of a roof it was covered with curtains of cloth and skins, as it had been when it was constructed in the wilderness. This we learned in Maseches Zevachim.

והארץ נכבשה לפניהם. משנקבע המשכן, היתה הארץ נוחה ליכבש לפניהם:

And the land had been conquered before them. Once the Mishkon was established, it became easier for them to conquer the land.³The land had actually not been conquered at that point in time, but even though the conquest had not been completed, they had faith that in the merit of the Mishkan, they would be blessed with continued victory in the remaining battles of conquest.

שבעה שבטים. שכבר קבלו נחלתן ראובן וגד וחצי שבט מנשה, בימי משה בעבר הירדן, ובארץ כנען כבר נפל גורל ליהודה ולאפרים ולחצי שבט מנשה, הרי חמשה שבטים:

Seven tribes. [For the following tribes] had already received their portions: Reuvein, Gad, and the half tribe of Menashe had received their inheritance in the days of Moshe on the other side of the Jordan. In the land of Canaan itself, the lot had already fallen for Yehudah, Ephraim and the half tribe of Menashe. These five tribes were provided for.

מתרפים. מתרשלין:

Timid—weak.

לשבט. לכל שבט מן השבעה:

For each tribe. For each of the remaining seven tribes.

לפי נחלתם. לשבעה חלקים, ולא בשוה אלא לפי השבטים הראויין לחלקם, לרב לפי רובו ולמעט לפי מיעוטו, כמה שנאמר (במדבר כו נד): לרב תרבה נחלתו ולמעט תמעיט נחלתו וגו':

According to their inheritance. Into seven parts but not equal ones, but according to the tribes appropriate portions— to the large tribe according to its largeness, and to the small tribe according to its smallness, as it is said, ‘To the large [tribe], increase their inheritance.’⁴Bamidbar 26:54.

והתחלקו אתה לשבעה חלקים. אותה שנכבשה כבר והעתידה ליכבש:

And they will divide it into seven parts. Including that which was already conquered and that which was destined to be conquered.

יהודה יעמד על גבולו מנגב. ארץ ישראל ששם נפל לו גורל כל המצר הדרומי:

Yehudah will remain at his boundary in the south— of Eretz Yisroel, for there fell to his lot the entire southern boundary.

ובית יוסף וגו' מצפון. צפוני למה שנכבש כבר, ועוד יש הרבה לכבוש צד המצר מבעל גד עד לבא חמת, שהוא אצל הר ההר במצר צפוני, והשבע שבטים יחלקו אותה שבין יהודה ליוסף, ואותה העומדת ליכבש:

And the house of Yoseif—in the north. The north of the land already conquered. There is however much more to be conquered: the side of the boundary from Baal-gad to Levo-chamos which is near Hor hoHor in the northern boundary. The seven tribes will divide [the land] between Yehudah and Yoseif, and [the land] which remains to be conquered.

ויריתי. והשלכתי, כמו (שמות טו ד): ירה בים:

I will cast.—I will throw, similar to, ‘He threw into the sea.’⁵Shemos 15:4.