Tanach
Yehoshua 24:27-28 יהושע כ״ד:כ״ז-כ״ח
Part of: Chapter 24
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל־כׇּל־הָעָם הִנֵּה הָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת תִּֽהְיֶה־בָּנוּ לְעֵדָה כִּי־הִיא שָֽׁמְעָה אֵת כׇּל־אִמְרֵי יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר עִמָּנוּ וְהָיְתָה בָכֶם לְעֵדָה פֶּֽן־תְּכַחֲשׁוּן בֵּאלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃
And Yehoshua said to all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us; for it has heard all the words of the Lord which he spoke to us: it shall be therefore a witness to you, lest you deny your God.
And Yehoshua said to all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us; for it has heard all the words of the Lord which he spoke to us: it shall be therefore a witness to you, lest you deny your God.
Rashi
וַיְשַׁלַּח יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת־הָעָם אִישׁ לְנַחֲלָתֽוֹ׃ {פ}
So Yehoshua let the people depart, every man to his inheritance.
So Yehoshua let the people depart, every man to his inheritance.
האבן הזאת תהיה בנו לעדה וגו'. הא אבנא הדא תהי לנא כתרין לוחי אבן קיימא ארי יתה עבדנא לסהדו ארי פתגמיא דכתיבין עלה מעין כל פתגמיא דה' דמליל עמנא וגם יש לפותרו כמשמעו, כי היא שמעה את הדברים אשר דברתי לכם בשליחותו של מקום:
Behold this stone will be witness against us, etc.22The question is, how could the stone hear? Another problem: the verse states that it heard “all the words of Adonoy that He spoke to us,” and yet there is no mention of Adonoy having spoken to them. [Here Rashi quotes from Targum Yonasan]: This stone will be for us as the two stone tablets of the covenant,23Yehoshua compared it to the two tablets of the Ten Commandments which were witness to the covenant at Mount Sinai, and are therefore always referred to as the לוּחוֹת הָעֵדוּת, the Tablets of Testimony. for we have made it for a witness,24It would stand as a silent witness to the covenant they had made on that day. since the words written on it [the stone] are almost similar to all the words of God that He spoke to us. This verse can also be explained according to its plain meaning: for it [the stone] has heard the words that I have spoken to you, on behalf of the Omnipresent.