יהושע י״ט

ויצא הגורל השני. שני לבנימין, שגורל בנימין היה ראשון לשבעה השבטים שאמר יהושע לשלוחיו והתחלקו אותה לשבעה חלקים, שכבר נטלו יהודה ויוסף, כמו שנאמר שם (לעיל יח ה): יהודה יעמוד על גבולו מנגב וגו', מכאן ואילך מונה והולך שבעה גורלות:

The second lot came out. It was second to that of Binyomin, for Binyomin’s lot was the first of the seven tribes whose representatives Yehoshua spoke to [saying]: “And they will divide it into seven parts,” for Yehudah and Yoseif had previously received [their inheritance] as it is said there: “Yehudah will remain at his boundary in the south,” [and the house of Yoseif will remain at their boundary in the north].”¹See above 18:5. From here he goes on to list the seven lots.

רב מהם. מן הראוי להם:

Was too large for them. It was more than was their due.²Various reasons are presented why Shimon was given part of their inheritance in the midst of Yehudah’s territory. Some say that Shimon helped Yehudah conquer their land and therefore merited to receive some of it as their own. Others maintain that this was because Yaakov had said: “Shimon and Levi are brothers, instruments of violence are their wares. I will disperse them throughout Yaakov and scatter them throughout Israel.” (Bereishis 49:5,7) Shimon was given a portion within Yehudah and Levi was scattered throughout many cities in the land.

כסלות תבור. אומר אני שהוא לשון כסלים, פלנק"ש בלע"ז, לא בגובהו ולא בשיפולו אלא בשיפועו וסמוך לאמצעו קרוב לצד אחורים ומלצד פניו, כדרך שהכסלים עומדות בבהמה, ובמקום שהוא אומר (להלן פסוק לד): אזנות תבור, סמוך לראשו הוא במקום האזנים:

Kislos-tovor. I say that [כִּסְלוֹת] is an expression of flanks, כְּסָלִים, flancs in old French. This is similar to what is stated in Vayikro 3:4. It is not at its highest point and not at its bottom, but on its slope, near the middle, closer to the rear, than the front, like the flanks of an animal. [Thus in this verse it reads the flanks of Mt. Tabor]. However when Scripture states, Oznos-Tavor, it refers to a place near its top, the place where the ears are situated.

קדמה מזרחה גתה חפר. ממזרח לגת החפר, שם עירו של יונה בן אמיתי (מלכים ב יד כה):

East of Gitoh-cheifer. To the east of Gat-hacheifer which is the name of the city of [the prophet] Yonah ben Amtai.

עתה קצין. שם העיר עתה קצין:

Ittoh-kotzin. This was the name of the city.

המתואר הנעה. המוסב על נעה, כלומר משם תאר הגבול לנעה, וכן תרגם יונתן: ונפיק לרמון ומתמן מסתחר לנעה:

It circled around to Neioh. [From Rimmon] it circled to Neioh. In other words, from there, the boundary circled around to Neioh. Targum Yonason also explains it this way: “It extended to Rimmon, and from there it circled to Neioh.”³Rashi goes to great pain to refute those who say that the word הַמְתאָר is connected to רִמוֹן and thus translate, Rimon-misoar as though this was the name of the city.

מבצר צר. קרוין כריכן קרוי תוקפא:

Fortified city of the Rock. Cities of fortress, cities of might.

צר. לשון צור:

Rock—צוּר means a rock.

מחבל אכזיבה. מעדב אכזיבה, מגורל כזיב:

From the lot of Achziv. [חֶבֶל means a rope of Achziv] but here it refers to the lot of Achziv.

וערי מבצר. היו לנפתלי הצדים צר:

Fortified cities— which belonged to Naftoli were Tzidim, Tzeir, etc.

צרעה ואשתאול. משל יהודה היה (לעיל טו לג), ונפל גורל בני דן סמוך להם:

Tzoroh, Eshtaeil. These were cities in the portion of Yehudah, and the lot of Bnei Don fell near them.

ויצא גבול בני דן מהם. כאן נטלו קצת, ועוד נפל להם גורל במקום אחר רחוק מגבולם, ושאר שבטים מפסיקין בינתים:

The boundary of Bnei Don extended from them. At this point they took only a small portion, but the lot also fell for them in another place which was a distance from their boundary, and thus the other tribes intervened between them.⁴Others explain the words, וַיֵצֵא גְבוּל בְנֵי־דָן מֵהֶם to mean, “the boundary of the Bnei Don was too small for them,” and they went out to capture the city of Leshem to make room for their population.

וילחמו עם לשם. לאחר זמן בימי עתניאל בן קנז, ובימי פסל מיכה, כמה שנאמר בספר שופטים (יח ב):

They fought against Leshem. This took place later in the time of Osniel, the son of Kenaz, in the days of the graven image of Michoh, as it is said in the Book of Shoftim.⁵Shoftim 17:3,4. 18:2. (See Rashi to 17:1.)

לשם. היא ליש האמורה בספר שופטים (יח יד):

Leshem This is the city of Layish, that is mentioned in the Book of Shoftim.⁶Shoftim 18:7,14.

אשר נחלו. הנחילו:

That were divided for inheritance. They caused them to inherit.