יהושע ה׳:ב׳-ח׳

חרבות צורים. כתרגומו: אזמלון חריפין, וכן (תהלים פט מד): אף תשיב צור חרבו, כשהחריפות נהפך לצדדין ואינו חותך יפה, וכן (ישעיהו נד יז): כל כלי יוצר עליך:

Sharp knives. As translated by Targum, sharp knives. Similarly, ‘You also turned back the sharp edge of his sword.’¹Tehillim 89:44. When the sharp edge is turned sideways it does not cut well. ‘Similarly, ‘Every weapon that is sharpened against you?’²Yeshayahu 54.

שנית. שמלו כבר בליל יציאתם ממצרים קהל גדול יחד, וזו פעם שנית, שכל הארבעים שנה שהיו במדבר לא נשבה להם רוח צפונית, ולא היה להם יום נוח למול, כמו ששנינו ביבמות (עא ב) ורבותינו אמרו (שם): שנית, זו פריעת מילה, שלא נתנה לאברהם אבינו:

The second time. For there had already been a circumcision— on the night of their departure from Egypt a large assembly were collectively circumcised, and this was the second time; because during the entire forty years that they were in the wilderness the north wind did not blow for them, and they did not have a suitable day to circumcise themselves, as we learned in Maseches Yevamos.³Yevomos 71b. Certain atmospheric conditions were beneficial for the healing of the wound caused by circumcision. The north wind created this condition. These winds were withheld during the forty years in the wilderners in order that the “Clouds of Glory” that led and protected the people would not disperse. Our Sages said, “The second time refers to exposing the corona at circumcision. [This particular aspect of circumcision] was not commanded to our Patriarch, Avrohom.

גבעת הערלות. על שם המאורע נקרא, שנעשה כמין גבעה:

Gival Ha-orlos. [Lit. Hill of the foreskins] It was so called, because of the event, [i.e., the mass of foreskins that were circumcised] which were made into a hill.

וזה הדבר. על ידי דבור מל אותם, אמר להם סבורים אתם לירש את הארץ ערלים, לא כך נאמר לאברהם (בראשית יז ט): ואתה את בריתי תשמור וגו', (שם שם ח): ונתתי לך ולזרעך אחריך את ארץ מגוריך:

And this is the reason. [Lit. and this is the thing] After this speech he circumcised them. He said to them. “Do you think you will inherit this land while you are yet uncircumcised? Was it not said to Avrohom, ‘And you will preserve My covenant etc.’ ‘and I will give you and your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings.’”⁴Bereishis 17:8,9. Thus the inheritance of the land was dependent on their preserving the covenant, which was the rite of circumcision.

כל העם היוצא. לא היה אחד מהם כאן, שכלם מתו והם היו מולים, שנאמר: כי מולים היו:

All the people that went out. Not one of them was here for they had all died, and they had all been circumcised, as it is said, ‘for they were circumcised.’⁵Next verse.

לא מלו. כמו שפירשתי שלא נשבה רוח צפונית, והם שמלו עכשיו:

Were not circumcised. As I have previously explained, the north wind had not blown.⁶See Rashi to verse 2. It was these who were now to be circumcised.

ואת בניהם הקים תחתם. ואת בניהם שהקים תחתיהם הם הילודים במדבר, אותם מל יהושע:

And their children whom He brought up in place of them. And their children whom He brought up in place of them, they were born in the wilderness it was them whom Yehoshua circumcised.

וישבו תחתם. באתרהון, ולא צרו על העיר:

They remained in their places. They remained in their places and they did not besiege the city.

עד חיותם. מן המכה:

Until they were healed from their wounds.