Haftarah of Shelach

Yehoshua 2:1-24

This Haftarah takes place shortly after the death of Moshe, as the Jewish People are poised to enter the Land of Israel. The first city that they will need to conquer is the fortress of Jericho, just across the Jordan River.

Yehoshua, the new leader of the Jewish People, sends spies to Jericho. Their first stop is an establishment that is located within the wall of the city itself, run by a woman named Rachav. Despite the secrecy of their mission, it does not take long for their presence to be reported to the king of the city, who demands that Rachav hand them over. It turns out that the people of Jericho are well aware of the nation of Israel, who are camped several miles away, and whose intentions to conquer the land are clear.

1) Yehoshua bin Nun sent out from Shitim

two men as secret spies, saying,

"Go see the land and Jericho".

They went,

and came to a brothel owned by a woman named Rachav.

They slept there.

(א) וַיִּשְׁלַח יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן מִן הַשִּׁטִּים

שְׁנַיִם אֲנָשִׁים מְרַגְּלִים חֶרֶשׁ לֵאמֹר

לְכוּ רְאוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְאֶת יְרִיחוֹ

וַיֵּלְכוּ

וַיָּבֹאוּ בֵּית אִשָּׁה זוֹנָה וּשְׁמָהּ רָחָב

וַיִּשְׁכְּבוּ שָׁמָּה:

2) It was reported

to the king of Jericho:

"Some men have come here tonight, of the nation of Israel,

to spy out the land."

(ב) וַיֵּאָמַר

לְמֶלֶךְ יְרִיחוֹ לֵאמֹר

הִנֵּה אֲנָשִׁים בָּאוּ הֵנָּה הַלַּיְלָה מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לַחְפֹּר אֶת הָאָרֶץ:

3) The king of Jericho sent a message

to Rachav, saying,

"Hand over the men who have come to you,

that have come to your house,

for they have come to spy on the entire land."

(ג) וַיִּשְׁלַח מֶלֶךְ יְרִיחוֹ

אֶל רָחָב לֵאמֹר

הוֹצִיאִי הָאֲנָשִׁים הַבָּאִים אֵלַיִךְ

אֲשֶׁר בָּאוּ לְבֵיתֵךְ

כִּי לַחְפֹּר אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ בָּאוּ:

However, Rachav does not hand them over as her king demanded; instead, she hides them on her roof, and sends the pursuers on a wild goose chase.

4) The woman took the two men, and hid them.

She said, "Yes, the men had come here,

and I had no idea where they were from.

(ד) וַתִּקַּח הָאִשָּׁה אֶת שְׁנֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים וַתִּצְפְּנוֹ וַתֹּאמֶר כֵּן בָּאוּ אֵלַי הָאֲנָשִׁים

וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי מֵאַיִן הֵמָּה:

5) When the gate was closing at nightfall,

the men went out;

I have no idea

where the men went.

Go after them, quickly! You can still catch them!"

(ה) וַיְהִי הַשַּׁעַר לִסְגּוֹר בַּחֹשֶׁךְ

וְהָאֲנָשִׁים יָצָאוּ

לֹא יָדַעְתִּי

אָנָה הָלְכוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים

רִדְפוּ מַהֵר אַחֲרֵיהֶם כִּי תַשִּׂיגוּם:

6) And she had taken them up to the roof,

and hidden them in the flax

that was arranged on her roof.

(ו) וְהִיא הֶעֱלָתַם הַגָּגָה

וַתִּטְמְנֵם בְּפִשְׁתֵּי הָעֵץ

הָעֲרֻכוֹת לָהּ עַל הַגָּג:

7) The men pursued them on the road to the Jordan,

up to the crossings,

and the gate had been closed

after the pursuers had gone out after them.

(ז) וְהָאֲנָשִׁים רָדְפוּ אַחֲרֵיהֶם דֶּרֶךְ הַיַּרְדֵּן

עַל הַמַּעְבְּרוֹת

וְהַשַּׁעַר סָגָרוּ

אַחֲרֵי כַּאֲשֶׁר יָצְאוּ הָרֹדְפִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם:

Rachav surprises the spies by approaching them and telling them what they need to hear: the people of Jericho know what G-d has done for the Jewish People. They know about the Splitting of the Sea, they know about their recent conquests on the other side of the Jordan, and they realize that they are powerless against them. Rachav draws the conclusion that it is G-d who is the source of their power, and that G-d has decided to give them the land.

8) And they, before they lay down,

she went up to them to the roof.

(ח) וְהֵמָּה טֶרֶם יִשְׁכָּבוּן

וְהִיא עָלְתָה עֲלֵיהֶם עַל הַגָּג:

9) She said to the men,

"I realize that Hashem gave you the land,

and that we are paralyzed with fear of you,

and that all the inhabitants of the land are helpless before you.

(ט) וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל הָאֲנָשִׁים

יָדַעְתִּי כִּי נָתַן ה' לָכֶם אֶת הָאָרֶץ

וְכִי נָפְלָה אֵימַתְכֶם עָלֵינוּ

וְכִי נָמֹגוּ כָּל יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ מִפְּנֵיכֶם:

10) For we have heard,

that Hashem dried the waters of the Red Sea before you

on your way out of Egypt,

and about what you did to the two Emorite kings

that are across the Jordan, to Sichon and to Og,

that you have destroyed them.

(י) כִּי שָׁמַעְנוּ

אֵת אֲשֶׁר הוֹבִישׁ ה' אֶת מֵי יַם סוּף מִפְּנֵיכֶם בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרָיִם

וַאֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם לִשְׁנֵי מַלְכֵי הָאֱמֹרִי

אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן לְסִיחֹן וּלְעוֹג

אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱרַמְתֶּם אוֹתָם:

11) We heard, and our hearts melted,

and men have no more spirit that rises to resist you,

for Hashem your G-d

is the G-d of the heavens above,

and the earth below.

(יא) וַנִּשְׁמַע וַיִּמַּס לְבָבֵנוּ

וְלֹא קָמָה עוֹד רוּחַ בְּאִישׁ מִפְּנֵיכֶם

כִּי ה' אֱ-לֹהֵיכֶם

הוּא אֱ-לֹהִים בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל

וְעַל הָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת:

Rachav asks that they repay her kindness by saving her family once the conquest begins. They agree, and swear to her that they will do so, but only on the condition that she keep their agreement secret.

12) Now, swear to me by Hashem,

for I have done a kindness to you,

that you shall likewise do a kindness to me and my family,

and give me a mark of truth.

(יב) וְעַתָּה הִשָּׁבְעוּ נָא לִי בּה'

כִּי עָשִׂיתִי עִמָּכֶם חָסֶד

וַעֲשִׂיתֶם גַּם אַתֶּם עִם בֵּית אָבִי חֶסֶד

וּנְתַתֶּם לִי אוֹת אֱמֶת:

13) That you will protect my father and my mother,

and my brothers and my sisters

and all that is theirs,

and you will save our lives from death."

(יג) וְהַחֲיִתֶם אֶת אָבִי וְאֶת אִמִּי

וְאֶת אַחַי וְאֶת אַחְיוֹתַי

וְאֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם

וְהִצַּלְתֶּם אֶת נַפְשֹׁתֵינוּ מִמָּוֶת:

14) The men said to her,

"Our lives will be in place of your lives in death,

on the condition that you don't talk

about this agreement of ours,

then, when Hashem gives us the land,

we will act toward you in kindness and truth."

(יד) וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָהּ הָאֲנָשִׁים

נַפְשֵׁנוּ תַחְתֵּיכֶם לָמוּת

אִם לֹא תַגִּידוּ

אֶת דְּבָרֵנוּ זֶה

וְהָיָה בְּתֵת ה' לָנוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ

וְעָשִׂינוּ עִמָּךְ חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת:

Rachav's house was built into the wall of the fortress, and her outer window faced the exterior of the city. She helped them escape by lowering them out of the window, and gave them directions for evading the pursuers.

15) She lowered them by rope through the window,

for her house was in the wall of the fortification,

as she lived in the fortification.

(טו) וַתּוֹרִדֵם בַּחֶבֶל בְּעַד הַחַלּוֹן

כִּי בֵיתָהּ בְּקִיר הַחוֹמָה

וּבַחוֹמָה הִיא יוֹשָׁבֶת:

16) She said to them, "Go to the mountains,

lest the pursuers attack you.

Hide there for three days until the pursuers return,

and then go on your way."

(טז) וַתֹּאמֶר לָהֶם הָהָרָה לֵּכוּ

פֶּן יִפְגְּעוּ בָכֶם הָרֹדְפִים

וְנַחְבֵּתֶם שָׁמָּה שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים עַד שׁוֹב הָרֹדְפִים וְאַחַר תֵּלְכוּ לְדַרְכְּכֶם:

The spies now give her the sign by which they will be able to identify her house in order to fulfill their promise once the battle begins: a scarlet rope that she would hang outside her window. They swear to her to protect anyone who will be inside her house, as long as she keeps this a secret. She agrees, and ties the rope just as soon as they have left.

17) The men said to her,

"We are exempt

from the oath that we swore to you, unless:

(יז) וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלֶיהָ הָאֲנָשִׁים

נְקִיִּם אֲנַחְנוּ

מִשְּׁבֻעָתֵךְ הַזֶה אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁבַּעְתָּנוּ:

18) As we are coming into the land,

tie this line of scarlet thread

to the window that you used to lower us,

and your father, and your mother, and your brothers,

and your entire family,

gather into your house.

(יח) הִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ בָאִים בָּאָרֶץ

אֶת תִּקְוַת חוּט הַשָּׁנִי הַזֶּה תִּקְשְׁרִי

בַּחַלּוֹן אֲשֶׁר הוֹרַדְתֵּנוּ בוֹ

וְאֶת אָבִיךְ וְאֶת אִמֵּךְ וְאֶת אַחַיִךְ

וְאֵת כָּל בֵּית אָבִיךְ

תַּאַסְפִי אֵלַיִךְ הַבָּיְתָה:

19) Whoever leaves the doors of your house to go out,

his blood is on his head, and we are exempt;

and whoever stays with you in the house,

his blood is on our head,

if anyone raises his hand to him.

(יט) וְהָיָה כֹּל אֲשֶׁר יֵצֵא מִדַּלְתֵי בֵיתֵךְ הַחוּצָה דָּמוֹ בְרֹאשׁוֹ וַאֲנַחְנוּ נְקִיִּם

וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה אִתָּךְ בַּבַּיִת

דָּמוֹ בְרֹאשֵׁנוּ

אִם יָד תִּהְיֶה בּוֹ:

20) But if you talk about this agreement,

we will be exempt

from your oath that we swore to you."

(כ) וְאִם תַּגִּידִי אֶת דְּבָרֵנוּ זֶה

וְהָיִינוּ נְקִיִּם

מִשְּׁבֻעָתֵךְ אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁבַּעְתָּנוּ:

21) She said, "What you say, that is how it will be".

She sent them, and they went.

She tied the scarlet line to the window.

(כא) וַתֹּאמֶר כְּדִבְרֵיכֶם כֶּן הוּא

וַתְּשַׁלְּחֵם וַיֵּלֵכוּ

וַתִּקְשֹׁר אֶת תִּקְוַת הַשָּׁנִי בַּחַלּוֹן:

Their escape plan worked; the pursuers looked for them all around the crossings of the Jordan, but not in the mountain ranges on the other side of Jericho. When the coast was clear, they returned to Yehoshua, and reported their findings, paraphrasing what Rachav had told them: G-d has given the Land to the Jewish People, and the people who live there will not stand against them.

22) They went, and came to the mountains.

They stayed there for three days,

until the pursuers came back.

The pursuers searched the entire road and did not find them.

(כב) וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ הָהָרָה

וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים

עַד שָׁבוּ הָרֹדְפִים

וַיְבַקְשׁוּ הָרֹדְפִים בְּכָל הַדֶּרֶךְ וְלֹא מָצָאוּ:

23) The two men returned and came down from the mountains;

they crossed over and came

to Yehoshua bin Nun,

they told him

all that had befallen them.

(כג) וַיָּשֻׁבוּ שְׁנֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים וַיֵּרְדוּ מֵהָהָר

וַיַּעַבְרוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ

אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן

וַיְסַפְּרוּ לוֹ

אֵת כָּל הַמֹּצְאוֹת אוֹתָם:

24) They said to Yehoshua,

"...that Hashem has given the entire land into our hands,

and all the inhabitants of the land are helpless before us."

(כד) וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ

כִּי נָתַן ה' בְּיָדֵנוּ אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ

וְגַם נָמֹגוּ כָּל יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ מִפָּנֵינוּ: ס

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