Haftarah of Zot HaBracha

Yehoshua 1:1–18

This Haftarah is the very first chapter of the first book of Ne'vi'i'm (prophets) and is the continuation of the events of the last chapter of the Torah. Moshe is dead, and the Jewish People have a new leader, Yehoshua, who must now fulfill the objective of the Exodus. The Jewish People need to enter the Land of Israel, conquer it, and establish a society based on the laws of the Torah. Yehoshua, who has been Moshe's assistant for all the years in the desert, understands very well the daunting nature of his undertaking. Thus, the Haftarah begins with a message from G-d to Yehoshua encouraging him and reassuring him that the challenges are not insurmountable, and G-d will be with him throughout.

1) After the death of Moshe, the servant of Hashem,

Hashem said to Yehoshua bin Nun, Moshe's assistant:

(א) וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי מוֹת מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה'

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן מְשָׁרֵת מֹשֶׁה לֵאמֹר:

2) "My servant Moshe is dead.

Now rise and cross this Yarden,

you and this entire nation,

to the land

which I am giving to them, to Bnei Yisrael.

(ב) מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי מֵת

וְעַתָּה קוּם עֲבֹר אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה

אַתָּה וְכָל הָעָם הַזֶּה

אֶל הָאָרֶץ

אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לָהֶם לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:

3) Every place

upon which your feet will step, I have given to you,

as I have spoken to Moshe.

(ג) כָּל מָקוֹם

אֲשֶׁר תִּדְרֹךְ כַּף רַגְלְכֶם בּוֹ לָכֶם נְתַתִּיו

כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי אֶל מֹשֶׁה:

4) From the desert and this forest,

to the great river Prat,

the entire land of the Hittites,

up to the great sea where the sun sets,

those will be your borders.

(ד) מֵהַמִּדְבָּר וְהַלְּבָנוֹן הַזֶּה

וְעַד הַנָּהָר הַגָּדוֹל נְהַר פְּרָת

כֹּל אֶרֶץ הַחִתִּים

וְעַד הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל מְבוֹא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ

יִהְיֶה גְּבוּלְכֶם:

5) No man shall stand before you,

your entire life.

As I was with Moshe, I will be with you;

I will not desert you nor abandon you.

(ה) לֹא יִתְיַצֵּב אִישׁ לְפָנֶיךָ

כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ

כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיִיתִי עִם מֹשֶׁה אֶהְיֶה עִמָּךְ

לֹא אַרְפְּךָ וְלֹא אֶעֶזְבֶךָּ:

6) Be strong and brave,

for you will cause this nation to inherit

the land which I have sworn to their fathers to give to them.

(ו) חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ

כִּי אַתָּה תַּנְחִיל אֶת הָעָם הַזֶּה

אֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לַאֲבוֹתָם לָתֵת לָהֶם:

The key to Yehoshua's success is the instruction manual that G-d had given Moshe, the Torah. If he reviews it constantly, and follows it carefully, he will be able to guide the Jewish People in all the situations that they encounter.

7) Only, be very strong and brave,

to make sure to do according to all the Torah

which My servant Moshe commanded you.

Do not veer from it, neither right nor left,

so that you will prevail

wherever you go.

(ז) רַק חֲזַק וֶאֱמַץ מְאֹד

לִשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכָל הַתּוֹרָה

אֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי

אַל תָּסוּר מִמֶּנּוּ יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול

לְמַעַן תַּשְׂכִּיל

בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ:

8) The book of this Torah must not leave your mouth,

you must dwell upon it day and night,

so that you make sure to do

all that is written in it.

For only thus will your paths succeed, thus will you prevail.

(ח) לֹא יָמוּשׁ סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה מִפִּיךָ

וְהָגִיתָ בּוֹ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה

לְמַעַן תִּשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת

כְּכָל הַכָּתוּב בּוֹ

כִּי אָז תַּצְלִיחַ אֶת דְּרָכֶךָ וְאָז תַּשְׂכִּיל:

9) As I have commanded you, be strong and brave,

do not falter and do not fear,

for Hashem your G-d is with you,

wherever you go."

(ט) הֲלוֹא צִוִּיתִיךָ חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ

אַל תַּעֲרֹץ וְאַל תֵּחָת

כִּי עִמְּךָ ה' אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ

בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ: פ

Yehoshua instructs the Jewish People to get ready to enter the Land.

10) Yeshoshua commanded

the officers of the nation, saying:

(י) וַיְצַו יְהוֹשֻׁעַ

אֶת שֹׁטְרֵי הָעָם לֵאמֹר:

11) Go through the encampment,

and command the nation saying:

Prepare your provisions,

for in three more days

you will cross this Yarden,

to come and possess the land

that Hashem your G-d

is giving you to inherit.

(יא) עִבְרוּ בְּקֶרֶב הַמַּחֲנֶה

וְצַוּוּ אֶת הָעָם לֵאמֹר

הָכִינוּ לָכֶם צֵידָה

כִּי בְּעוֹד שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים

אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה

לָבוֹא לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת הָאָרֶץ

אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱ-לֹהֵיכֶם

נֹתֵן לָכֶם לְרִשְׁתָּהּ: ס

Yehoshua's first challenge is to ensure that a promise that was made to Moshe is now kept. The tribes of Reuven and Gad had requested to stay on the eastern side of the Yarden, in the territory that had been conquered on their way to the Land of Israel but was outside its borders. Moshe allowed them to do so on one condition: that they do not abandon the rest of the Jewish People to conquer the Land of Israel without them. They swore to do so, and now that it is time to cross, Yehoshua repeats their promise and holds them to it.

12) To the members of Reuven and Gad,

and to half the tribe of Menashe,

Yehoshua said as follows:

(יב) וְלָראוּבֵנִי וְלַגָּדִי

וְלַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה

אָמַר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֵאמֹר:

13) Remember that thing

that Moshe, the servant of Hashem commanded you saying:

Hashem your G-d gave you tranquility,

and has given you this land.

(יג) זָכוֹר אֶת הַדָּבָר

אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֶתְכֶם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה' לֵאמֹר

ה' אֱ-לֹהֵיכֶם מֵנִיחַ לָכֶם

וְנָתַן לָכֶם אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת:

14) Your wives, your children, and your flocks,

will dwell

in the land

that Moshe has given you across the Yarden,

while you will cross, armed, before your brothers,

all your warriors,

and you will join forces with them.

(יד) נְשֵׁיכֶם טַפְּכֶם וּמִקְנֵיכֶם

יֵשְׁבוּ

בָּאָרֶץ

אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם מֹשֶׁה בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן

וְאַתֶּם תַּעַבְרוּ חֲמֻשִׁים לִפְנֵי אֲחֵיכֶם

כֹּל גִּבּוֹרֵי הַחַיִל

וַעֲזַרְתֶּם אוֹתָם:

15) Until Hashem gives your brothers tranquility like yours,

and they, too, possess

the land

that Hashem your G-d is giving them.

You will then return to the land you possess and possess it,

that was given to you

by Moshe, the servant of Hashem,

across the Yarden, where the sun rises.

(טו) עַד אֲשֶׁר יָנִיחַ ה' לַאֲחֵיכֶם כָּכֶם

וְיָרְשׁוּ גַם הֵמָּה

אֶת הָאָרֶץ

אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱ-לֹהֵיכֶם נֹתֵן לָהֶם

וְשַׁבְתֶּם לְאֶרֶץ יְרֻשַּׁתְכֶם וִירִשְׁתֶּם אוֹתָהּ

אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם

מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה'

בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן מִזְרַח הַשָּׁמֶשׁ:

The tribes reassure Yehoshua that they see their oath to Moshe as fully binding, and they see Yehoshua as the uncontested leader of the Jewish People. They, too, urge him not to be daunted by his task.

16) They answered

to Yehoshua saying,

"All that you have commanded us we will do,

and everywhere you send us we will go.

(טז) וַיַּעֲנוּ

אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֵאמֹר

כֹּל אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָנוּ נַעֲשֶׂה

וְאֶל כָּל אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁלָחֵנוּ נֵלֵךְ:

17) Just as we listened to Moshe in all things,

so we will listen to you.

Only that Hashem your G-d be with you

as He was with Moshe.

(יז) כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְנוּ אֶל מֹשֶׁה

כֵּן נִשְׁמַע אֵלֶיךָ

רַק יִהְיֶה ה' אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ עִמָּךְ

כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיָה עִם מֹשֶׁה:

18) Any man that rebels against your word,

and will not listen to all that you command, will die.

Only, be strong and brave!"

(יח) כָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יַמְרֶה אֶת פִּיךָ

וְלֹא יִשְׁמַע אֶת דְּבָרֶיךָ לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר תְּצַוֶּנּוּ יוּמָת

רַק חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ: פ

In memory of my father, Peter Rozenberg, z"l

לעילוי נשמת אבי מורי פנחס בן נתן נטע ז''ל