Commentary for Avodah Zarah 49:2
והיכא רמיזא (בראשית מח, יט) וזרעו יהיה מלא הגוים [אימתי יהיה מלא הגוים] בשעה שעמדה לו חמה ליהושע (יהושע י, יג) ויעמד השמש בחצי השמים ולא אץ לבוא כיום תמים
And where is this incident hinted at [in Genesis]? “And his seed shall fill the nations” (Genesis 48:19): When shall [Ephraim's fame] fill the nations? At the time when the sun will stand still for Joshua. “And the sun stayed in the midst of the heaven and hastened not to go down for about a whole day” (Joshua 10:13). How long [did the sun stand still]?
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
The rabbis now try to find a verse in Genesis that hints at the episode of the sun standing still. In Jacob’s blessing at the end of the work, he foresees that Ephraim’s seed will “fill the nations.” The simple reading is probably that the tribe of Ephraim will be numerous. But the midrashic meaning is taken to be that Ephraim’s fame will fill the nations when a member of the tribe performs a wondrous act.
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Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
According to R. Joshua b. Levi the sun stood still for an extra 12 hours, such that the day which should take a total of 12 hours, actually took a total of 24 hours.
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