Sotah 67

וכיון שניטבלו רגלי כהנים במים חזרו המים לאחוריהם שנאמר (יהושע ג, טו) וכבוא נושאי הארון עד הירדן וגו' ויעמדו המים היורדים מלמעלה קמו נד אחד וכמה גובהן של מים שנים עשר מיל על שנים עשר מיל כנגד מחנה ישראל דברי ר' יהודה

When the feet of the priests were dipped in the water, the water flowed backward; as it is said: And when they that bore the ark were come unto the Jordan&nbsp;… that the waters which came down from above stood and rose up in one heap.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. III, 15f. ');">¹</span> What was the height of the water? Twelve <i>mil</i> by twelve <i>mil</i> in accordance with the dimensions of the camp of Israel.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' supra p. 71. So that as soon as the last Israelite had crossed over, the waters returned. ');">²</span>

אמר לו ר' אלעזר בר' שמעון לדבריך אדם קל או מים קלים הוי אומר מים קלים אם כן באין מים ושוטפין אותן

Such is the statement of R. Judah; and R. Eleazar b. Simeon said to him, According to your explanation, which is swifter, man or water? Surely water is swifter; therefore the water must have returned and drowned them!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the water rose to twelve mil only to subside again, they would not have been able to traverse a sufficient distance to escape the returning water. ');">³</span> It rather teaches that the waters were heaped up like stacks to a height of more than three hundred <i>mil</i>, until all the kings of the East and West saw them; as it is said: And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were beyond Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard how that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel until they were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. V, 1. ');">⁴</span>

אלא מלמד שהיו מים נגדשין ועולין כיפין על גבי כיפין יתר משלש מאות מיל עד שראו אותן כל מלכי מזרח ומערב שנאמר (יהושע ה, א) ויהי כשמוע כל מלכי האמורי אשר בעבר הירדן ימה וכל מלכי הכנעני אשר על הים את אשר הוביש ה' את מי הירדן מפני בני ישראל עד עברם וימס לבבם ולא היה בהם עוד רוח מפני בני ישראל

And also Rahab the harlot said to Joshua's messengers, For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea etc.;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. II, 10. ');">⁵</span> and it continues, And as soon as we heard it, our hearts did melt neither did there remain any more etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 11. ');">⁶</span>

ואף רחב הזונה אמרה לשלוחי יהושע (יהושע ב, י) כי שמענו את אשר הוביש ה' את מי ים סוף וגו' וכתיב (יהושע ב, יא) ונשמע וימס לבבנו ולא קמה עוד וגו'

While they were still in the Jordan, Joshua said to them, Know why you are crossing the Jordan; it is on condition that you disinherit the inhabitants of the land from before you; as it said: Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XXXIII. 52. ');">⁷</span> If you do this, well and good; otherwise the water will return and drown you [othekem].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is an unusual Hebrew form, and is taken as a combination of othi, 'me' and ethkem 'you'. ');">⁸</span>

עודם בירדן אמר להם יהושע דעו על מה אתם עוברים את הירדן על מנת שתורישו את יושבי הארץ מפניכם שנאמר (במדבר לג, נב) והורשתם את כל יושבי הארץ מפניכם וגו' אם אתם עושין כן מוטב ואם לאו באין מים ושוטפין אותיכם מאי אותיכם אותי ואתכם

— What means 'othekem'? Me and you. While they were still in the Jordan, Joshua said to them, Take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel etc.;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. IV, 5. ');">⁹</span> and it continues, That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in time to come, saying: What mean ye by these stones? etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 6. ');">¹⁰</span>

עודם בירדן אמר להן יהושע הרימו לכם איש אבן אחת על שכמו למספר שבטי ישראל וגו' וכתיב (יהושע ד, ו) למען תהיה זאת אות בקרבכם כי ישאלון בניכם מחר לאמר מה האבנים האלה לכם וגו' סימן לבנים שעברו אבות את הירדן

It was to be a monument for the children that their fathers had crossed the Jordan. While they were still in the Jordan, Joshua said to them. Take you hence out of the midst of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. IV, 3. ');">¹¹</span> It is possible [to think that they were to deposit them] in any lodging place; therefore there is a text to state, 'Where ye shall lodge this night'.

עודם בירדן אמר להן יהושע (יהושע ד, ג) שאו לכם מזה מתוך הירדן ממצב רגלי הכהנים הכן שתים עשרה אבנים והעברתם אותם עמכם והנחתם אותם במלון אשר תלינו בו הלילה וגו' יכול בכל מלון ומלון ת"ל אשר תלינו בו הלילה

R. Judah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The reading should be: R. Jose. ');">¹²</span> said: Abba Halafta, R. Eliezer b. Mathia and Hananiah b. Hakinai stood upon those stones and estimated that each was equal to about forty <i>se'ah</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The se'ah was a measure of capacity; so what is here meant is a weight equal to that of forty se'ah of wheat. ');">¹³</span>

אמר רבי יהודה אבא חלפתא ורבי אליעזר בן מתיא וחנניא בן חכינאי עמדו על אותן אבנים ושיערום כל אחת ואחת שקולה כארבעים סאה וגמירי דטעונא דמדלי איניש לכתפיה תילתא דטעוניה הוי

There is a tradition that the weight which a man can raise upon his shoulder is a third of the weight he can carry;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When others help to set it upon his shoulder. Consequently the weight of each was 120 se'ah. ');">¹⁴</span> so from this you may calculate what was the weight of the cluster of grapes,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Carried by the spies. ');">¹⁵</span>

מכאן אתה מחשב לאשכול שנאמר (במדבר יג, כג) וישאוהו במוט בשנים ממשמע שנאמר במוט איני יודע שבשנים מה תלמוד לומר בשנים בשני מוטות

as it is said: And they bare it upon a staff between two.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XIII, 23. ');">¹⁶</span> From the fact that it is stated upon a staff do I not know that it [was carried] between two? Why, then, is there a text to state 'between two'? [It means] on two staffs. R. Isaac said: [It means] a series of balancing poles.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For four couples of carriers. ');">¹⁷</span>

אמר רבי יצחק טורטני וטורטני דטורטני הא כיצד שמנה נשאו אשכל אחד נשא רימון ואחד נשא תאינה יהושע וכלב לא נשאו כלום אי בעית אימא משום דחשיבי ואי בעית אימא שלא היו באותה עצה

How was it? Eight [spies] carried the grape-cluster,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [The weight of which would have been on this calculation 960 se'ahs, that is 8 times 120.] ');">¹⁸</span> one carried a pomegranate, one carried a fig, and Joshua and Caleb did not carry anything. If you wish I can say [that they did not carry anything] because they were the most distinguished of them,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And so it was beneath their dignity. ');">¹⁹</span>

פליגי בה רבי אמי ורבי יצחק נפחא חד אמר לדברי רבי יהודה

or alternatively that they did not have a share in the plan.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The bringing of the fruit was part of the plan to discourage the community. They would judge from its size what must be the stature of the inhabitants. ');">²⁰</span> R. Ammi and R. Isaac the smith differ in opinion. One said: According to the statement of R. Judah,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the water was twelve mil in height. ');">²¹</span>