Two Different Israelite Prototypes. Caleb represented the Talmudical Jew and Joshua the simple true believer from Joseph. We need both of them (2 June, 2013, Sivan 24, 5773)
An addition to Weekly Portion. Spies: Shalach
(Numbers4) Numbers chapters 13-15
Joshua from the Tribe of Ephraim and Caleb from the Tribe of Judah were amongst the 12 spies sent to spy out the Land of Canaan.
Numbers 13:
3 So Moses sent them from the Wilderness of Paran according to the command of the Lord, all of them men who were heads of the children of Israel. 4 Now these were their names: ...6 from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh; .....8 from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun;... 16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua.
Moses changed the name of the emissary from the Tribe of Ephraim from Hoshea to Joshua.
When the spies returned they presented a negative report. Only Joshua and Caleb were positive.
Numbers 14:
1 So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt? 4 So they said to one another, Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.
10 And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.
Caleb was promised by God that he would come into the Land and inherit it. Caleb was described ad having a "different spirit in him" for which he was to be rewarded.
Numbers 14:24 But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.
Both Joshua and Caleb were to enter the Land.
Numbers 14:30 Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in.....
36 Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land, 37 those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the Lord. 38 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy out the land.
Joshua was to become the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses and lead them in conquering the Land of Canaan.
The name Joshua means "God will save". His name had been changed by Moses from Hoshea (God saves) to Joshua meaning God will save.
Rashi explains the change of name to have been needed in order to save Joshua from the counsel of the bad spies
Joshua represents the qualities of Joseph at their best: Joshua is straightforward. He does what has to be done. Joshua believes that if God so commanded we must do what we have to and the end result will be justified. Joshua needs to be saved from potential bad influences. Left to himself he will stay on course and fulfill his duty. Joshua becomes the national leader and savior of all Israel. Joshua may be considered a prototype of the Messiah son of Joseph who will bring the Ten tribes back, initiate reunification with Judah, and assist in rebuilding the Temple.
Caleb in his way represents the messiah son of David from the Tribe of Judah.
The characteristics of Caleb are a little more complicated.
Caleb at the age of eighty-five was later to declare himself as vigorous as when he had been forty. He requested and received permission from Joshua to conquer Hebron and the area around it.
Joshua 14:
6 Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: You know the word which the LORD said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. 8 Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God. 9 So Moses swore on that day, saying, Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your childrens forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God. 10 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. 11 As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. 12 Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.
13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. 14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel. 15 And the name of Hebron formerly was Kirjath Arba (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim).
Hebron itself was one of the Cities of Refuge given to the Levites, it is later explained that Caleb actually was given the outskirts of Hebron (Joshua 21:11-13). Caleb promised his daughter Achsah in marriage to him who will conquer the land of Debir from the giants. This was eventually accomplished by Othniel Ben Kenaz, the nephew of Caleb (Judges 1:13), who became Caleb's son-in-law as well (Joshua 15:16,17). Descendants of Caleb were to become a major element in the Tribe of Judah. Caleb was a descendant of Hezron who intermarried with Machir of Manasseh (1-Chronicles 2:21) and played an important part in forging the characteristics of Manasseh. This is discussed in some detail by the Natziv (aftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, 1816 - 1893).
The name Caleb means "With his whole heart". The name is also related to the word "calev" meaning "dog". The dog in its positive sense gives its whole heart to its master.
Caleb followed the word of God with a full heart:
Numbers 14:24 But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.
Joshua 14:8.....but I wholly followed the LORD my God.
Nevertheless Calev was able to do what he did according to the commentators because he wavered at first and presented himself as thinking differently.
The Commentary Malbim (MEIR LOB BEN JEHIEL MICHAEL 1809-1879) summarized the point quite well:
# Numbers 14:24 But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him... there was a difference [between Joshua and Caleb]. Concerning Joshua, Moses prayed that God would save him from the counsel of the bad spies. Caleb however voided himself of the recommendation of the spies. [He did it himself] not through the prayer of Moses. The Sages said that at first Caleb was inclined to follow the machinations of the other spies but he went to Hebron to pray about it ... and was saved from their intrigue. This is what it means by "he has a different spirit in him" [alternately renderable as, "he had a different spirit in him"] for at the beginning he had another spirit and inclined towards the spies but he conquered his evil inclination and followed fully after God. .. #
Nevertheless according to the simple text, Caleb had a different spirit in him (Numbers 14:24) by virtue of which he was enabled to follow God fully.
In Hebrew "a different spirit" is "ruach acheret" (pronounced close to "ruah aheret") or as we would say a contrary nature. This is a Jewish characteristic. One can follow God as Joshua did with blind faith and simple straight-forward dedication. This too is found in Judaism. There is however another way of worship peculiar to Jews. This is to be contrary, to challenge everything, to take doctrinal laws to pieces and put them back together again, to go over everything 100s of time over until every nook and cranny, every nuance of expression is thoroughly discussed and completely clear. When this is done the will of God really can be fulfilled with a full heart since there is no longer any room left for alternatives.
We thus see that Caleb represented the Talmudical Jew and Joshua the simple true believer from Joseph.
We need both of them.
Just as Joshua and Caleb became redeeming elements for all Israel in the past so too, God willing , will their successors do so in the future.