Leaders and Followers

Joshua Chapter 19, the Strange and the Spectacular

Verses: 51

Is It Read At Synagogue?: There is an Italian custom to read the final verse of this chapter as the beginning of the Haftarah of the Torah portion of Mattot, the second-to-last portion from the book of Numbers. This Haftarah continues with Chapter 20 and ends at Joshua 21:3.

Famous Quotes/Phrases: I’m not sure this phrase is famous, but the final verse of this chapter provides a sense of closure and summarizes Israel’s venture of assigning land to the tribes. The verse begins with the word “אֵלֶה” (ay-leh), meaning “these”, which is often a signal of the start or conclusion of a substantial list.

Basic Plot: The remaining tribes, other than Levi, are assigned areas in the Promised Land to live. There are three notable items (or, at least, three things that caught my eye). One, the tribe of Simeon must live within the territory of Judah. (More on this in a moment.) Two, the tribe of Dan is unable to secure the areas assigned to them, so they resort to making war on a nearby area called Leshem, which they conquer. And three, Joshua is granted land for himself; he chooses to settle in the town of Timnath-serah in the tribe of Ephraim.

What’s Strange: Joshua’s choice of land is curious. The Talmudic tractate of Bava Batra points out that he is the only Israelite not assigned a territory by lot, and yet the area he chooses is called Timnath-serah because the town’s fruit was so rich, it rotted quickly. This does not sound like prime real-estate. Perhaps this is an example of Joshua taking after his predecessor Moses by acting humbly and taking a less desirable bit of land for himself. Or, maybe Joshua is so accustomed to life on the road that he isn’t great at spotting ideal permanent dwellings. Whatever the case, it’s bittersweet to think of Israel’s most successful field general living out the rest of his days in modest accommodations.

What’s Spectacular: Okay, so what has Simeon done to deserve territories enveloped by another tribe (Judah)? It’s reminiscent of modern states such as the Vatican City, which is located within Rome, or Lesotho and Swaziland, two sovereignties located within South Africa; it’s easy to forget that these are independent entities rather than a part of a larger nation.

It behooves us to go back to the book of Genesis. Simeon, Jacob’s second-born son, teams up with his brother Levi to destroy the city of Shechem after the kingdom’s prince assaults their sister Dinah. While Simeon and Levi claim that they are defending their sister’s honor, their father Jacob is nevertheless upset, and as Jacob lays dying, he vows to make it more difficult for Simeon’s descendants to consort with each other, lest they cause more mischief. According to Rabbeinu Bahya, this is why the tribe of Simeon is dispersed within the territory of Judah, ensuring a lack of cohesion.

And this begs the question: Why does this happen to the tribe of Simeon but not the tribe of Levi? Are they not both responsible for the downfall of Shechem? My presumption is that Jacob, or perhaps the writers of the biblical text, sees Simeon as the main instigator, while his brother Levi is more of a follower. This might explain why the tribe of Levi is placed in charge of Israelite ritual but not assigned a specific territory — in this role, they can place all of their energy following God’s commands. Meanwhile, Simeon, the more pro-active mischief-maker, must be neutralized with more intent.

This theory may or may not make sense, but it’s fair to say that our society is filled with some leaders and some followers, and we’re asking for trouble if we treat each type identically.

Shabbat Shalom!