Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 24:13/רמב"ן על שמות כ״ד:י״ג

אוַיָּקָם מֹשֶׁה וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ מְשָׁרְתוֹ לֹא יָדַעְתִּי מַה טִיבוֹ שֶׁל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בְּכָאן, וְאוֹמֵר אֲנִי שֶׁהָיָה הַתַּלְמִיד מְלַוֶּה אֶת הָרַב עַד מְקוֹם הַגְבָּלַת תְּחוּמֵי הָהָר שֶׁאֵין רַשַּׁאי לֵילֵךְ מִשָּׁם וָהָלְאָה, וּמִשָּׁם וַיַּעַל מֹשֶׁה לְבַדּוֹ אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ נָטָה שָׁם אָהֳלוֹ כָּל אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם, שֶׁכֵּן מָצִינוּ כְּשֶׁיָּרַד מֹשֶׁה "וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת קוֹל הָעָם בְּרֵעֹה" (שמות ל"ב:י"ז), לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עִמָּהֶם. לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על שמות כ"ד:י"ג). וְעַל דַּעְתִּי הָיָה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ מִכְּלַל שִׁבְעִים הַזְּקֵנִים, כִּי אֵין בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל שִׁבְעִים זְקֵנִים רְאוּיִים לְקָרְבָה אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים יוֹתֵר מִמֶּנּוּ, וְכַאֲשֶׁר פֵּרֵשׁ מֹשֶׁה מֵהֶם הָיָה מְלַוֶּה אֶת רַבּוֹ עַד הַגְּבוּל. וְאַל תַּקְשֶׁה עָלַי מִמַּאֲמָר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ בְּעֹנֶשׁ הַזְּקֵנִים הָאֵלּוּ בְּתַבְעֵרָה (תנחומא בהעלותך טז), כִּי יֹאמְרוּ כֵּן עַל כֻּלָּן חוּץ מִיְּהוֹשֻׁעַ, לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה רָאוּי לְמַרְאוֹת אֱלֹהִים וּלְכָל נְבוּאָה:

1AND MOSES ROSE UP, AND JOSHUA HIS MINISTER. “I do not know in what capacity Joshua was serving here. But it appears to me that the disciple was accompanying the master as far as the place where the limits of the mountain were marked out, for beyond them Joshua was not permitted to go, and from there Moses went up alone into the mountain of G-d, while Joshua pitched his tent there for the whole of the forty days. Thus we find that when Moses came down from the mountain it is written, And Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted,⁵⁵⁷ from which we learn that Joshua was not with them in the camp” [at the time of the making of the golden calf]. Thus far is Rashi’s language.In my opinion, Joshua was one of the seventy elders [who were asked to ascend the mountain], for there was nobody more worthy amongst the seventy elders of Israel to approach G-d than he, and when Moses separated from them [to ascend higher], Joshua accompanied his master up to the border [beyond which he was not permitted to go]. Now do not object to my explanation on this point from what the Rabbis have said⁵⁵⁸, 16. Rashi in Verse 10 here brings part of the Midrash with reference to Nadab and Abihu. concerning the punishment of these elders at Taberah,⁵⁵⁹ — that is, among the most distinguished and prominent ones among them, namely the elders (see Rashi ibid., Verse 1). Now the reason why the elders were singled out for punishment at that time is stated by the Rabbis as follows: Since at the time of the Giving of the Torah they gazed more intently than they were permitted to, behaving as if they were eating and drinking (see here Verse 11), they were liable to death. But since G-d did not wish to disturb the joy caused by the Giving of the Torah, He waited with their punishment till Taberah. — Now on the basis of this Midrash you might think that Joshua, too, was like the elders and unworthy of seeing Divine visions. But, concludes Ramban, this was not the case with Joshua. for they said so concerning all of them except Joshua, for he was indeed worthy to see visions of G-d and to receive prophecy.