The Hebrews arrived in Canaan, edging closer to all-out war. The date is pegged to the tenth
day of Nisan, four days before Passover. As for the war objective, it was to liberate the land
promised by God to the patriarchs and their descendants. Momentum was palpably on the side
of the Jews. Consternation, on the other hand, consumed the Canaanites.
For good cause Canaan reeled and fretted. “And it came to pass, when all the kings of the
Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, that
were by the sea, heard how that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before
the Children of Israel, until they were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there
spirit in them anymore, because of the Children of Israel.”
Among other topics in Joshua 5, Abravanel turns his attention to the following verse, asking
questions regarding it: “At that time the LORD said unto Joshua: Make you knives of flint, and
circumcise again the Children of Israel the second time.” What, Abravanel wonders, had the
commandment of circumcision to do with Joshua? Far better, Abravanel reasons, had the
command been issued to all the Jewish men, bidding each and every man to undergo
circumcision. After all, circumcision is incumbent upon fathers (or their personal agents), and
does not involve the national leader.
Abravanel provides context. In the previous chapter, we read about the Jews en route to Gilgal.
Once there, Joshua erected a stone memorial marking the miraculous splitting of the Jordan
River. Upon completion of it, God reached out to Joshua, requesting him to make “knives of
flint.”
For Abravanel, a basic and fundamental tenet of Judaism is being presented here. Namely,
divine aid avails itself to the Chosen People as a consequence of their commitment to or
observance of God’s commandments. Enter Joshua.
Insofar as Joshua had been trusted and tasked with shepherding the Hebrews and conquering
the Holy Land, commandment watchfulness devolved upon him. Certainly, military victory and
success rested on his shoulders. No better way for Joshua to prepare for battle existed. Hence,
on a very basic level, the national obligation to circumcise each male fell squarely to Joshua. His
alacrity would prove a surefire way to enlist help from Above, and facilitate his and his people’s
objectives.
Abravanel cites the Talmudic sages who ask rhetorically: Does anyone entertain for a moment
that God supports the efforts of the Jews to liberate Canaan, should they remain
uncircumcised? For the clear-cut link between the performance of circumcision and the
inheritance of Israel, the sages bring precedent from God’s demand of Abraham. “And as for
you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your seed after you…” “My covenant” refers to
circumcision. For His part, the Maker promises that He “will give unto you, and to your seed
after you, the land of your sojourning, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and
I will be their God.” In this manner, Abravanel answers the question posed above.