26 Nisan · Yahrzeit
Yehoshua bin Nun
Yehoshua bin Nun
Yahrzeit – 26 Nissan
Burial place - Kfar Cheres in the Shomron (Shomron)
At the end of Sefer Yehoshua (24:29-30) it is stated that Yehoshua died at the age of 110 and was buried within his portion in Timnat Serach.
Sefer Shoftim (2:8-9) calls the burial place Timnat Cheres.
Both books say that it is north of Mount Ga'ash (the volcano). Chazal note that the fact that this mountain is not mentioned anywhere else in Tanach implies that its name should be understood homiletically.
The Jewish people were negligent and did not eulogize Yehoshua in a manner befitting his stature.
Ha-Shem nearly caused the volcano on that mountain to erupt on the day of Yehoshua's burial, because his memory was not honored properly. Some suggest that Klal Yisrael never approved of Yehoshua's marriage to Rachav. The truth was that the Almighty had commanded Yehoshua to marry Rachav, and although they themselves were blessed only with daughters, in time eight prophets descended from their union.
Not knowing this, the people always doubted the propriety of the marriage and expressed their disapproval after his passing. The mountain then threatened to erupt, to show the people that the Kadosh Baruch Hu Himself had sanctioned Yehoshua's marriage to Rachav. From this incident the Talmud derives that anyone who fails to properly eulogize a Talmid Chacham deserves to be buried alive.
Sefer Tevuot Ha-Aretz and others identify the Palestinian village of Kifl Hares as Yehoshua's city, Timnat Serach. Buried here are Yehoshua himself and his father Nun, as well as Calev ben Yefuneh, the other spy who did not sin.
The village, in the territory of Ephraim, is located five miles to the south and slightly west of Shechem.
Timnat Serach is also called Timnat Cheres, because the image of the sun (cheres) appeared on Yehoshua's tombstone. Rashi says this was done so that anyone passing by would mourn: "Woe, that the man who made the sun stand still is now dead."
We should note that the entire conquest of the Holy Land by Klal Yisrael under Yehoshua's leadership was a complete miracle, and it was all brought about by the Almighty because Am Yisrael never ceased studying Torah.
The Midrash tells us that when Yehoshua commanded the sun to stand still at Givon, he showed the sun and moon the Sefer Devarim.
He told these heavenly bodies that he had never ceased studying this book.
The constellations then immediately froze in place for 36 hours. Yehoshua should be viewed not as a general who studied Torah, but as a sage of Torah who led his people into battle.
Yehoshua achieved tremendous success as a general and leader in accordance with his diligence in Torah study.
As the leader heading the invasion of the densely populated and powerful land of Canaan, Yehoshua was commanded that the Torah should not depart from his mouth, and that he should meditate on it day and night (Yehoshua 1:8).
As a reward for the people's unceasing Torah study, they were granted special assistance from Heaven, which spared them from most of the military effort.
Yehoshua is called the disciple of Moshe, because he achieved greatness not through his own wisdom, but through his faithful devotion to his teacher Moshe. When Moshe ascended Har Sinai, Yehoshua followed him. After Moshe entered the cloud at the top of the mountain, Yehoshua remained below for all 40 days and all 40 nights, like a servant waiting outside for his master.
During this long wait, the Almighty performed a special miracle for Yehoshua.
From that time on, Yehoshua became Moshe's servant and never ceased serving him day and night.
At night, as it says in the Torah in Shemot 33:11: "His attendant, Yehoshua bin Nun, never left the tent." He would sweep the area, arrange the benches, and prepare the place for Moshe. He would then help Moshe sit down facing him, like a servant sitting facing his master. He made himself into a vessel capable of receiving Moshe's authority. For this he was rewarded with the crown of Torah. Yehoshua's reward is stated in Mishnah Avot: it was he who would transmit the Torah from Moshe to the next generation.
One of the most well-known sayings about Yehoshua is:
"The face of Moshe was like the face of the sun, and the face of Yehoshua was like the face of the moon."
The Sefat Emet notes that Moshe's essence was so brilliant that his face always shone, and he had to wear a veil when he was among the people. Nevertheless, through his diligence in serving Moshe, Yehoshua became his greatest disciple.
Yehoshua was the only one of that generation who was a reflection of Moshe Rabbeinu, capable of absorbing Moshe's brilliant, dazzling spiritual light and reflecting it to Klal Yisrael. This is why he was chosen as Moshe's successor.
Interestingly, we find the spelling Yehoshua bin Nun, rather than the commonly accepted "ben."
The Ramban says that being called bin instead of ben can be understood as a title of honor, since he was Moshe's first disciple, full of wisdom and understanding - Sefirat Binah - "bin Nun."
Yehoshua was originally called Hoshea. Moshe added the letter "yud" to his name when he sent him as one of the spies sent to scout Eretz Yisrael. The intent was that his name should begin with "yud" and then "hei," one of the Names of the Almighty; thereby Moshe was implying: "May the Almighty save you from the plot of the spies." (Rashi)
(http://littmann613.blogspot.com/2013/08/kever-yehoshua-bin-nun-at-kifal-chares.html)