Yehoshua 17: You Get What You Get and You Don't Get Upset

“The Josephites complained to Joshua, saying, ‘Why have you assigned as our portion a single allotment and a single district, seeing that we are a numerous people whom the LORD has blessed so greatly?’” (verse 14) (יהושע י״ז:י״ד:״וַיְדַבְּרוּ בְּנֵי־יוֹסֵף אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֵאמֹר מַדּוּעַ נָתַתָּ לִּי נַחֲלָה גּוֹרָל אֶחָד וְחֶבֶל אֶחָד וַאֲנִי עַם־רָב עַד אֲשֶׁר עַד־כֹּה בֵּרַכַנִי ה׳״).Why did the Josephites complain? Who were the Josephites? Rashi explains that really only the tribe of Menashe complained. Back in Deuteronomy God told Moshe to assign portions of the land to each tribe by size(במדבר כ״ו:נ״ד: ״לָרַב תַּרְבֶּה נַחֲלָתוֹ וְלַמְעַט תַּמְעִיט נַחֲלָתוֹ אִישׁ לְפִי פְקֻדָיו יֻתַּן נַחֲלָתוֹ״).According to Rashi, that size was set based on the population in the wilderness. Ephraim’s population subsequently decreased, so the tribe received more land than population and had no reason to complain. Menashe, on the other hand, exploded. They gained the most number of people- over 20,000. They went to Joshua to complain because the original allotment was too small. The issue with Rashi is that if the areas were predetermined back in Deuteronomy, what was the point of the lottery?Radak infers from here that each tribe received the exact same land size in even slices. But his interpretation does not match the geographical layout of the assigned cities. Perhaps Menashe was concerned that their tribe would continue to increase exponentially. Therefore, while they received a large territory now, the land was not large enough for the future. Joshua answer in the next verse is a good example of his evolution as a leader. After the Israelites lost the first battle of Ai, Joshua fell on his face and prayed to God. God responded that it was not time to fall down and that Joshua should just go up and attack the city again(יהושע ז׳:י׳:״וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ קֻם־לָךְ לָמָּה זֶּה אַתָּה נֹפֵל עַל־פָּנֶיךָ״).Joshua’s response to the Josephites is the same: “‘If you are a numerous people,’ Joshua answered them, ‘go up to the forest country and clear an area for yourselves there…’”(יהושע י״ז:ט״ו:״וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אִם־עַם־רָב אַתָּה עֲלֵה לְךָ הַיְּעָרָה וּבֵרֵאתָ לְךָ שָׁם״).If you want more land, then go take it yourself! Why are you complaining to me. Joshua does not have patience for complainers when so much of the land was still unconquered. This practical answer, however, creates another- why could there have been a discontent between what Gd planned and how things played out? Perhaps the answer to this second question is continuation of the theme of the people taking ownership of their destiny in Israel. Joshua’s instruction to the tribes of Joseph is that God provided a set location, but did not restrict them to this area. If they want, they can go expand their territory on their. The same thing will happen later with King David and Solomon. This should not be seen as a slight on what God gave, but instead of fulfillment of God’s desire- that the people become a self-sufficient nation.