Joshua Sends Spies to Jericho A major part of the portion of Shelach is occupied with the story of the spies sent by Moses to the Land of Israel. Forty years later, now at the threshold of entry into the land, Moses’ successor, Joshua, sends two spies of his own into the city of Jericho. In what seems to be a lesson learned from the failure of the previous spies, Joshua sent just two of the most trusted men in Israel on this mission. Although Scripture leaves them nameless, the Midrash identifies them as Pinchas and Caleb. Caleb had been together with Joshua in the first mission to the Land, and had remained faithful to G‑d by resisting the test of discouraging the people from entering the Land as his colleagues had done. Pinchas had also stood up against all odds in an act of zealotry, when he publicly killed the leader of the tribe of Simeon and the Midianite woman with whom he was sinning. The mission of the spies was to get a feel of the atmosphere that prevailed in the city now that the Israelites were about to enter. This knowledge, coming firsthand, would strengthen the people in preparation for battle. In addition, Joshua needed to know the the layout of the city to make its conquest most efficient.

Rahab Saves the Spies The spies came to the city and went to the home of a certain “Rahab the zonah.” The commentaries differ as to the meaning of this word, which usually means “a prostitute.” Rashi, following Targum, sees this word as rooted in the Hebrew word mezonot, meaning “sustenance” or “food.” According to this approach, Rahab had an eatery that people would frequent. The Talmud, however, understands this word in its more usual sense. The spies specifically visited her house because she was frequented by the aristocracy of the land, which made her an important source of intelligence. Another reason was that entry into the home of such a woman would adequately cover up for the spies: the Canaanites knew that promiscuity was forbidden to the Jews, and they would not suspect her visitors of being Jewish spies. Word of the two suspicious visitors had, however, reached the king of the city. Jericho had been on very high alert, and the unfamiliar men were spotted upon their entry to the home of Rahab. Orders were sent to Rahab to deliver her visitors to the authorities. Rahab quickly hid the men, and then opened the door to the messengers. She admitted to have been visited by two strangers, but claimed that the men had already left the city. She suggested that they be pursued, as they could not have gone far. The messengers heeded her advice, and the wild goose chase began. Meanwhile Rahab returned to the roof, where she had hidden the men, and began describing to them the great fear in which the inhabitants of the land were living. News of the events of the splitting of the sea and the miraculous wars with Sichon and Og had reached Canaan. The people were in total awe of the people of Israel and of their G‑d, who evidently was in complete control of the world. Rahab advised the spies to escape via a window of her house (which was built into a wall of the city), and to hide for three days. Before doing so, she asked them to promise her that the Jews would not harm her or her family in the imminent war. The spies swore to her that this would be done. She was to dangle a red thread from her home as a sign to the Jewish army, and her entire family was to stay in the house and not go out of it. The spies returned after three days with news that G‑d had practically already given the land into their hands.