“Neither before nor since has there ever been such a day, when the LORD acted on words spoken by a man.” (Joshua 10:14)
Note: asking Gd to make the sun and the moon stand still — that’s quite a trick for a mere mortal — and it’s explained ‘somewhere’ . . .
So, welcome to the month of Tammuz 2022 רֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ תָּמוּז 5782 —
Although we have lost the original name of the month of Tammuz knowing only the Aramaic or Babylonian name, perhaps this name points – in a rather hidden way – to this seemingly random Joshua-istic occurrence ~~ occurring at this exact same time as the month of Tammuz makes its appearance):
note: We no longer have the book referred to here below — the “Book of Jashar”. . . although perhaps it too is hidden away along with the Ark and the Menorah in the Vatican — for they’re “safekeeping”) — these words (below) are fairly problematic:
Joshua 10:11-14
וַיְהִי בְּנֻסָם מִפְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵם בְּמוֹרַד בֵּית־חוֹרֹן וַיהֹוָה הִשְׁלִיךְ עֲלֵיהֶם אֲבָנִים גְּדֹלוֹת מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם עַד־עֲזֵקָה וַיָּמֻתוּ רַבִּים אֲשֶׁר־מֵתוּ בְּאַבְנֵי הַבָּרָד מֵאֲשֶׁר הָרְגוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בֶּחָרֶב׃ {ס}
While they were fleeing before Israel down the descent from Beth-horon, the LORD hurled huge stones on them from the sky, all the way to Azekah, and they perished; more perished from the hailstones than were killed by the Israelite weapons.
אָז יְדַבֵּר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לַיהֹוָה בְּיוֹם תֵּת יְהֹוָה אֶת־הָאֱמֹרִי לִפְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר לְעֵינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁמֶשׁ בְּגִבְעוֹן דּוֹם וְיָרֵחַ בְּעֵמֶק אַיָּלוֹן׃
On that occasion, when the LORD routed the Amorites before the Israelites, Joshua addressed the LORD; he said in the presence of the Israelites:
“Stand still, O sun, at Gibeon,
O moon, in the Valley of Aijalon!”
וַיִּדֹּם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְיָרֵחַ עָמָד עַד־יִקֹּם גּוֹי אֹיְבָיו הֲלֹא־הִיא כְתוּבָה עַל־סֵפֶר הַיָּשָׁר וַיַּעֲמֹד הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בַּחֲצִי הַשָּׁמַיִם וְלֹא־אָץ לָבוֹא כְּיוֹם תָּמִים׃
And the sun stood still
And the moon halted,
While a nation wreaked judgment on its foes
—as is written in the Book of Jashar. Thus the sun halted in midheaven, and did not press on to set, for a whole day;
וְלֹא הָיָה כַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לְפָנָיו וְאַחֲרָיו לִשְׁמֹעַ יְהֹוָה בְּקוֹל אִישׁ כִּי יְהֹוָה נִלְחָם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל׃ {ס}
for the LORD fought for Israel. Neither before nor since has there ever been such a day, when the LORD acted on words spoken by a man.
