יהושע, פרק י׳, פסוק י״ב

In the midst of a decisive battle against the Amorites, victory was within reach, but daylight was rapidly fading. To prevent the enemy from escaping under the cover of darkness, an unprecedented cosmic intervention was required. Joshua turned to God, initiating a miracle that would alter the very fabric of creation.

Joshua's communication took place in two distinct stages. Some suggest he acted directly as God's emissary, speaking in His name [מצודת דוד]. Alternatively, he first sought permission from the Creator before daring to command the celestial bodies, only afterward issuing his public decree to the nation [אלשיך]. Another profound perspective views his words not merely as speech, but as a song [רש״י, רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. In this view, the continuous, natural orbit of the sun is its constant song of praise to the Creator. By ordering the sun to halt, Joshua effectively silenced its celestial song, replacing it with a higher, more wondrous song of his own [רש״י, מלבי״ם]. This moment of deep prayer and petition occurred on the very day God granted the victory [אברבנאל].

The command was declared loudly and publicly to ensure the miracle was widely witnessed [רד״ק]. This open display fulfilled the covenant God had established with Moses to perform unprecedented, visible wonders for the Israelites [רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. Furthermore, it demonstrated to the entire world that God was actively fighting for His people, entirely shattering the perceived power of the constellations and celestial bodies worshipped by the surrounding nations [אלשיך].

Joshua ordered both the sun and the moon to wait and halt in their places [רש״י, מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. At that moment, the sun was positioned over the city of Gibeon, while the moon was visible over the more distant, southern Valley of Ajalon [רש״י, שטיינזלץ]. Opinions differ on the exact timing of this event. It may have occurred in the middle of the day [רד״ק], or perhaps close to sunset, just as the sun was preparing to set over Gibeon and the moon was beginning to rise over Ajalon [אברבנאל].

Joshua commanded both luminaries to stop to guarantee uninterrupted daylight for the pursuit of the enemy. Halting the moon ensured its orbit would not eclipse the sun's light [מצודת דוד]. It is also noted that the celestial systems are deeply interconnected, meaning one body cannot be stopped without halting the other [אברבנאל].

Regarding the essence of this wonder, the primary approach among commentators is that it was an absolute, physical cessation of the sun and moon's movements. This served as undeniable proof that the Creator of nature exercises total control over it and can freeze its laws at His will [אברבנאל, מלבי״ם]. Conversely, a more rationalist perspective argues that physically stopping the celestial bodies would have destroyed the order of the universe and constituted a miracle greater than those performed by Moses. According to this view, the sun and moon did not physically stop. Instead, the command to halt was a metaphor for the miraculous, incomprehensible speed at which the Israelites defeated their enemy before the sun could even complete its natural course over Gibeon [רלב״ג].