יהושע, פרק כ״ב, פסוק ל״ג

The resolution of a deep national crisis brings a profound sense of relief and gratitude. A devastating civil war, nearly ignited by spiritual anxiety and the fear of a divided nation, transforms into a powerful moment of unity. Upon discovering the pure intentions of the tribes living across the Jordan River, the Israelites immediately praised and thanked God [רש"י]. Their gratitude was deeply rooted in the realization that God had granted them the wisdom to send an investigative delegation before rushing into battle [מצודת דוד].

This joyful reaction also reveals the true motives behind the initial threat of conflict. The mobilization for war did not stem from hatred, hostility, or jealousy between the tribes, but rather from a profound love and a desperate desire to save their brothers from sin. Had their actions been driven by animosity, they would have been disappointed to lose their justification for violence. Instead, because they acted out of love, they were overjoyed to learn of their brothers' innocence [מלבי"ם]. Fully accepting the explanation as the truth, the Israelites completely abandoned any thought of launching a military campaign [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Interestingly, the focus of their restraint was specifically on sparing the land from ruin, rather than just the people. One perspective suggests this highlights that even during the initial preparations for war, the goal was never to cause physical destruction to the land itself, but solely to guide their brothers back to the proper path [מלבי"ם].

A contrasting approach reveals that even after the threat of sin was cleared, a radical thought briefly crossed the minds of the Israelites. They silently considered destroying the fertile pasture lands across the Jordan River to eliminate any chance of a future national split. Since the tribes of Reuben and Gad had specifically chosen that region for their abundant livestock—which explains why the half-tribe of Manasseh is excluded from this specific thought—ruining the grazing lands would have forced them to abandon their territory and relocate to the land of Canaan with the rest of the nation. Ultimately, the Israelites kept this thought to themselves and refrained from acting on it, realizing that the public dedication of the new altar as a permanent witness was a sufficient guarantee against any future division [אלשיך].