יהושע, פרק ז׳, פסוק ב׳

Following the conquest of Jericho, the military campaign advances toward the central mountain ridge, a strategic area destined to become the border between the territories of Judah and Benjamin. To secure the ongoing military efforts and ensure no enemy stronghold is left behind, a reconnaissance mission is dispatched to assess the size of the next target and determine the best access routes [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The target is the city of Ai, situated near Beth-aven and just east of Bethel [רש"י ומצודת ציון]. Providing its exact location serves to distinguish this prominent, well-known city from another settlement with the same name located in the Ammonite territory [רד"ק].

Beneath the surface of this new mission lies a fatal disconnect between Joshua's orders and the spies' actual execution. Joshua commands the scouts to survey the entire surrounding region. This broad scope is critical, as Ai's close proximity to other cities poses a significant risk that neighboring populations might unite to defend it. Instead of following these instructions, the spies act on their own initiative and limit their reconnaissance strictly to the city of Ai. By failing to survey the broader landscape, they return with the misguided advice to send only a small military force, a mistake that directly leads to a devastating defeat [מלבי"ם].

This military disaster, which claims the lives of thirty-six fighters, raises a profound question regarding justice: why do innocent soldiers suffer because of the hidden sin of one man, Achan, who unlawfully took forbidden spoils from Jericho? The answer lies in the spiritual reality that the Israelites are viewed as a single, unified body. When one individual commits a severe offense, Divine providence withdraws from the entire camp. Without God's active protection, the nation is left vulnerable to the natural, random dangers of war. The fallen soldiers do not die as a direct punishment for Achan's crime, but rather because the protective shield of God has been removed from them. Achan himself survives the battle simply because he does not go out to fight, thereby avoiding the physical danger entirely [אברבנאל].