A short Insight into Joshua, Chapter 19 By Rabbi Nisson Dov Miller

In our chapter we learn that Yehoshua was given the city that he requested, Timnas Serach on Har Efayim, “al pi Hashem” - with the approval of G-d. Rashi, in chapter 24,30, tells us that Timnas Serach has a nickname - Timnas Cheres (Shoftim 2,6). Why? After the death and burial of Yehoshua on the border of his land, they placed a picture of the sun on his grave to remember that he was the one to stop the sun (chapter 10). Whoever would pass by would say, “Woe to this one. He did such a great thing and died.” The poskim wonder why it was permitted to place a picture of the sun on Yehoshua's grave? After all, in the Aseres Hadibros it says, “Lo sa'ase l'cha fesel v'chol t'muna asher bashamayim mima'a'l” - you can not make an image or a picture of that which is in the heavens”