Parshas Shlach 13:16 “ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע” – “Moshe called Hoshea Bin Nun – Yehoshua.”
Targum Yonason tells us that Moshe added the letter י' to Yehoshua because of his great humility. Why was Moshe concerned with Yehoshua’s humility? Isn’t humility a wonderful Midah to have?
The Avnei Nezer explains that because Yehoshua was such a great Anav, humble individual, his nature was to defer to others. However, here regarding the Meraglim, it would have been the wrong thing to defer to the majority, as they spoke disparagingly about the Land of Eretz Yisroel. Therefore, Moshe was Mispalel for him.
There are two types of ענוה – הכנעה of being humble and submissive. There is being humble because one realizes where he comes from to where he is going, the frailties of human life, and his own shortcomings - this causes one to be humble. Then there is being humble from recognizing the greatness of Hakodosh Baruch Hu. One cannot compare himself to Hakodosh Baruch Hu, and thus is humbled by His greatness.
In truth, one needs to have both of these types of הכנעה. First one needs to grasp hold of the הכנעה of seeing his own inadequacies and his lowliness, in order to control his heart and ego, and this will allow his eyes to be opened to see the greatness of Hakodosh Baruch Hu. One can only come to the second הכנעה after he has the first הכנעה. For if one does not have the first one, he is focused on himself, and cannot see past that. This is what the Mishnah in Avos tells us that first one should recognize from where he came from and where he is going- this is the first type of הכנעה. Then he should realize in front of Who he will need to give an accounting for all of his actions – in front of the Melech Malchei Hamlachim, Hakodosh Baruch Hu – this is the second type of הכנעה.
Yehoshua had the first type of הכנעה, as he himself was extremely humble. However, just having that הכנעה would not have given him the ability to disagree with the other Nesi’im. In that state, he totally would subjugate his opinions to the others, for why should his be of value, and that would have made him a part of this terrible sin of the Meraglim. Thus, Moshe Rabbeinu added the letter י' to his name, which represents חכמה, wisdom, for Yehoshua to have the second type of הכנעה, where he has the wisdom to recognize the greatness of the Ribbono Shel Olam.
When recognizing the greatness of the Ribbono Shel Olam, that gives one the ability to stand up to others for the sake of Hashem – to do the right thing. Moshe Rabbeinu needed to strengthen the second type of Anavah in Yehoshua, so that he would do the right thing, and stand up against the Meraglim for the sake of Hakodosh Baruch Hu
May we be Zoche to have true humility, to be humble, and to know when to stand up for the sake of Hakodosh Baruch Hu.
