The Midrash explains that Hashem took the “yud” of hra and added it to gauv to form a new name, gauvh. Horav Nissan Alpert, z.l., states that this attachment to Sarah was by specific design. In order for our people to conquer and rule Eretz Yisrael, it was necessary for Yehoshua to be imbued with Sarah’s hashkafa, philosophy. Sarah emphatically expressed her opinion regarding the proprietorship of Eretz Yisrael. It belongs to Bnei Yisrael and to no one else. With determination and resolve, she demanded of Avraham, “Cast out this maidservant and her son, for the son of the maidservant shall not inherit with my son with Yitzchak” (Bereishis 21:10). Yishmael and his descendants have no portion in Eretz Yisrael!
Hashem chose Yehoshua to assume the leadership of Bnei Yisrael in order to guide them through the entrance into Eretz Yisrael. He was admonished not to deviate from Sarah’s demand. Eretz Yisrael is ours, and we are not permitted to give away any portion of it to Yishmael’s descendants. This concept applies as much in our day as it did in those times.
We may suggest another thought. By her words as well as her actions, Sarah implied the need for maintaining a pristine environment, untainted by the harmful influence of Yishmael. She implored Avraham to raise their child in a protected surrounding, conducive to the sublime education he would receive. She understood that Yitzchak’s Torah hashkafos must be developed in a pure environment, completely detached from any outside influences.
This was the message to Yehoshua. He needed to stand resolute and maintain indomitable faith and trust in Hashem in the face of dissenting views from the other factions of Bnei Yisrael. In order to do so, he was responsible for immersing himself totally in the Torah. The juxtaposition of outside influences would taint his perspective. Just as it was true then, it is all the more relevant in contemporary society in which the harmful influences of the outside environment can so easily undermine our sense of values.
