“They traveled; the dread of God was upon the cities that were surrounding them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob” (Genesis 35:5). “They traveled; the dread of God was [upon the cities that were surrounding them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob]” – Rabbi Shmuel said: In three places, idolaters gathered to wage war with Jacob’s children, but the Holy One blessed be He did not allow them to do so, as it is written: “They traveled; the dread of God was [upon the cities]...”
The second time was in the days of Yehonatan, as it is stated: “The very ground trembled, and there was a God-inspired terror” (I Samuel 14:15). Third, in the days of Joshua, they sought to pursue,22See Joshua 11:1–5. but the Holy One blessed be He did not allow them to do so. Where did they gather? In Ḥatzor, as it is written: “But all the cities that stood intact, Israel did not burn them; Joshua burned only Ḥatzor alone” (Joshua 11:13).
Rabbi Elazar said: He burned it based on a tradition. The Holy One blessed be He said it to Moses, and Moses said it to Joshua.23According to Rabbi Elazar, the reason for the burning of Ḥatzor was not because the nations had gathered there to attack Israel, but because Joshua had been commanded to do so by Moses. “Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, it is Beit El; he and all the people who were with him” (Genesis 35:6). “Jacob came to Luz” – as anyone who enters it blossoms with mitzvot and good deeds like an almond tree [luz].