The Poor Man's Soft Plea and the Rich Man's Bold Answer

"And would that we had been content and dwelt beyond the Jordan" (Joshua 7:7). Rabbi Nachman said in the name of Rabbi Mana: what is the meaning of "The poor man speaks supplications, but the rich man answers boldly" (Proverbs 18:23)? "The poor man speaks supplications" is Moses; "but the rich man answers boldly" is Joshua. What is the reason? If you say it is because it is written, "And he cast them down before the LORD" (Joshua 7:6), and Rav Nachman said: he came and flung them down before the Omnipresent, saying before Him, "Master of the universe, for these You would slay the majority of the Sanhedrin?" But did not Phinehas do likewise? For it is written, "Then Phinehas stood up and executed judgment" (Psalms 106:30), and Rabbi Elazar said he entered into judgment with his Maker, came and flung them down before the Omnipresent and said before Him, "Master of the universe, for these shall twenty-four thousand of Israel fall?" as it is written, "And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand" (Numbers 25:9). Rather, it is from the verse "Why have You brought this people over the Jordan?" (Joshua 7:7). But Moses also says such a thing, for it is written, "Why have You dealt ill with Your servant?" (Numbers 11:11). Rather, it is from here: "And would that we had been content and dwelt beyond the Jordan."