[Parashat Eikev]
[Piska 37]
"For the land which you go in to possess": "When the Lord your G-d brings you to the land to inherit it, etc.": This section was stated to Israel at the exodus from Egypt. For they said: Perhaps we will not enter a land as beautiful as this, whereupon the Holy One Blessed be He said to them: The land that you are coming to inherit is superior to it.
— You say that Scripture speaks of the superiority of Eretz Yisrael? Perhaps it speaks of the superiority of Egypt! It is, therefore, written
(Bemidbar 13:22) "And Chevron (the lowest-grade soil in Canaan [later, Eretz Yisrael,]) was superior, seven-fold to Tzoan (the highest-grade soil) in Egypt." (lit., "Chevron was built seven years before Tzoan") For Tzoan was the seat of Egyptian royalty, as it is written
(Isaiah 30:4) "For its (Egypt's) officers were in Tozan,"
and Chevron was (built of) the "refuse" of Eretz Yisrael.
And lest you say: He who built the one did not build the other. (This is not so,) for it is written
(Bereshit 10:6) "And the sons of Cham (the son of Noach): Kush,
Mitzrayim, Fut and
Canaan": Cham, who built the one (Chevron) built the other (Tzoan). Is it conceivable that first he built the ugly and then he built the beautiful! It must be that first he built the beautiful (Chevron), and then (with its "refuse") built the ugly (Tozan)! Because (the soil of) Chevron was choicer than that of Mitzrayim, it was, therefore, built first. Now does this not follow
a fortiori, viz.: If Chevron, the "refuse" of Eretz Yisrael is choicer than the choicest of Egypt, the choicest of all the (other) lands, how choice must Eretz Yisrael be!
And thus you find with the ways of the Lord — that whatever is more beloved (by the Lord) precedes its neighbor. Torah, the most beloved of all, precedes all, as it is written
(Proverbs 8:22) "The Lord acquired me (Torah) in the beginning of His way, before His works of yore," and (
Ibid. 23) "I was poured out from everlasting, from the beginning, from the origin of the earth." (The Temple, the most beloved of all (edifices), was created before all, viz.
(Jeremiah 17:12) "The throne of glory, exalted from the first, the place of our sanctuary." Eretz Yisrael, the most beloved of all (lands), was created before all, viz.
(Proverbs 8:26) "He had not yet made land and environs": "land" — the other lands; "environs" — deserts. (
Ibid.) "and
the chief of the class of
tevel" — Eretz Yisrael, as it is written (
Ibid. 31) "He rejoices His land with
tevel."
Why is it called "
tevel" (an admixture)? For it is an admixture of all. For with all the lands, one possesses what the other does not, but Eretz Yisrael lacks nothing, as it is written
(Devarim 8:9) "a land where not in constraint shall you eat bread. You shall lack nothing in it."
Variantly: Why is it called "
tevel"? Because of the "
tavlin" ("seasoning") in its midst. Which "
tavlin" is in it? — Torah, viz.
(Eichah 2:9) "Among the nations there is no Torah" — whence it is seen that the home of Torah is Eretz Yisrael.
And thus do you find with Sancheriv, that when he came to entice Israel, what did he say to them? (II Kings 18:32) "… until I come and take you to a land like your land." It is not written "to a land more beautiful than your land," but "to a land like your land!"
R. Shimon b. Yochai says: He was a fool, who did not know how to entice. He may be compared to a man who went to marry a woman and said to her: "Your father is a king, and I am a king, your father is wealthy and I am wealthy, your father feeds you flesh and fish and gives you old wine to drink, and I, etc." This is not enticement! How does one entice? He says to him: "Your father is a commoner and I am a king, your father is poor and I am rich, your father feeds you greens and beans, and I will feed you flesh and fish, your father leads you to the bath-house on foot, and I will take you there in a sedan-chair." Now if one (Nevuchadnezzar) who desired to speak in praise of his land did not speak demeaningly of Eretz Yisrael, how much more so should one who desires to speak in praise of Eretz Yisrael (take care not to be stinting in his praise!) And it is written
(Joshua 20:7) "Kiryat Arba (lit., "the city of the four") — this is Chevron." (It was so called) because four kings contended over it, each one saying "Let it be called by my name!" Now does this not follow
a fortiori, viz.: If four kings contended thus over the "refuse" of Eretz Yisrael, how much more so is Eretz Yisrael (itself) to be lauded!
Similarly,
(Devarim 3:9) "The Tziddonim called Chermon Siryon, and the Emori called it S'nir," and, elsewhere, (
Ibid. 4:48) "until Mount Sion, which is Chermon" — whence it is found to have four names. Now why do future generations need to know this? (To impress upon them) that four kings were contending over it, each one saying "Let it be called by my name!" Now does this not follow
a fortiori, viz.: If four kings contended thus over the "refuse" of Eretz Yisrael, how much more so is Eretz Yisrael (itself) to be lauded!
Similarly,
(Joshua 15:49) "Danah and Kiryat Sanah — this is Dvir," and, elsewhere (
Ibid. 15:15) "And the name of Dvir was formerly Kiryat Sefer" — whence it is found to have four names. Now why do future generations need to know this? (To impress upon them) that four kings were contending over it, each one saying "Let is be called by my name!" Now does this not follow
a fortiori, viz.: If four kings contended over the "refuse" of Eretz Yisrael, how much more so is Eretz Yisrael (itself) to be lauded!
Similarly,
(Devarim 32:49) "Go up to this Mount Avarim, Mount Nevo," and, elsewhere (
Ibid. 3:27) "Go up to the height of Hapisgah" — whence it is found to have three names. Now why do future generations need to know this? (To impress upon them) that three kings were contending over it … How much more so is Eretz Yisrael itself to be lauded!
It is written
(Jeremiah 3:19) "And I gave you a cherished land, the heritage coveted by the multitudes of nations." "a cherished land": a land which was populated with palaces by kings and rulers. For any king or ruler who had not acquired palaces in Eretz Yisrael said "I have done nothing."
R. Yehudah says: Now did the thirty-one kings of the past (conquered by Joshua) all encamp in Eretz Yisrael? But it is as they do with Rome today. Any king or ruler who has not acquired castles and palaces in Rome says "I have done nothing." In the same way, any king or ruler who had not acquired castles and palaces in Eretz Yisrael said "I have done nothing."
"the heritage coveted": (lit., "the heritage of the deer") Just as a deer is quicker of foot than any beast or animal, so, the fruits of Eretz Yisrael are "quicker" to come than those of all the other lands.
Variantly: Just as the hide of a deer, when you flay it, cannot contain its flesh, so Eretz Yisrael cannot "contain" (all of) its fruits when Israel observes the Torah.
And just as a deer is quicker than any beast or animal, so the fruits of Eretz Yisrael are "quicker" (to come) than those of all the other lands. If so, I might think they are not rich. It is, therefore, written
(Devarim 11:9) "a land flowing with milk and honey" — rich as milk and sweet as honey. And thus is it written
(Isaiah 5:11) "I will now sing of my Beloved, my Beloved's song of His vineyard. My Beloved had a vineyard in the horn of Ben Shamen": Just as there is nothing higher in a bullock than its horns, so, Eretz Yisrael is higher than all of the other lands. — But perhaps, just as a bullock is defective in the contents of its horns, so, Eretz Yisrael is more "defective" than all of the other lands! It is, therefore, written "in the horn of Ben
Shamen": It is
fat (
shamen, rich, fruitful, productive). Eretz Yisrael, being higher than all (other lands) is superior to all, viz.:
(Bemidbar 13:30) "Let us go
up and we will inherit it," (
Ibid. 13:21) "and they went
up and spied out the land," (
Ibid. 13:22) "and they went
up in the south,"
(Bereshit 45:25) "and they went
up from Egypt." The Temple, in that it is higher than all, is superior to all, viz.:
(Devarim 17:8) "then you shall rise and go
up" (to the Temple),
(Isaiah 2:3) "and many peoples will go and say 'Let us go
up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the G-d of Yaakov,'" and
(Jeremiah 31:5) "For there is a day when the watchers will call out on the mountain of Ephraim: 'Arise, let us go
up to Tzion to (the house of) the Lord our G-d!'"
[End of Piska]
[Piska 38]
"It is not like the land of Egypt": the land of Egypt — the low (land) drinks (rain); the high, does not drink (and water has to be carried to it); Eretz Yisrael — the low and the high drink. The land of Egypt drinks its (own waters [from the Nile]); Eretz Yisrael drinks rainwater.
The land of Egypt — what is revealed drinks; what is concealed does not drink. Eretz Yisrael — both the revealed and the concealed drink.
The land of Egypt drinks and then is sowed; Eretz Yisrael drinks and is sowed; is sowed and drinks. The land of Egypt does not drink every day; Eretz Yisrael drinks every day.
The land of Egypt — If one does not work in it (i.e., in the soil) with mattock and axe and (does not allow) sleep to escape his eyes, he has nothing of it. Not so Eretz Yisrael, but they (its inhabitants) sleep and the Lord brings down rain for them. An analogy: A king is walking on the road, and, seeing a man of high estate, gives him a servant to serve him. He then sees another man of high estate, (having obviously been) preened and pampered, engaging in (mundane) labor, (all the while), conscious (of the nobility) of his ancestors — at which he says: I decree that you not toil with your own hands, and I will feed you (gratuitously). So, with all the lands, He gives them servants to serve them. Egypt drinks from the Nile; Bavel drinks from the Yuval. Not so Eretz Yisrael, but they (its inhabitants) sleep on their beds, and the Holy One Blessed be He brings down rain for them. To teach that not as the ways of flesh and blood are the ways of the Holy One Blessed be He. (A man of) flesh and blood acquires servants to feed and sustain him. But He who spoke and brought the world into being — He acquires servants for Himself, whom He Himself feeds and sustains.
And once it happened that R. Eliezer and R. Yehoshua and R. Tzaddok were seated at the (wedding) feast of R. Gamliel's son, when R. Gamliel poured a cup (of wine) for R. Elazar, who declined taking it, and for R. Yehoshua, who took it — whereupon R. Elazar said to him: What is this, Yohoshua? We are seated and R. Gamliel stands over us and serves us? R. Yehoshua: Let him serve. Abraham, the greatest man in the world served the ministering angels, (who came to visit him), thinking them to be Arab idolators, and R. Gamliel should not serve us? R. Tzaddok: You have forsaken the honor of the Lord, and you occupy yourselves with the honor of flesh and blood! He who spoke and brought the world into being causes the winds to blow, and raises vapors and clouds and brings down rains and nurtures growths and sets a table for each and every man — and Gamliel should not serve us?
You say that
this (see beginning of #38) is the intent of "It is not like the land of Egypt"? Perhaps it is because the land of Egypt is the "refuse" of all the lands that Scripture contrasts it with Eretz Yisrael. It is, therefore, written
(Bereshit 13:10) "like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt" — like the garden of the Lord for trees; like the land of Egypt for seeds.
— But perhaps it is being contrasted with its most demeaning feature; it is, therefore, written
(Vayikra 18:3) "in which you dwelt" — the
place in which you dwelt, of which it is written (
Ibid. 47:6) "In the best (part) of the land settle your father, etc." But perhaps it is being contrasted only with the time of its demeaning (i.e., its being smitten with the plagues). It is, therefore, written "from which you went out." When you were there, it was blessed because of you, but not now that you are not upon it.
And thus do you find, that wherever the righteous go, blessing comes in their wake. Israel went down to Gerar — blessing came to Gerar, viz.
(Bereshit 26:12) "And Israel sowed in that land, etc." Jacob went down to Lavan — blessing came down in his wake, viz. (
Ibid. 30:27) "I have found through divination that the Lord has blessed me for your sake." Joseph went down to Potifera — blessing came in his wake, viz. (
Ibid. 39:5) "and the Lord blessed the house of the Egyptian for Joseph's sake." Jacob went down to Pharaoh — blessing came down for his sake, viz. (
Ibid. 47:10) "And Jacob blessed Pharaoh." In what way did he bless him? In that years of famine were withheld from him. And after the death of Jacob they returned, as it is written (
Ibid. 50:21) "And now, do not fear, I (Joseph) will feed you and your little ones," and (
Ibid. 45;11) "And I will feed you there." Just as "feeding" there was in the (projected) years of famine, so, the "feeding" here (50:21) was in the years of famine, (the famine having returned with Jacob's death). These are the words of R. Yossi.
R. Shimon b. Yochai says: It is not
kiddush Hashem (sanctification of the name of G-d) for the words of the righteous to be in force in their lifetime and to be voided after their death. R. Elazar b. R. Shimon said; I subscribe to the words of R. Yossi rather than to father's words, that it
is kiddush Hashem. For so long as the righteous are in the world, blessing is in the world. When the righteous depart from the world, blessing departs from the world. And thus do you find with the ark of G-d, which went down to the house of Oved-edom the Gittite, for the sake of which he was blessed, viz.
(II Samuel 6:12) "And King David was told: The Lord has blessed the house of Oved-edom and all that he has because of the ark of G-d." Now does this not follow
a fortiori, viz.: If Oved-edom was blessed because of the ark, which was made neither for gain nor loss, but only for the fragments of the tablets within it, how much more so (is one blessed in the merit of) the righteous, for whose sake the world was created!
Our forefathers came to Eretz Yisrael — blessing came in their wake, viz.
(Devarim 6:11) "And (you will find) houses full of all good that you did not fill, and hewn cisterns, which you did not hew, etc." R. Shimon b. Yochai says: If it is written "houses full," "hewn cisterns," why need it be written "which you did not fill," "which you did not plant"? (To indicate) that it is not
you who filled or hewed or planted, but your merit. And thus do you find that all the forty years that Israel was in the desert, the men of Eretz Yisrael built houses, and dug holes, pits, and caves, and planted all kinds of fruit trees, so that when our forefathers came to Eretz Yisrael they would find it full of blessing. But because this blessing came to them (the inhabitants), I might think that they would eat and be sated; it is, therefore, written (
Ibid.) "and
you (Israel) shall eat and be sated." You will eat and be sated, and they will keep themselves, their sons, and their wives and daughters (from eating them) so that our forefathers come to the land and find everything full of blessing. This is as we have said (
Ibid. 11:10) "from which you went forth" — When you were there, it was blessed for your sakes, not as things are now, there being no blessing in it, as when you were there.
You say that this is the intent of the verse. But perhaps it is to liken this coming (i.e., your coming to Egypt) to that coming (i.e., your coming to Eretz Yisrael) — Just as the first was optional (and not mandatory), so, the second! It is, therefore, written "to inherit it." You are coming to inherit it. The difference between the first and the second — the coming to Egypt is optional; the coming to Eretz Yisrael is mandatory. In coming to Egypt, they did not count
shemitoth and
yovloth; in coming to Eretz Yisrael, they did. The land of Egypt, whether or not they did the will of the Lord — here is the land of Egypt for you! Not so the land of Canaan (Eretz Yisrael). If you do the will of the Lord, here is the land of Canaan for you. If not, you will be exiled from it. As it is written (
Ibid. 7:12) "And it shall be, if you hearken …
then the Lord will keep for you His oath," and
(Vayikra 18:28) "So that the land not vomit you out by your making it unclean."
[End of Piska]
וידעתם היום – תנו לב לדעת ולהבין ולקבל תוכחתי.