[Par-lite] for Parshat masei
Menachem Leibtag
tsc at bezeqint.net
Tue Jul 6 13:42:21 EDT 2010
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THE TANACH STUDY CENTER [http://www.tanach.org]
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag
Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem Leibtag
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PARSHAT MAS'EI
The Borders of the Land of Israel
l
What are the precise borders of the Land of Israel?
From the story of Bnei Gad & Reuven in Parshat Matot
(chapter 32), it seems as though the borders of Israel are
rather 'expandable', while in Parshat Mas'ei (chapter 33)
they
appear to be quite fixed. In the following shiur, we
examine
the biblical roots of this complicated topic.
INTRODUCTION
Two clichés, both based on psukim in Tanach, are
commonly
used to describe the expanse of the borders of the Land of
Israel:
(A) 'from the Nile to the Euphrate'
(B) 'from Dan to Beer Sheva'
The discrepancy between these two borders is immense!
According to (A), Eretz Yisrael encompasses almost the
entire
Middle East, while according to (B), Israel is a tiny
country
not much bigger than the state of Rhode Island.
So which cliché is more 'correct'?
THE BORDERS IN PARSHAT MAS'EI
We begin our study with chapter 34 in Parshat Mas'ei,
for
it contains what appears to be a very precise description
of
the borders of the Land of Israel:
"And God spoke to Moshe saying: Command Bnei Yisrael and
tell them, when you enter Eretz Canaan, this is the land
which shall become your inheritance - Eretz Canaan
according to its borders. Your southern border, from
Midbar Tzin... " (see 34:1-13).
Over the centuries, many attempts have been made to
identify each location mentioned in this chapter. In
regard
to the eastern and western borders, i.e. the Mediterranean
Sea
(34:6) and the Jordan River (34:11-12), there really isn't
much to argue about. In regard to the southern border,
most
commentators agree that it follows a line from the
southern
tip of the Dead Sea until El-Arish, i.e. slight south of
the
Beer Sheva-Gaza line in the northern part of the Negev.
However, in regard to the northern border, we find a
variety
of opinions:
The 'minimalist' opinions identify the northern
border in
the area of today's Southern Lebanon, i.e. along the
Litani
River - until it meets the Metulla area (what used to be
called the 'good fence'). On the other hand, the
'maximalist' opinions identify the northern border
somewhere
up in Turkey and Northern Syria.
THE EASTERN FRONTIER
To complicate matters, the 'eastern border' of the Land
of
Israel presents us with another problem. Even though
Parshat
Mas'ei states explicitly that the Jordan river forms the
eastern border of Eretz Canaan, the 'deal' that Moshe
Rabbeinu
makes with 'bnei Gad u-bnei Reuven' (see 31:1-54) clearly
indicates that that it is possible to expand this eastern
border to include what is known today as Transjordan.
As you review that story, note how Moshe Rabbeinu
grants
the area of Transjordan to the tribes of Gad, Reuven, and
Menashe as their official inheritance - even though it's
only
on the condition that they fulfill their vow to help
everyone
else conquer the western bank! [The fact that this area
indeed becomes their 'official inheritance' can also be
proven
from Yehoshua chapters 13->14, and 22.]
====
So why are the borders of Eretz Yisrael so ambiguous?
Are
they vast or small? Are they fixed or expandable? Are
certain parts of the 'Holy Land' holier than others?
To answer this question, and to understand why this
topic
is so complicated, we must return to Sefer Breishit and
carefully examine the psukim that describe the land that
God
promised to the Avot.
THE LAND PROMISED TO AVRAHAM AVINU
Recall from Parshat Lech Lecha, that when God first
chose
Avraham Avinu to become His special nation, at that same
time
He also promised him a special land. [See Breishit
12:1-7.
See also Breishit 13:14-17, 15:18, 17:7-8.]
[If you'd like to see additional sources regarding the
promise of the Land to our forefathers, see Breishit
22:17-18, 26:2-5, 28:3-4, 28:13-14, 35:11-12, 46:1-4,
48:4 & 21.]
In God's first three promises to Avraham, note how He
describes the land in very general terms, without any
precise
borders. For example:
1) In Ur Kasdim:
"Go forth from your native land & from your father's
house to the land which I will show you" (see 12:1).
2) At Shchem:
"I will assign this land to your offspring" (see
12:7).
3) At Bet-El:
"Raise your eyes and look out from where you are... for
I
give all the land which you see" (see 13:15).
However, later on in Parshat Lech Lecha, when Avraham
Avinu enters into two covenants ['britot'] with God
concerning
the future homeland of his progeny, we finally find a more
detailed definition of the land. However, as we will now
show, each covenant appears to describe a different set of
borders!
1) At BRIT BEIN HA-BTARIM: / 'HA-ARETZ'
Let's begin by quoting the pasuk in 'brit bein
ha-btarim'
where God promised the Land to Avraham, noting how it
details
the borders:
"On that day God made a covenant with Avraham, saying:
to
your offspring I assign this land, from the river of
Egypt [the Nile] to the river, the river Euphrates, the
Kenites, Knizites ...(the ten nations)" (Breishit
15:18-20).
The land defined by these borders is immense! It
extends
in the northeast from the Euphrates River that flows from
northern Syria to the Persian Gulf, and in the southwest
from
the sources of the Nile River in Ethiopia down to the port
city of Alexandria! [Undoubtedly, this covenant is the
source
for the popular phrase 'from the Nile to the Euphrates'.]
2) At BRIT MILA: / 'ERETZ CANAAN'
Two chapters later in Sefer Breishit, we find how God
enters yet another covenant with Avraham, and once again
He
mentions the land as part of that covenant, yet its
description is quite different:
"And I shall establish My covenant between Me and you,
and your descendants... and I assign the land in which
you sojourn to you and your offspring to come, all the
land of Canaan,..., and I shall be for you a God" (see
17:7-8).
Note how according to this covenant, the 'promised
land'
is much smaller. Although this is the first time in
Chumash
where we find the expression Eretz Canaan, the borders of
Canaan, son of Cham, have already been described in
Parshat
Noach:
"And the border of the Canaani was from Sidon (the
Litani
valley in Lebanon) down the coastal plain to Grar and
Gaza, [and likewise from Sidon (down the Syrian African
Rift)] to Sdom, Amora... [area of the Dead Sea]"
(see Breishit 10:19).
[Note that this is the only border which is detailed in
the genealogies of Breishit chapter 10, most probably
because it is needed as background information to later
understand Parshat Lech Lecha!]
This biblical definition of Eretz Canaan correlates
(more
or less) with the general locale in which the forefathers
sojourned - 'eretz megurecha' (see 17:8). In the various
stories in Sefer Breishit, we find how the Avot lived [and
traveled] in the area bounded by Beer Sheva and Gerar to
the
south (see 21:22-33, 28:10, 46:1), and the area of Shchem
and
Dotan (37:12-17) to the north. Further north, recall as
well
how Avraham chased his enemy as far north as Dan, in his
battle against the Four Kings (see Breishit 14:14)!
[Undoubtedly, this border reflects the popular phrase:
'from Dan to Beer Sheva'. This phrase is used several
times later in Tanach to define the people living in the
Land of Israel. For example: "And all of Israel, from
Dan to Beer Sheva, knew that Shmuel was a
trustworthy..."
(See Shmuel Aleph 3:20, see also Shoftim 20:1 and
Melachim Aleph 5:4-5).
TWO BORDERS / TWO TYPES OF KEDUSHA
In summary, the source for the conflicting borders of
Eretz Yisrael appears to lie in these two different
definitions of the Land, one in brit bein ha-btarim and
the
other in brit mila. Therefore, we assume that these
different
borders reflect the different purpose of each covenant.
To appreciate their difference, we must return to our
study
of Sefr Breishit, and the purpose of those two covenants.
In our study of Sefer Breishit, we discussed its theme
of
'bechira' - i.e. how God entered a relationship with
Avraham
Avinu in order that his offspring would become a 'model
nation' in a special land, whose purpose would be to bring
the
'Name of God' to all mankind. Towards that goal, God
fortified that special relationship with two covenants -
'brit
bein ha-btarim' and 'brit mila', each one reflecting a
different aspect of the future relationship between God
and
His nation.
The very first time that God spoke to Avraham, He had
already 'promised' the concept of a nation and a land (see
12:1-8, 13:14-17). However, the details of how that
nation
would form and ultimately inherit the land only unfold
several
chapters later.
BRIT BEIN HA-BTARIM
After Avraham's military defeat of the Four Kings
(and
hence his first conquest of the Land / see chapter 14),
chapter 15 describes how God initiates a 'covenant' -
better
known as brit bein ha-btarim - that reinforces His
original
promise from chapter 12. However, even though that
covenant
reassures Avraham that his offspring will indeed conquer
('yerusha') the Land one day; God also informs Avraham at
that
time that it won't happen immediately! Instead, some four
hundred years will pass, during which his offspring must
endure slavery in a foreign land; and only afterward will
they
gain their independence and conquer the 'promised land'.
[See
Breishit 15:1-19, especially 13-18.]
As you review the psukim that describe brit bein ha-
btarim, note how the land is consistently referred to as
'ha-
aretz' (and not Eretz Canaan!), and its borders will
extend
from the 'Nile to the Euphrates' - the land of [then
occupied
by] the ten nations (see 15:18-20).
Hence we conclude that this covenant reflects the
historical / national aspect of Am Yisrael's relationship
with
God, for it emphasizes that Avraham's children will become
a
sovereign nation at the conclusion of a long historical
process (better known as Yetziat Mitzrayim).
Finally, note as well that throughout this covenant, the
word yerusha is consistently used to describe the future
conquest of the land, and Hashem's Name is 'shem Havaya'.
BRIT MILA (Breishit chapter 17)
Several years later, immediately prior to the birth
of
his only son from Sarah, God enters yet another covenant
with
Avraham - better know as brit mila. In preparation for
this
covenant, God first changes Avram's name to Avraham and
then
promises that He will enjoy a special relationship with
his
offspring - 'lihyot lachem le-Elokim' - to be 'a close God
for
them'. [See Breishit 17:3-9.]
This covenant seems to reflect a more 'personal'
relationship between God and His people, not only at the
national level, but more so at the personal - family
level; a
special intimacy with the Divine. In this covenant, note
how
the Promised Land is referred to as Eretz Canaan", and the
future inheritance of the land is referred to as 'achuza'
(in
contrast to the use of the word 'yerusha' in brit bein ha-
btarim).
Hence, we can conclude that there are two aspects in
regard to the 'kedusha' (sanctity) of Eretz Yisrael:
(A) The NATIONAL aspect
The 'kedushat ha-aretz' of brit bein ha-btarim
relates to
the conquest of the land (yerushat ha-aretz) and the
establishment of a national entity - a sovereign state.
This
kedusha is only realized once Bnei Yisrael attain
sovereignty,
as was the case in the time of Yehoshua. For example, the
obligation to give tithe from the land (i.e. 'trumot u-
ma'asrot') only begins once the land is conquered.
[See Rambam, Hilchot Trumot, first
chapter!]
(B) The PERSONAL aspect -
The kedushat Eretz Canaan of brit mila already
existed in
the time of the Avot and remains eternal. This kedusha
reflects God's special Providence over this land (see
Vayikra
chapter 18), no matter who is living in the land. This
intrinsic kedusha is forever present no matter who is
sovereign over the Land, be it Persians, Romans,
Crusaders,
Turks, British etc. [Let's hope that there will not be a
need
to add any others to this list in our own generation.]
The following table summarizes our analysis thus far:
THE VAST BORDERS THE LIMITED BORDERS
================ ===================
PHRASE: Nile to the Euphrates from Dan to Beer Sheva
COVENANT: Brit bein Ha-btarim Brit mila
NAME: ha-aretz Eretz Canaan
ASPECT: National Personal
ACQUIRED BY: yerusha=sovereignty achuza
YERUSHA & ACHUZA
To clarify this distinction, let's take a closer look
at
two key words that describe our acquisition of Eretz
Yisrael
in each covenant:
(A) In brit bein ha-btarim - yerusha
(Br.15:3,4,7,8);
(B) In brit mila - achuza (Br.17:8).
In Chumash, the word 'ye-ru-sha' implies conquest,
which
leads to sovereignty, i.e. military control over an area
of
land. [Not to be confused with its popular usage, 'ye-ru-
sheh', usually referring to an inheritance that one
receives
from a parent.]
This sovereign power can then apportion that land, or
sell it, to its inhabitants. Once acquired in this
manner,
the purchaser of this land can then sell or give his
portion
to anyone he may choose. Usually, if the owner dies, the
land
is automatically inherited by his next of kin. In
Chumash,
this type of ownership is known as achuza (and/or
nachala).
For example, when Sarah dies Avraham must acquire an
'achuzat kever' - a family burial plot (see Breishit
23:4).
He must first purchase the plot from the Hittites, for at
that
time they are the sovereign power. Accordingly:
(A) Brit bein ha-btarim, the national aspect, uses the
word yerusha for it foresees Am Yisrael's conquest of
the
Land.
(B) Brit mila uses the word achuza for it emphasizes
one's personal connection to the land.
AT THE CROSSROADS OF THE MIDDLE EAST
Based on our understanding of these two covenants,
their
conflicting borders can be reconciled.
Avraham Avinu was chosen to be a nation that would
become
a blessing for all nations (see Br. 12:3). In that
promise,
the special land set aside for that nation is called
ha-aretz.
In brit bein ha-btarim, ha-aretz is defined as the land
between the Nile and Euphrates. These two rivers don't
necessarily need to be understood as borders; rather as
'limits' of expansion! Let's explain why.
Never in the history of mankind have these rivers
marked
the border between two countries. Instead, these rivers
were
the underlying cause for the formation of thohe two
centers of
ancient civilization - i.e. Mesopotamia ('nehar Prat') and
Egypt ('nehar Mitzrayim'). [See 15:18-21.]
Therefore, as brit bein ha-btarim reflects the
national
aspect of our relationship with God, its borders - or the
'limits of its expansion' - reflect our nation's destiny
to
become a blessing to all mankind. We are to become a
nation
'declaring God's Name' at the crossroads of the two great
centers of civilization. The location of this land
between
these two rivers enables that goal, and hence reflects
this
aspect of our nation purpose.
THE 'KERNEL'
The more precise geographic borders of this special
land
are defined in brit mila as Eretz Canaan - 'the land in
which
our forefathers sojourned'. Because this land is destined
to
become the homeland for God's special nation, it possesses
intrinsic kedusha. It is this sanctity which makes the
land
sensitive to the moral behavior of any of its inhabitants
(see
Vayikra 18:1-2,24-28).
Hence, the most basic borders of Eretz Yisrael are
those
of 'Eretz Canaan', i.e. 'from Dan to Beer Sheva', as
promised
in brit mila. These borders constitute a natural
geographic
area; Eretz Canaan is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea on
the
West, the Negev desert on the South, the Syrio-African
Rift
(Jordan River) to the East, and the Lebanon Mountain Range
to
the North [the Litani River valley].
Once this 'kernel' area is conquered, in potential
its
borders can be (but do not have to be) extended. The
limits
of this expansion - from nehar Mitzrayim to nehar Prat (as
set
in brit bein ha-btarim) could be understood as 'limits'
rather
than 'borders'; as each river represents a center of
ancient
civilization.
After conquering Eretz Canaan, Am Yisrael can, if
necessary, expand its borders by continuous settlement
outward, up until (but not including) the two ancient
centers
of civilization, Egypt and Mesopotamia.
EXPANDING KEDUSHA
This interpretation explains why Transjordan does not
acquire kedushat ha-aretz until Eretz Canaan is conquered.
Bnei Gad & Reuven must first help conquer the 'kernel'
area of
Eretz Canaan. Afterwards, this kedusha can be 'extended'
to
Transjordan. [Note the use of the phrase 'lifnei Hashem'
in
Bamidbar chapter 32, especially in 32:29-30.]
When Bnei Gad & Reuven follow the terms of their
agreement with Moshe, not only do they help Bnei Yisrael
conquer Eretz Canaan, they also facilitate Transjordan
becoming an integral part of Eretz Yisrael ('ha-aretz').
THE RAMBAM's DEFINITION OF ERETZ YISRAEL
In his Yad HaChazaka, the Rambam must provide a
'halachic" definition of Eretz Yisrael, for many mitzvot
apply
only in that Land. He does so in the first chapter of
Hilchot
Trumot & Ma'asrot [in Sefer Zraim]
As trumot & ma'asrot are laws that apply only in
Eretz
Yisrael, the Rambam must provide a precise definition of
its
borders. Although one would expect a geographical
definition,
to our surprise we find instead a 'political' one!
"Eretz Yisrael - whenever which is mentioned anywhere
(in Yad
Hachazaka) - includes those lands that are conquered by
a
King of Israel or by a 'navi' with the backing of the
majority of Am Yisrael ..." (see I:1-2).
Note how Rambam defines the borders of Eretz Yisrael
as
the area under Israeli 'conquest' [= yerusha]. Whatever
area
within the Land is under Am Yisrael's sovereignty is
considered 'halachically' as Eretz Yisrael.
Based on the above shiur, we can understand the
reason
for this strange definition.
Certainly, Jewish sovereignty doesn't make any
geographic
area 'holy'. As Rambam himself explains in the third
halacha,
it is only if this conquest takes place within an area of
'the
land that was promised to Avraham Avinu - i.e. the borders
of
Eretz Canaan as promised to Avraham at brit mila, and
defined
in Parshat Mas'ei. However, this area reaches it fullest
level of kedusha only once Am Yisrael conquers it.
Then, once this 'kernel' area is conquered, Am
Yisrael
can expand its borders up until Bavel [= nehar Prat] and
Mitzrayim [= nehar Mitzrayim]. However, as Rambam
explains in
the third halacha, this expansion can take place only
after
the 'kernel' area of Eretz Canaan is first conquered.
Finally, in the fifth halacha, Rambam uses this to
explain why the kedusha of the Land [= 'kibbush rishon']
was
annulled when the first bet ha-mikdash was destroyed.
Because
the kedusha of the land (in relation to trumot u-ma'asrot)
is
a function of its conquest (yerusha or 'mi-shum kibbush'),
therefore as soon as Bnei Yisrael lost their sovereignty,
the
kedusha of the land was lost as well ['batla kedushatah'].
Similarly, during the second Temple period, because the
land
was not conquered, rather it remained under the
sovereignty of
other nations (e.g. Persia, Greece and Rome), the kedusha
never returned. Instead, Ezra instituted a rabbinic
kedusha
to obligate the produce of the land with trumot
u-ma'asrot,
because the original kedusha did not return.
I recommend that you review this Rambam inside (see
also
the final halacha of perek aleph), and note how these laws
relate directly to the primary points of our shiur.
'LAND FOR PROGRESS'
We have shown that our relationship to the Land of
Israel, just as our relationship with God, exists at both
the
national and individual level. God chose this special land
in
order that we fulfill our destiny.
While kedushat Eretz Yisrael at the individual level
may
be considered a Divine gift, its kedusha at the national
level
is most definitely a Divine challenge. To achieve its
fullest
borders and to be worthy of them, we must rise to that
challenge.
shabbat shalom,
menachem
======================
FOR FURTHER IYUN
A. MITZVAT KIBBUSH ERETZ CANAAN
Our interpretation enhances our understanding of the
Torah's presentation of the mitzva to conquer Eretz
Yisrael in
Parshat Mas'ei (Bamidbar 33:50-56). First, Bnei Yisrael
are
commanded to conquer the land = yerusha:
(A) "ve-horashtem et kol yoshvei ha-aretz
mipneichem...
ve-horashtem et ha-aretz vi-yshavtem bah, ki lachem
natati et ha-aretz lareshet otah."
Only once the land is conquered, can it then be
apportioned to
each family, according to the tribal households:
(B) "ve-hitnachaltem et ha-aretz be-goral le-
mishpechoteichem... le-matot avoteichem titnachalu..."
The conquest is referred to as 'ye-ru-sha'', while
the
distribution of the land afterward is referred to as
'nachala':
Yerusha is achieved by the joint effort of military
effort by all twelve tribes [Yehoshua chapters 1-12].
Afterwards, nachala is achieved when each tribe settles
and
establishes communities in its portion [Yehoshua chapters
13-
19].
Note that the word nachala could be considered
synonymous
with achuza; achuza is usually used when purchasing a
piece of
land, as when Avraham buys a burial plot and field from
Efron
(see Br. 23:9,16-20), while nachala is usually used in
reference to a family inheritance.]
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