English translation — מסעי ב

A.

On the verse¹

"Command the children of Israel and say to them etc. This is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance, the land of Canaan according to its borders,"

Rashi explains - after quoting the words "This is the land that shall fall to you etc." - "Because many commandments apply in the Land and do not²

apply outside the Land, it was necessary to write the boundaries of its borders around,

to tell you: from these borders and inward the commandments apply."

And one must understand:

a)

From where does Rashi derive

(whose commentary is according to the plain meaning of Scripture, as is known)

that the reason that "it was necessary to write" the borders of the land before its conquest is so that the children of Israel would know after the conquest what is the place of the "commandments that are practiced in the land" — but simply, "it was necessary to write" the borders of the land regarding the matter of the conquest itself: to know³

until where are the borders of their inheritance in the land of Canaan that they must conquer⁴?

b)

What is the length and repetition of language in his commentary: "

(Because many commandments are practiced in the land)

and are not practiced outside the land...

to tell you, from these borders and inward the commandments are practiced"?

— It would have been appropriate for him to say in brief language: "Because many commandments are practiced in the land, it was necessary to write the boundaries of the borders of the sides around."

3)

Since Rashi comes to explain the reason that it was necessary to write the borders of the land,

it is understood that this explanation belongs and pertains

(also and primarily)

to the word "to its borders" that is at the end of the verse — and Rashi quotes the words "this is the land that shall fall to you",

which seemingly have no essential connection to his explanation,

and the word "to its borders" to which it refers is hinted at by "etc."?

2.

Afterwards Rashi quotes the words "shall fall to you" and explains: "Because it was divided by lot, the division is called by the expression 'falling'.

And another explanation says⁵

that the Holy One, blessed be He, cast down the princes of the seven⁶

nations from heaven and bound them before Moshe; He said to him, 'See, they have no more strength.'"

In simple terms, Rashi's intention is to settle

The phrase "תפול לכם": how does it fit to say "fall" in relation to the land?

And he answers "because it was divided by lot, it is called ...

... 'fall'."

And one must understand:

א)

According to Rashi "the land which will fall to you" meaning that it was divided by

(the falling)

lot — a matter not mentioned in this verse,

behold one can explain it simply: "This is the land which will fall to you" that the land — the land of Canaan will fall into your hands⁷

(into your possession),

and in this style it is fitting for "falling" also in relation to land⁸.

b)

Why does Rashi bring a second interpretation from another place

(that this is only in a place where according to the first interpretation there is a difficulty and lack of understanding — and especially since his second interpretation from another place is seemingly far from the simple meaning)

: which detail is more understood according to the other place that is not understood according to his first interpretation "that it was divided by lot etc."?

c.

And the explanation in all this:

If the intention in "And G‑d spoke etc. to the children of Israel etc. This is the land ..

by its borders"

was only so that the children of Israel should know what belongs to the Land of Israel and must conquer it⁹

and what is outside it,

it should have said "This is your inheritance in the land of Canaan by its borders" and no more; and since it also says "

(This is the land)

which shall fall to you",

which adds the matter of its being given and in a manner of "shall fall to you" — without action on your part,

rather a giving and falling by the Holy One, blessed be He

(a matter that does not pertain to the determination of the borders of the conquest of the land),

it is thus proven from this that his intention is for some other matter in the knowledge of the borders of the Land of Israel that pertains to the giving of the land by the Holy One, blessed be He,

namely that the obligation to know the borders of the land pertains

(also)

to a matter whose subject is towards heaven.

In addition to this, it is somewhat difficult: if we say that the intention in the announcement of the borders of the land is only so that Bnei Yisrael should know the portion of the land that they are obligated to conquer etc. — it should have been said to Yehoshua,

since it has already been said that Moshe does not bring Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael,

but rather Yehoshua

is the one who brought Bnei Yisrael into the land,

and he is the one who conquered it, and to him it would have been fitting to command regarding the details of the borders of the land that pertain to its conquest?

That is, that although the speech — like all the speeches — should have been to Moshe

— it should have said "Command Yehoshua"

(so that he should know the borders of the conquest

etc.)

— and why was Moshe commanded

"Command Bnei Yisrael and say to them etc.",

since this is not a matter that is given into the hand of each individual of Yisrael.

And therefore Rashi explains,

that what "it was necessary to write 'the borders of My boundaries around'"

(namely the details of the borders of the land)

is "because many commandments are practiced in the land,"

and therefore each of Bnei Yisrael must know its boundaries until where the place of their obligation is.

And based on this it will be sweetened that the command was specifically through Moshe: just as all the commandments in their details<sup>16</sup>,

also the commandments dependent on the land,

were said and transmitted to Bnei Yisrael through Moshe,

so too the borders of Eretz Yisrael — a detail and essential condition in the fulfillment of the commandments dependent on the land — had to be also specifically through Moshe.

And now it will be understood why Rashi did not also copy the word "to its borders" as above - because his main explanation is to emphasize that "he needed to write 'the boundaries of my borders of my winds'"

(not only for the conquest itself,

but mainly)

for the commandments that "are practiced in the Land",

as above,

and the necessity for this explanation of his comes specifically from the words "this is the land that shall fall to you",

as above.

4.

However, still one needs to understand: behold, also the land of Transjordan was conquered by the children of Israel and became the land of the children of Israel,

and as is explicit already¹⁷

that Transjordan is "our inheritance to us"

(of the children of Gad and Reuben)

like the rest of "the children of Israel, each man his inheritance from across the Jordan and beyond",

and if so, behold also its borders need to be clear¹⁸

in order to fulfill there the commandments practiced in the Land of the tribes of Israel¹⁹?

And therefore Rashi adds and emphasizes "

(Because many mitzvos are practiced in the Land)

and are not practiced outside the Land ..

to tell you: from these borders and inward the mitzvos are practiced,"

meaning,

that according to the simple meaning of the verse the mitzvos are practiced only within these borders of the Land of Israel,

but not outside them,

that is, also not on the other side of the Jordan²⁰.

5.

According to the above, it will be understood what Rashi continues in his commentary on "teipol lachem" and explains — "Because it was divided by lot, the division is called by the term 'falling'":

According to what is explained in Rashi above,

that the reason that it was necessary to write the borders of the land is in order "to tell you: from these borders and inward the commandments apply"; and that the necessity to explain thus is the language of the verse "the land which shall fall to you",

which implies that it is given to you from the Holy One, blessed be He,

and therefore you are obligated in it in several commandments that do not apply outside the land as above - if so, it is not understood why the Torah used the expression "fall",

(whose content

is falling and deficiency - simply according to its plain meaning)

and did not say in the expression "which shall arise for you" and as it is written "and the field of Ephron arose"<sup>21</sup>.

(For it could be said that if we were to explain that the reason it was necessary to write the borders of the land is only in order to know how far to conquer

(and so forth),

it would be possible to explain "this is the land that shall fall to you" - shall fall into your possession,

but since it is impossible to explain thus,

as above,

but rather the reason is "to tell you" the place of the fulfillment of the commandments dependent on the land,

then according to this the explanation of "this is the land that shall fall to you" is that it shall fall

(and be given)

to you from the Holy One, blessed be He,

therefore it is a special place for commandments that are not practiced outside it - then the question remains as above: why did the verse use the expression of falling, which is the opposite of rising and ascending)?

And to settle this difficulty Rashi explains that the wording "shall fall to you" is "because it was divided by lot, the division is called by the expression of falling",

that is, "shall fall" does not speak about the land as a whole,

but rather about its division

(into tribes)

that only this

(and not the conquest)

was by lot,

and because the division was by the casting of the lot "the division is called by the expression of falling"²².

But according to this it is difficult<sup>23</sup>,

for the discussion is not

at the beginning of this portion regarding its division of the land for each tribe<sup>24</sup>,

but rather about the conquest of the land of Canaan entirely,

which is the inheritance of all Israel

(and the borders are those between the entirety of the Land of Israel and outside the Land),

and if so, how can it be said that the intention of "shall fall

(the land)

to you"

(to all Israel)

is for the division of the land to each tribe individually by lot<sup>25</sup>?

And furthermore, and mainly: it should have said "which shall come up for you" which is also a term of lot, and moreover: a)

specifically this term we already learned

(in the lot of Yom Kippur).

b)

here it discusses the determination of the division by the lot

(and as it is written "by the lot shall you divide" etc.)

and this is in its rising up and not at the time that they cast the lot.

And Rashi already explained in our matter<sup>26</sup>

: and the lot etc. of such and such tribe comes up, such and such boundary comes up with it.

- in order to also indicate the rising and elevation that occurs in the land*<sup>26</sup>?

And therefore Rashi brings a commentary from Midrash Aggadah that "by means of that the Holy One, blessed be He, cast down the princes of

the seven nations and bound them before Moshe etc."

And based on this, the phrase "tappol" is settled also regarding the entirety of the land²⁷.

And on the other hand,

this second explanation is not sufficient,

because it is far from the plain meaning of the verses and only "Aggadah",

for there is no hint of all this matter in the plain sense of the verse.

In addition to this, it is a great difficulty to explain "teipol" thus: a)

According to the Midrash Aggadah, "teipol" refers to the prince and not to the land — and according to the plain simple meaning, "teipol lachem" refers to "zot ha'aretz".

b)

In the verse it says "teipol" in the future tense,

and in the Midrash Aggadah it explains "shehipil" in the past tense²⁸.

And therefore Rashi brings the first explanation — and even more so the first one,

because it is the primary one.

6.

"the taste of Torah" in this Rashi:

"Land" refers to the Congregation of Israel²⁹,

and "this is the land that shall fall to you" refers to the descent of the soul below,

which descent — since it is not in order and gradation but rather from a high roof to a deep pit — is like a fall.

And Rashi hints: "Because many mitzvos are practiced in the Land, etc., from these borders and inward the mitzvos are practiced" — the intention in this descent and fall is in order to fulfill practical mitzvos that are "dependent on the Land"

And specifically within the "borders" of this physical land³⁰.

And through the soul descending below and fulfilling the practical mitzvos,

behold, in addition to this that it completes the intention of its descent to rectify the body and the animal soul³¹,

here, from the aspect of the superiority that is in practical mitzvos

(in their own essence)³²,

it is elevated with a tremendous elevation — more than it was before its descent³³.

But based on this it needs to be understood: since through the fulfillment of the mitzvos below an elevation is made in the soul,

if so, why is it said “Tipo’l lachem” [“it will fall to you”] in the language of falling?

And Rashi explains: "Because the land was divided by lot, division is called 'falling'."

In this is hinted: through the descent of the soul below into the body and the animal soul,

that the love and fear that are in the soul are in a state of falling relative to the revelation of love and fear that the soul had before its descent below³⁴,

behold, specifically through this falling it reaches³⁵

to a service that is above time and space, which comes

from the aspect of "lot" in the soul — that is, the essence of the soul³⁶.

And Rashi continues, "And another interpretation says, through that the Holy One, blessed be He, cast down their princes ...

and bound them before Moses, etc.,"

And this is: a)

that through the fulfillment of the commandments in the Land b)

and that His service is above nature

(which illuminates within him the aspect of "lot" in the soul),

behold, the Holy One, blessed be He, casts down and binds

all the preventers and hinderers,

and then easily he can conquer the Land and make for Him, blessed be He, a dwelling place in the lower realms,

for then the entire world will be in the likeness of the Land of Israel, of which it says, "the eyes of the Lord your God are upon it from the beginning of the year until the end of the year"³⁸,

and as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: In the future, the Land of Israel will spread over the entire world³⁹.

(From sichos of Shabbos Parshas Massei-U’Matos 5726,

5730)