Pisqa’ 37

1

“And as a result of obeying these laws . . .

¹

then HASHEM your God will keep the covenant . . .” (Dt.7:12).²

“For the Land you are about to enter and possess is not like the land of Egypt” (Dt.11:10).

Look! This was stated to calm Israel at the hour they left Egypt.

For they were saying:

what if we do not enter a land as lovely as this?

Said the All-Present to them:
“For the Land you are about to enter and possess is not like the land of Egypt” (Dt.11:10).

This explains that

the Land of Israel is more praiseworthy than Egypt.

2

Does the verse really speak in praise of the Land of Israel?

Or, perhaps, it speaks in praise of the Land of Egypt!

The Teaching states:

“And Hebron was built seven years before Zoan of Egypt” (Nu.13:22).³

What was Zoan?

The center of government.⁴

And, similarly He says:

“Its officials were in Zoan” (Is.30:4).

What was Hebron?

The trash-heap of the Land of Israel,

for it is stated:

“Rebellious⁵ Kiryath-arba, which is Hebron” (Gn.35:27).

Now, look—

doesn’t it follow logically:

If Hebron is the trash-heap of the Land of Israel,

yet the Land of Israel is praised

with praises worthy of the land of Egypt—

which, you see, is more praiseworthy

than all other lands [as at Gn.13:10]—

the logical conclusion is that

the Land of Israel is most praiseworthy of all lands!

And should you claim:

The one who built Zoan did not build Hebron,

the Teaching states:

“And the sons of Ham: Kush, Egypt, Put and Canaan” (Gn.10:6).

Ham, since he built this [Zoan of Egypt],

must have built that [Hebron]!⁶

Is it possible that he built [Zoan,] the shabby one,

and afterward built [Hebron,] the fine one?

Rather, he built the fine one,

and afterward built the shabby one!

3

An analogy—

a person built two banquet halls,

one fine and the other shabby.

He does not first build the shabby one

and only afterward build the fine one;

rather, he builds the fine one,

and only afterward builds the shabby one,

for the trash from the first

can be used in the second.⁷

Therefore—since Hebron was

more praiseworthy than Tzoan,

it was built first.

And so do you find

concerning the ways of the All-Present—

whatever is most beloved

precedes its counterpart

[in the sequence of Creation].

Torah—

because it is more beloved than anything else,

was created before anything else,

for it is said:

“HASHEM created (qanani)⁸ Me at the beginning of His way,

the first of His deeds of old” (Prov.8:22).

And He says:

“From eternity was I fashioned, at the beginning” (Prov.8:23).

The Holy Abode—

because it is more beloved than any shrine,

was created (nivr’a)⁹ prior to any other,

for it is said:

“Throne of Glory!

Exalted from the beginning, our Holy Place!” (Jer.17:12).

The Land of Israel—

because it is more beloved than any other land,

was created (nivr’eit) prior to any other,

for it is said:

“Before He made (`asah) the land and fields . . . the dust of the world” (Prov.8:26).

“the land”—this refers to other lands;

“fields”—this refers to the wastelands;

“the world”—this refers to the Land of Israel.

4

1. Shimon b. Yohai says:

“The world” (Prov.8:26)—

this refers to the Land of Israel,

for it is said:

“Delighting in the world of His Land” (Prov.8:31).

Why is it called “the world?” (tevel)

Because it is more savory (metubelet) than other lands.¹⁰

As we know, with other lands,

what this one has, the other lacks;

and what this one lacks, the other has.

But the Land of Israel lacks for nothing!

As it is said:

“You will lack for nothing within it!” (Dt.8:9).

Another word:

“The land”(Prov.8:31)—

this refers to other lands.

“fields” (Prov.8:26)—

this refers to the deserts.

“the world” (Prov.8:31)—

this refers to the Land of Israel.

Why is it called “the world? (tevel)”

Because of the spice (tevel) within it.¹¹

Now, which spice is within it?

This is Torah,

for it is said:

“Among the gentiles there is no Torah” (Lam.2:9).

On this basis [it is taught]:

the Torah is in the Land of Israel.

5

And so you find regarding Sennacherib.

When he came to seduce Israel into surrender,

what did he say to them?

“Make your peace with me . . .

before I come and take you to a land like your Land” (2 Ki.18:31-32).

We don’t find it written:

“To a land lovelier than your Land.”

Rather, the verse states:

“To a land like your Land”.

Doesn’t it follow logically?

If a person coming to praise his own land

does not denigrate the Land of Israel,

isn’t it only logical

for Moses to praise the Land of Israel

[by comparing it favorably to Egypt]!

1. Shimon b. Yohai says:

Sennacherib was a bumbler

and didn’t know how to seduce!

An analogy—

a certain fellow went to betroth a woman.

He said to her:

your father is a king and I am a king;

your father is rich, and I am rich;

your father feeds you meat and fish

and gives you aged wine to drink;

and I will feed you meat and fish

and give you aged wine to drink.

This is no seduction!

How should he win her favor?

By saying to her:

your father is a commoner, but I am a king;

your father is a pauper, but I am rich;

your father feeds you greens and beans,

but I will feed you meat and fish;

your father gives you new wine to drink,

but I will give you aged wine to drink;

your father brings you to the baths on foot,

but I will bring you on a litter.

Doesn’t it follow logically?

If a person coming to praise his own land

does not denigrate the Land of Israel,

it is only logical

for Moses to praise the Land of Israel!

6

Look at what He says:

“The Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, but the Amorites call it Senir” (Dt.3:9).

Yet, in another place He says:

“until Mt. Sion, which is Hermon” (Dt.4:48).

It turns out that the same place

is called by four names!

Now why do the world’s creatures need to know this?

Only because four kingdoms clashed over it,

this one saying:

let it be named after me,

and that one saying:

let it be named after me!

Now, doesn’t it follow logically?

If four kingdoms clashed over

the trash-heaps of the mountains of Israel,

it is only logical

for Moses to praise the Land of Israel!

And similarly you say:

“And Dannah and Kiriath-sannah, which is Debir” (Josh.15:49)—

yet in another place He says:

“And the former name of Debir was Kiriath-Sepher” (Josh.15:15).

It turns out that the same place

is called by three names!

Now why do the world’s creatures need to know this?

Only because three kingdoms clashed over it,

this one saying:

let it be called after me,

and that one saying:

let it be called after me!

Now, doesn’t it follow logically?

If three kingdoms clashed over

the trash-heaps of the cities of Israel,

it is only logical

for Moses to praise the Land of Israel!

And similarly you say:

“Ascend to this Mt. Abarim, Mt. Nebo” (Dt.32:49).

Yet in another place He says:

“Ascend to the top of Pisgah” (Dt.3:27).

It turns out that the same place

is called by three names!

Now why do the world’s creatures need to know this?

Only because three kingdoms clashed over it,

this one saying:

let it be called after me,

and that one saying:

let it be called after me!

Now, doesn’t it follow logically?

If three kingdoms clashed over

the trash-heaps of the mountains of Israel,

it is only logical

for Moses to praise the Land of Israel!

7

Look at what He says!

“And I gave you a desirable Land,

a dear inheritance, among the masses of nations” (Jer.3:19).—

a Land of many villas for kings and governors.

Indeed, any king or governor

who acquires nothing in the Land of Israel—

he says:

I’ve achieved nothing!

1. Judah says:¹²

Now—had all the thirty one [Canaanite] kings¹³

ever been to the Land of Israel?

Rather, it was the way things are done nowadays in Rome.

Any king or governor who acquires nothing in Rome—

he says: I’ve achieved nothing!

So too any king or governor

who acquired no palaces

or villas in the Land of Israel—

he says: I’ve achieved nothing!

8

“A dear (tzevi)¹⁴ inheritance” (Jer.3:19)—

just as your typical deer (tzevi) is more fleet of foot

than all the other domestic and wild beasts,

so too the fruit of the Land of Israel

ripens more quickly than the fruit of other lands.

Another word:

Just as your typical deer is skinned

but its skin does not stick to the flesh,

so too the Land of Israel

does not withhold its fruit

as long as Israel observes the Torah.

Just as your typical deer is easier to digest

than all the other domestic and wild beasts,

so too the fruit of the Land of Israel

is easier to digest

than that of other lands.

If they are easier to digest,

can they be creamy-rich as well?

The Teaching states:

“A land dripping with milk and honey” (Dt.11:9)—

its fruits as creamy-rich as milk, and sweet as honey.

9

And so He says:

“My beloved had a vineyard in a rich corner (qeren ben shamein)” (Is.5:1)—

just as your ox has upon its body

nothing higher than its horns (qarnaw)¹⁵

so too the Land of Israel

is higher than all the lands.

Or [perhaps the point is just the opposite]?

Just as your ox has upon its body

no part of less value than its horns,

so too the Land of Israel

is of less value than other lands?

The Teaching states:

“In a rich corner (Is.5:1)”—

indicating that the Land of Israel is rich.

This teaches you that

what is higher than its counterpart

is more praiseworthy than its counterpart.

The Land of Israel,

because it is higher than all, is more praiseworthy than all!

For it is said:

“Let us ascend and take possession of it” (Nu.13:30),

“And they ascended and scouted out the Land” (Nu. 13:21),

“And they ascended from the south” (Nu.13:22),

“And they ascended from Egypt” (Gn.45:25).

10

The Holy Abode,

which is higher than all [shrines],

is more praiseworthy than all [shrines],

for it is said:

“Now arise and ascend to the place” (Dt.17:8).

And He says:

“And many people came and said: Come let us ascend

the mount of the Abode of HASHEM” (Is.2:3).

And He says:

“Let us ascend Zion, to HASHEM, our God” (Jer.31:6).

1. H:69-73; JN1:107-111.
2. This verse initiates parashat `Eqev in the MT, but is not subject to midrashic exegesis in Sifre Dt. Here it functions to announce the quid pro quo character of the deuteronomic covenant.
3. The verse might suggest that Hebron, being built before Zoan, is deemed superior. This suggestion is now dismissed. As a political capitol, Zoan of Egypt is superior to the “trash-heaps of Hebron!”
4. Cf.Pisqa’ 3.3 with regard to Edrei (Dt.1:4), which is also labelled a “center of government” (maqom malchut).
5. Heb: mamrei. “Mamrei” is another name for Kiryat-arba. The midrashic reading exploits the fact that the root, m-r-y, from which “Mamrei” is formed, means “rebellious” (cf. Dt.9:7: mamrim)
6. See F:69, n. 11: “One can assume that Ham built his capitol, Zoan, for his oldest son, Egypt; he then built Hebron for his youngest son, Canaan.”
7. The material in small type is lacking in many mss of Sifre. See F:70, n.1.
8. The root-stem, q-n-h, can mean “create” or “acquire” depending upon context.
9. The root-stem, b-r-‘, is preferred by the creation narrative of Gn. 1:1ff.
10. Cf. ARNA:37. The root, b-l-l, (“to mix”) stands behind both tevel (“world”) metubal (“spiced”) providing the assonance so crucial to the paronomasia of the exegeses at Pisqa’ 37.6-7.
11. Cf. ARNA:37.
12. See Pisqa’ 353.6 for a parallel version of R. Judah’s teaching.
13. They are listed at Joshua 12:9-24.
14. The double-entendre based on tzevi (“deer” or “gazelle”, as well as “precious”) exploits the assonance brilliantly.
15. Qeren, in the dual sense of “corner” and “horn” supplies the basis for the word-play here.