Commento su Deuteronomio 11:10

לא כארץ מצרים הוא [THE LAND WHITHER THOU GOEST …] IS NOT AS THE LAND OF EGYPT, but it is better than it. He mentions Egypt because this assurance was made to Israel on their departure from Egypt, for they said: Perhaps we shall not come to a land as good and beautiful as this. — One might, however, think that Scripture is here speaking to its (the Land’s) disparagement, and that he states the following to them: It is not as the land of Egypt — but it is worse than it! It, however, states, (Numbers 13:22; see Rashi thereon) “And Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt etc.”. One person built both of them: Ham built Zoan for Mizrajim (Egypt), his son, and Hebron for Canaan, another son. The usual way is that a man first builds the better city, and afterwards builds the inferior one, because what is not good enough for the first he puts into the second, and, besides, the better is usually first. Thus you may learn that Hebron was a finer city than Zoan. Now Egypt is superior to all other lands, for it is stated of it, (Genesis 13:10) “Like the garden of the Lord, viz., like the land of Egypt”, and Zoan was the best city in Egypt, because it was the seat of royalty, for thus does it state, (Isaiah 30:4) “For in Zoan were its princes”; Hebron was the worst city in Canaan, — for this reason, indeed, they set it apart for a place of burial, — and yet it was finer than Zoan (cf. Sifrei Devarim 37:1-3). — In the Talmud, Treatise Ketuboth 112a, they derived this in another manner: Is it likely that a man would first build a house for his younger son (here Canaan), and afterwards for his elder son (Mizrajim)? But the meaning of שבע שנים נבנתה וכו׳ is that it (Hebron) was furnished (built up) with all excellencies seven times better than Zoan.

[FOR THE LAND, WHITHER THOU GOEST IN TO POSSESS IT, IS] NOT AS THE LAND OF EGYPT — “but better than it. This assurance was given to Israel upon their departure from Egypt, for they said, ‘Perhaps we will not come to a Land as good and beautiful as this’ [hence they were assured that the Land whither they were going was far better than Egypt]. One might, however, think that Scripture speaks in disdain of the Land, and Moses said thus to them: It is not as the land of Egypt — but worse than it!’ Scripture states, therefore, Behold, Hebron ‘nivnethah’ (was built) seven years before Zoan in Egypt.³⁰¹Numbers 13:22. One person [Ham] built [both] of them. Usually, a person builds the better city first and afterwards the inferior one etc.”³⁰²“For the material that is not good enough for the first he puts into the second etc.” (Rashi). Thus you learn that Hebron was superior to Zoan. There is more on this theme in Numbers 13:22 (Vol. IV, pp. 126-127). This is Rashi’s language from the Sifre.³⁰³Sifre, Eikev 37. And he further quoted what the Rabbis have interpreted in the Gemara of Tractate Kethuboth³⁰⁴Kethuboth 112a. Among the sons of Ham, Mitzraim was older than Canaan (Genesis 10:6). Therefore, why would Ham, who built both Hebron and Zoan, have erected Hebron for Canaan, his youngest son, seven years before he built Zoan for Mitzraim, his older son? But the meaning is etc. with a different point of view: “Is it possible that a man would build a house for his younger son first and afterwards for his elder son?³⁰⁴Kethuboth 112a. Among the sons of Ham, Mitzraim was older than Canaan (Genesis 10:6). Therefore, why would Ham, who built both Hebron and Zoan, have erected Hebron for Canaan, his youngest son, seven years before he built Zoan for Mitzraim, his older son? But the meaning is etc. But the meaning of the expression, Behold, Hebron ‘nivnethah’ seven years³⁰⁰II Chronicles 26:19. is that it was ‘built up’ superior to Zoan sevenfold.”
In line with the plain meaning of Scripture the verse here is said by way of the warnings [with which Moses has been admonishing the Israelites]. For he said to them, “Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments etc. that you may possess the Land etc. a Land flowing with milk and honey,³⁰⁵Verses 8-9. since G-d will give the rain of your Land in its season³⁰⁶Further, Verse 14. and the Land shall yield her produce. But know you that it is not like the land of Egypt [where one can find sufficient water] to irrigate it with his feet from the streams and the pools as a garden of herbs.³⁰⁷In Verse 10 before us. See Vol. I, p. 179, Verse 10. Instead, it is a Land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water as, the rain of heaven cometh down,³⁰⁸Verse 11. not in any other way. Therefore it requires that G-d care for it always by giving it rain because it is a very thirsty Land and needs rain all year. If you transgress G-d’s Will and He does not care for it [the Land] with ‘rains of benevolence’³⁰⁹Taanith 19a. These are rains which come with blessing and graciousness, and are not destructive nor inadequate. it is a very bad one, it cannot be sown, nor beareth, nor any herb groweth³¹⁰Further 29:22. on its mountains.” All this he reviews and explains in the following section, that if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments,³¹¹Verse 13. then I shall give the rain of your Land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain³¹²Verse 14. always, and if you will not listen He shall shut up the heaven etc.³¹³Verse 17. and ye shall perish by famine from off the good Land,³¹³Verse 17. since you will not be able to live therein without rain.
Thus this section warns in terms of the laws of nature. From it we learn that although everything is within His authority and it was but a light thing in the sight of the Eternal,³¹⁴II Kings 3:18. blessed be He, to destroy the inhabitants of the land of Egypt and to dry up their rivers and streams, the land of Canaan, however, could be destroyed more quickly, by His not providing the showers of His mighty rain.³¹⁵Job 37:6 — Ramban’s reasoning is as follows: Even if the Land of Israel were similar to the land of Egypt, G-d could also have easily destroyed it by drying up its rivers and streams; yet, due to the fact that this section warns in terms of the laws of nature, and the Land of Israel is a Land of mountains and deep valleys, it is more vulnerable to destruction by lack of rain (Bachya). The sick person needs merits and prayer in order that G-d heal him more than the healthy one who is not struck by illness, and such is also the way with the poor and the rich, [although] the Eternal giveth light to the eyes of them both.³¹⁶Proverbs 29:13.
And because he said, a Land which the Eternal thy G-d careth for, when he should have said, “and it drinketh water as the rain of heaven cometh down ‘whenever’ the Eternal thy G-d careth for it,” the following interpretation of our Rabbis³¹⁷Sifre, Eikev 40. is alluded to in the text: “But does He not care for all lands, as it is said, to cause it to rain on a land where no man is?³¹⁸Job 38:26. [The answer is that the verse tells us] as it were, He exercises care for that Land alone, but through the particular care that He bestows on it, He cares also for all lands. The eyes of the Eternal thy G-d are always upon it³¹⁹Verse 12. to see what it requires and to enact new decrees for it, sometimes for good and sometimes for bad etc.”³²⁰“ ‘Sometimes for good.’ In what respect? For instance, if Israel on the New Year [when judgment is passed] were found to be utterly wicked, and it was decreed that very little rain fall for them, but later they repented, [what could be done in such a case?] To increase the quantity of rain cannot be done, since the decree had already been given. But the Holy One, blessed be He, causes it to come down at the proper time, when it is necessary for the benefit of the Land. ‘Sometimes for bad.’ In what respect? For instance, if Israel on the New Year were perfectly righteous etc.” (Rosh Hashanah 17b). as it is written in Tractate Rosh Hashanah.³²⁰“ ‘Sometimes for good.’ In what respect? For instance, if Israel on the New Year [when judgment is passed] were found to be utterly wicked, and it was decreed that very little rain fall for them, but later they repented, [what could be done in such a case?] To increase the quantity of rain cannot be done, since the decree had already been given. But the Holy One, blessed be He, causes it to come down at the proper time, when it is necessary for the benefit of the Land. ‘Sometimes for bad.’ In what respect? For instance, if Israel on the New Year were perfectly righteous etc.” (Rosh Hashanah 17b). There is also in this verse a profound secret, being that this Land is cared for “in all things” which is [called] Kol (All),³²¹See Genesis 24:1 (Vol. I, pp. 291-292). and all lands are sustained from it in truth.

כי הארץ אשר אתה בא שמה לרשתה לא כארץ מצרים היא, which does not require rainfall.

כי הארץ אשר אתה בא שמה לרשתה לא כארץ מצרים היא, This is part of the structure of these portions of the Torah, i.e. you need to observe the commandments of the Lord your G’d for the land of Israel cannot be compared to the land of Egypt, being superior in quality to the land of Egypt for the people who observe G’d’s laws. At the same time, it will prove inferior to the land of Egypt for people who do not observe G’d’s laws. Proof of this can be seen already in the fact that the land of Egypt enjoys constant irrigation from the river Nile, does not need rain, whereas the land of Israel is totally dependent on rainfall at the proper time of the year. The Egyptians enjoy their irrigation regardless of their being G’d fearing or not. Their staple foods are assured. The land of Israel, on the other hand, seeing that

לא כארץ מצרים היא אשר יצאתם משם, “it is not like the land of Egypt from which you have departed.” According to Nachmanides, the plain meaning of these words is meant as a warning to the people to be careful to observe the commandments of the Torah in that land as that land depends on rainfall, not like Egypt; therefore, non observance would lead G’d to withhold the necessary rainfall at the appropriate times. Moses impresses all this upon the people a second time in the second paragraph of the קריאת שמע that commences with verse 13 in this chapter. Moses refers to the land of Egypt and what goes on there to remind them that although it is easy for the Creator to arrest the flow of the river Nile if He so desires, and to thereby bring to an immediate end the prosperity of that land and its inhabitants, He does not interfere with His natural law without severe provocation. To interfere with the rainfall in the land of Canaan represents far less of an interference with natural law than arresting the flow of the river Nile, hence the people of Israel better be on their guard not to provoke G’d. Moreover, He Who had to go out of His way to enable the Israelites to be liberated from bondage by a number of miracles, would not hesitate to respond if the people for whom He had taken all this trouble were to show themselves ungrateful by violating His rules of conduct.

לא כארץ מצרים היא, “it is not like the land of Egypt;” a land which depends on manual irrigation, i.e. though water is always available it must be brought by man to the fields. The land of Canaan receives its irrigation directly from heaven, through rainfall, not requiring man to bend down and to do back-breaking labour. As long as you observe the laws of the Torah G’d will provide this rainfall for you and the land will produce its yield. If not, (verse 17) G’d will lock the heaven and there will not be any rain, hence no crops either. Even though G’d could have stopped the river flowing in Egypt if the Jews had remained there and failed to keep the laws of the Torah, Nachmanides already dealt with this by writing that G’d prefers to use minimal interference with natural events. Seeing that the land of Israel, as opposed to the land of Egypt, consists of mountains and valleys, an absence of rain means that whatever moisture there had been before will run off much faster than in a flat land like Egypt in which the moisture is retained longer. Sick people need to possess some merit in order to regain their health. Similarly, if Israel or the land of Israel becomes ”sick” as evidenced by an absence of rain, it has to acquire some merits to be healed, i.e. for G’d to make the rain descend again.

This assurance was made to the Israelites [when they departed from Egypt], etc. Rashi is answering the question: Why is Egypt be mentioned here more than any other land? Rashi explains: This assurance, etc.

VV. 10 u. 11. Der hier, wie überhaupt in Mosche Ermahnungen hervortretende stete Wechsel des Singulars und Plurals der Anrede dürfte die Absicht haben, der jetzt mit der Niederlassung im Lande dezentralisiert auseinandergehenden Vielheit des Volkes doch die immer bleibende Zusammenhörigkeit und Einheit zum Bewusstsein zu bringen. והשקית ברגלך וגו׳: Ägyptens Fruchtbarkeit ist unabhängig vom Regen. Es wird mit einer das ganze Land durchschneidenden Kanalisation des Nils durch Menschentätigkeit getränkt. So leidet Secharja 14, 18 unter allen Ländern Ägypten allein nichts beim Ausbleiben des Regens. Zweifelhaft ist die Bedeutung des ברגלך, ob es: schrittweise bedeutet, oder sich auf das Treten von Schöpfrädern bezieht. Nach Schabbat 85 a wäre es das erstere. —והארץ וגו׳, Palästina ist ein Land, dessen Wasserreichtum durch die vom Regen gespeisten Gebirgsquellen bedingt ist, das auch nicht nur in der Ebene, sondern auch auf Bergen und Bodenerhebungen anzubauen war, wo künstliche Bewässerung unmöglich ist. Seine Fruchtbarkeit war somit ganz auf den Regen angewiesen.

לא כארץ מצרים, “not like the land of Egypt; that land is a flat land lacking mountains and therefore enables its inhabitants to draw water from the Nile river through digging canals to the land surrounding the river. The Jewish people when in their ancestral land, by contrast, will have to depend on the rain to irrigate their land. As a result they will realise the need for their G–d being well disposed towards them as else He might withhold the required rainfall at the appropriate time for securing their success in the fields. Your fulfilling His commandments at the appropriate times, will insure that He grants rain at the appropriate time in the appropriate quantities.

'כי הארץ אשר אתה בא שמה וגו :”for the land that you are about to come to, etc.; ”the nature of that land requires that you observe G-d’s commandments.

אשר יצאתם משם [THE LAND OF EGYPT] FROM WHICH YE WENT FORTH — even the district of Raamses in which ye dwelt and which was in the best part of the land Egypt, as it is said, (Genesis 47:11) “[And Joseph placed his father and his brethren] in the best part of the land, [in the land of Raamses]” — even that is not as good as the land of Israel (cf. Sifrei Devarim 38:7).

עיני ה' אלוקיך בה, being constantly under the detailed scrutiny of the Lord your G’d, מרשית שנה ועד אחרית השנה, to ensure that you will have the necessary rainfall at the right time in the right amount, makes you aware of the need to conduct yourself so that He approves of you.

But perhaps Scripture speaks derogatorily, etc. Why should Moshe intend to speak derogatorily of Eretz Yisroel, God forbid? Were the spies not smitten for speaking derogatorily of Eretz Yisroel? Furthermore, how would we explain the verse following, “Rather, the Land where you are crossing to inherit [is a land of mountains and plains — ] by the rain of the skies will you drink water,” which is praising the Land? It seems that Rashi means to say, “But perhaps, etc.” i.e., even though Eretz Yisroel was superior to all other lands, including Mitzrayim, nevertheless Mitzrayim is superior on account that it grows crops perpetually, since it is constantly irrigated. But the Land that you are entering cannot be irrigated because it is a mountainous region. Furthermore, it needs to be irrigated many times, because the water flows down the mountain and does not saturate the land. Therefore, Eretz Yisroel does not grow crops naturally, but rather through Divine providence — supernaturally. This [statement] is praise to Eretz Yisroel that it is sustained by miracles, even though by natural means it is not as good as Mitzrayim. Therefore Rashi says, “But perhaps Scripture speaks derogatorily.” In other words, by describing its inferiority, the Land’s praiseworthiness is revealed.

This land is not like Egypt where all the farmer had to do was to plant the seed and nature would take over automatically, as the Nile would irrigate the seedlings and the crops would grow. Therefore: והיה אם תשמעו. “It will be as a result of your hearkening, etc, I will direct My rain to the land that needs it.

והשקית ברגלך [LIKE THE LAND OF EGYPT] WHICH THOU DIDST WATER WITH THY FOOT — The land of Egypt was such that you had to bring water from the Nile through your foot (i.e. you had to go to the Nile to bring water) to irrigate it — you had to rise from your sleep and to toil. Then again, the lowlying parts alone drank (were irrigated by the Nile) and not the higher land, and you had to take up water from the lower to the higher parts: but this land (Canaan), למטר השמים תשתה מים DRINKETH WATER OF THE RAIN OF HEAVEN — You may sleep soundly on your beds, and the Holy One, blessed be He, waters both low and high districts, both what is exposed and what is not exposed alike (Sifrei Devarim 38:2).

The Torah therefore teaches, “Chevron was built seven years [before]...”, etc. I.e., Chevron was built seven years before Tzoan.

והיה אם לא כארץ מצרים היא, “it is not like the land of Egypt;” Rashi explains as follows: Cham, Noach’s youngest son had built Tzoan in Egypt and Chevron in Canaan. When Rashi commented on Genesis 12,6, that the Canaanite was still living in that land, it means that the Canaanites at that time were in the process of capturing that land from Shem, Cham’s older brother. They did so by proceeding from the north of the land, which had been part of Shem’s ancestral land and that of his descendants. The lower, i.e. more southerly part of what is now the land of Israel had belonged to Cham. Chevron belonged to that part of the land of Canaan. This too has been explained by Rashi.

כגן הירק AS A GARDEN OF HERBS, which has not enough from rain alone, and one has to water it through the foot and shoulder (one has to run about to bring water which one has to carry on one’s shoulder).

In Kesubos (112a) this is expounded differently, etc. [Regarding the verse, חברון שבע שנים נבנתה לפני וכו'] In the first explanation [here] each word is understood literally: שנים means “years,” נבנתה means “a physical building,” and לפני means “before (earlier in time).” But according to the explanation in Kesubos: The word שנים means שונים (times), and נבנתה is related to the term, “And I will be built also from her (Bereishis 30:3),” an expression referring to producing offspring. And לפני means, “preceding (superior)”.

Rather, it was built up seven times more than Tzoan. The word מבונה means “producing offspring,” as in the verse, “And I will be built also from her (ibid.),” as Rashi explains in Kesubos (112a). I.e., One portion of land in Chevron produces a crop that is equal to [the produce yielded by] seven portions [of land] in Tzoan.

Even the land of Raamses, etc. Otherwise why does it need to say, “From which you departed”?