Komentarz do Powtórzonego Prawa 2:5

עד מדרך כף רגל — This means, Even מדרך כף רגל, as much as to say: even only treading with the feet (a single step). The text means, I do not permit you to pass into their land without their permission. — A Midrashic explanation is: I shall not give you of their land until there come the day of the treading of the sole of foot upon the Mount of Olives (the Messianic period), as it is said, (Zechariah 14:4) "And his feet shall stand [in that day upon the Mount of Olives etc.]”.

לא אתן…מדרך כף רגל, "I will not give you…as much as for the sole of your foot, etc." Moses meant that G'd would not allow the Israelites to traverse the land of Edom in order to impose their will upon them. However, if the people of Edom would volunteer for the Israelites to pass through their country on their way to the West Bank, G'd would not forbid them to do so. This was the reason for sending messengers to sound out the Edomites on the subject.

כי לא אתן לכם מארצם, similar warnings had been issued in respect pf the Moabites and their land the Ammonites and their land (compare verses 9 and 19). Moses had to mention all these warnings now so that the people would not become fainthearted and say that if G’d had wanted to give their land to us and He had been able to, why did He not first let us conquer the lands which were in our path instead of making us detour around these countries? Moses told the people that G’d did not want that these peoples be deprived of their lands.

Even as much as a footstep, etc. The word עד means, “Up until — and including.” It is as if Hashem said to them, “I will not permit you to have any control over their land, even as much as a footstep, to just pass through, without their permission. A similar use [of the term עד] is found in the verse (Shemos 14:28) עד אחד (Not one of them).

V. 5. גרה .אל תתגרו בם lautverwandt mit קרה קרא, jemanden oder etwas in eine andere Richtung bringen, oder ihn veranlassen, sich in eine andere Richtung hinzubewegen (siehe Bereschit 19, 8), daher ja auch ירה das Pfeilschießen. גרה מדון (Prov. 15, 18) Gemüter gegen einander in Bewegung setzen, sie gegen einander aufrufen. התגרה ב: sich gegen jemanden aufregen, sich in feindliche Gesinnung gegen jemand bringen. —כי ידשה וגו׳. Allgemein von allen Völkern heißt es: בהנחל עליון גוים (Dewarim 32, 8), dass nicht ohne Gottes Leitung die verschiedenen Stämme der Menschheit ihre Niederlassung auf Erden gefunden. Von Esaus und Lots Nachkommen, den Völkerstämmen aus Abrahams Familie, heißt es jedoch ganz besonders: ידושה לעשו נתתי, und so auch von Moab und Ammon (Kap. 2, 9 u. 19). Die Erinnerung hieran in dem Augenblicke, in welchem Israel sein Land aus Gottes Händen hinnehmen sollte, dürfte von folgenreicher Bedeutung sein. Sie vergegenwärtigt dem jüdischen Volke, dass auch über seinen Kreis hinaus Gottes Vorsehung in den Geschicken der Völker walte, dass Israel mit Gott achtender Scheu vor den Besitztümern der Nationen in den Kreis der Völker eintrete und Platz nehme, sich nicht als Eroberungsvolk begreife, vor welchem fortan kein Volk auf Erden in ruhigem Besitze sicher wäre; seine Kriegstat und sein Kriegsruhm sich vielmehr auf die Besitznahme des einzigen Landes zu beschränken habe, das ihm Gott vom Anfange seiner geschichtlichen Entstehung an bestimmt und verheißen hatte. So wird auch Nasir 61 a aus diesem ירושה לעשו נתתי nachgewiesen, dass auch im Kreise der noachidischen Menschheit das Erbrecht, eines der wesentlichsten Träger aller sozialen Entwicklung, göttliche Sanktion hat.

ירשה לעשו [I HAVE GIVEN MOUNT SEIR] TO ESAU AS AN INHERITANCE from Abraham. The territory of ten clans I gave (promised) him (Abraham); seven of them will be yours (the seven clans of Canaan), and the Kenites, the Kenizzites and the Kadmonites, — who are Ammon, Moab and Seir — one of them already belongs to Esau, and the other two to the children of Lot (cf. Genesis Rabbah 44:23; and Rashi on Genesis 15:19); as a reward because he (Lot) went with him (Abraham) To Egypt, and kept silent about what he said regarding his wife, “She is my sister”, he treated him as his son (and therefore he, through his children Amon and Moab, inherited part of the land promised to him) (cf. Rashi on Genesis 19:29 and Genesis Rabbah 51:6).

כי ירושה לעשו נתתי את הר שעיר, whereas Har Se-ir had been assigned as ancestral land to the descendants of Esau, the Ammonites and Moabites had been assigned their land as a courtesy to Avraham to whom they were related biologically. Moses also wanted the people to understand that seeing that G’d was so concerned with distant relatives of Avraham, how much more concerned would He be about the direct descendants of Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaakov, i.e. the Israelites! He would most certainly keep a promise made to these patriarchs in the form of an oath.

To pass through their land, unless they grant you permission. Otherwise, there is a difficulty: Why did Moshe ask the king of Edom to let them pass through his land, although Hashem forbade it? Therefore, Rashi explains: “Unless they grant you permission.” But with permission, they were allowed to pass through.

כי ירושה לעשו, “for it is an inheritance for Esau.” This claim goes back to Avraham. G’d said that He had allocated the territory of 10 nations to the descendants of Avraham, seven to the Israelites, whereas the territories of the Keyni, the Kenizi, and the Kadmoni were given to Ammon, Moav and Se'ir. One of these territories was allocated to Esau, the other two to the descendants of Lot (Rashi).

Until the day comes when there will be footsteps, etc. There is a difficulty with the literal interpretation of this verse, for it should have only said, אף מדרך (even a footstep). Why does Scripture use the term עד (until), which denotes a time period? Therefore, Rashi quotes the homiletic explanation.

As a reward for his going along with him [Avrohom] to Egypt, etc. Rashi is answering the question: Hashem promised to give ten nations to Avrohom. Why then did He give these two to Lot? Therefore, Rashi explains: As a reward.