פּירוש אויף דברים 12:29

“When the Lord your God has cut down before you the nations” [12:29]. Rabbi Tanhuma writes: A parable. A king plants a vineyard in his field. There are tall fir trees in that field, and there were also thorns. The king went and cut down the fir trees and allowed the thorns to remain. The servants said to the king, what did you do? You chopped down the good trees and you allowed the thorns that tore our clothes to remain in the garden. The king responded: if I had allowed the fir trees to remain, with what would I have protected the garden? This way I have made a strong fence from the fir trees. So too Israel are protected by the Holy One. He brought Israel into the land of Israel and chopped down the fir trees. These are the nations of the world. He allowed the children of the nations of the world to live, expecting that Israel will keep the Torah. If, heaven forbid, they will not keep the Torah, then these children will persecute them. However, if Israel will keep the Torah, then the Holy One will burn the nations of the world, their thorns.⁹Tanhuma, Re’eh, 9.

It is written in Sefer Yelamdenu that when the nations of the world dwelled in the land of Israel, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. However, when God destroyed the nations of the world, Israel came to their rest. The Holy One sometimes punishes the nations of the world, expecting that Israel should fear and should repent for their sins. The nations of the world said before the Holy One, your children, Israel, have committed sins, and we were punished. The Holy One responded: your thousands should be destroyed for the sake of Israel, but allow Israel to be pious. I will eliminate you from the world for the sake of Israel. So too, in the days of the Messiah, the verse says, “the future of the wicked shall be cut off” [Psalms, 37:38]. This means, the tent of the wicked will be destroyed. Near it is written, “the deliverance of the righteous comes from the Lord” [Psalms, 37:39]. The help for the righteous is from God, very soon. Therefore, the person should remember the good that the Holy One does, and the Holy One wants that he should repent and should think about being pious.¹⁰Yalkut Shimoni, Re’eh, Remez, 885.

כי יכרית ה' אלוקיך, “when the Lord your G-d will cut off, etc.” this paragraph has been inserted here, as unless G-d cuts off the gentile nations, how is He going to widen the boundaries of your Land?