Masei: The Borders of the Land of Israel
This shiur provided courtesy of The Tanach Study Center In memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag
What are the precise borders of the Land of Israel?
From the story of Bnei Gad and Reuven in Parshat Matot (chapter 32), it seems as though the borders of Israel are rather 'expandable', while in Parshat Masei (chapter 33) they appear to be quite fixed. In the following shiur, we examine the biblical roots of this complicated topic.
Introduction
Two clichés, both based on pesukim in Tanach, are commonly used to describe the expanse of the borders of the Land of Israel:
(A) 'from the Nile to the Euphrate' (B) 'from Dan to Beer Sheva'
The discrepancy between these two borders is immense! According to (A), Eretz Yisrael encompasses almost the entire Middle East, while according to (B), Israel is a tiny country not much bigger than the state of Rhode Island.
So which cliché is more 'correct'?
The Borders in Parshat Masei
We begin our study with chapter 34 in Parshat Masei, for it contains what appears to be a very precise description of the borders of the Land of Israel:
"And God spoke to Moshe saying: Command Bnei Yisrael and tell them, when you enter Eretz Canaan, this is the land which shall become your inheritance - Eretz Canaan according to its borders. Your southern border, from Midbar Tzin... " (see 34:1-13).
Over the centuries, many attempts have been made to identify each location mentioned in this chapter. In regard to the eastern and western borders, i.e. the Mediterranean Sea (34:6) and the Jordan River (34:11-12), there really isn't much to argue about. In regard to the southern border, most commentators agree that it follows a line from the southern tip of the Dead Sea until El-Arish, i.e. slight south of the Beer Sheva-Gaza line in the northern part of the Negev.
However, in regard to the northern border, we find a variety of opinions:
The 'minimalist' opinions identify the northern border in the area of today's Southern Lebanon, i.e. along the Litani River - until it meets the Metulla area (what used to be called the 'good fence'). On the other hand, the 'maximalist' opinions identify the northern border somewhere up in Turkey and Northern Syria.
The Eastern Frontier
To complicate matters, the 'eastern border' of the Land of Israel presents us with another problem. Even though Parshat Masei states explicitly that the Jordan river forms the eastern border of Eretz Canaan, the 'deal' that Moshe Rabbeinu makes with 'bnei Gad u-bnei Reuven' (see 31:1-54) clearly indicates that that it is possible to expand this eastern border to include what is known today as Transjordan.
As you review that story, note how Moshe Rabbeinu grants the area of Transjordan to the tribes of Gad, Reuven, and Menashe as their official inheritance - even though it's only on the condition that they fulfill their vow to help everyone else conquer the western bank! [The fact that this area indeed becomes their 'official inheritance' can also be proven from Yehoshua chapters 13->14, and 22.]
So why are the borders of Eretz Yisrael so ambiguous? Are they vast or small? Are they fixed or expandable? Are certain parts of the 'Holy Land' holier than others?
To answer this question, and to understand why this topic is so complicated, we must return to Sefer Breishit and carefully examine the psukim that describe the land that God promised to the Avot.
The Land Promised to Avraham Avinu
Recall from Parshat Lech Lecha, that when God first chose Avraham Avinu to become His special nation, at that same time He also promised him a special land. [See Breishit 12:1-7. See also Breishit 13:14-17, 15:18, 17:7-8.]
[If you'd like to see additional sources regarding the promise of the Land to our forefathers, see Breishit 22:17-18, 26:2-5, 28:3-4, 28:13-14, 35:11-12, 46:1-4, 48:4 & 21.]
In God's first three promises to Avraham, note how He describes the land in very general terms, without any precise borders. For example:
- In Ur Kasdim: "Go forth from your native land & from your father's house to the land which I will show you" (see 12:1).
- At Shechem: "I will assign this land to your offspring" (see 12:7).
- At Bet-El: "Raise your eyes and look out from where you are... for I give all the land which you see" (see 13:15).
However, later on in Parshat Lech Lecha, when Avraham Avinu enters into two covenants ['britot'] with God concerning the future homeland of his progeny, we finally find a more detailed definition of the land. However, as we will now show, each covenant appears to describe a different set of borders!
1) At Brit Bein HaBetarim: 'HaAretz'
Let's begin by quoting the pasuk in 'brit bein haBetarim' where God promised the Land to Avraham, noting how it details the borders:
"On that day God made a covenant with Avraham, saying: to your offspring I assign this land, from the river of Egypt [the Nile] to the river, the river Euphrates, the Kenites, Knizites ...(the ten nations)" (Breishit 15:18-20).
The land defined by these borders is immense! It extends in the northeast from the Euphrates River that flows from northern Syria to the Persian Gulf, and in the southwest from the sources of the Nile River in Ethiopia down to the port city of Alexandria! [Undoubtedly, this covenant is the source for the popular phrase 'from the Nile to the Euphrates'.]
2) At BRIT MILA: / 'ERETZ CANAAN'
Two chapters later in Sefer Breishit, we find how God enters yet another covenant with Avraham, and once again He mentions the land as part of that covenant, yet its description is quite different:
"And I shall establish My covenant between Me and you, and your descendants... and I assign the land in which you sojourn to you and your offspring to come, all the land of Canaan,..., and I shall be for you a God" (see 17:7-8).
Note how according to this covenant, the 'promised land' is much smaller. Although this is the first time in Chumash where we find the expression Eretz Canaan, the borders of Canaan, son of Cham, have already been described in Parshat Noach:
"And the border of the Canaani was from Sidon (the Litani valley in Lebanon) down the coastal plain to Gerar and Gaza, [and likewise from Sidon (down the Syrian African Rift)] to Sdom, Amora... [area of the Dead Sea]" (see Breishit 10:19).
[Note that this is the only border which is detailed in the genealogies of Breishit chapter 10, most probably because it is needed as background information to later understand Parshat Lech Lecha!]
This biblical definition of Eretz Canaan correlates (more or less) with the general locale in which the forefathers sojourned - 'eretz megurecha' (see 17:8). In the various stories in Sefer Breishit, we find how the Avot lived [and traveled] in the area bounded by Beer Sheva and Gerar to the south (see 21:22-33, 28:10, 46:1), and the area of Shechem and Dotan (37:12-17) to the north. Further north, recall as well how Avraham chased his enemy as far north as Dan, in his battle against the Four Kings (see Breishit 14:14)!
[Undoubtedly, this border reflects the popular phrase: 'from Dan to Beer Sheva'. This phrase is used several times later in Tanach to define the people living in the Land of Israel. For example: "And all of Israel, from Dan to Be'er Sheva, knew that Shmuel was a trustworthy..." (See Shmuel Aleph 3:20, see also Shoftim 20:1 and Melachim Aleph 5:4-5).
TWO BORDERS / TWO TYPES OF KEDUSHA
In summary, the source for the conflicting borders of Eretz Yisrael appears to lie in these two different definitions of the Land, one in brit bein habetarim and the other in brit mila. Therefore, we assume that these different borders reflect the different purpose of each covenant.
To appreciate their difference, we must return to our study of Sefer Breishit, and the purpose of those two covenants.
In our study of Sefer Breishit, we discussed its theme of 'bechira' - i.e. how God entered a relationship with Avraham Avinu in order that his offspring would become a 'model nation' in a special land, whose purpose would be to bring the 'Name of God' to all mankind. Towards that goal, God fortified that special relationship with two covenants - 'brit bein habetarim' and 'brit milah', each one reflecting a different aspect of the future relationship between God and His nation.
The very first time that God spoke to Avraham, He had already 'promised' the concept of a nation and a land (see 12:1-8, 13:14-17). However, the details of how that nation would form and ultimately inherit the land only unfold several chapters later.
Brit Bein Habetarim
After Avraham's military defeat of the Four Kings (and hence his first conquest of the Land / see chapter 14), chapter 15 describes how God initiates a 'covenant' - better known as brit bein habetarim - that reinforces His original promise from chapter 12. However, even though that covenant reassures Avraham that his offspring will indeed conquer ('yerusha') the Land one day; God also informs Avraham at that time that it won't happen immediately! Instead, some four hundred years will pass, during which his offspring must endure slavery in a foreign land; and only afterward will they gain their independence and conquer the 'promised land'. [See Breishit 15:1-19, especially 13-18.]
As you review the pesukim that describe brit bein habetarim, note how the land is consistently referred to as 'ha-aretz' (and not Eretz Canaan!), and its borders will extend from the 'Nile to the Euphrates' - the land of [then occupied by] the ten nations (see 15:18-20).
Hence we conclude that this covenant reflects the historical / national aspect of Am Yisrael's relationship with God, for it emphasizes that Avraham's children will become a sovereign nation at the conclusion of a long historical process (better known as Yetziat Mitzrayim).
Finally, note as well that throughout this covenant, the word yerusha is consistently used to describe the future conquest of the land, and Hashem's Name is 'shem Havaya'.
Brit Milah (Breishit chapter 17)
Several years later, immediately prior to the birth of his only son from Sarah, God enters yet another covenant with Avraham - better know as brit milah. In preparation for this covenant, God first changes Avram's name to Avraham and then promises that He will enjoy a special relationship with his offspring - 'lihyot lachem le-Elokim' - to be 'a close God for them'. [See Breishit 17:3-9.]
This covenant seems to reflect a more 'personal' relationship between God and His people, not only at the national level, but more so at the personal - family level; a special intimacy with the Divine. In this covenant, note how the Promised Land is referred to as Eretz Canaan", and the future inheritance of the land is referred to as 'achuza' (in contrast to the use of the word 'yerusha' in brit bein habetarim).
Hence, we can conclude that there are two aspects in regard to the 'kedusha' (sanctity) of Eretz Yisrael:
(A) The NATIONAL aspect
The 'kedushat ha-aretz' of brit bein habetarim relates to the conquest of the land (yerushat ha-aretz) and the establishment of a national entity - a sovereign state. This kedusha is only realized once Bnei Yisrael attain sovereignty, as was the case in the time of Yehoshua. For example, the obligation to give tithe from the land (i.e. 'trumot u-maasrot') only begins once the land is conquered. [See Rambam, Hilchot Trumot, first chapter!]
(B) The PERSONAL aspect
The kedushat Eretz Canaan of brit milah already existed in the time of the Avot and remains eternal. This kedusha reflects God's special Providence over this land (see Vayikra chapter 18), no matter who is living in the land. This intrinsic kedusha is forever present no matter who is sovereign over the Land, be it Persians, Romans, Crusaders, Turks, British etc. [Let's hope that there will not be a need to add any others to this list in our own generation.]
The following table summarizes our analysis thus far:
| THE VAST BORDERS | THE LIMITED BORDERS | |
| PHRASE: | Nile to the Euphrates | from Dan to Beer Sheva |
| COVENANT: | Brit bein Ha-btarim | Brit mila |
| NAME: | ha-aretz | Eretz Canaan |
| ASPECT: | National | Personal |
| ACQUIRED BY: | yerusha=sovereignty | achuza |
YERUSHA & ACHUZA
To clarify this distinction, let's take a closer look at two key words that describe our acquisition of Eretz Yisrael in each covenant:
(A) In brit bein habetarim - yerusha (Br.15:3,4,7,8); (B) In brit milah - achuza (Br.17:8).
In Chumash, the word 'ye-ru-sha' implies conquest, which leads to sovereignty, i.e. military control over an area of land. [Not to be confused with its popular usage, 'ye-ru-sheh', usually referring to an inheritance that one receives from a parent.]
This sovereign power can then apportion that land, or sell it, to its inhabitants. Once acquired in this manner, the purchaser of this land can then sell or give his portion to anyone he may choose. Usually, if the owner dies, the land is automatically inherited by his next of kin. In Chumash, this type of ownership is known as achuza (and/or nachala).
For example, when Sarah dies Avraham must acquire an 'achuzat kever' - a family burial plot (see Breishit 23:4). He must first purchase the plot from the Hittites, for at that time they are the sovereign power. Accordingly:
(A) Brit bein habetarim, the national aspect, uses the word yerusha for it foresees Am Yisrael's conquest of the Land. (B) Brit mila uses the word achuza for it emphasizes one's personal connection to the land.
At the Crossroads of the Middle East
Based on our understanding of these two covenants, their conflicting borders can be reconciled.
Avraham Avinu was chosen to be a nation that would become a blessing for all nations (see Br. 12:3). In that promise, the special land set aside for that nation is called ha-aretz. In brit bein habetarim, ha-aretz is defined as the land between the Nile and Euphrates. These two rivers don't necessarily need to be understood as borders; rather as 'limits' of expansion! Let's explain why.
Never in the history of mankind have these rivers marked the border between two countries. Instead, these rivers were the underlying cause for the formation of the two centers of ancient civilization - i.e. Mesopotamia ('nehar Prat') and Egypt ('nehar Mitzrayim'). [See 15:18-21.]
Therefore, as brit bein habetarim reflects the national aspect of our relationship with God, its borders - or the 'limits of its expansion' - reflect our nation's destiny to become a blessing to all mankind. We are to become a nation 'declaring God's Name' at the crossroads of the two great centers of civilization. The location of this land between these two rivers enables that goal, and hence reflects this aspect of our nation purpose.
The 'Kernel'
The more precise geographic borders of this special land are defined in brit milah as Eretz Canaan - 'the land in which our forefathers sojourned'. Because this land is destined to become the homeland for God's special nation, it possesses intrinsic kedusha. It is this sanctity which makes the land sensitive to the moral behavior of any of its inhabitants (see Vayikra 18:1-2,24-28).
Hence, the most basic borders of Eretz Yisrael are those of 'Eretz Canaan', i.e. 'from Dan to Beer Sheva', as promised in brit milah. These borders constitute a natural geographic area; Eretz Canaan is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea on the West, the Negev desert on the South, the Syrian-African Rift (Jordan River) to the East, and the Lebanon Mountain Range to the North [the Litani River valley].
Once this 'kernel' area is conquered, in potential its borders can be (but do not have to be) extended. The limits of this expansion - from nehar Mitzrayim to nehar Prat (as set in brit bein habetarim) could be understood as 'limits' rather than 'borders'; as each river represents a center of ancient civilization.
After conquering Eretz Canaan, Am Yisrael can, if necessary, expand its borders by continuous settlement outward, up until (but not including) the two ancient centers of civilization, Egypt and Mesopotamia.
Expanding Kedusha
This interpretation explains why Transjordan does not acquire kedushat ha'aretz until Eretz Canaan is conquered. Bnei Gad and Reuven must first help conquer the 'kernel' area of Eretz Canaan. Afterwards, this kedusha can be 'extended' to Transjordan. [Note the use of the phrase 'lifnei Hashem' in Bamidbar chapter 32, especially in 32:29-30.]
When Bnei Gad & Reuven follow the terms of their agreement with Moshe, not only do they help Bnei Yisrael conquer Eretz Canaan, they also facilitate Transjordan becoming an integral part of Eretz Yisrael ('haaretz').
The Rambam's Definition of Eretz Yisrael
In his Yad HaChazakah, the Rambam must provide a 'halachic" definition of Eretz Yisrael, for many mitzvot apply only in that Land. He does so in the first chapter of Hilchot Terumot & Ma'asrot [in Sefer Zeraim]
As terumot and maasrot are laws that apply only in Eretz Yisrael, the Rambam must provide a precise definition of its borders. Although one would expect a geographical definition, to our surprise we find instead a 'political' one!
"Eretz Yisrael - which is mentioned anywhere (in Yad Hachazaka) - includes those lands that are conquered by a King of Israel or by a 'navi' with the backing of the majority of Am Yisrael ..." (see I:1-2).
Note how Rambam defines the borders of Eretz Yisrael as the area under Israeli 'conquest' [= yerusha]. Whatever area within the Land is under Am Yisrael's sovereignty is considered 'halachically' as Eretz Yisrael.
Based on the above shiur, we can understand the reason for this strange definition.
Certainly, Jewish sovereignty doesn't make any geographic area 'holy'. As Rambam himself explains in the third halacha, it is only if this conquest takes place within an area of 'the land that was promised to Avraham Avinu - i.e. the borders of Eretz Canaan as promised to Avraham at brit milah, and defined in Parshat Masei. However, this area reaches it fullest level of kedusha only once Am Yisrael conquers it.
Then, once this 'kernel' area is conquered, Am Yisrael can expand its borders up until Bavel [= nehar Prat] and Mitzrayim [= nehar Mitzrayim]. However, as Rambam explains in the third halacha, this expansion can take place only after the 'kernel' area of Eretz Canaan is first conquered.
Finally, in the fifth halacha, Rambam uses this to explain why the kedusha of the Land [= 'kibbush rishon'] was annulled when the first bet ha-mikdash was destroyed. Because the kedusha of the land (in relation to trumot u-maasrot) is a function of its conquest (yerusha or 'mi-shum kibbush'), therefore as soon as Bnei Yisrael lost their sovereignty, the kedusha of the land was lost as well ['batla kedushatah']. Similarly, during the second Temple period, because the land was not conquered, rather it remained under the sovereignty of other nations (e.g. Persia, Greece and Rome), the kedusha never returned. Instead, Ezra instituted a rabbinic kedusha to obligate the produce of the land with trumot u-maasrot, because the original kedusha did not return.
I recommend that you review this Rambam inside (see also the final halacha of perek aleph), and note how these laws relate directly to the primary points of our shiur.
'Land for Progress'
We have shown that our relationship to the Land of Israel, just as our relationship with God, exists at both the national and individual level. God chose this special land in order that we fulfill our destiny.
While kedushat Eretz Yisrael at the individual level may be considered a Divine gift, its kedusha at the national level is most definitely a Divine challenge. To achieve its fullest borders and to be worthy of them, we must rise to that challenge.