Pisqa’ 51156H:107-109; JN1:168-169. 1. “Each place upon which the soles of your feet tread, yours shall it be” (Dt.11:24)— if the point is to teach about the borders of the Land of Israel, indeed, it is immediately stated: “From the wasteland to the Lebanon”157I.e., “from the south to the north.” (Dt.11:24). What does the Teaching add by “Each place . . . yours shall it be” (Dt.11:24)? Moses said to them: every place that you will conquer— except for these [named] territories— shall indeed be yours. Or [perhaps, this promise implies] that they received permission to conquer territories beyond the Land prior to conquering the Land itself? The Teaching states: “And you shall disinherit nations greater and mightier than you” (Dt.11:23), And afterward it continues: “Each place upon which the soles of your feet tread, yours shall it be” (Dt.11:24)— the Land of Israel should not remain unclean from idols while you return to conquer territories beyond the Land. Rather, once you conquer the Land of Israel, you shall be permitted to conquer territories beyond the Land.
2. Indeed—once they have conquered [territories] beyond the Land, on what basis do I infer that commandments are enforced there? Look—you can reason as follows— Here it is stated: “Yours shall it be” (Dt.11:24). And elsewhere it is stated: “It shall be yours” (Nu.34:6-7). Just as the phrase, it shall be yours, elsewhere implies that the commandments are in force there, so, too, here, the phrase, yours shall it be, implies that commandments are in force here. Now, if you wonder: since David conquered [the trans-Jordanian lands of] Aram-Naharaim and Aram-Tzobah, why aren’t all the commandments enforced there? You can explain: David acted contrary to the Torah. The Torah stated that [only] once you conquer the Land of Israel, shall you be permitted to conquer territories beyond the Land. But David failed to do this. Rather, he first went and conquered Aram-Naharaim and Aram-Zobah [Syria], before dispossessing the Jebusites near Jerusalem. The All-Present said to him: the Jebusites, who are near your headquarters, you haven’t dispossessed! How do you now go and conquer Aram-Naharaim and Aram-Zobah?3. Look—they conquered territories beyond the Land! How do we know that any territory opposite the Land across the sea is theirs as well? The Teaching states: “From the wasteland to the Lebanon” (Dt.11:24)— from the wasteland defines your border, but the wasteland [itself] is not within your border. But, should you conquer it, it will define your border [thereafter]. Yet, for now, the wasteland is your border! “From the river, the river Prat” (Dt.11:24)— from the river defines your border, but the river [itself] is not within your border. But, should you conquer it, it will define your border [thereafter]. Yet, for now, the river is your border! “Until the [western] sea”158I.e., the Mediterranean. (Dt.11:24)— this defines your border. But the sea itself is not within your border. Therefore, should you conquer it, it will define your border [thereafter]. For, indeed, He says: “As for the western border, you shall have the great sea. That will be your western border” (Nu.34:6)— And this border shall serve as your sea-coast boundary4. It turns out that you can explain [the relevance of these facts as follows]: Any area seized by the Babylonian ascenders159I.e., those Exiles returning to the Land from Persia under Ezra’s administration.— from the Land of Israel till Kheziv160Contemporary Achziv is north of Akko on the Mediterranean coast.— its produce[during the Sabbatical Year] is not to be eaten, and its fields are not to be worked. But any area seized by the Egyptian ascenders161I.e., those entering the Land under Joshua’s administration.— from Kheziv till the river, and till Amanah162A mountain in Lebanon near Damascus Lebanon.(2Ki.5:12; Song 4:8)— its [Sabbatical produce may] be eaten, [because these lands bear no consecration], but its fields are not to be worked [lest the consecration of the adjacent Land be violated]. [Produce from] hither and yon [outside these territories enumerated]— may be eaten, and the land may be worked.163//M. Shev.6:1
5. [These are] the confines of the Land of Israel, including the areas seized by the Babylonian ascenders:164There are roughly thirty five names in the list. the Ashkelon junction; the walls of Migdal; the tower of Dor; the walls of Akko; the headwaters of Gaton and Gaton itself; Kabrata and Bet Zenita; the castle of Galilee; Qabya of `Ayyata; Matzy’a of `Abat’a; Kamut’a of Biryin; Pakhurta of Yatir; the wadi of ‘Avtzel; Beit `Er; Mar`asht’a; Greater Lul’a; Karch’a of Bar Sangar’a; Mesaf Sefont’a; the channel of `Iyyun; Upper Tarnegol’a of Caesarea; Beit Succot; Yoneqet and Rekem of Khagr’a; Trakhoniah of Zimr’a; the confines of Bitzrah; Saqq’a and Kheshbon; And the wadi of Vered, Sakuta, Nimrin; the fort of Zirz’a; Reqem of Gai; the Garden of ‘Ashqelon; and the great highway leading into the wasteland.165//T. Shev.4:11. A close parallel to this barait’a, which also includes passages of the Talmud Yerushalmi Shevi`it and Dema’i, was unearthed in 1974, in a mosaic inscription on the floor of the Byzantine-era synagogue in Rehov, Israel. To date it is the earliest textual example of rabbinic literature. For details, see H: 419, n.12. My rendering of the locations closely follows JN1:169.
(דברים יא כד) כָּל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר תִּדְרֹךְ כַּף רַגְלְכֶם בּוֹ, אִם לְלַמֵּד עַל תְּחוּמֵי אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל – הֲרֵי כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר מִן הַמִּדְבָּר וְהַלְּבָנוֹן. מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר כָּל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר תִּדְרֹךְ? אָמַר לָהֶם: כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁתִּכְבְּשׁוּ חוּץ מִמְּקוֹמוֹת הָאֵלּוּ – הֲרֵי הוּא שֶׁלָּכֶם, אוֹ רְשׁוּת בְּיָדָם לִכְבֹּשׁ חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ עַד שֶׁלֹּא יִכְבְּשׁוּ אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (דברים יא כג): ״וִירִשְׁתֶּם גּוֹיִם גְּדוֹלִים וַעֲצוּמִים מִכֶּם״, וְאַחַר כָּךְ: כָּל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר תִּדְרֹךְ כַּף רַגְלְכֶם בּוֹ; שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִטַּמְּאָה בְּגִלּוּלִים – וְאַתֶּם חוֹזְרִים וּמְכַבְּשִׁים חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, אֶלָּא מִשֶּׁתִּכְבְּשׁוּ אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל – תְּהוּ רַשָּׁאִים לִכְבֹּשׁ חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ. הֲרֵי שֶׁכָּבְשׁוּ בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, מִנַּיִן שֶׁהַמִּצְווֹת נוֹהֲגוֹת שָׁם? הֲרֵי אַתָּה דָן: נֶאֱמַר כָּאן יִהְיֶה וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן ״יִהְיֶה״ – מַה יִהְיֶה הָאָמוּר לְהַלָּן – מִצְווֹת נוֹהֲגוֹת שָׁם, אַף יִהְיֶה הָאָמוּר כָּאן – מִצְווֹת נוֹהֲגוֹת שָׁם. וְאִם תֹּאמַר: מִפְּנֵי מָה כָּבַשׁ דָּוִד אֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם וַאֲרַם צוֹבָה, וְאֵין מִצְווֹת נוֹהֲגוֹת שָׁם? אָמַרְתָּ: דָּוִד עָשָׂה שֶׁלֹּא כַתּוֹרָה! הַתּוֹרָה אָמְרָה מִשֶּׁתִּכְבְּשׁוּ אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּהוּ רַשָּׁאִים לִכְבֹּשׁ חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ וְהוּא לֹא עָשָׂה כֵן, אֶלָּא חָזַר וְכָבַשׁ אֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם וַאֲרַם צוֹבָה, וְאֶת הַיְבוּסִי סָמוּךְ לִירוּשָׁלִַם לֹא הוֹרִישׁ. אָמַר לוֹ הַמָּקוֹם: אֶת הַיְבוּסִי סָמוּךְ לְפַלְטוֹרִין שֶׁלְּךָ לֹא הוֹרַשְׁתָּ; הֵיאַךְ אַתָּה חוֹזֵר וּמְכַבֵּשׁ אֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם וַאֲרַם צוֹבָה?
Pisqa’ 51156H:107-109; JN1:168-169.
1. “Each place upon which the soles of your feet tread, yours shall it be” (Dt.11:24)—
if the point is to teach about
the borders of the Land of Israel,
indeed, it is immediately stated:
“From the wasteland to the Lebanon”157I.e., “from the south to the north.” (Dt.11:24).
What does the Teaching add by
“Each place . . . yours shall it be” (Dt.11:24)?
Moses said to them:
every place that you will conquer—
except for these [named] territories—
shall indeed be yours.
Or [perhaps, this promise implies]
that they received permission to conquer
territories beyond the Land
prior to conquering the Land itself?
The Teaching states:
“And you shall disinherit
nations greater and mightier than you” (Dt.11:23),
And afterward it continues:
“Each place upon which the soles of your feet tread,
yours shall it be” (Dt.11:24)—
the Land of Israel
should not remain unclean from idols
while you return to conquer
territories beyond the Land.
Rather, once you conquer the Land of Israel,
you shall be permitted to conquer
territories beyond the Land.
הֲרֵי שֶׁכָּבְשׁוּ בְחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, מִנַּיִן שֶׁכְּנֶגְדּוֹ בַּיָּם הֲרֵי הוּא שֶׁלָּהֶם? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: מִן הַמִּדְבָּר וְהַלְּבָנוֹן – מִן הַמִּדְבָּר גְּבוּלְכֶם, וְאֵין הַמִּדְבָּר גְּבוּלְכֶם, וְאִם כְּבַשְׁתֶּם – יְהִי גְּבוּלְכֶם וְ״הַמִּדְבָּר... גְּבוּלְכֶם״; מִן הַנָּהָר נְהַר פְּרָת – מִן הַנָּהָר גְּבוּלְכֶם, וְאֵין הַנָּהָר גְּבוּלְכֶם; וְאִם כְּבַשְׁתֶּם – יְהִי גְבוּלְכֶם וְ״הַנָּהָר... גְּבוּלְכֶם״; ״וְעַד הַיָּם גְּבוּלְכֶם״ – וְאֵין הַיָּם גְּבוּלְכֶם, וְאִם כְּבַשְׁתֶּם – יְהִי גְבוּלְכֶם, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (במדבר לד ו): ״וּגְבוּל יָם וְהָיָה לָכֶם הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל וּגְבוּל״, יִהְיֶה גְבֻלְכֶם – וְ״הַיָּם... גְּבוּלְכֶם״. נִמְצֵאתָ אוֹמֵר: (שביעית ו א) ״כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁהֶחֱזִיקוּ עוֹלֵי בָבֶל, מֵאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַד כְּזִיב – לֹא נֶאֱכָל וְלֹא נֶעֱבָד; עוֹלֵי מִצְרַיִם – נֶאֱכָל אֲבָל לֹא נֶעֱבָד; אֵילָךְ וְאֵילָךְ – נֶאֱכָל וְנֶעֱבָד״.
2. Indeed—once they have conquered
[territories] beyond the Land,
on what basis do I infer
that commandments are enforced there?
Look—you can reason as follows—
Here it is stated:
“Yours shall it be” (Dt.11:24).
And elsewhere it is stated:
“It shall be yours” (Nu.34:6-7).
Just as the phrase, it shall be yours,
elsewhere implies that
the commandments are in force there,
so, too, here, the phrase, yours shall it be,
implies that commandments are in force here.
Now, if you wonder:
since David conquered
[the trans-Jordanian lands of]
Aram-Naharaim and Aram-Tzobah,
why aren’t all the commandments enforced there?
You can explain:
David acted contrary to the Torah.
The Torah stated that [only]
once you conquer the Land of Israel,
shall you be permitted to conquer
territories beyond the Land.
But David failed to do this.
Rather, he first went and conquered
Aram-Naharaim and Aram-Zobah [Syria],
before dispossessing the Jebusites near Jerusalem.
The All-Present said to him:
the Jebusites, who are near your headquarters,
you haven’t dispossessed!
How do you now go and conquer
Aram-Naharaim and Aram-Zobah?3. Look—they conquered territories beyond the Land!
How do we know that any territory
opposite the Land across the sea is theirs as well?
The Teaching states:
“From the wasteland to the Lebanon” (Dt.11:24)—
from the wasteland defines your border,
but the wasteland [itself] is not within your border.
But, should you conquer it,
it will define your border [thereafter].
Yet, for now, the wasteland is your border!
“From the river, the river Prat” (Dt.11:24)—
from the river defines your border,
but the river [itself] is not within your border.
But, should you conquer it,
it will define your border [thereafter].
Yet, for now, the river is your border!
“Until the [western] sea”158I.e., the Mediterranean. (Dt.11:24)—
this defines your border.
But the sea itself is not within your border.
Therefore, should you conquer it,
it will define your border [thereafter].
For, indeed, He says:
“As for the western border, you shall have the great sea.
That will be your western border” (Nu.34:6)—
And this border shall serve as your sea-coast boundary4. It turns out that you can explain
[the relevance of these facts as follows]:
Any area seized by the Babylonian ascenders159I.e., those Exiles returning to the Land from Persia under Ezra’s administration.—
from the Land of Israel till Kheziv160Contemporary Achziv is north of Akko on the Mediterranean coast.—
its produce[during the Sabbatical Year] is not to be eaten,
and its fields are not to be worked.
But any area seized by the Egyptian ascenders161I.e., those entering the Land under Joshua’s administration.—
from Kheziv till the river, and till Amanah162A mountain in Lebanon near Damascus Lebanon.(2Ki.5:12; Song 4:8)—
its [Sabbatical produce may] be eaten,
[because these lands bear no consecration],
but its fields are not to be worked
[lest the consecration of the adjacent Land be violated].
[Produce from] hither and yon
[outside these territories enumerated]—
may be eaten, and the land may be worked.163//M. Shev.6:1
תְּחוּמֵי אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד מָקוֹם שֶׁהֶחֱזִיקוּ עוֹלֵי בָּבֶל: פָּרָשַׁת אַשְׁקְלוֹן, חוֹמוֹת מִגְדָּל שָׁרְשָׁן, דּוֹר, וְחוֹמוֹת עַכּוֹ, וְרֹאשׁ מְגִיאָתוֹ, וְגִיאָתוֹ עַצְמוֹ, כַּבְרָתָא, וּבֵית זְנִיתָא, קַצְרָא דְגָלִילָא, קַבְיָא דְעַיְּתָא, מְצַיָּא דְעַבְתָּא, כְּמוּתָא דְבִירְיָין, פְּחוֹרְתָא דְיֶתֶר, נַחְלָה דְאַבְצֵל, בֵּית עֵר, מַרְעַשְׁתָּא, לוּלָא רַבְּתָא, כַּרְכָּא דְבַר סַנְגְּרָא, מֵיסַף סְפַנְתָּא, נְקִיבְתָא דְעִיּוֹן, תַּרְנְגוֹלָא עִלָּאָה דְקֵיסָרֵי, בֵּית סוּכּוֹת, וְיַנְקָת, וּרְקַם דְחַגְרָא, וְטַרְכוֹנָא דְזִימְרָא דְבִיתְחוּם בִּיצְרָא, סְקָא וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן, וְנַחְלָא דְוֶרֶד, סְכוּתָא, נִמְרִין, מַלְיָא זִירְזָא, וּרְקַם גֵּיאָה, וְגִינְיָא דְאַשְׁקְלוֹן, וְדֶרֶךְ גְּדוֹלָה הַהוֹלֶכֶת בַּמִּדְבָּר.
5. [These are] the confines of the Land of Israel,
including the areas seized by the Babylonian ascenders:164There are roughly thirty five names in the list.
the Ashkelon junction; the walls of Migdal;
the tower of Dor; the walls of Akko;
the headwaters of Gaton and Gaton itself;
Kabrata and Bet Zenita; the castle of Galilee;
Qabya of `Ayyata; Matzy’a of `Abat’a;
Kamut’a of Biryin; Pakhurta of Yatir;
the wadi of ‘Avtzel; Beit `Er; Mar`asht’a;
Greater Lul’a; Karch’a of Bar Sangar’a;
Mesaf Sefont’a; the channel of `Iyyun;
Upper Tarnegol’a of Caesarea; Beit Succot;
Yoneqet and Rekem of Khagr’a; Trakhoniah of Zimr’a;
the confines of Bitzrah; Saqq’a and Kheshbon;
And the wadi of Vered, Sakuta, Nimrin; the fort of Zirz’a;
Reqem of Gai; the Garden of ‘Ashqelon;
and the great highway leading into the wasteland.165//T. Shev.4:11. A close parallel to this barait’a, which also includes passages of the Talmud Yerushalmi Shevi`it and Dema’i, was unearthed in 1974, in a mosaic inscription on the floor of the Byzantine-era synagogue in Rehov, Israel. To date it is the earliest textual example of rabbinic literature. For details, see H: 419, n.12. My rendering of the locations closely follows JN1:169.