The Expansion of Israel’s Borders |
In Parshat Shoftim, Dvarim 19:8, we
read about the expansion of Israel’s borders during the final redemption: When HaShem, your God, expands
(yarchiv) your borders, in accordance with his oath to your forefathers, and He
gives you the entire land that He promised to give to your forefathers… The word “yarchiv”, expand, takes us
back to the story in Breisheet 26:19-22 of the well which Yitzchak named “Rechovot”,
Spacious: Yitzchak’s servants dug in the
valley, and found there a well of spring water. The shepherds of Grar argued
with Yitzchak’s shepherds, saying, “The water is ours”. He named the well
“Esek” (quarrel) because they quarreled with him. They dug another well, and
they also argued about it: and he named it “Sitna” (obstruction). He moved away
from there and dug another well; and there was no argument over it: He named it
Rechovot (Spacious); and he said: Now God has made room for us and we will be
fruitful in the Land. Ramban explains why the Torah goes
to great lengths to tell the story of the wells: There is a hidden matter contained
in this incident, for it comes to inform us of a future event. A “well of water”
is a hint to the Beit HaMikdash (Temple) which the descendents of Yitzchak will
build. This is why it mentions “a well of spring water” as it says in Yirmiyahu
17:13 “God, the source of fresh water.” Yitzchak called the first well Esek (Quarrel)
which alludes to the First Temple, over which our enemies quarreled with us,
engaging us in many conflicts and wars until they destroyed it. Yitzchak called the second well
Sitna (Obstruction) a harsher name than the first one to allude to the Second Temple
which is called by that very name, as it is written (Ezra 4:1) “During the
reign of Achashverosh at the beginning of his reign they wrote a hateful
accusation (sitna) against those who dwelled in Yehuda and Yerushalayim” and
all its days the enemies were hateful to us until they destroyed it and we went
into a terrible exile from it. Ramban concludes: Yitzchak called
the third well Rechovot (Spacious) as an allusion to the Third Temple, may it
be rebuilt speedily in our days. It will be built without conflict and without
dispute and God will expand our borders as it says (Dvarim 19:8) “When HaShem
your God expands your borders” which speaks of a future time. And concerning
the Third Temple it is written (Yechezkel 41:7) “It broadened (u’rechava) and
expanded upward. The verse ends with the words “and can be fruitful in the Land”
alluding to the fact that in the future (Zepahania 3:9) “all of the nations
will serve God with a single resolve.” Rashi comments that “When HaShem,
your God expands your borders in accordance with the oath of your forefathers…”
(Dvarim 19:8) refers to God’s promise to Avram in Parshat Lech Lecha, Breisheet 15:18-21: “On that day God made a
covenant with Avram, saying: ‘To your descendents I have given this land, from
the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the Euphrates. The lands of the Kenites,
Kenizites, Kadmonites, the Chitites, Perizites, the Refaim, the Emorites,
Cnaanites, Girgashites and Yevusites. Rashi points out that there are ten
nations listed here, yet God us only the land of the Seven nations. The three
whose lands were not given, Keini, Knizi, Kadmoni (Edom, Moav and Amon) are
destined to be possessed in the future, after the coming of the mashiach as it
says in Yishayahu11:14: “They will overpower Edom and Moav and the Amonites
will obey them.” We see from here that in the days of
the Third Temple, the borders of Israel will expand. In the meantime, there is
still plenty of room within our current borders for Jews from around the world who
would like to make aliya now, rather than wait for the arrival of the mashiach. |