Pisqa’ 19¹⁴³

1. “And I said to you” (Dt. 1:20). Moses said to them: Not on my own do I speak to you! Rather, from the mouth of the Holy One do I speak to you! ¹⁴⁴

footnotes: ¹⁴³ H:42-43; JN1:56. ¹⁴⁴ See Pisqa’ 5:1, 9:1, 25.3

2. “You have arrived at the Amorite hills, which HASHEM our God is giving us” (Dt. 1:20). There is an analogy— A king placed his son with a tutor. The tutor would stroll around and show [the kingdom] to him, saying: all these vines are yours! all these olive trees are yours! When the tutor tired of showing him around, he said to him: everything you see is yours! Thus, the entire forty years that Israel was in the wilderness, Moses would say to them: “For HASHEM your God has brought you to a good Land, a Land full of rivers of water, of springs and depths flowing through valley and mountain” (Dt. 8:7). But when they reached the Land, he simply said to them: “You have arrived at the Amorite hills” (Dt. 1:20). Do you say that the time [for conquest] isn’t ripe? The time is ripe!

3. “See, HASHEM your God has placed the Land before you” (Dt. 1:21). Moses said to them: I don’t expect you to accept rumors or tales. **Rather, only what you see with your own eyes!**¹⁴⁵ “Go up! Take possession!” (Dt. 1:21)— immediately! “Go up! Take possession! As HASHEM, the God of your Patriarchs, has told you!” (Dt. 1:21)

footnotes: ¹⁴⁵ Cf. M. San.4;5, Pisqa’ 7.1.