Pisqa’ 6⁷²

1. “Start out and make your way” (Dt. 1:7)— this is by way of Arad and Hormah. “To the Amorite hills and to all their neighbors” (Dt. 1:7)— to Amon, Moab and Mt. Seir. “In the steppes” (Dt. 1:7)— to the plain of Tzoar. “to the hill country” (Dt. 1:7)— to the king’s mountain. “to the lowlands” (Dt. 1:7)— **to the lowlands of Lud and the south.**⁷³ “and the Negeb, and the seacoast” (Dt. 1:7)— to Gaza, Ashkelon, and Caesaria. “the land of the Canaanite” (Dt. 1:7)— to the Canaanite border, for it is said: “And the Canaanite border was from Sidon.” (Gn. 10:19). ⁷⁴

footnotes: ⁷² H:32; JN1:32-33 ⁷³ According to M. Shev.9:2, Sabbatical Year produce from these regions is due to be removed from storage at the same time, since the produce is gone from the fields at a specific season prior to the festival of Passover. The Mishnah’s list is more detailed, but SD’s transmits the Mishnah in a midrashic framework. ⁷⁴ For discussion of toponyms, see H:393,n.2

2. “And the Lebanon” (Dt. 1:7)—

when you enter the Land you must appoint for yourselves a king, **and build for yourselves the Chosen Abode.**⁷⁵, one of the many epithets of the Jerusalem Temple. See below: beit hamiqdash; “the Holy Abode”. How do we know that “Lebanon” must refer to a king? For it is said: “He came upon the Lebanon and seized the heads of the cedars” (Ezek. 17:3). And He says: “The thorn that is in Lebanon sent this message to the cedar in Lebanon” (2 Ki. 14:9). But “Lebanon” actually refers to the Holy Abode, for it is said: “You are as Gilead to me, the summit of Lebanon” (Jer. 22:6).

**“The Lebanon will fall to a mighty one” (Is. 10:34).**⁷⁶ 2, ARNA:4

footnotes: ⁷⁵ //T.San.4:5. “Chosen Abode” renders the Heb: beit habekhirah ⁷⁶ Cf. Sifre Nu. 134, Mechilta Ishmael, amaleq

Another word: Why do they call [the Holy Abode] “Lebanon (levanon)?” Because it whitens (malbyn)⁷⁷ Israel’s transgressions, as it says: “If your sins are like scarlet, they shall be whitened like snow” (Is. 1:18).⁷⁸

footnotes: ⁷⁷ The common root is l-b-n. ⁷⁸ See Pisqa’ 28.3

3. “Until the great river, the river Prat”⁷⁹ (Dt. 1:7). This teaches that most of its waters surge toward the Land of Israel. As a common adage has it: the slave of the king is like the king— get close to a boil and it boils you!

footnotes: ⁷⁹ Namely, the Euphrates.

Another word: [Why is the river called the Prat?]⁸⁰ For it branches off continuously until its waters dwindle into a pail. ⁸¹ the verb, mafrid, and the noun, magrefah.. Another word: “The great river, the river Prat” (Dt. 1:7)— because it expands and grows⁸² and poreh (“grows”). until they must cross it in ships.4. Look at what all the rivers say to the Prat: Why doesn’t your voice travel a distance, like ours? It replies: My deeds prove my value! A person sows seed in earth flooded by me, and reaps in three days. A person plants a tree in earth flooded by me, and reaps in thirty days! See how Scripture praises me: “Until the great river, the river Prat!” (Dt. 1:7)

footnotes: ⁸⁰ I have supplied the parenthetical question on the basis of context. ⁸¹ The exegesis is based on the assonance of the name, prat, ⁸² The exegesis is based on the assonance of prat