Eretz Yisrael Illuminating the Neshamah
במדרש זאת הארץ אשר תפול לכם לכם היא ראוי' כו' חבלים נפלו לי כו' אף נחלת שפרה עלי כו' לבושו נאה לו הוא נאה ללבושו ע"ש
The Midrash teaches on the verse "This is the land that shall fall to you" (Bamidbar 34:2): it is fitting for you, as the verse says "Portions have fallen to me in pleasant places" (Tehillim 16:6), and "Yes, my inheritance is beautiful to me" — just as a garment is becoming to its wearer, so is the wearer becoming to his garment; see there.
The Sfas Emes opens with a Midrash that compares Eretz Yisrael to a garment perfectly matched to its wearer, and the land falling as a fitting inheritance to Bnei Yisrael.
הענין כמ"ש במ"א
The matter is as I have explained elsewhere.
He notes that the underlying idea has been developed by him in another place.
כאשר נכנסו בנ"י לארץ ישראל ירד הארה משמים משורש ארץ ישראל שלמעלה וז"ש אשר תפול
When Bnei Yisrael entered Eretz Yisrael, an illumination descended from Heaven, from the root of Eretz Yisrael that is Above, and this is the meaning of "that shall fall."
The word "fall" hints that a Heavenly light descended from the supernal root of Eretz Yisrael when Bnei Yisrael entered.
אכן כמו שנתגלה הארה וקדושה בא"י בבוא בנ"י לשם כמו כן ירדה הארה וקדושה לנפשות בנ"י בבואם לא"י כמו דאיתא בש"ק יורדת נשמה יתירה
Indeed, just as an illumination and kedushah became revealed in Eretz Yisrael when Bnei Yisrael came there, so too an illumination and kedushah descended into the neshamos of Bnei Yisrael upon their coming to Eretz Yisrael, as it is brought that on Shabbos Kodesh an additional neshamah descends.
Just as the land itself received added kedushah, so too the neshamos of Bnei Yisrael were illuminated, much like the extra neshamah that comes on Shabbos.
והיינו שאין כל הזמנים מוכנים להתגלות הנשמה כמו בש"ק
That is to say, not all times are prepared for the revelation of the neshamah as they are on Shabbos Kodesh.
He draws the principle that special times like Shabbos uniquely enable the neshamah to be revealed.
כמו כן אין כל המקומות ראוים להתגלות הנשמה ולכן בא"י ירדה להם רוח חדש
Likewise, not all places are fit for the revelation of the neshamah, and therefore in Eretz Yisrael a new spirit descended upon them.
In parallel, certain places are uniquely fit for the neshamah's revelation, and Eretz Yisrael granted Bnei Yisrael a new spirit.
וז"ש חבלים כו' אף נחלת ש' עלי ממש
And this is the meaning of "Portions have fallen to me... yes, my inheritance is beautiful to me" — quite literally so.
The verse about portions "falling" pleasantly is taken literally to describe this descent of light into the soul.
כמ"ש צדק לבשתי וילבשני כו'
As the verse says, "I clothed myself in righteousness, and it clothed me" (Iyov 29:14).
The verse from Iyov shows that righteousness is like a garment that clothes a person in return, reinforcing the wearer-and-garment image.
ולכן הזהיר הכתוב שלא להשאיר מרשעים כי הם היו מעכבים התגלות הקדושה
Therefore the verse warned not to leave over any of the wicked, for they would have held back the revelation of the kedushah.
Because the wicked inhabitants would block this revelation of kedushah, the Torah warned to leave none of them over.
ואם הי' מתגלה כל הקדושה כראוי הי' תקון גמור
And had all the kedushah become revealed as it ought to, it would have been a complete tikkun.
Had the kedushah been fully revealed, it would have brought about a complete and final tikkun.
ושמעתי מפי <b>מו"ז ז"ל</b> על מאמר חז"ל בעודם בירדן הי' ע"מ לאבד כולם כו'
And I heard from my grandfather, of blessed memory, regarding the statement of Chazal that while Bnei Yisrael were still in the Yarden it was on condition to destroy them all.
He cites his grandfather on Chazal's teaching that even at the Yarden the entry was conditioned on the eventual removal of all the nations.
כי הגם שבמעשה לא היו יכולין לקיים הכל מ"מ רצה הקב"ה שיהי' עכ"פ כניסתם לארץ על דעת כן
For although in deed they were not able to fulfill everything, nevertheless the Holy One, Blessed is He, wanted that at the very least their entry into the land should be with this intention in mind.
Even though in practice they could not destroy them all, Hashem wanted their very entry to be undertaken with that pure intention.
וסוף מעשה ניתקן ע"י מחשבה בראשית הדבר עכ"ד
And the conclusion of the deed becomes rectified by means of the thought at the beginning of the matter; thus far his words.
The initial intention rectifies the outcome, so that a deed begun with the right thought is counted as fulfilled.
וכן מצינו בתפלת עלינו לשבח שתיקן יהושע ועל כן נקוה כו' להעביר גלולים כו' לתקן עולם כו' שזה הי' כל רצונם
And so too we find in the tefillah of Aleinu LeShabei'ach, which Yehoshua instituted, "and therefore we put our hope... to remove the idols... to repair the world" — for this was their entire desire.
He brings Aleinu, instituted by Yehoshua, whose words about removing idols and repairing the world express that same underlying desire of Bnei Yisrael.
וכתיב והי' אשר תותירו כו'
And it is written, "And it shall be that those of them whom you leave over..." (Bamidbar 33:55).
He introduces the verse warning that those nations left over would become a problem.
ובס' אוה"ח הקשה כי והי' לשון שמחה
And in the sefer Ohr HaChaim he raised a difficulty, for "and it shall be" (vehayah) is an expression of joy.
He cites the Ohr HaChaim's question that the word vehayah usually signals joy, which seems odd in a verse of warning.
ונ"ל כי ע"י שנכנסו על דעת כן לכן אף שנשאר מהם לא נתדבקו בהם והי' העונש שצררו אותנו עד שנתגרשנו ועתידין לחזור
And it appears to me that, because they entered with this intention in mind, therefore even though some of them remained, Bnei Yisrael did not become attached to them, and the punishment was that those who remained oppressed us until we were driven into galus, and we are destined to return.
His answer: because Bnei Yisrael entered with the right intention, they did not cling to the surviving nations; the punishment of oppression and galus came, yet redemption is assured.
אבל לא נתדבקו בהם
But Bnei Yisrael did not become attached to them.
He restates the key point that Bnei Yisrael did not become spiritually attached to them.
שכל הטעם שצוה הקב"ה שלא להותיר מהם שלא ללמוד ממעשיהם ח"ו
For the entire reason that the Holy One, Blessed is He, commanded not to leave over any of them was so as not to learn from their deeds, chas v'shalom.
The whole purpose of the command to leave none over was to prevent Bnei Yisrael from learning the nations' corrupt ways.
וכיון שהתחילו לעשות המצוה כראוי לכן אפילו אם הותירו והיו לשיכים כו' אבל לא להיות כמותם וזהו השמחה כנ"ל:
And since Bnei Yisrael began to perform the mitzvah as it ought to be done, therefore even if they did leave some over and they became "thorns" — still it was not so as to become like them, and this is the joy mentioned above.
Since Bnei Yisrael began the mitzvah with proper intention, even those left over could harm them only as "thorns" but never draw them to become like them, and this is the joy the word vehayah signals.
Summary: The Sfas Emes explains that when Bnei Yisrael entered Eretz Yisrael, a Heavenly illumination descended from the supernal root of the land, sanctifying both the land and the neshamos of Bnei Yisrael, much as Shabbos draws down an additional neshamah. Just as only certain times like Shabbos are fit for the neshamah's revelation, so only certain places, above all Eretz Yisrael, are fit for it, and entering the land granted Bnei Yisrael a new spirit. The Torah commanded that no wicked inhabitants be left, since they would obstruct this revelation of kedushah and the complete tikkun it could bring. Citing his grandfather, the Sfas Emes teaches that even though they could not in practice destroy all the nations, Hashem wanted their entry to be undertaken with that pure intention, and a deed begun with proper thought is rectified at its conclusion. Therefore, answering the Ohr HaChaim's question on the joyful word vehayah, even the nations left over could afflict Bnei Yisrael as "thorns" and drive them into galus, yet Bnei Yisrael never became attached to them or learned their ways, and that protection is the hidden joy of the verse.