Elevation Toward The Root

בספרי עשה מצוה כו' שבשכרה תיכנס לארץ

In the Sifrei it is taught: "Perform a mitzvah," etc., "for it is in the merit of that reward that you will enter the Land."

The Sifrei teaches that entering Eretz Yisrael is a reward earned through performing mitzvos. Doing the mitzvah is what brings one into the Land.

וכן דרש בפסוק ויביאנו אל המקום הזה בהמ"ק בזכות זה ויתן לנו את הארץ הזאת ע"ש

And so too did the Sifrei expound on the verse "And He brought us to this place" (Devarim 26:9) — that this refers to the Beis HaMikdash, and that in the merit of this, "He gave us this Land"; see there.

The Sifrei reads the verse to mean that being brought to "this place" refers to the Beis HaMikdash, and the merit of the Mikdash is what brought about the gift of the Land itself.

דכ' וירוממך לרשת ארץ כי בנ"י זכו אל א"י במתנה מן השמים לכן תכלית כניסת א"י היא זה התרוממות אל השורש

For it is written, "And He will exalt you to inherit the Land" — because Bnei Yisrael merited Eretz Yisrael as a gift from Heaven, and therefore the very purpose of entering Eretz Yisrael is this elevation toward the root.

Because Bnei Yisrael received Eretz Yisrael as a Heavenly gift rather than by natural means, entering the Land is meant to lift a person up to his spiritual root.

וזה מצות ביכורים שנק' ראשית כמ"ש חז"ל תרומת ידך אלו הביכורים

And this is the mitzvah of bikkurim, which is called "reishis" (the first), as Chazal expounded: "the terumah of your hand" — these are the bikkurim.

Bringing bikkurim expresses this idea, since bikkurim are called "reishis," the first and best, and Chazal identify them with "the terumah of your hand."

ידך היא המקום והרשות

"Your hand" alludes to the "place" and to the domain.

The word "hand" hints at the concept of the "place" and one's domain or possession.

ובהמ"ק נקרא המקום שהוא שורש כל המקומות ומשם ניתן להם א"י

And the Beis HaMikdash is called "the place," for it is the root of all places, and from there Eretz Yisrael was given to them.

The Beis HaMikdash is termed "the place" because it is the source of all places, and Eretz Yisrael flowed to Bnei Yisrael from that source.

ולכן סמכו למחיות עמלק כמ"ש בהכרת רשעים תראה כשמתרומם אל השורש

And it is for this reason that the Torah juxtaposes the mitzvah of blotting out Amalek to it, as it is written, "With the destruction of the wicked you shall behold" (Tehillim 91:8) — for when a person is elevated toward the root, the downfall of the wicked is seen.

This is why the Torah places the command to wipe out Amalek next to these themes: when a person rises toward his root, the wicked are automatically brought down.

וברשעים כ' בפרוח כו' כמו עשב כו' להשמדם כו'

And concerning the wicked it is written, "When they blossom," etc., "like grass," etc., "it is in order that they be destroyed," etc. (Tehillim 92:8).

The wicked may flourish briefly like grass, but that very flourishing is the prelude to their destruction.

ואתה מרום לעולם שנחלת ישראל באה מן השמים

"But You are exalted forever" (Tehillim 92:9) — for the inheritance of Yisrael comes from Heaven.

Hashem alone is exalted eternally, and that is precisely why Yisrael's inheritance, which comes from Heaven, is lasting.

וכ"כ ותרם כראם קרני כו' ותבט עיני בשורי כח הרשעים מלמטה כמו עשב ואין להם תקומה

And likewise it is written, "And You have lifted my horn like that of a re'em," etc., "and my eye has gazed upon those who lie in wait for me" (Tehillim 92:11) — the strength of the wicked is from below, like grass, and they have no endurance.

The wicked draw their power from below, from this world alone, like grass that has no permanence and quickly withers.

אבל כחן של ישראל ע"י הביטול אל השורש ומלמעלה למטה זוכין אל הירושה של א"י למטה ואז כשזה קם זה נופל

But the strength of Yisrael is through bittul toward the root and from above to below; through this they merit the inheritance of Eretz Yisrael here below, and then "when this one rises, this one falls."

Yisrael's strength comes specifically through bittul, nullifying themselves to their root and drawing from above downward; this earns them the lasting inheritance of the Land, and the rise of one means the fall of the other.

וכ"כ והי' בהניח כו' בארץ אשר ה"א נותן לך כו' תמחה את זכר עמלק:

And so it is written, "And it shall be, when He grants you rest," etc., "in the Land that Hashem your God gives you," etc., "you shall blot out the memory of Amalek" (Devarim 25:19).

The Torah therefore links the rest Hashem grants in the Land with the command to blot out the memory of Amalek, for both flow from drawing strength from Above.

Summary: The Sfas Emes explains that entering Eretz Yisrael is not merely a physical acquisition but an elevation toward the spiritual root, since Bnei Yisrael received the Land as a gift from Heaven. The mitzvah of bikkurim, called "reishis," expresses this, and the Beis HaMikdash is "the place" that serves as the root of all places, from which Eretz Yisrael was given. Because Yisrael's strength flows from above to below through bittul to their root, their inheritance endures, while the wicked, who draw power only from below like grass, have no permanence. For this reason the Torah juxtaposes the command to wipe out Amalek: when a person rises toward his root and Yisrael ascends, the wicked automatically fall away. Thus the rest Hashem grants in the Land is bound up with blotting out the memory of Amalek.