פרשת שלח לך תשכ"ג - כי תבואו אל ארץ מושבותיכם

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye are come into the land of your habitations, which I give unto you,

When you arrive into the land in which you will dwell. After Hashem promised the sons that they would come into the Land, He added to the laws of the offerings — that they would bring wine-offerings once they entered the Land. Perhaps this was said now to comfort them and to assure them, for they were in despair. They thought: Who knows what will be at the end of forty years? Maybe the sons will sin as well? Therefore Hashem saw fit to comfort them. The commandments that depend on the Land of Israel implied a promise that they would enter the Land and inherit it.

כי תבואו אל ארץ מושבותיכם, "when you will come to the land of your habitations, etc." When G'd saw the despondency of the Jewish people over the decree that He had issued against them to wander aimlessly in the desert for forty years, He provided some encouragement for their hearts by instructing them in commandments which would apply only once they lived in the land of Canaan. G'd wanted to keep this prospect before their eyes in order to make their lives more meaningful. If one knows that at the end of a certain period of time one will experience fulfilment of one's hopes then the time lag until then becomes less onerous. G'd made sure to write אשר אני נותן לכם, "which I am about to give to you," although the generation He addressed had already been described as carcasses. He taught the people that the accomplishments of the children reflect credit also on their parents seeing the children are meant to be the extension of their parents.

בבאכם אל הארץ WHEN YE COME (more lit., on your coming) INTO THE LAND — This statement about their “entering” into the land is expressed differently from all other statements about their “entering” made in the Torah, for in all other cases it is said, “When you come”, or “when ye come”, — and consequently in all these latter cases each may learn some particular from the other by way of a ג”ש. Therefore, since Scripture distinctly states in one instance of these (Deuteronomy 26:1) that the law there enjoined is applicable only after the full possession (ירושה) of, and definite settlement (ישיבה) in it, (“When thou comest to the land … and thou dost possess it (וירשת) and thou dwellest (וישבת) therein”, then thou shalt take of the first of all thy fruits etc.), all other cases where the phrase כי תבא or כי תבאו introduce a law are similar (i.e. the laws laid down in such instances were also to come in force only after ירושה and ישיבה). — In this case, however, it is stated בבאכם “on your coming”, implying that as soon as they had entered it (the Land) and ate of its bread they became subject to the law about “Challah” (Sifrei Bamidbar 110:1).

And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and dost possess it, and dwell therein; that thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which thou shalt bring in from thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee; and thou shalt put it in a basket and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there.

And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over the Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaster them with plaster.

as you come into the city, you shall find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he comes, because he blesses the sacrifice; and afterwards those that are invited eat. Now therefore go up; for about this time you shall find him.

And Moses said: ‘Thus saith the LORD: About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt;

והקריב המקריב THEN SHALL HE THAT OFFERETH [HIS OFFERING BRING A MEAL OFFERING etc.] — i.e. you shall offer a drink-offering and a meal-offering for each and every animal: the meal-offering to be entirely burnt, and the oil be mingled with it, and the wine to be put into the basins from which it was poured upon the altar (but see Tosafot on Sukkah 48a), as we have learnt in Treatise Sukkah 48a.

ראשית ערסתכם OF THE FIRST OF YOUR DOUGH [YE SHALL HEAVE A CAKE] — This means: when you knead as much as is now your dough (ערסתכם), i.e. the quantity which you are accustomed to knead in the wilderness — and how much is this? You may learn it from the statements (Exodus 16:18) “And they measured with the Omer” and (Exodus 16:16) “An Omer a head”, — you shall set apart at its very beginning (ראשית), meaning, before you eat from it its first portion, one cake (חלה) shall you set apart, as a heave-offering in honour of the Lord (תרימו תרומה לה׳) (Eruvin 83a).

והאנשים אשר שלח משה, and who had in the meantime returned from the land of Israel, וישובו וילינו and had upon their return incited the people to voice their complaints, וימותו, they died forthwith.

And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting; and the children of Israel also wept on their part, and said: ‘Would that we were given flesh to eat!

And it came to pass, as soon as Gid῾on was dead, that the children of Yisra᾽el turned again, and went astray after the Ba῾alim, and made Ba῾al-berit their god.