Sifrei on Deuteronomy Sifrei Devarim 38

English · Shraga Silverstein

(Devarim 11:10) "It is not like the land of Egypt": the land of Egypt — the low (land) drinks (rain); the high, does not drink (and water has to be carried to it); Eretz Yisrael — the low and the high drink. The land of Egypt drinks its (own waters [from the Nile]); Eretz Yisrael drinks rainwater.

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English · Shraga Silverstein

The land of Egypt — what is revealed drinks; what is concealed does not drink. Eretz Yisrael — both the revealed and the concealed drink.

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English · Shraga Silverstein

The land of Egypt drinks and then is sowed; Eretz Yisrael drinks and is sowed; is sowed and drinks. The land of Egypt does not drink every day; Eretz Yisrael drinks every day.

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English · Shraga Silverstein

The land of Egypt — If one does not work in it (i.e., in the soil) with mattock and axe and (does not allow) sleep to escape his eyes, he has nothing of it. Not so Eretz Yisrael, but they (its inhabitants) sleep and the L-rd brings down rain for them. An analogy: A king is walking on the road, and, seeing a man of high estate, gives him a servant to serve him. He then sees another man of high estate, (having obviously been) preened and pampered, engaging in (mundane) labor, (all the while), conscious (of the nobility) of his ancestors — at which he says: I decree that you not toil with your own hands, and I will feed you (gratuitously). So, with all the lands, He gives them servants to serve them. Egypt drinks from the Nile; Bavel drinks from the Yuval. Not so Eretz Yisrael, but they (its inhabitants) sleep on their beds, and the Holy One Blessed be He brings down rain for them. To teach that not as the ways of flesh and blood are the ways of the Holy One Blessed be He. (A man of) flesh and blood acquires servants to feed and sustain him. But He who spoke and brought the world into being — He acquires servants for Himself, whom He Himself feeds and sustains.

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English · Shraga Silverstein

And once it happened that R. Eliezer and R. Yehoshua and R. Tzaddok were seated at the (wedding) feast of R. Gamliel's son, when R. Gamliel poured a cup (of wine) for R. Elazar, who declined taking it, and for R. Yehoshua, who took it — whereupon R. Elazar said to him: What is this, Yohoshua? We are seated and R. Gamliel stands over us and serves us? R. Yehoshua: Let him serve. Abraham, the greatest man in the world served the ministering angels, (who came to visit him), thinking them to be Arab idolators, and R. Gamliel should not serve us? R. Tzaddok: You have forsaken the honor of the L-rd, and you occupy yourselves with the honor of flesh and blood! He who spoke and brought the world into being causes the winds to blow, and raises vapors and clouds and brings down rains and nurtures growths and sets a table for each and every man — and Gamliel should not serve us?

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English · Shraga Silverstein

You say that this (see beginning of #38) is the intent of "It is not like the land of Egypt"? Perhaps it is because the land of Egypt is the "refuse" of all the lands that Scripture contrasts it with Eretz Yisrael. It is, therefore, written (Bereshith 13:10) "like the garden of the L-rd, like the land of Egypt" — like the garden of the L-rd for trees; like the land of Egypt for seeds.

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English · Shraga Silverstein

— But perhaps it is being contrasted with its most demeaning feature; it is, therefore, written (Vayikra 18:3) "in which you dwelt" — the place in which you dwelt, of which it is written (Ibid. 47:6) "In the best (part) of the land settle your father, etc." But perhaps it is being contrasted only with the time of its demeaning (i.e., its being smitten with the plagues). It is, therefore, written "from which you went out." When you were there, it was blessed because of you, but not now that you are not upon it.

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English · Shraga Silverstein

And thus do you find, that wherever the righteous go, blessing comes in their wake. Israel went down to Gerar — blessing came to Gerar, viz. (Bereshith 26:12) "And Israel sowed in that land, etc." Jacob went down to Lavan — blessing came down in his wake, viz. (Ibid. 30:27) "I have found through divination that the L-rd has blessed me for your sake." Joseph went down to Potifera — blessing came in his wake, viz. (Ibid. 39:5) "and the L-rd blessed the house of the Egyptian for Joseph's sake." Jacob went down to Pharaoh — blessing came down for his sake, viz. (Ibid. 47:10) "And Jacob blessed Pharaoh." In what way did he bless him? In that years of famine were withheld from him. And after the death of Jacob they returned, as it is written (Ibid. 50:21) "And now, do not fear, I (Joseph) will feed you and your little ones," and (Ibid. 45;11) "And I will feed you there." Just as "feeding" there was in the (projected) years of famine, so, the "feeding" here (50:21) was in the years of famine, (the famine having returned with Jacob's death). These are the words of R. Yossi.

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English · Shraga Silverstein

R. Shimon b. Yochai says: It is not kiddush Hashem (sanctification of the name of G-d) for the words of the righteous to be in force in their lifetime and to be voided after their death. R. Elazar b. R. Shimon said; I subscribe to the words of R. Yossi rather than to father's words, that it is kiddush Hashem. For so long as the righteous are in the world, blessing is in the world. When the righteous depart from the world, blessing departs from the world. And thus do you find with the ark of G-d, which went down to the house of Oved-edom the Gittite, for the sake of which he was blessed, viz. (II Samuel 6:12) "And King David was told: The L-rd has blessed the house of Oved-edom and all that he has because of the ark of G-d." Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If Oved-edom was blessed because of the ark, which was made neither for gain nor loss, but only for the fragments of the tablets within it, how much more so (is one blessed in the merit of) the righteous, for whose sake the world was created!

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English · Shraga Silverstein

Our forefathers came to Eretz Yisrael — blessing came in their wake, viz. (Devarim 6:11) "And (you will find) houses full of all good that you did not fill, and hewn cisterns, which you did not hew, etc." R. Shimon b. Yochai says: If it is written "houses full," "hewn cisterns," why need it be written "which you did not fill," "which you did not plant"? (To indicate) that it is not you who filled or hewed or planted, but your merit. And thus do you find that all the forty years that Israel was in the desert, the men of Eretz Yisrael built houses, and dug holes, pits, and caves, and planted all kinds of fruit trees, so that when our forefathers came to Eretz Yisrael they would find it full of blessing. But because this blessing came to them (the inhabitants), I might think that they would eat and be sated; it is, therefore, written (Ibid.) "and you (Israel) shall eat and be sated." You will eat and be sated, and they will keep themselves, their sons, and their wives and daughters (from eating them) so that our forefathers come to the land and find everything full of blessing. This is as we have said (Ibid. 11:10) "from which you went forth" — When you were there, it was blessed for your sakes, not as things are now, there being no blessing in it, as when you were there.

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English · Shraga Silverstein

You say that this is the intent of the verse. But perhaps it is to liken this coming (i.e., your coming to Egypt) to that coming (i.e., your coming to Eretz Yisrael) — Just as the first was optional (and not mandatory), so, the second! It is, therefore, written "to inherit it." You are coming to inherit it. The difference between the first and the second — the coming to Egypt is optional; the coming to Eretz Yisrael is mandatory. In coming to Egypt, they did not count shemitoth and yovloth; in coming to Eretz Yisrael, they did. The land of Egypt, whether or not they did the will of the L-rd — here is the land of Egypt for you! Not so the land of Canaan (Eretz Yisrael). If you do the will of the L-rd, here is the land of Canaan for you. If not, you will be exiled from it. As it is written (Ibid. 7:12) "And it shall be, if you hearken … then the L-rd will keep for you His oath," and (Vayikra 18:28) "So that the land not vomit you out by your making it unclean."

Sifrei Devarim 38

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