Shabbos Parashas Ki Sisa - 5775

Shabbos Parashas Ki Sisa - 5775

Rabbi Hal Miller

Beware of what I command you today, behold I drive out before you the

Amorite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivvite and the Jebusite.

[Shemos 34:11]

Our verse is puzzling for a number of reasons. It comes right after G-d gave

Moshe the second set of Tablets, and just before a review of a handful of the

commandments that had been given earlier: Pesach, consecration of firstborn,

Shabbos and Shavuos. Why does the Torah tell us to 'beware'? What 'command'

does it refer to? Why does the verse tie together this warning over a command

and G-d's driving out of the inhabitants of the land? Why are only six of the seven

inhabitant-tribes listed?

Beginning with the last question, Rashi has an answer: "There are six nations

here, because the Girgashite stood up and vacated before Israel." Of course, in

Shemos 13:5, only five are listed, leaving out Perizzite from our list. There, Rashi

says, "Although it enumerates only five nations, all seven nations are meant, for

all of them are included in 'Canaanite'." Shemos [3:8] and [23:23] both list the

same six as our verse, but Rashi says nothing on the matter for either. All seven

Canaanite nations are listed in Devarim [7:1], but again, no comment from Rashi,

nor most of the other commentators. We are left to wonder why in one place the

reference to Canaanite means all seven, and in another place it does not.

In Nechemiah 9:8, six are listed, but it is the Hivvites who are left out, and both

the Perizzite and Girgashite are included. On this, Rav Schwab says, "The

Hivvite nation is not mentioned here. It is, however, frequently mentioned in the

Torah as one of the formerly indigenous nations of Eretz Yisrael. It was probably

a subdivision of the Canaanite nation, so at times it is omitted." This seems to

support the idea that 'Canaanite' includes them all, but it leaves us with a

seemingly random set of tribes each time a listing appears in the Torah, a

situation that we cannot accept.

The Gemora in Sotah [33b] leads us to a possible answer. The Mishnah

had addressed the blessings and curses upon entry into the land, as related in

Devarim chapter 27. Rabbi Yehudah cites a Baraisa that gives the location of

Mount Eival and Mount Gerizim. In addition to other landmarks, he says "in the

land of the Canaanite that dwells in the plain, opposite Gilgal, near Elonei Moreh"

and then interprets these places. He says that "in the land of the Canaanite"

means the land of the Hivvite, but explains that the Hivvites were not in a plain,

but lived in the mountains. He also shows that the other locations could not have

been precise for these mountains, but were in fact a roadmap of how the Jews

got there. The point for our purpose is that the references to these various tribes

were to give us geographical information, not to discuss ownership. In each case

where the Torah lists some of the Canaanite tribes, we are able to learn something

about the location where the relevant incident took place.

Our question about what the 'command' was is answered by Ramban. He writes,

"that I command you today, do not do with them as you did with what I commanded

you initially, for you transgressed them all to worship idols." Since our verse comes

shortly after the incident of the golden calf, where the people threw out everything

they had recently learned, G-d was giving them a second chance, as evidenced

by the second set of Tablets. Our verse is an admonition not to throw this chance

away too, thus 'beware'.

What ties our verse together? Sforno has a thought. On our verse he cites

Yirmiyahu [2:11], and writes, " I not only warn you not to change your glory for that

which does not profit but I also caution you not to allow others to worship any god

except Me." Then on verse 15 he adds, " And the reason I said you shall not make

a covenant with the inhabitants of the land is because if you are joined with him in a

covenant you will be misled to follow another god."

The Torah is telling us that wherever we are, with whatever peoples we may be

residing, we are not to follow their ways, rather are to be the example for them to

follow, the example of how G-d wants humans to behave. Even after the golden calf,

the Jewish people maintained this role. Even when we make a mistake, G-d is with

us and will guide and protect us. But, we must beware to keep His commandments.