A Thought on Parshas Haazinu

"...Yatzev gevulos amim l'mispar Benei Yisroel..." (32:8) "...He set the borders of the nations according to the number of Israel..." The reference to a 'number' in our verse is obscure. What does the Torah mean here, that the "borders of the nations equaled the number of the children of Israel"? Rashi and others interpret it as a similarity between the 70 nations and the 70 members of Jacob's family who descended to Egypt. The Gan offers another angle, one that addresses both the number mystery, as well as the reference to "borders of nations." We know that HaShem declared that Kanaan, a grandson of Noach through his son Cham, would serve the children of Shem, who was the ancestor of the Jewish nation. We know that during the years prior to the Exodus, the "Land of Kanaan" was occupied by "the seven Kananite nations." However, if we pay attention to some verses in Bereishis (10:15-18), the Torah enumerates the names of the descendants of Kanaan - Tzidoni, Chiti, Yevusi, Emori, Girgashi, Chivi, Arki, Sini, Arvadi, Tzmari, Chamasi. That equals eleven tribes, not seven. Elsewhere (13:7) we learn that there was yet another tribe, the Perizi, whom the Gan says was a split off from one of those other tribes of Kanaan. That makes 12 Kananite nations. So, when we think about the "seven nations", we think about the ones mentioned so many times in the Torah, such as in a verse which we recite every morning near the end of pesukei d'zimra - "eretz ha'Kanani, haChiti, ha'Emori, v'haPrizi, v'haYevusi, v'haGirgashi" (which equal six), and at times a different verse will mention the Chivi, which makes seven. Apparently, some of those nations were great and mighty, and some of them were less populated. The fact that some are mentioned more often than others in citing those who occupied the "Land of Kanaan" may attest to this. There were the major tribes, and the lesser ones. The reality is, however, that the Land was actually occupied by twelve Kananite tribal factions. Why was this? The Gan explains. When the Jewish people eventually ascended from Egypt to claim their Promised Land, there may have been nations who contested their right to the land. The Kananites, however, knew their own legacy, as the servants to Uncle Shem. They were not as absolute in contesting our right to return to our territory, which they had been occupying for half a millennium. They knew of their status as our vassals, and of the principle of "mah sh'kana eved kana rabo". Meanwhile, the land had been consigned to Kanaan during the centuries when our own nation was still developing. HaShem allotted those twelve Kananite factions twelve provinces within the territory. When the Jewish people reclaimed their Promised Land, each of our twelve tribes moved into one of the twelve provinces formerly occupied by one of those Kananite tribes. HaShem in essence saw to it that each province would be occupied, cared for, and developed by homesteading Kananites so that each province would be ready to accommodate the Jews who would take up residency there. HaShem kept the land "safe" and "bounded" for us. This, then, is what our verse might mean: "HaShem set up the borders of (the 12 Kananite) nations so that they would equal the number of the (12 tribes) of Israel." That should keep us occupied. Good Shabbos! D Fox The Gan was written by 13th century Rabbeinu Aharon ben Yosi haCohen, Baal Tosfos More pirushim presented by Rabbi Dr. Dovid Fox at http://thoughtonparsha.blogspot.com/