Taking possession of the promised land doesn’t depend on our merits as conquerors. We are told this explicitly in Parshat Ekev.
“Not because of your righteousness and the uprightness of your heart are you coming to possess their land…” (D’varim 9:5)
But if this is true, we might conclude that the wicked behavior of the land’s previous rulers should also have no impact. If righteous actions aren’t a criterion for possession of the land, the performance of evil deeds should also make no difference.
But then that same verse continues.
“…but because of the evil of these nations does HaShem, your G-d, drive them away from you…”
And then the verse ends with an additional reason.
“…in order to fulfill the promise that HaShem swore to your fathers, to Avraham, to Yitzḥak, and to Yaakov.”
This isn’t easy to understand.
If the land was given to the children of Israel because our ancestors were righteous, could it be possible that the children are not required to maintain at least a minimum level of righteousness in order for the promise to be kept?
The answer is that we need to separate two elements here: entering the land and continuing to live on it.
Entering the land doesn’t depend on our merits. But in order to continue living on the land, Israel must be righteous. And this explains why the evil behavior of the peoples who lived on the land is relevant to their displacement during Israel’s conquest.
But if entering the land doesn’t depend on practical merits, what does it depend on? What are the details and conditions of the promise given to our ancestors?
The answer can be found in the words of the prophet.
“I have made the earth… and I have given it to those who are appropriate in My eyes.” (Yirmiyahu 27:5)
Thus we see two important factors:
1. An ethical criterion – the word used is “yashar” (“straight” or “upright”).
2. “In the eyes of HaShem” and not necessarily what appears to us as righteous at first glance.
This refers to a trait of internal honesty, which is not necessarily the same as what’s usually understood by the phrase “your righteousness and the uprightness of your heart.”
In this case, it refers to having an honest identity, which was characteristic of those who conquered the land and established Hebrew sovereignty. Even though the people were “stiff-necked,” they were worthy of the oath given to their forefathers.
According to the Maharal of Prague, being “stiff-necked” is a positive trait that expresses a dedication to truth and justice. One who is stiff-necked is not willing to change his ideas and behavior without being thoroughly convinced that he should, both on moral and logical grounds, and it’s therefore not easy for him to repent.
But if and when he does repent, he can be expected to be strong in maintaining his new position.
Our upright identity, what’s called the segula – the unique inner essence of Israel – is something in our collective soul that demands the world operate according to principles of righteousness.
This inner demand expresses itself in our willingness to sacrifice ourselves in the holy wars of Israel, where we pit our commitment to prophetic morality in battle against others.
As opposed to the partial man-made morality of the Christian and Muslim approaches, Israel’s morality is based on the unity of the values of righteousness and justice, which constitutes the mission of our Hebrew ancestors.
“… the way of HaShem, to perform righteousness and justice, so that HaShem will give to Avraham what He promised.” (B’reishit 18:19)
