כִּי תֹאמַר בִּלְבָבְךָ רַבִּים הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה מִמֶּנִּי אֵיכָה אוּכַל לְהוֹרִישָׁם: לֹא תִירָא מֵהֶם זָכֹר תִּזְכֹּר אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְדֹוָד אֱלֹקיךָ לְפַרְעֹה וּלְכָל מִצְרָיִם (דברים ז:יז-יח)
“If you think in your hearts these nations (who lived in Eretz Canaan) are more numerous than me, how can I expel them (from the land). Do not be afraid of them. Remember what Hashem, your Lord, did to Pharaoh and to all Mitzrayim,” (Devarim 7:17).
In this pasuk, it seems that Bnei Yisroel perceived themselves as being less in numbers than the nations that lived in Eretz Canaan at that time. They were, therefore, concerned that they would not be able to overtake them. However, another pasuk from the previous week’s parsha (Devarim 7:7) appears to contradict this notion. It states, “Hashem did not delight in you or choose you because you were more numerous than any people; on the contrary, you were the fewest of all the people.” This pasuk suggests that Bnei Yisroel considered that Hashem chose them to be His people, because they were the biggest nation in the world. The pasuk, therefore, concludes that this is not the case but that, in truth, they are smaller than other nations.
One way to reconcile this contradiction is that it is true that, initially, Bnei Yisroel thought of themselves as the largest nation (as indicated at the beginning of pasuk 7). Nonetheless, when Hashem revealed to them that they were, in fact, the smallest nation (as mentioned in the latter part of the pasuk), they fully embraced and internalized this. As a result, they became apprehensive of the other nations inhabiting Eretz Yisroel due to their own significantly smaller population size.
Zera Shimshon rejects this interpretation because if this is, indeed, the explanation, then immediately after the pasuk in last week’s parsha, Hashem should have provided reassurance to Bnei Yisroel—urging them not to fear those nations. There was no reason for Hashem to wait 10 pesukim to offer this reassurance.
Zera Shimshon asks another question: Why does the Torah emphasize that Bnei Yisroel’s fear of the nations will be triggered by “thinking in their hearts,” and not simply to use the phrase, “If you say …?”
Zera Shimshon’s answer of these two questions draws from a dispute in the first perek of Mesechta Avodah Zara regarding how to resolve conflicting opinions among rabbanim on halachic matters. Should the ruling be based on the opinion held by the greater number of chachamim (quantitative majority), or should it be determined by the view of the group who are smarter and sharper (qualitative majority)? To put it simply, does Hashem attach greater importance to quantity or quality?
Given this context, Zera Shimshon reconciles the contradiction. Initially, Bnei Yisroel believed that Hashem chose them due to their exceptional wisdom and understanding—as evidenced by their receiving the Torah, which is described as, “your wisdom and your understanding in the eyes of the nations,” (Devarim 4:6). Since they received the Torah, they considered themselves the most intellectually adept nation, and in accordance with Hashem’s method of decision-making based on the importance of quality, they believed that this is the reason Hashem chose them to be His people.
However, Hashem clarified that halachic rulings in general are determined by the quantitative majority—not the more intelligent group. Thus, the Torah states, “Hashem did not delight in you or choose you because you were more numerous than any people (qualitatively), on the contrary, you were the fewest of all the people (quantitatively).”
This explains why it is written in the pasuk, “If you will think in your hearts these nations are more numerous than me.” It does not imply that Bnei Yisroel will only think about the population of the inhabitants of Eretz Canaan being larger than theirs. If this was the case, the verse would have been written as, “If you say … ” instead of, “If you will think in your hearts … ” Instead, it means that when Bnei Yisroel will contemplate the halacha, “that decisions are based on the majority in numbers,” they will question how they—a comparatively very small nation—can expel the nations residing in Eretz Canaan that are clearly much larger.
After establishing that this was their worry, the assurance, “Do not be afraid of them. Recall what Hashem, your Lord, accomplished against Pharaoh and the entire land of Egypt,” must be understood. How does the historical event of Hashem’s deliverance from Egypt provide an answer to their concern about being a minority among the nations? To understand this, we need to examine an additional method Chazal employs to direct us in situations of uncertainty.
Consider a
situation where there are 10 stores located side-by-side. Nine of these stores sell non-kosher meat, while one store sells kosher meat. If a person discovers a piece of meat near the door of the kosher butcher without any identifying sticker, uncertainty arises about which store it originated from—the kosher one or the non-kosher one. According to halacha, in this situation, we assume that the meat came from a kosher store, and it is permitted to eat it—even though there are clearly more non-kosher stores than kosher ones. This ruling is based on one opinion in the Gemara that states, “Majority and nearness, we decide according to the majority (rov vekarov holchim basser hakarov).”
However, the poskim clarify that this rule has its limitations. It is applicable only when the one kosher store is completely separated from the other stores. In such a case, we assume that the meat came from the kosher store—disregarding the majority of stores selling non-kosher meat. However, if the stores are not entirely separated and are, instead, situated side-by-side, the regular rule of going after the majority is used, and we assume that the meat came from the non-kosher store.
Given this understanding, we can understand how Hashem reassured Bnei Yisroel not to fear the other nations by invoking the memory of what He did to Pharaoh and Mitzrayim. Despite Bnei Yisroel’s special closeness to Hashem, it does not override the quantitative advantage of the nations residing in Eretz Canaan; majority trumps closeness. The only way to offer reassurance is to remind them of Hashem’s actions: “Remember what Hashem, your Lord, did to Pharaoh and all of Mitzrayim.” By recalling how Hashem completely separated them from the plagues in Mitzrayim, can they be reassured since closeness and separateness override majority. Thus, even though the other nations form the majority, Hashem chose and will continue to protect Bnei Yisroel due to their exceptional closeness to Him, coupled with their separation from the other nations.
In summary, the pasuk in this week’s parsha, “If you think in your hearts these nations (who lived in Eretz Canaan) are more numerous than me, how can I expel them (from the land),” suggests that Bnei Yisroel believed themselves to be outnumbered by the nations in Eretz Canaan. On the other hand, the pasuk in parshas Eikev, “Hashem did not delight in you or choose you because you were more numerous than any people; on the contrary, you were the fewest of all the people,” indicates that Bnei Yisroel perceived themselves to be larger than other nations.
Zera Shimshon raises two questions: How to reconcile this contradiction and why the use of “If you think in your hearts these nations (who lived in Eretz Canaan) are more numerous than me,” instead of a simple, “If you will say?”
He answers that, initially, Bnei Yisroel believed that being the only nation to accept the Torah and, thus, receiving wisdom bestowed upon them by the Torah, they were qualitatively superior to other nations—making them the chosen people. However, Hashem informed them that this was not the case and that He places more significance on quantity over quality.
Bnei Yisroel accepted and internalized this idea and then became afraid that Hashem would not aid them in conquering the people living in Eretz Canaan, due to their numerical disadvantage. To reassure them, Hashem reminded them of what He did to Pharaoh and all of Mitzrayim.
How is this a reassurance? Zera Shimshon explains that according to halacha, when an object of unknown origin is found and there are a few possibilities from where it came, it is assumed to have come from the larger group—provided that one of the choices is not very close to the object found. However, if the object found is very close to one of the possible origins, and that possible origin is entirely separated from the other options, significance is given to that object. Therefore, Zera Shimshon concludes that since Bnei Yisroel are very close to Hashem, and during their time in Mitzrayim, they acted differently and were entirely separated from the Mitzriyim, they are deserving of Hashem’s care and protection—even though they are much smaller than other nations.
HaRav Shimshon Nachmani—author of Zera Shimshon lived in Italy—about 300 years ago, in the time of the Or HaChaim HaKodesh. The Chida writes that he was a great mekubal and wrote many sefarim—including sefarim about “practical Kabbalah”—and asked that all of his sefarim be buried after he passes away, except for Zera Shimshon and Niflaos Shimshon on Avos. HaRav Shimshon Nachmani had one child who died in his lifetime (hence the name “Zera Shimshon”) and in the preface, he promises for people who learn his sefarim after he dies, “ … And your eyes will see children and grandchildren like the offshoots of an olive tree around your tables, wise and understanding with houses filled with all manner of good things … and wealth and honor … ”
