R. Eleazar and R. Jose were one day studying the verse: “A land which in it thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, which in it thou shalt not lack anything” (Deut. 8, 9). Said R. Eleazar: ‘The repetition of the term bah (in it) is to be noted. The reason is, as has been stated, that the Holy One has assigned all nations and countries to (celestial) chieftains and envoys, with the exception of the Land of Israel, which is under the governance of no angel or chieftain, but only under that of God Himself.
For this reason He brought the people who have no ruler save Him into the land which has no ruler save Him. For the Holy One provides sustenance there first, and only then to the rest of the world. All the idolatrous nations suffer scarceness, but not so the Land of Israel: the Land of Israel receives the first supply, the residue being left for the rest of the world.
Hence “A land which in it thou shalt eat bread without scarceness”, and in a rich abundance: “in it” but in no other place; in it is the home of true faith and on it rests the heavenly blessing.
Hence it is said that Sodom and Gomorrah were “like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt” (Gen. 13, 10), that is, possessing luxurious abundance. So was Egypt also: as the garden of the Lord does not need to be watered by man, neither did Egypt, being amply supplied by the river Nile, which periodically rises and irrigates the whole land.
The Scripture says in one place that “it shall be, that whoso of the families of the earth goes not unto Jerusalem… upon them there shall be no rain” (Zech. 14, 17), i.e. as a punishment; but the passage continues: “And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not… there shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite the nations” (Ibid. 18). Observe that it is not written “upon them there shall be no rain”, for the reason, that it never rains in Egypt, nor is there any need of rain there: hence, their punishment will be “the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the nations”. Similarly of Sodom it is written that “it was well watered everywhere” (Gen. 13, 10); it possessed all the luxuries of the world, and its inhabitants were unwilling that other people should share them.’
R. Hiya said: ‘They deserved punishment both for their immorality and their uncharitableness. For whoever grudges assistance to the poor does not deserve to exist in this world, and he also forfeits the life of the world to come. Contrariwise, whoever is generous towards the poor deserves to exist in the world, and it is for his sake that the world exists, and the fulness of life is reserved for him in the world to come.’
רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲווּ קָיְימֵי יוֹמָא חַד וְעָסְקֵי בְּהַאי קְרָא, אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר כְּתִיב, (דברים ח׳:ט׳) אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר לא בְמִסְכֵּנוּת תֹּאכַל בָּהּ לֶחֶם, לא תֶחְסַר כֹּל בָּהּ. הַאי בָּהּ בָּהּ תְּרִי זִמְנֵי אַמַּאי. אֶלָּא הָא אִתְּמָר דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא פָּלִיג כָּל עַמִּין וְאַרְעָאן לִמְמַנָּן שְׁלִיחָן, וְאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל לָא שַׁלִּיט בָּהּ מַלְאָכָא וְלָא מְמַנָּא אָחֳרָא אֶלָּא אִיהוּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, בְּגִין כָּךְ אָעִיל לְעַמָּא דְּלָא שַׁלִּיט בְּהוּ אָחֳרָא לְאַרְעָא דְּלָא שָׁלִיט בָּהּ אָחֳרָא.
R. Eleazar and R. Jose were one day studying the verse: “A land which in it thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, which in it thou shalt not lack anything” (Deut. 8, 9). Said R. Eleazar: ‘The repetition of the term bah (in it) is to be noted. The reason is, as has been stated, that the Holy One has assigned all nations and countries to (celestial) chieftains and envoys, with the exception of the Land of Israel, which is under the governance of no angel or chieftain, but only under that of God Himself.
תָּא חֲזֵי, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהִיב מְזוֹנָא תַּמָּן בְּקַדְמִיתָא וּלְבָתַר לְכָל עָלְמָא. כָּל שְׁאָר עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת בְּמִסְכֵּנוּת, וְאַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לָאו הָכִי, אֶלָּא אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְּזָן בְּקַדְמִיתָא וּלְבָתַר כָּל עָלְמָא.
For this reason He brought the people who have no ruler save Him into the land which has no ruler save Him. For the Holy One provides sustenance there first, and only then to the rest of the world. All the idolatrous nations suffer scarceness, but not so the Land of Israel: the Land of Israel receives the first supply, the residue being left for the rest of the world.
וּבְגִין כָּךְ אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר לא בְמִסְכֵּנוּת תֹּאכַל בָּהּ לֶחֶם. אֶלָּא בְּעֲתִירוּ בְּסִפּוּקָא דְּכֹלָּא תֹּאכַל בָּהּ וְלָא בְּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא. בָּהּ בִּקְדִּישׁוּ דְּאַרְעָא, בָּהּ שַׁרְיָא מְהֵימְנוּתָא עִלָּאָה. בָּהּ שַׁרְיָא בִּרְכְּתָא דִּלְעֵילָא, וְלָא בְּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא.
Hence “A land which in it thou shalt eat bread without scarceness”, and in a rich abundance: “in it” but in no other place; in it is the home of true faith and on it rests the heavenly blessing.
תָּא חֲזֵי כְּתִיב כְּגַן יְיָ כְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם. עַד הָכָא לָא אִתְיְדַע גַּן יְיָ אִי הוּא אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, וְאִי אִיהוּ אֶרֶץ סְדוֹם, (דף קט ע"א) וְאִי אִיהוּ גַּן יְיָ דְּאִקְרֵי גַּן עֵדֶן. אֶלָּא כְּגַן יְיָ דְּאִית בֵּיהּ סִפּוּקָא וְעִדּוּנָא דְּכֹלָּא, הָכִי נָמֵי הֲוָה סְדוֹם וְהָכִי נָמֵי מִצְרַיִם. מַה גַּן יְיָ לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ בַּר נָשׁ לְאַשְׁקָאָה לֵיהּ, אוּף מִצְרַיִם לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ אָחֳרָא לְאַשְׁקָאָה לֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּנִילוּס אִיהוּ אַסִּיק וְאַשְׁקֵי לְכָל אַרְעָא דְמִצְרַיִם.
Hence it is said that Sodom and Gomorrah were “like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt” (Gen. 13, 10), that is, possessing luxurious abundance. So was Egypt also: as the garden of the Lord does not need to be watered by man, neither did Egypt, being amply supplied by the river Nile, which periodically rises and irrigates the whole land.
תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִיב, (זכריה י״ד:י״ז) וְהָיָה אֲשֶׁר לא יַעֲלֶה מֵאֵת מִשְׁפְּחוֹת הָאָרֶץ אֶל יְרוּשָׁלֵם וְגו'. דָּא הוּא עוֹנָשָׁא דִלְהוֹן דְּאִתְמְנַע מִנְּהוֹן מִטְרָא, מַה כְּתִיב וְאִם מִשְׁפַּחַת מִצְרַיִם לא תַעֲלֶה וְלא בָאָה וְגו'. חָמֵי דְּלָא כְּתִיב וְלא עֲלֵיהֶם יִהְיֶה הַגֶּשֶׁם, בְּגִין דְּלָא נָחִית מִטְרָא לְמִצְרַיִם וְלָא אִצְטַרְכָן לֵיהּ, אֶלָּא עוֹנָשָׁא דִּלְהוֹן מַה הוּא דִּכְתִיב, (זכריה י״ד:י״ב) וְזֹאת תִּהְיֶה הַמַּגֵּפָה אֲשֶׁר יִגּוֹף יְיָ אֶת כָּל הַגּוֹיִם וְגו'. בְּגִין דְּמִצְרַיִם לָא צְרִיכִין לְמִטְרָא. אוּף סְדוֹם מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ כִּי כֻלָּהּ מַשְׁקֶה, כָּל עִדּוּנִין דְּעָלְמָא הֲווּ בָהּ, וְעַל דָּא לָא בָעָאן דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא אָחֳרָנִין יִתְעַדְּנוּן בָּהּ.
The Scripture says in one place that “it shall be, that whoso of the families of the earth goes not unto Jerusalem… upon them there shall be no rain” (Zech. 14, 17), i.e. as a punishment; but the passage continues: “And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not… there shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite the nations” (Ibid. 18). Observe that it is not written “upon them there shall be no rain”, for the reason, that it never rains in Egypt, nor is there any need of rain there: hence, their punishment will be “the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the nations”. Similarly of Sodom it is written that “it was well watered everywhere” (Gen. 13, 10); it possessed all the luxuries of the world, and its inhabitants were unwilling that other people should share them.’
רַבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר אִנּוּן הֲווּ חַיָּיבִין מִגַּרְמַיְיהוּ וּמִמָּמוֹנְהוֹן, דְּכָל בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִיהוּ צָר עֵינָא לְגַבֵּי מִסְכֵּנָא, יָאוֹת הוּא דְּלָא יִתְקַיַּים בְּעָלְמָא. וְלא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּלֵית לֵיהּ חַיִּים לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. וְכָל מַאן דְּאִיהוּ וַותְּרָן לְגַבֵּי מִסְכֵּנָא יָאוֹת הוּא דְּיִתְקַיַּים בְּעָלְמָא, וְיִתְקַיַּים עָלְמָא בְּגִינֵיהּ, וְאִית לֵיהּ חַיִּים וְאוֹרְכָּא דְחַיֵּי לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי:
R. Hiya said: ‘They deserved punishment both for their immorality and their uncharitableness. For whoever grudges assistance to the poor does not deserve to exist in this world, and he also forfeits the life of the world to come. Contrariwise, whoever is generous towards the poor deserves to exist in the world, and it is for his sake that the world exists, and the fulness of life is reserved for him in the world to come.’