(Devarim 11:24) "Every place where the soles of your feet tread will be yours": If (the purpose of this is) to teach about the boundaries of Eretz Yisrael, this is already written, viz. (Ibid.) "From the desert and the Levanon, from the river, the river Yerath, until the western sea shall be your border." What, then, is the intent of "where the soles of your feet tread"? He told them: Every place that you conquer, aside from these (specified) places shall be yours. — But perhaps this gives them license to conquer outside Eretz Yisrael before they have conquered Eretz Yisrael proper! It is, therefore, (first) written "and you will inherit nations greater and mightier than you," and (only) afterwards "Every place where the soles of your feet tread shall be yours" — that Eretz Yisrael not be polluted with their idolatries while you are (busy) conquering outside of it. But, after you conquer Eretz Yisrael, you are permitted to conquer outside of it. After they conquer outside of Eretz Yisrael, whence is it derived that mitzvoth obtain there? It follows thus: It is written here (in respect to the land outside of Eretz Yisrael proper) "shall be" (viz. "shall be your border). Just as there, mitzvoth obtain, so, here, mitzvoth obtain. And if you would ask: How is it that David conquered Aram Naharayim and Aram Tzovah and mitzvoth do not obtain there? They said: David did not act in accordance with the Torah. The Torah said: After you conquer Eretz Yisrael, you are permitted to conquer outside of it. He did not do so, but he turned back and conquered Aram Naharayim and Aram Tzovah, not having driven out the Yevussi, who were close to Jerusalem. The Holy One Blessed be He said to him: If you did not drive out those close to your palace, how could you turn back and conquer Aram Naharayim and Aram Tzovah!
Those (lands) that they conquered outside of Eretz Yisrael — Whence is it derived that those opposite them (that they conquered) in the west are theirs? From (Devarim 11:24) "From the desert and the Levanon, from the river, the river Perath, until the western sea shall be your border." "From the desert"; but the desert (itself) is not your border. But if you conquered (outside of Eretz Yisrael) near the desert, then the desert itself is your border. " from the river"; but the river (itself) is not your border. But if you conquered (outside of Eretz Yisrael) near the river, then the river itself is your border. "until the western sea"; but the sea (itself) is not your border. But if you conquered (outside of Eretz Yisrael near the sea), then the sea itself is your border. And thus is it written (Bamidbar 34:6) "And (what is) the western border? The Great Sea (the Mediterranean) and the bounds (i.e., the islands within it) shall be for you. This shall be the western border for you." We find, then, that every place that those who came up from Bavel seized from Eretz Yisrael until Keziv — (the fruits of shevi'ith) are not eaten and (the land) is not worked. Those who came up from Egypt — (the fruits) are eaten, but (the land) is not worked, (by rabbinical enactment).
The bounds of Eretz Yisrael until the place seized by those who came up from Bavel: (The translator has omitted the place names that follow, assuming that they will be as unknown to almost all (if not all) of his readers as they are to him.)
(דברים יא כד) כָּל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר תִּדְרֹךְ כַּף רַגְלְכֶם בּוֹ, אִם לְלַמֵּד עַל תְּחוּמֵי אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל – הֲרֵי כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר מִן הַמִּדְבָּר וְהַלְּבָנוֹן. מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר כָּל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר תִּדְרֹךְ? אָמַר לָהֶם: כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁתִּכְבְּשׁוּ חוּץ מִמְּקוֹמוֹת הָאֵלּוּ – הֲרֵי הוּא שֶׁלָּכֶם, אוֹ רְשׁוּת בְּיָדָם לִכְבֹּשׁ חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ עַד שֶׁלֹּא יִכְבְּשׁוּ אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (דברים יא כג): ״וִירִשְׁתֶּם גּוֹיִם גְּדוֹלִים וַעֲצוּמִים מִכֶּם״, וְאַחַר כָּךְ: כָּל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר תִּדְרֹךְ כַּף רַגְלְכֶם בּוֹ; שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִטַּמְּאָה בְּגִלּוּלִים – וְאַתֶּם חוֹזְרִים וּמְכַבְּשִׁים חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, אֶלָּא מִשֶּׁתִּכְבְּשׁוּ אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל – תְּהוּ רַשָּׁאִים לִכְבֹּשׁ חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ. הֲרֵי שֶׁכָּבְשׁוּ בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, מִנַּיִן שֶׁהַמִּצְווֹת נוֹהֲגוֹת שָׁם? הֲרֵי אַתָּה דָן: נֶאֱמַר כָּאן יִהְיֶה וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן ״יִהְיֶה״ – מַה יִהְיֶה הָאָמוּר לְהַלָּן – מִצְווֹת נוֹהֲגוֹת שָׁם, אַף יִהְיֶה הָאָמוּר כָּאן – מִצְווֹת נוֹהֲגוֹת שָׁם. וְאִם תֹּאמַר: מִפְּנֵי מָה כָּבַשׁ דָּוִד אֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם וַאֲרַם צוֹבָה, וְאֵין מִצְווֹת נוֹהֲגוֹת שָׁם? אָמַרְתָּ: דָּוִד עָשָׂה שֶׁלֹּא כַתּוֹרָה! הַתּוֹרָה אָמְרָה מִשֶּׁתִּכְבְּשׁוּ אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּהוּ רַשָּׁאִים לִכְבֹּשׁ חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ וְהוּא לֹא עָשָׂה כֵן, אֶלָּא חָזַר וְכָבַשׁ אֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם וַאֲרַם צוֹבָה, וְאֶת הַיְבוּסִי סָמוּךְ לִירוּשָׁלִַם לֹא הוֹרִישׁ. אָמַר לוֹ הַמָּקוֹם: אֶת הַיְבוּסִי סָמוּךְ לְפַלְטוֹרִין שֶׁלְּךָ לֹא הוֹרַשְׁתָּ; הֵיאַךְ אַתָּה חוֹזֵר וּמְכַבֵּשׁ אֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם וַאֲרַם צוֹבָה?
(Devarim 11:24) "Every place where the soles of your feet tread will be yours": If (the purpose of this is) to teach about the boundaries of Eretz Yisrael, this is already written, viz. (Ibid.) "From the desert and the Levanon, from the river, the river Yerath, until the western sea shall be your border." What, then, is the intent of "where the soles of your feet tread"? He told them: Every place that you conquer, aside from these (specified) places shall be yours. — But perhaps this gives them license to conquer outside Eretz Yisrael before they have conquered Eretz Yisrael proper! It is, therefore, (first) written "and you will inherit nations greater and mightier than you," and (only) afterwards "Every place where the soles of your feet tread shall be yours" — that Eretz Yisrael not be polluted with their idolatries while you are (busy) conquering outside of it. But, after you conquer Eretz Yisrael, you are permitted to conquer outside of it. After they conquer outside of Eretz Yisrael, whence is it derived that mitzvoth obtain there? It follows thus: It is written here (in respect to the land outside of Eretz Yisrael proper) "shall be" (viz. "shall be your border). Just as there, mitzvoth obtain, so, here, mitzvoth obtain. And if you would ask: How is it that David conquered Aram Naharayim and Aram Tzovah and mitzvoth do not obtain there? They said: David did not act in accordance with the Torah. The Torah said: After you conquer Eretz Yisrael, you are permitted to conquer outside of it. He did not do so, but he turned back and conquered Aram Naharayim and Aram Tzovah, not having driven out the Yevussi, who were close to Jerusalem. The Holy One Blessed be He said to him: If you did not drive out those close to your palace, how could you turn back and conquer Aram Naharayim and Aram Tzovah!
הֲרֵי שֶׁכָּבְשׁוּ בְחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, מִנַּיִן שֶׁכְּנֶגְדּוֹ בַּיָּם הֲרֵי הוּא שֶׁלָּהֶם? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: מִן הַמִּדְבָּר וְהַלְּבָנוֹן – מִן הַמִּדְבָּר גְּבוּלְכֶם, וְאֵין הַמִּדְבָּר גְּבוּלְכֶם, וְאִם כְּבַשְׁתֶּם – יְהִי גְּבוּלְכֶם וְ״הַמִּדְבָּר... גְּבוּלְכֶם״; מִן הַנָּהָר נְהַר פְּרָת – מִן הַנָּהָר גְּבוּלְכֶם, וְאֵין הַנָּהָר גְּבוּלְכֶם; וְאִם כְּבַשְׁתֶּם – יְהִי גְבוּלְכֶם וְ״הַנָּהָר... גְּבוּלְכֶם״; ״וְעַד הַיָּם גְּבוּלְכֶם״ – וְאֵין הַיָּם גְּבוּלְכֶם, וְאִם כְּבַשְׁתֶּם – יְהִי גְבוּלְכֶם, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (במדבר לד ו): ״וּגְבוּל יָם וְהָיָה לָכֶם הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל וּגְבוּל״, יִהְיֶה גְבֻלְכֶם – וְ״הַיָּם... גְּבוּלְכֶם״. נִמְצֵאתָ אוֹמֵר: (שביעית ו א) ״כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁהֶחֱזִיקוּ עוֹלֵי בָבֶל, מֵאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַד כְּזִיב – לֹא נֶאֱכָל וְלֹא נֶעֱבָד; עוֹלֵי מִצְרַיִם – נֶאֱכָל אֲבָל לֹא נֶעֱבָד; אֵילָךְ וְאֵילָךְ – נֶאֱכָל וְנֶעֱבָד״.
Those (lands) that they conquered outside of Eretz Yisrael — Whence is it derived that those opposite them (that they conquered) in the west are theirs? From (Devarim 11:24) "From the desert and the Levanon, from the river, the river Perath, until the western sea shall be your border." "From the desert"; but the desert (itself) is not your border. But if you conquered (outside of Eretz Yisrael) near the desert, then the desert itself is your border. " from the river"; but the river (itself) is not your border. But if you conquered (outside of Eretz Yisrael) near the river, then the river itself is your border. "until the western sea"; but the sea (itself) is not your border. But if you conquered (outside of Eretz Yisrael near the sea), then the sea itself is your border. And thus is it written (Bamidbar 34:6) "And (what is) the western border? The Great Sea (the Mediterranean) and the bounds (i.e., the islands within it) shall be for you. This shall be the western border for you." We find, then, that every place that those who came up from Bavel seized from Eretz Yisrael until Keziv — (the fruits of shevi'ith) are not eaten and (the land) is not worked. Those who came up from Egypt — (the fruits) are eaten, but (the land) is not worked, (by rabbinical enactment).
תְּחוּמֵי אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד מָקוֹם שֶׁהֶחֱזִיקוּ עוֹלֵי בָּבֶל: פָּרָשַׁת אַשְׁקְלוֹן, חוֹמוֹת מִגְדָּל שָׁרְשָׁן, דּוֹר, וְחוֹמוֹת עַכּוֹ, וְרֹאשׁ מְגִיאָתוֹ, וְגִיאָתוֹ עַצְמוֹ, כַּבְרָתָא, וּבֵית זְנִיתָא, קַצְרָא דְגָלִילָא, קַבְיָא דְעַיְּתָא, מְצַיָּא דְעַבְתָּא, כְּמוּתָא דְבִירְיָין, פְּחוֹרְתָא דְיֶתֶר, נַחְלָה דְאַבְצֵל, בֵּית עֵר, מַרְעַשְׁתָּא, לוּלָא רַבְּתָא, כַּרְכָּא דְבַר סַנְגְּרָא, מֵיסַף סְפַנְתָּא, נְקִיבְתָא דְעִיּוֹן, תַּרְנְגוֹלָא עִלָּאָה דְקֵיסָרֵי, בֵּית סוּכּוֹת, וְיַנְקָת, וּרְקַם דְחַגְרָא, וְטַרְכוֹנָא דְזִימְרָא דְבִיתְחוּם בִּיצְרָא, סְקָא וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן, וְנַחְלָא דְוֶרֶד, סְכוּתָא, נִמְרִין, מַלְיָא זִירְזָא, וּרְקַם גֵּיאָה, וְגִינְיָא דְאַשְׁקְלוֹן, וְדֶרֶךְ גְּדוֹלָה הַהוֹלֶכֶת בַּמִּדְבָּר.
The bounds of Eretz Yisrael until the place seized by those who came up from Bavel: (The translator has omitted the place names that follow, assuming that they will be as unknown to almost all (if not all) of his readers as they are to him.)