(Devarim 1:7) "Turn and journey" — the way to Arad and Charmah; "and come to the mountain of the Emori and to all its neighbors" — Ammon, Moav, and Mount Seir; "in the plain" — the forest plain; "in the mountain" — the "King's Mountain" (see Gittin 57a); "in the lowland" — of the south; "in the south and by the seacoast" — Ashkelon, Azza, Caesarea, etc.; "the land of the Canaani" — the border of Canaan, viz. (Bereshith 10:19) "And the border of the Canaani was from Tziddon … until Lasha (Kalda)";
"and the Levanon": He said to them: When you come to the land, you must appoint a king for yourselves and build the Temple. And whence is it derived that "Levanon" is a king? From (Ezekiel 17:3) "… came to the Levanon and took the crown of cedar," and (II Kings 14:9) "The thornbush in Levanon (once) sent (word) to the cedar of Levanon, saying: Give your daughter to my son for a wife. The wild beast of Levanon then came by and trampled the thornbush." Variantly: "Levanon" is the Temple, as it is written (Jeremiah 22:6) "Gilead are you (the Temple) unto Me, the summit of the Levanon," and (Isaiah 10:34) "The Levanon will fall by a mighty one."
Why is it called "levanon"? Because it "whitens" ("malbin") the sins of Israel, viz. (Ibid 1:18) "If your sins are like scarlet, they will become white as snow." (Devarim, Ibid.)
"until the great river, the river Perat": (so-called) because its greater part abuts on Eretz Yisrael, as in the folk homilies "The king's servant is likened to the king," "Rub shoulders with the anointed one and they will bow down to you too."
"the river Perat": (so-called) because in its beginning it can be dug up with a shovel, and it branches out ("mafreh" [like "Perat"]) until it must be crossed by boats. Variantly: (so-called) because vegetation "multiplies" (parin veravin) through it. All the rivers say to Perat: Why don't you let yourself be heard, just as we let ourselves be heard from afar? It replies: My deeds make me known. If something is sown upon me, it sprouts in three days; if something is planted upon me, it rises in three days. And thus does Scripture praise me: "until the great river, the river Perat."
(דברים א ז) פְּנוּ וּסְעוּ לָכֶם וּבֹאוּ, זֶה דֶּרֶךְ עֲרָד וְחָרְמָה. הַר הָאֱמֹרִי וְאֶל כָּל שְׁכֵנָיו, זֶה עַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב וְהַר שֵׂעִיר. בָּעֲרָבָה, זֶה מִישׁוֹר שֶׁל צוֹעַר. בָהָר, זֶה הַר הַמֶּלֶךְ. וּבַשְּׁפֵלָה, זֶה שְׁפֵלַת לוֹד וּשְׁפֵלַת דָּרוֹם. וּבַנֶּגֶב וּבְחוֹף הַיָּם, זֶה עַזָּה וְאַשְׁקְלוֹן וְקֵסָרִין. אֶרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי, זֶה גְּבוּל הַכְּנַעֲנִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית י יט): ״וַיְהִי גְּבוּל הַכְּנַעֲנִי מִצִּידוֹן״ וְגוֹ׳.
(Devarim 1:7) "Turn and journey" — the way to Arad and Charmah; "and come to the mountain of the Emori and to all its neighbors" — Ammon, Moav, and Mount Seir; "in the plain" — the forest plain; "in the mountain" — the "King's Mountain" (see Gittin 57a); "in the lowland" — of the south; "in the south and by the seacoast" — Ashkelon, Azza, Caesarea, etc.; "the land of the Canaani" — the border of Canaan, viz. (Bereshith 10:19) "And the border of the Canaani was from Tziddon … until Lasha (Kalda)";
וְהַלְּבָנוֹן, אָמַר לָהֶם: כְּשֶׁאַתֶּם נִכְנָסִים לָאָרֶץ צְרִיכִים אַתֶּם לְהַעֲמִיד לָכֶם מֶלֶךְ וְלִבְנוֹת לָכֶם בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה. מִנַּיִן שֶׁאֵין לְבָנוֹן אֶלָּא מֶלֶךְ? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל יז ג): ״בָּא אֶל הַלְּבָנוֹן וַיִּקַּח אֶת צַמֶּרֶת הָאָרֶז״, וְאוֹמֵר (מלכים ב יד ט): ״הַחוֹחַ אֲשֶׁר בַּלְּבָנוֹן״, וְאֵין לְבָנוֹן אֶלָּא בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ירמיה כב ו): ״גִּלְעָד אַתָּה לִי רֹאשׁ הַלְּבָנוֹן״, וְאוֹמֵר (ישעיה י לד): ״וְנִקַּף סִבְכֵי הַיַּעַר בַּבַּרְזֶל וְהַלְּבָנוֹן בְּאַדִּיר יִפּוֹל״.
"and the Levanon": He said to them: When you come to the land, you must appoint a king for yourselves and build the Temple. And whence is it derived that "Levanon" is a king? From (Ezekiel 17:3) "… came to the Levanon and took the crown of cedar," and (II Kings 14:9) "The thornbush in Levanon (once) sent (word) to the cedar of Levanon, saying: Give your daughter to my son for a wife. The wild beast of Levanon then came by and trampled the thornbush." Variantly: "Levanon" is the Temple, as it is written (Jeremiah 22:6) "Gilead are you (the Temple) unto Me, the summit of the Levanon," and (Isaiah 10:34) "The Levanon will fall by a mighty one."
דָּבָר אַחֵר: לָמָּה קוֹרִים אוֹתוֹ לְבָנוֹן? שֶׁמַּלְבִּין עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה א יח): ״אִם יִהְיוּ חֲטָאֵיכֶם כַּשָּׁנִים – כַּשֶּׁלֶג יַלְבִּינוּ״.
Why is it called "levanon"? Because it "whitens" ("malbin") the sins of Israel, viz. (Ibid 1:18) "If your sins are like scarlet, they will become white as snow." (Devarim, Ibid.)
עַד הַנָּהָר הַגָּדוֹל נְהַר פְּרָת, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁרֻבּוֹ וְתָקְפּוֹ כְּנֶגֶד אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. מְשַׁל הֶדְיוֹט אוֹמֵר: עֶבֶד מֶלֶךְ – מֶלֶךְ! הִדָּבֵק לִשְׁחִין – וְיִשְׁתָּחֵן לְךָ!
"until the great river, the river Perat": (so-called) because its greater part abuts on Eretz Yisrael, as in the folk homilies "The king's servant is likened to the king," "Rub shoulders with the anointed one and they will bow down to you too."
דָּבָר אַחֵר: שֶׁמַּפְרִיד וְהוֹלֵךְ עַד שֶׁכָּלֶה בַּמַּגְרֵפָה. דָּבָר אַחֵר: נְהַר פְּרָת שֶׁפּוֹרֶה וְרָב עַד שֶׁעוֹבְרִים אוֹתוֹ בִּסְפִינוֹת. הֲרֵי כָּל הַנְּהָרוֹת אוֹמְרִים לִפְרָת: מִפְּנֵי מָה אֵין אַתָּה מַשְׁמִיעַ קוֹלְךָ כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁקּוֹלֵנוּ הוֹלֵךְ מֵרָחוֹק? אָמַר לָהֶם: מַעֲשַׂי מוֹכִיחִים עָלַי: אָדָם זוֹרֵעַ בִּי זְרִיעָה – עוֹלָה לִשְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים; נוֹטֵעַ בִּי נְטִיעָה – עוֹלָה לִשְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם! הֲרֵי הַכָּתוּב מְשַׁבְּחֵנִי: עַד הַנָּהָר הַגָּדֹל נְהַר פְּרָת.
"the river Perat": (so-called) because in its beginning it can be dug up with a shovel, and it branches out ("mafreh" [like "Perat"]) until it must be crossed by boats. Variantly: (so-called) because vegetation "multiplies" (parin veravin) through it. All the rivers say to Perat: Why don't you let yourself be heard, just as we let ourselves be heard from afar? It replies: My deeds make me known. If something is sown upon me, it sprouts in three days; if something is planted upon me, it rises in three days. And thus does Scripture praise me: "until the great river, the river Perat."