Rashi on TanakhNumbers 34

This is the land which will fall to you, etc. Since many commandments apply in the land, but do not apply outside the land, it was necessary to record the outer reaches of the borders of its perimeter, to inform you that within those borders, the commandments apply.

Will fall to you. Because it was apportioned by lot, the apportionment is described in terms of falling. Midrash Aggadah remarks, because the Holy One, Blessed is He, caused the fall of the [celestial] ministers of the seven nations from heaven, and prostrated them before Moshe, and said to him, “observe, they no longer have any power.”

Your southern flank shall be. The southern side, from east to west.

From the Tzin wilderness. Which adjoining Edom, begins the southeastern corner of the land of the nine tribes. How is this? Three countries lie south of Eretz Yisroel, each adjoining the next; part of the land of Egypt, all of the land of Edom, and all of the land of Moav. The land of Egypt is at the southwestern corner, as it is said in this Parshah, “[the border turns] from Atzmon to the Egyptian Estuary and its outskirts shall reach the sea.” The Egyptian Estuary’s path faced the entire land of Egypt, as it is said, ”from the [river] Shichor, facing Egypt,” and separates the land of Egypt from Eretz Yisroel. The land of Edom adjoined it eastward, with the land of Moav adjoining the land of Edom at the eastern end of the southern border. When the Bnei Yisroel left Egypt, had the Omnipresent desired to hasten their entry into the land, He would have brought them northward across the Nile, and they would have entered Eretz Yisroel — but He did not do so. This is the meaning of what is said, “God did not lead them along the route of the land of the P’lishtim,” who dwelt by the sea, on the western border of the land of Canaan, as is said concerning the P’lishtim, “those who dwell on the territory by the sea, the Kereisite nation.” He did not lead them along that route, but diverted them, bringing them out by the southern route, into the wilderness — the Yechezkel called “the wilderness of nations,” because several nations dwelt alongside it. He then led them in the south from west to east, continuously, until they reached south of the land of Edom. They requested that the king of Edom permit them to enter his land, traverse its width, and enter the land, but he refused, so they had to travel around the entire southern side of Edom, until they reached south of the land of Moav, as it is said, “he also sent emissaries to the king of Moav, but he refused.” They traveled along the entire southern side of Moav, to the end. From there they turned their faces to the north, until they traveled around its entire eastern border along its width. When they completed its eastern side, they came upon the territory of Sichon and Og, who dwelt east of the land of Canaan, with the Yardein interposing between them. This is the meaning of what was said by Yiftach, “they traveled in the wilderness, proceeded around the land of Edom and the land of Moav, and came to [the end of] the eastern border of the land of Moav.” They conquered the territory of Sichon and Og, which was north of the land of Moav, and came abreast of the Yardein, opposite the northwest corner of the land of Moav. Thus, the land of Canaan across the Yardein to the west had its sourtheastern corner adjacent to Moav.

The border then turns south of Maaleh Akrabim. Wherever it says “turns” or “extends,” it teaches that the border was not even, but swerved away. The border swerves, bending towards the north and angling west, so that the border passes south of Maaleh Akrabim — thus, Maaleh Akrabim was within the border.

Passing toward Tzin. צִנָה, ”to Tzin,” like מִצְרַיְמָה, “to Egypt.”

Its outskirts shall be. Its ending, south of Kadeish Barne’a.

It shall extend to Chatzar Adar. The border spreads, broadening towards the north and angling further west, until it reaches Chatzar Adar, from there to Atzmon, and from there to the Egyptian Estuary. The term “turns” is used here, because it wrote “it shall extend to Chatzar Adar.” It began broadening after crossing Kadesh Barne’a, and the breadth of the strip which protruded northward reached from Kadesh Barne’a to Atzmon. From there and onward the border receded, turning toward the south until reaching the Egyptian Estuary, and from there west to the Mediterranean, which serves as the western border for all of Eretz Yisroel. Thus, the Egyptian Estuary is situated at the southwestern corner.

Its outskirts shall reach the sea. Until the western border. The southern border no longer extends towards the west, past there.

As for the western border. What is the western border?

It shall be the Great (Mediterranean) Sea. As a border.

And its border. The islands at sea are also part of the border. These islands are called “isles” in Old French.

The northern border. The northern border.

From the Great (Mediterranean) Sea, turn yourselves to Hor Hahar. Which is at the northwestern corner. Its peak slopes and enters the sea, with some of the expanse of the sea inward, and some outward.

Turn. Tilt yourselves to turn from west to north, to Mount Hor.

Turn. The term denotes turning, as in “to the runners’ annex,” “the annexes of the gateway.” The annex, called “apendiz” in Old French, turns and slopes.

From Hor Hahar. Turn and proceed along the northern border to the east, and you will encounter Levo Chamas — this is Antioch.

The outskirts of the border. The end of the border. Wherever “the outskirts of the border” is said, either the border ends there completely without continuing further at all; or it digresses from there, broadens, and extends in another direction, proceeding further at an angle to the original expanse. It is in relation to the breadth of the original dimension that it is called “extremity,” for that dimension ends there.

Its outskirts shall be at Chatzar Einan. This was the end of the northern border. Thus, Chatzar Einan was situated at the northeastern corner. From there, “turn yourselves to the eastern border.”

Turn. The word [וְהִתְאַוִּיתֶם] denotes turning and tilting, like תְּתָאוּ .

To Shefam. On the eastern border, and from there to Rivlah.

East of Ayin. The name of a place. The border passes to its east, so that Ayin is situated within the border, and is part of Eretz Yisroel.

The border shall descend. As the border proceeds from north to south, it continually descends.

And contact the bank of the eastern shore of the Kineres Sea. So that Lake Kineres was within the border, to the west. The border is east of Lake Kineres, and descends from there to the Yardein. The Yardein flows diagonally, from north to south, angling towards the east, moves towards the land of Canaan at Lake Kineres and continues along the eastern side of Eretz Yisroel opposite Lake Kineres, until emptying into the Dead Sea. From there, the border closes with its extremity reaching the Dead Sea, from which the southeastern corner of the border began, thus surrounding it on all four sides.

To the east, toward the sunrise. To the forefront of the world, which is east, as the eastern direction is called the forefront, and the western, the rear. Therefore, south is to the right, and north to the left.

Who shall inherit for you. For your sake. Each tribal leader was the guardian for his tribe, and he apportioned the tribal inheritance to the families and individuals. He chose a suitable portion for each individual, and their actions were binding, as if they had been designated as agents. But it would be improper to explain this לָכֶם [lit. “to you”] like every לָכֶם in Scripture, for, if so, it should have written יַנְחִילוּ לָכֶם, “they shall cause the inheritance to belong to you.” [לָכֶם] יִנְחֲלוּ means that they shall inherit for you, for your sake, in your place, like ה' יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם, “God will wage war for your sake.”

To inherit the land. He is to inherit, take the portion of the land as your surrogate.

To apportion the inheritance to Bnei Yisroel. They are to give the inheritance to you according to its portions.