Introduction: Continuation of the Vision of the Waters Issuing from the Temple
In this chapter, Yechezkel continues to describe the vision of the water issuing from under the threshold of the House. In the previous part, we saw how the man measured a thousand cubits at a time, and the waters progressively increased: water up to the ankles, water up to the knees, water up to the loins, and finally a river that could not be crossed, waters to swim in. Now the prophet continues and describes the trees on the riverbank, the healing of the seas, the abundance of fish, and then moves on to the section detailing the borders of the Land and its division in the future to come. We will follow the order of the pesukim, primarily following the commentary of the Malbim.
"Have you seen, son of man?" - Contemplating the Expanding River
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי הֲרָאִיתָ בֶן־אָדָם וַיּוֹלִכֵנִי וַיְשִׁבֵנִי שְׂפַת הַנָּחַל׃ - And he said to me, "Have you seen, son of man?" Then he led me and brought me back to the bank of the river.
"Have you seen, son of man?" - meaning: observe and see how this river continues to expand. Radak explains that this hints that the good fortune of Israel will continuously increase, and their abundance will multiply. "And brought me back to the bank of the river" - according to Radak, this means that he seated him on the bank of the river. But the Malbim is precise with the wording: it does not say vayoshiveni (and he seated me), but vayshiveni, from the root of returning (lehashiv), meaning that he brought him back a second time to walk along the riverbank.
בְּשׁוּבֵנִי וְהִנֵּה אֶל־שְׂפַת הַנַּחַל עֵץ רַב מְאֹד מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה׃ - When I returned, behold, on the bank of the river were very many trees on this side and on that side.
As he brings him back, the prophet sees that an abundance of trees grows there, "on this side and on that side" - on both banks of the river, on both of its sides.
Healing of the Seas - The Spread of Knowledge Among the Nations
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי הַמַּיִם הָאֵלֶּה יוֹצְאִים אֶל־הַגְּלִילָה הַקַּדְמוֹנָה וְיָרְדוּ עַל־הָעֲרָבָה וּבָאוּ הַיָּמָּה אֶל־הַיָּמָּה הַמּוּצָאִים וְנִרְפְּאוּ הַמָּיִם׃ - And he said to me, "These waters issue forth toward the eastern region, and go down into the Arabah, and go into the sea; into the sea of waters that issue forth, and the waters shall be healed."
Here begins the explanation of the two visions he beheld. In this verse, the matter of the waters and the river is explained, and later, in verse 12, the matter of the trees will be clarified. "Toward the eastern region" - to the eastern sea; "and go down into the Arabah" - to the Sea of the Arabah; "and go into the sea" - from there to another sea; "into the sea of waters that issue forth" - and from the other sea to the sea that exits the inhabited world, which is the ocean. And in all these seas, "and the waters shall be healed" - they will be cured of their salinity by the power of the waters emerging from the Holy of Holies.
And so Chazal state: To where do they flow? To the Sea of Tiberias, to the Sea of Sodom (the Dead Sea), and to the ocean, to heal the salty waters. "And go down into the Arabah" - this is the Sea of Tiberias; "and go into the sea" - this is the Sea of Sodom; "into the sea of waters that issue forth" - this is the ocean.
The Malbim explains the allegorical meaning: The metaphor indicates that the waters of knowledge and awareness of Hashem will then spread between Edom and Yishmael, between the Christians and the Arabs. Yishmael are the inhabitants of the east and Edom are the inhabitants of the west, and this is the intention of east and west here. And so it is written in Zechariah: "And it shall come to pass on that day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea." These are the two factions seen in the allegory, one wading in water up to the knees and one in water up to the loins, and as explained there, the reference is to Christianity and Islam: water up to the loins represents Islam, whose grasp of Divinity is higher than that of Christianity, which is idolatry involving partnership (shituf). And all of them will drink the waters of knowledge issuing from the House of Hashem, and this will heal their salinity - for their faith is a faith that lacks sweetness, a defective faith, and these waters will cure the salt of Sodom that blinds the eyes with untrue beliefs, in the words of the Malbim.
In this way, the waters will also flow out to the Sea of Sodom - an allegory for those who are still mired in idol worship, people at a very low spiritual level, such as in China, India, and the like, who are in the category of "ankle-deep waters." They, too, will be healed of the salt, for Sodom is the place of the highest salinity, and Sodomite salt blinds the eyes, and then they too will see a bright light. From there, the waters will descend to the Sea of Tiberias (the Kinneret), which is the dwelling place of the Children of Israel, who are in the category of "water to swim in" (mei sachu), already swimming upward in the waters of knowledge. This will serve to heal the sicknesses of their souls, so that everyone will drink from these waters and wisdom will enter into them like water, each person according to his preparation.
"Every living creature that swarms, wherever the rivers shall come, shall live"
וְהָיָה כׇל־נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה אֲשֶׁר־יִשְׁרֹץ אֶל כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר יָבוֹא שָׁם נַחֲלַיִם יִחְיֶה וְהָיָה הַדָּגָה רַבָּה מְאֹד כִּי בָאוּ שָׁמָּה הַמַּיִם הָאֵלֶּה וְיֵרָפְאוּ וָחָי כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־יָבוֹא שָׁמָּה הַנָּחַל׃ - And it shall come to pass, that every living creature that swarms, wherever the twin streams shall come, shall live; and there shall be very many fish, for these waters shall come there, and they shall be healed, and everything shall live wherever the river comes.
The Malbim explains: in those places where the sanctified rivers emerging from the Holy of Holies flow, everything found there will both live and multiply and burst forth in abundance. The reason is that until now the waters were salty, and the water's salinity kills living creatures, whereas when the waters are sweet, living creatures can thrive; therefore, they will live and multiply exceedingly.
The deeper meaning: the salty waters represent flawed ideas and corrupted faith from which people drink. In the future, waters will flow forth from the Holy of Holies, sweet and pure waters that will spread the pure and true faith. Whoever comes to those rivers and drinks from the waters of knowledge from the spring emerging from the Holy of Holies will live, and "there shall be very many fish." These waters will heal the sickness of the soul caused by foreign beliefs. The Malbim further explains: the river will continually pour out its waters, and people will continually draw with joy from the springs of salvation. The more they receive, the more Hashem will pour forth the springs of intellect and understanding, through which they will learn new teachings and attain profound theoretical insights. "And they shall be healed, and everything shall live wherever the river comes" - whoever comes and drinks will be healed of the sicknesses of the soul.
The Fishermen and the Fish - The Prophets and the Guides
וְהָיָה עָמְדוּ עָלָיו דַּוָּגִים מֵעֵין גֶּדִי וְעַד־עֵין עֶגְלַיִם מִשְׁטוֹחַ לַחֲרָמִים יִהְיוּ לְמִינָהּ תִּהְיֶה דְגָתָם כִּדְגַת הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל רַבָּה מְאֹד׃ - And it shall come to pass, that fishers shall stand by it from Ein Gedi even unto Ein Eglaim; it shall be a place for the spreading of nets; their fish shall be of their kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea, very many.
Davagim means fishermen, and they will stand to catch the fish, to the point that the entire area from Ein Gedi to Ein Eglaim will be a place where nets are spread out, because of the tremendous abundance of fish resulting from the sweetening of the salty waters. "Their fish shall be of their kinds" - of every species, fish as large as those of the Great Sea, and in vast numbers.
The allegory here is that the fishermen are the many prophets who will teach the path of Hashem. The fish represent people of lowly opinions - just as fish are considered inferior creatures, so too are people with degraded perspectives, as Chavakuk says, "And You make man like the fish of the sea," a lowly state. Those people who were previously far from understanding and had no spiritual wisdom will now be gathered into the nets of the fishermen - the prophets and Torah teachers, who embody the articulate human being, the enlightened person connected to spirituality.
And who are they? "From Ein Gedi even unto Ein Eglaim." The Malbim explains beautifully: Gad is a form of idolatry, as in "who prepare a table for Fortune (Gad)"; and Eglaim refers to calves, like the two calves that were fashioned, which were also idolatry. Likewise, they used to worship the astrological sign of the Ram and the Bull. Thus, "from Ein Gedi to Ein Eglaim" denotes all those who worshipped idols and believed that the goat, the astrological sign of the Ram, watched over them - hence called "Ein Gedi," as if the eye of the goat were open to watch over them.
"It shall be a place for the spreading of nets" - they will be drawn into the net of holiness. All those who connected to all sorts of impure networks will now connect to the network of holiness. There will be no more Internet; there will only be holiness, studying Torah and engaging solely in spiritual matters. Those people will be drawn into the nets of the fishermen, who are the prophets, guides, and teachers, and will be gathered in the net of holiness. Then ministers and dignitaries will also come, as the Malbim phrases it, and they will grow exceedingly in the knowledge of Hashem. This is "like the fish of the Great Sea, very many" - the great ones as well, those considered the most enlightened among the nations, will also come and occupy themselves with Torah and knowledge, and through this, the fish of the sea will be very great in their spiritual attainments.
"Given over to salt" - Those Who Do Not Connect to the Rivers of Knowledge
בִּצֹּאתָו וּגְבָאָיו וְלֹא יֵרָפְאוּ לְמֶלַח נִתָּנוּ׃ - "Its swamps and its marshes shall not be healed; they shall be given over to salt."
Places will still remain that are like marshes - rainwater that collected and formed a kind of swamp, foul water unfit for drinking. These places will not be healed by the holy, pure waters emerging from the Holy of Holies, and the reason is: "they shall be given over to salt." For if all the world's waters were to become fresh, from where would salt be produced? Therefore, certain places will remain where the sweet waters do not enter, so that there will be a source of salt.
And the allegory: there will still remain people who are "wild and beast-like," in the words of the Malbim, people detached and separated from the streams of knowledge. Yet they will be few and will not endure for long, just as a swamp and mire do not endure for long - a little sun comes, and they evaporate. This is not a river, and certainly not a spring that possesses enduring existence. Those places of marsh, mire, and pools will be an aspect of salt; they will vanish in smoke and become a pillar of salt. That is to say, there will be no enduring existence for those who do not connect to the holy and pure waters, to the wellspring of knowledge flowing from the Holy of Holies.
The Trees on the Riverbank - "And Its Leaf for Healing"
וְעַל־הַנַּחַל יַעֲלֶה עַל־שְׂפָתוֹ מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה כׇּל־עֵץ־מַאֲכָל לֹא־יִבּוֹל עָלֵהוּ וְלֹא־יִתֹּם פִּרְיוֹ לׇחֳדָשָׁיו יְבַכֵּר כִּי מֵימָיו מִן־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הֵמָּה יוֹצְאִים וְהָיָה פִרְיוֹ לְמַאֲכָל וְעָלֵהוּ לִתְרוּפָה׃ - "And by the riverbank, on this side and on that, shall grow every tree for food; its leaf shall not wither, nor shall its fruit fail. It shall yield new fruit every month, because its water emerges from the Sanctuary; and its fruit shall be for food, and its leaf for healing."
Earlier, the prophet described seeing trees beside the river, and here their significance is explained. In the future to come, every tree for food will grow along the bank of the river, continually bearing leaves and fruit: the fruit for food, and the leaves for healing, as leaves were famously used for medicinal remedies.
The deeper idea here is that worldly success is also compared to a growing tree. A growing tree represents living matter, the aspect of the vegetative soul (*nefesh hatzomachat*) within man - that soul power that animates the physical body. As discussed in the study of *Shaarei Kedushah*, this level of the soul contains the faculties of nourishment, growth, and reproduction, and the entire functioning of the physical body operates through this vegetative soul. Scripture comes to teach that bodily success will also flourish greatly, to the point that their bodies will be like a fruit tree bearing fruit that never fails, and they will live long days.
And the leaves represent wealth and worldly possessions, which serve as protectors of the fruit. As it is written, "its leaf shall not wither" - even those matters that are not the fruit itself but more external, the acquisitions and material elements that protect the fruit, will not wither either. That is to say, wealth will not lead them to "Yeshurun grew fat and kicked"; it will not sever them from the service of Hashem. On the contrary, the leaves, representing wealth and prosperity, will be "for healing," guiding them toward spiritual perfection and healing their souls.
And the reason for all this: "because its water emerges from the Sanctuary" - that tree drinks from water flowing from the Beit HaMikdash, from the Holy of Holies, sacred waters flowing from a faithful source. The abundance of blessing originates from the Beit HaMikdash and from divine providence directly, not through the astrological influences of the heavens. Since it comes from a pure source, the tree grows and multiplies in sanctity and purity. Therefore, "it shall yield new fruit every month" - the Holy One, blessed be He, will renew the works of creation for them, so that at each renewal of the moon, lofty spiritual influences and great abundance will rest upon them, in the aspect of "to renew a crown of glory for those carried from the womb." Just as the moon renews itself, so will this tree be renewed month after month, thereby granting enduring spiritual existence to this reality.
"For Healing" (*Li-Terufah*) - Opening the Mouth (*Lehatir Peh*)
The Sages interpret the word *li-terufah* homiletically as *lehatir peh* - "to loosen the mouth," to open the mouths of the mute and to loosen the wombs of the barren. For those who were mute until now, Hashem will loosen and open their mouth so they may speak; and for those who were barren, the Holy One, blessed be He, will likewise loosen their womb. And why is this called a "mouth"? The Malbim explains that this refers to the rectification of the covenant of the tongue (*berit halashon*) and the covenant of circumcision (*berit hamaor*). It is well known that these correspond to one another: the covenant of the tongue mirrors the covenant of circumcision, and one who has a blemish in one has a blemish in the other. According to holy teachings, if one were to fold a person's body in half, hands correspond to feet, and the mouth directly corresponds to the sign of the covenant (*berit milah*). Scripture thus teaches that both will be fully rectified in the future to come.
The Borders of the Land in the Future to Come
כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה גֵּה גְבוּל אֲשֶׁר תִּתְנַחֲלוּ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ לִשְׁנֵי עָשָׂר שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹסֵף חֲבָלִים׃ - "Thus said the Lord Hashem: This shall be the border by which you shall inherit the land for the twelve tribes of Israel; Yosef shall receive portions."
What is geh (גֵּה)? This word is unfamiliar in Tanach. Targum Yonatan, as well as Rashi, the Malbim, and other commentators, explain that geh is equivalent to zeh ("this"), and we find examples in Scripture where the letters gimmel and zayin interchange. According to this, the verse means: this is the border that I will show you; these will be the borders of Israel. The Malbim offers another explanation: geh is related to removal and drawing out, as in "nor will he heal (yigheh) your wound" (Hoshea 5:13) - that Hashem will draw forth the border of the land and expand it far beyond what it was in earlier times. Rashi also explains that geh can be understood as related to gai, a valley.
According to the Malbim's explanation, the place where you inherit will not be like the cramped area we occupy now; rather, the land will expand and exceed what is outlined in the Torah regarding the borders of the land, as the Malbim will demonstrate further on. Furthermore, the reality will be that all those dwelling throughout the lands of their dispersion will gather and arrive here. This is the meaning of "by which you shall inherit the land for the twelve tribes of Israel" - do not think that any portion will fail to return; all twelve tribes will be there.
And what is the meaning of "Yosef portions" (Yosef chavalim)? You will receive portions in the land, far more regions than you had previously. Chavalim is used as in "allotments (chavalim) have fallen to me in pleasant places" (Tehillim 16:6), in the sense of a territory or allotment. Hashem will add (reading yosef as a verb) to your allotments and shares in the land beyond what you have now. Rashi, however, explains differently: Yosef is not a verb here, but a proper noun - the familiar Yosef - who will receive two allotments, for Yosef has Menasheh and Ephraim, and will therefore receive two shares of the land.
וּנְחַלְתֶּם אוֹתָהּ אִישׁ כְּאָחִיו אֲשֶׁר נָשָׂאתִי אֶת־יָדִי לְתִתָּהּ לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם וְנָפְלָה הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת לָכֶם בְּנַחֲלָה׃ - "And you shall inherit it, each one like his brother, which I raised My hand to give to your fathers, and this land shall fall to you as an inheritance."
As we explained in previous chapters, according to the Sifrei all the tribes receive strips of equal width, each seventy-five mil wide. In the first division of the land, it was "according to the number of its names" - the larger the tribe, the larger its territory in the land. In the future era, however, this will not be the case; everyone will have the exact same width of land. This means taking the land from south to north and slicing it into horizontal strips: beginning from the Mediterranean Sea on the western side, and extending eastward toward the Jordan. And as we have seen, it is divided into thirteen strips, since there will be a designated portion where the Beit HaMikdash stands, so that the land will be divided among the twelve tribes plus the thirteenth portion, which belongs to the tribe of Levi and the sanctuary.
The Malbim adds: while the width will not be divided according to tribal size, the length will be. The land will extend further toward the Jordan and beyond, and a larger tribe will have its strip extending further to the east. To the west there is nowhere to expand, for there lies only the sea; but to the east, each strip will be able to lengthen according to the size of the tribe, and as much as they need, they will conquer and receive more. This is the Malbim's view: that what is described here is the physical expansion of Eretz Yisrael.
The Malbim notes that this aligns beautifully with the words here, "which I raised My hand to give to your fathers": Hashem had already promised Avraham that they would receive the lands of the Keini, the Kenizi, and the Kadmoni, and to Yaakov He promised an inheritance without boundaries (nachalah beli metzarim). This shows that the verse is not speaking of the ancient inheritance, but of a territory reaching far beyond what Israel has inherited until now.
The Northern Boundary - The Land Expands
וְזֶה גְּבוּל הָאָרֶץ לִפְאַת צָפוֹנָה מִן־הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל הַדֶּרֶךְ חֶתְלֹן לְבוֹא צְדָדָה׃ - "And this shall be the border of the land on the northern side: from the Great Sea, the road of Chetlon, as one comes to Tzedad."
The Malbim explains: at first the verse said, "This is the border by which you shall inherit," describing how we will apportion the land; and now it outlines the boundaries (metzarim) of the land. "Boundaries" works the way a map is drawn: a line is drawn from this city to that city, and another line from that city to the next. This is how the Torah describes it, how it is described in Sefer Yehoshua, and so too here in Yechezkel - lines are drawn between landmarks well-known in their time, defining the borders of the land.
The Malbim cites the view of the commentators who hold that the border mentioned here is the very border stated in the Torah in Parashat Masei, and according to them, in the future they will inherit according to the borders written in the Torah. But the Malbim asks: if so, what innovation does Yechezkel bring? "Go read it in grade school" (zil krei bei rav hu) - this is already written in the Torah, so what need is there to repeat it all anew? Furthermore, according to their approach, in the future they will inherit only the land of Canaan proper, and not the eastern side of the Jordan. Yet we have explicit prophecies that contradict this: Zechariah says that the land will expand as far as Damascus, and that Tyre and Sidon on the northern side - where Lebanon is today - will be included within the border. We will clearly inherit territories that we do not possess today, and which were not even included in the Torah's borders.
Rather, certainly, says the Malbim, the borders here are much broader, and they will also include Damascus, Tyre, Sidon, and all of these places; this is why the prophet lists here new names that were unfamiliar until now. In his words: "'I will declare to you, hear me' - I will show you that in my opinion there will be a great change in the inheritance of the Land in the future compared to what it was in the past, and the border of Eretz Yisrael will expand and multiply on every side." The Malbim presents a detailed calculation of how the Land will expand on every side; however, to fully grasp this calculation, two maps are required: a map of the Land's borders as they currently are, and a new map by which we can identify the places mentioned here in the prophet, such as "by the way of Chetlon, as one goes to Tzedad," and the like. Since we do not possess these maps, and delving into the details of the names and definitions will not yield a deep conceptual understanding, the core principle suffices for us: the Land will expand toward the south, the north, and the east - except for the western side, for the sea will not be dried up, and the sea will remain sea. Whoever wishes to delve deeper may consult the words of the Malbim in his commentary.
חֲמָת בֵּרוֹתָה סִבְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר בֵּין־גְּבוּל דַּמֶּשֶׂק וּבֵין גְּבוּל חֲמָת חָצֵר הַתִּיכוֹן אֲשֶׁר אֶל־גְּבוּל חַוְרָן׃ - Chamat, Berotah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Chamat; Chatzer-HaTichon, which is by the border of Chavran.
וְהָיָה גְבוּל מִן־הַיָּם חֲצַר עֵינוֹן גְּבוּל דַּמֶּשֶׂק וְצָפוֹן צָפוֹנָה וּגְבוּל חֲמָת וְאֵת פְּאַת צָפוֹן׃ - And the border from the sea shall be Chatzar-Einon, the border of Damascus, and northward to the north, and the border of Chamat; and this is the north side.
Here too, the Malbim demonstrates how the places mentioned, which are already in the region of Damascus - that is, the areas further away from where we are now - will also be incorporated into Eretz Yisrael. Likewise, from the north there will be an expansion in that direction; as is known, Damascus lies in the northeastern area of Eretz Yisrael, and the Land will expand in that direction as well.
The Eastern and Southern Sides
וּפְאַת קָדִים מִבֵּין חַוְרָן וּמִבֵּין־דַּמֶּשֶׂק וּמִבֵּין הַגִּלְעָד וּמִבֵּין אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל הַיַּרְדֵּן מִגְּבוּל עַל־הַיָּם הַקַּדְמוֹנִי תָּמֹדּוּ וְאֵת פְּאַת קָדִימָה׃ - And the east side: between Chavran and Damascus, and between Gilead and the Land of Israel, the Jordan; from the border to the eastern sea you shall measure; and this is the east side.
"The east side" is the eastern direction, where there will also be an expansion, and this area will grow beyond today's reality.
וּפְאַת נֶגֶב תֵּימָנָה מִתָּמָר עַד מֵי מְרִיבוֹת קָדֵשׁ נַחֲלָה אֶל־הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל וְאֵת פְּאַת־תֵּימָנָה נֶגְבָּה׃ - And the south side southward: from Tamar to the waters of Merivot-Kadesh, along the stream to the Great Sea; and this is the south side southward.
"The southward side" is the Negev direction. We have already seen that Ovadyah prophesied, "And those of the south shall possess the mountain of Esau" - meaning that the land of Seir in the south of Eretz Yisrael will be incorporated within the Land's border. Likewise, we have a tradition from Chazal that the lands of Edom, Amon, and Moav will belong to Eretz Yisrael, which are the Kenite, the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite that Hashem promised to Avraham Avinu, and all of these are located to the south of Eretz Yisrael. This parallels the verse, "and the exile of Jerusalem that is in Sepharad" - that they shall inherit the cities of the Negev. Thus, we will annex and receive the southern region as well.
Accordingly, the Malbim explains that "from Tamar" cannot be interpreted as Jericho, the "city of date palms," but rather "from Tamar" refers to Chatzatzon-Tamar in the Negev desert, before the land of Seir; and "the waters of Merivot-Kadesh" corresponds to what is written in the borders of the Land, "the wilderness of Tzin southward," which lies before Mount Seir and Amon and Moav on the southern side, as he proves from textual evidence.
The West Side - The Border That Does Not Expand
וּפְאַת־יָם הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל מִגְּבוּל עַד־נֹכַח לְבוֹא חֲמָת זֹאת פְּאַת־יָם׃ - And the west side: the Great Sea, from the border until opposite the approach to Chamat; this is the west side.
"The western side" (pe'at yam) is the west. The Malbim notes: Here it does not say "ve'et pe'at yam" (and the western side) as it does regarding the other sides, because the word "ve'et" indicates addition and expansion. At the sea there is nothing to add, for in the west there is nowhere to expand, and the sea will forever remain the border of the Land. This is not the case in the east, where they will always be able to extend the border, and therefore it says there "ve'et pe'at kedimah" - that they will always be able to add more, for as the tribes multiply, it will be possible to expand further eastward.
The Division of the Land and the Inheritance of Converts
וְחִלַּקְתֶּם אֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת לָכֶם לְשִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - "You shall divide this land among yourselves for the tribes of Israel."
You shall divide it, as we said, into thirteen strips: twelve strips for the tribes of Israel, and besides them, the strip called the sacred contribution (Terumat HaKodesh), where the division is different - for the Nasi, the Levites, and the Kohanim, as discussed in previous chapters and as we will see further. Therefore, Scripture is precise in stating, "You shall divide this land among yourselves (lachem)" - the twelve strips are "among yourselves," whereas the portion of the Nasi and the Levites is not termed "yours," and therefore this word is not stated there.
וְהָיָה תַּפִּלוּ אוֹתָהּ בְּנַחֲלָה לָכֶם וּלְהַגֵּרִים הַגָּרִים בְּתוֹכְכֶם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹלִדוּ בָנִים בְּתוֹכְכֶם וְהָיוּ לָכֶם כְּאֶזְרָח בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְּכֶם יִפְּלוּ בְנַחֲלָה בְּתוֹךְ שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - "And it shall be that you shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the converts who dwell among you, who have fathered children among you; and they shall be to you as native-born among the children of Israel; with you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel."
וְהָיָה בַשֵּׁבֶט אֲשֶׁר־גָּר הַגֵּר אִתּוֹ שָׁם תִּתְּנוּ נַחֲלָתוֹ נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה׃ - "And it shall be that in the tribe with which the convert resides, there you shall give him his inheritance, says the Lord God."
When you cast lots to apportion the land to the tribes, it shall be for you and for the converts residing among you. That is: when each tribe divides its inheritance among the members of the tribe, they shall also apportion land to the converts living among them. And who are "the converts who dwell among you"? The Malbim explains: converts who converted long ago, not those converting now, for Chazal said that converts are not accepted in the Messianic era. Thus, it refers to converts who converted before the Messianic era, and this is why it says, "who have fathered children among you" - established converts of long standing who have already fathered children, and the children will receive their portion "as native-born," like the rest of the land's native citizens.
The Malbim notes the distinction between "the converts who dwell among you (betochechem)" and "the convert who dwells with you (itchem)": "Among you" means one who converted long ago and is already established among you, whereas "with you" means someone who is currently with you, having only recently drawn close to you. Therefore, in order to receive a share in the inheritance, they must be "the converts who dwell among you," who converted long ago and have fathered children - only they receive a share in the inheritance.
And in which tribe will he receive his share? The Malbim explains: in the tribe where he lived most recently. Even if he lived there for only a short time, he receives his share of the inheritance with them. This is the meaning of "And it shall be that in the tribe with which the convert resides (ger itto)" - "with which" indicates the place where he lived recently, and that suffices for him to receive a share in that tribe: "there you shall give him his inheritance." Those converts will inherit alongside those tribes, provided they converted long before.
Summary:
In this section of the chapter, the vision of the waters is explained: The water flowing from the Holy of Holies represents the waters of knowledge and pure faith, which will heal the salinity of corrupted beliefs among all nations - in the west and in the east, and even among those deeply steeped in idolatry. The abundant fish represent the multitudes who will be caught in the net of holiness, and the fishermen are the prophets and teachers. The swamps and marshes, meanwhile, represent the few who will remain disconnected from the streams of knowledge and will not endure. The trees on the bank of the river teach that material success will also flourish, and even its "leaf" - wealth and worldly possessions - will serve as healing rather than leading to rebellion, because the waters emanate from the Temple. From here, the prophet turns to the borders of the Land: In the view of the Malbim, these are not the borders of Parashat Masei, but expanded borders on all sides - in the north reaching Damascus, Tyre, and Sidon; in the east extending beyond the Jordan; and in the south reaching Mount Seir, Ammon, and Moab - with only the west having the sea as a permanent boundary. The Land will be divided into thirteen strips of equal width, extending eastward according to the size of the tribe, and even veteran converts who fathered children in Israel will receive an inheritance within the tribe where they resided most recently.