Chapter Previewהַקְדָּמָה
In this aliyah, Moshe Rabbeinu continues his warm and heartfelt review of the journeys and battles of Klal Yisrael, reminding them of the incredible nissim Hashem performed for them. We learn how Hashem gave us the strength to begin the conquest of the lands of the Emori, starting with the defeat of Sihon, the king of Heshbon, who came out to wage war against us at Yahatz. Moshe describes how Hashem delivered Sihon and his entire army into our hands, allowing us to capture his cities and claim the land as our inheritance.
The aliyah then transitions to our next great victory against Og, the mighty king of Bashan, who confronted us at Edrei. Hashem reassured Moshe not to fear him, promising to deliver Og just as He did Sihon. We see how Hashem fulfilled this promise, enabling Klal Yisrael to conquer all sixty of Og's heavily fortified cities, as well as the rest of his vast territory, which was eventually apportioned to the tribes of Reuven, Gad, and the half-tribe of Menashe.
All introductions, summaries, and contextual notes are the editor's commentary and are not part of the original text.אַלע הַקְדָּמוֹת, סִכּוּמִים, און הערות זענען דעם רעדאַקטאָר'ס באַמערקונגען און זענען נישט קיין טייל פונעם אָריגינעלן טעקסט.
פָּסוּק א
Pasuk 1
וַיֹּאמֶרAnd He saidיְהוָהHashemאֵלַיto meרְאֵהseeהַחִלֹּתִיI have begunתֵּתto deliverלְפָנֶיךָbefore youאֶת—סִיחֹןSichonוְאֶתand —אַרְצוֹhis landהָחֵלbeginרָשׁto drive outלָרֶשֶׁתto inheritאֶת—אַרְצוֹ׃his land
פָּסוּק ב
Pasuk 2
וַיֵּצֵאAnd went outסִיחֹןSichonלִקְרָאתֵנוּtowards usהוּאheוְכָלand allעַמּוֹhis peopleלַמִּלְחָמָהto the warיָהְצָה׃at Yahatz
פָּסוּק ג
Pasuk 3
וַיִּתְּנֵהוּand He delivered himיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֵינוּour Godלְפָנֵינוּbefore usוַנַּךְand we smoteאֹתוֹhimוְאֶתand —בנוhis sonבָּנָיוhis sonsוְאֶתand —כָּלall ofעַמּוֹ׃his people
פָּסוּק ד
Pasuk 4
וַנִּלְכֹּדAnd we capturedאֶת—כָּלall ofעָרָיוhis citiesבָּעֵתat the timeהַהִואthatוַנַּחֲרֵםand we destroyedאֶת—כָּלeveryעִירcityמְתִםof menוְהַנָּשִׁיםand the womenוְהַטָּףand the childrenלֹאwe did notהִשְׁאַרְנוּleaveשָׂרִיד׃a survivor
פָּסוּק ה
Pasuk 5
רַקOnlyהַבְּהֵמָהthe cattleבָּזַזְנוּwe plunderedלָנוּfor ourselvesוּשְׁלַלand the spoil ofהֶעָרִיםthe citiesאֲשֶׁרwhichלָכָדְנוּ׃we captured
פָּסוּק ו
Pasuk 6
מֵעֲרֹעֵרFrom Aroerאֲשֶׁרwhichעַלis onשְׂפַתthe edge ofנַחַלthe valley ofאַרְנֹןArnonוְהָעִירand the cityאֲשֶׁרthatבַּנַּחַלis in the valleyוְעַדand untilהַגִּלְעָדGileadלֹאnotהָיְתָהwas thereקִרְיָהa cityאֲשֶׁרthatשָׂגְבָהwas too strongמִמֶּנּוּfor usאֶת—הַכֹּלeverythingנָתַןgaveיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֵינוּour Godלְפָנֵינוּ׃before us
פָּסוּק ז
Pasuk 7
רַקOnlyאֶלtoאֶרֶץthe land ofבְּנֵיthe children ofעַמּוֹןAmmonלֹאyou did notקָרָבְתָּapproachכָּלallיַדthe border ofנַחַלthe stream ofיַבֹּקYabbokוְעָרֵיand the cities ofהָהָרthe mountainוְכֹלand allאֲשֶׁרthatצִוָּהcommandedיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֵינוּ׃our God
פָּסוּק ח
Pasuk 8
וַנֵּפֶןAnd we turnedוַנַּעַלand we went upדֶּרֶךְthe way ofהַבָּשָׁןthe Bashanוַיֵּצֵאand went outעוֹגOgמֶלֶךְking ofהַבָּשָׁןthe Bashanלִקְרָאתֵנוּto meet usהוּאheוְכָלand allעַמּוֹhis peopleלַמִּלְחָמָהto the battleאֶדְרֶעִי׃at Edrei
פָּסוּק ט
Pasuk 9
וַיֹּאמֶרAnd saidיְהוָהHashemאֵלַיto meאַלdo notתִּירָאfearאֹתוֹhimכִּיforבְיָדְךָinto your handנָתַתִּיI have givenאֹתוֹhimוְאֶתand —כָּלall ofעַמּוֹhis peopleוְאֶתand —אַרְצוֹhis landוְעָשִׂיתָand you shall doלּוֹto himכַּאֲשֶׁרjust asעָשִׂיתָyou didלְסִיחֹןto Sichonמֶלֶךְking ofהָאֱמֹרִיthe Emoriאֲשֶׁרwhoיוֹשֵׁבdweltבְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן׃in Cheshbon
פָּסוּק י
Pasuk 10
וַיִּתֵּןAnd He deliveredיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֵינוּour Godבְּיָדֵנוּinto our handגַּםalsoאֶת—עוֹגOgמֶלֶךְking ofהַבָּשָׁןthe Bashanוְאֶתand —כָּלall ofעַמּוֹhis peopleוַנַּכֵּהוּand we smote himעַדuntilבִּלְתִּיthere was notהִשְׁאִירleftלוֹto himשָׂרִיד׃a survivor
פָּסוּק יא
Pasuk 11
וַנִּלְכֹּדAnd we capturedאֶת—כָּלall ofעָרָיוhis citiesבָּעֵתat the timeהַהִואthatלֹאnotהָיְתָהthere wasקִרְיָהa cityאֲשֶׁרthatלֹאnotלָקַחְנוּwe tookמֵאִתָּםfrom themשִׁשִּׁיםsixtyעִירtownsכָּלall theחֶבֶלregion ofאַרְגֹּבArgobמַמְלֶכֶתthe kingdom ofעוֹגOgבַּבָּשָׁן׃in Bashan
פָּסוּק יב
Pasuk 12
כָּלall ofאֵלֶּהtheseעָרִיםcitiesבְּצֻרוֹתwere fortified withחוֹמָהa wallגְבֹהָהhighדְּלָתַיִםdouble gatesוּבְרִיחַand a barלְבַדaside fromמֵעָרֵיcities ofהַפְּרָזִיthe open townsהַרְבֵּהmanyמְאֹד׃very
פָּסוּק יג
Pasuk 13
וַנַּחֲרֵםAnd we destroyedאוֹתָםthemכַּאֲשֶׁרasעָשִׂינוּwe didלְסִיחֹןto Sichonמֶלֶךְking ofחֶשְׁבּוֹןCheshbonהַחֲרֵםdestroyingכָּלeveryעִירcityמְתִםmenהַנָּשִׁיםthe womenוְהַטָּף׃and the children
פָּסוּק יד
Pasuk 14
וְכָלand allהַבְּהֵמָהthe cattleוּשְׁלַלand the spoil ofהֶעָרִיםthe citiesבַּזּוֹנוּwe plunderedלָנוּ׃for ourselves
פָּסוּק טו
Pasuk 15
וַנִּקַּחAnd we tookבָּעֵתat the timeהַהִואthatאֶת—הָאָרֶץthe landמִיַּדfrom the hand ofשְׁנֵיthe twoמַלְכֵיkings ofהָאֱמֹרִיthe Emoriאֲשֶׁרwhoבְּעֵבֶרwere on the side ofהַיַּרְדֵּןthe Yardenמִנַּחַלfrom the stream ofאַרְנֹןArnonעַדuntilהַרMountחֶרְמוֹן׃Chermon
פָּסוּק טז
Pasuk 16
צִידֹנִיםSidoniansיִקְרְאוּcallלְחֶרְמוֹןHermonשִׂרְיֹןSirionוְהָאֱמֹרִיand the Amoritesיִקְרְאוּcallלוֹitשְׂנִיר׃Senir
פָּסוּק יז
Pasuk 17
כֹּלall ofעָרֵיthe cities ofהַמִּישֹׁרthe plainוְכָלand all ofהַגִּלְעָדGileadוְכָלand all ofהַבָּשָׁןthe BashanעַדuntilסַלְכָהSalcahוְאֶדְרֶעִיand Edreiעָרֵיthe cities ofמַמְלֶכֶתthe kingdom ofעוֹגOgבַּבָּשָׁן׃in the Bashan
פָּסוּק יח
Pasuk 18
כִּיBecauseרַקonlyעוֹגOgמֶלֶךְking ofהַבָּשָׁןthe Bashanנִשְׁאַרwas leftמִיֶּתֶרfrom the remnant ofהָרְפָאִיםthe Rephaimהִנֵּהbeholdעַרְשׂוֹhis bedsteadעֶרֶשׂa bedstead ofבַּרְזֶלironהֲלֹהis it notהִואitבְּרַבַּתin Rabbah ofבְּנֵיthe children ofעַמּוֹןAmmonתֵּשַׁעnineאַמּוֹתcubitsאָרְכָּהּis its lengthוְאַרְבַּעand fourאַמּוֹתcubitsרָחְבָּהּis its widthבְּאַמַּתby the cubit ofאִישׁ׃a man
פָּסוּק יט
Pasuk 19
וְאֶתAnd —הָאָרֶץthe landהַזֹּאתthisיָרַשְׁנוּwe possessedבָּעֵתat the timeהַהִואthatמֵעֲרֹעֵרfrom Aroerאֲשֶׁרwhich isעַלbyנַחַלthe valley ofאַרְנֹןArnonוַחֲצִיand half ofהַרthe hill country ofהַגִּלְעָדGileadוְעָרָיוand its citiesנָתַתִּיI gaveלָרֻאוּבֵנִיto the Reubenitesוְלַגָּדִי׃and to the Gadites
פָּסוּק כ
Pasuk 20
וְיֶתֶרAnd the rest ofהַגִּלְעָדGileadוְכָלand all ofהַבָּשָׁןthe Bashanמַמְלֶכֶתthe kingdom ofעוֹגOgנָתַתִּיI gaveלַחֲצִיto the half ofשֵׁבֶטthe tribe ofהַמְנַשֶּׁהMenasheכֹּלallחֶבֶלthe region ofהָאַרְגֹּבArgobלְכָלto all ofהַבָּשָׁןthe Bashanהַהוּאthatיִקָּרֵאit is calledאֶרֶץthe land ofרְפָאִים׃Rephaim
פָּסוּק כא
Pasuk 21
יָאִירYairבֶּןson ofמְנַשֶּׁהMenasheלָקַחtookאֶת—כָּלall ofחֶבֶלthe region ofאַרְגֹּבArgobעַדuntilגְּבוּלthe border ofהַגְּשׁוּרִיthe Geshuriteוְהַמַּעֲכָתִיand the Maachathiteוַיִּקְרָאand he calledאֹתָםthemעַלafterשְׁמוֹhis nameאֶת—הַבָּשָׁןthe Bashanחַוֺּתthe villages ofיָאִירYairעַדuntilהַיּוֹםdayהַזֶּה׃this
Chapter Summaryסִכּוּם
This aliyah details the historical victories of Klal Yisrael over the two powerful Amorite kings, Sihon and Og, and the subsequent distribution of their lands. After Sihon refused passage and attacked, Hashem delivered him into our hands, leading to the complete conquest of his cities from Aroer to Gilead, with only the cattle and spoil taken as booty while respecting the borders of Ammon as Hashem commanded. Following this, Og of Bashan marched against us, but Hashem reassured Moshe and granted us a total victory over his sixty fortified cities, including the giant Og himself, whose massive iron bedstead remained as a testament to his size. Finally, Moshe recounts how this conquered territory east of the Yarden was apportioned to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, with Jair son of Manasseh renaming his acquired region of Argob after himself.
לְמַעֲשֶׂהWhat To Take Home
When you look at the massive, fortified walls of Og’s kingdom and the terrifying size of the giant himself, it is easy to feel completely paralyzed. We all have these 'giant' challenges in our lives, a difficult middah we cannot seem to break, a parnassah struggle that looms over us, or a relationship that feels utterly broken. The Torah shows us that the moment Hashem says, 'Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand,' the giant is already defeated. The only thing standing between you and victory is your willingness to take the first step forward in emunah.
Our avodah is to realize that the size of the obstacle in front of us is entirely irrelevant to Hashem. Whether it is an open plain or a city fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, it makes no difference to the One who runs the world. When we align ourselves with Hashem's will and move forward with bitachon, the most intimidating barriers crumble instantly.
Today, identify one 'giant' challenge or daunting task you have been avoiding out of fear, and take one concrete, active step toward tackling it, trusting fully that Hashem is going before you to deliver it into your hands.