What are the implications of "va'Ya'alu ba'Negev va'Yavo ad Chevron"?
Rashi (in 37:14): It implies that Chevron is built on a mountain.
Why does the Torah write "Vayavo (singular) ad Chevron"?
Rashi and Rashbam #1 (citing Sotah, 34b): It refers to Calev, 1 who went to the Me'aras ha'Machpeilah to Daven 2 for Hashem to save him from the plans of the spies. 3
Rashbam #2 and Targum Yonasan: It refers to all the spies, each of whom traveled to Chevron. 4
Hadar Zekenim: It refers to the Oreiv (those waiting in ambush) 5 - and the singular refers even to thousands. 6
See Oznayim la'Torah DH 'va'Yavo ad Chevron' #1.
See Ba'al ha'Turim.
Rashi: As the Pasuk indicates in Devarim 1:36 - "ve'Lo Etein es ha'Aretz asher Darach bah". See also Shoftim, 1:20 - Rashi, and Yehoshua, 21:12 - Rashbam. Calev broke off from the plot of the spies - as the Torah writes in 14:24: "ve'Avdi Calev, Eikev Haysah Ru'ach Acheres imo".
Rashbam: As the Torah indicates in Pasuk 33 and in Devarim, 1:28.
It is not clear which ambush this is referring to.
Hadar Zekenim: Like the Pasuk writes in Yehoshua 8:12 "ka'Chameshes Alafim? Oreiv".
What prompted Calev to Daven by the Kevarim of the Avos?
Oznayim la'Torah: He heard the spies planning to debase Eretz Yisrael, because they figured that it would be easier to return to Egypt, which had been weakened following the death of the firstborn and the drowning of the Egyptians at the Yam-Suf, and which they would therefore be ble to conquer with ease, than to take on the tough Cana'ani nations including the giants. 1 And he went to the Kivrei Avos to Daven for assistance to overcome the temptation of succumbing to their attractive plan. 2
How could Cham build Chevron for Cana'an his younger son before Tzo'an for Mitzrayim, his older son?
Rashi: He didn't! What the Torah means is that Chevron - the worst part of Eretz Cana'an 1 was seven times as nice 2 as Tzo'an 3 - the best part of Egypt, 4 which itself the Torah describes as "the garden of Hashem". 5 '
Ramban #2: "Anak" means 'giants' - In fact Anak, the father of Achiman, Sheishai and Talmai is synonymous with 'Arba?, who was so-called because together with his sons, they numbered four giants - and "Avi Anak" means 'the father of the giants'. 6
Rashi: Which is why it was designated as a burial-ground.
See Torah Temimah, note 11.
Rashi: To stress the praise of Eretz Yisrael. See also 23:22:3.2:2*.
Rashi: Which is why it was designated as the seat of kings (See Yeshayah, 30:4).
Rashi: See Bereishis 13:10.
Refer to 13:22:4:2****. See also Oznayim la'Torah DH 'Sheva Shanim Nivn'sah'.
Who was "Anak"?
Ramban #1: Refer to 13:22:4:1.
Ramban #2: "Anak" means 'giants' - In fact Anak, the father of Achiman, Sheishai and Talmai was 'Arb'a, so-called because together with his sons, they numbered four giants - and "Avi Anak" means 'the father of the giants'.
Targum Yonasan: Achiman, Sheishai and Talmai were disciples of the mighty Anak'.
Sotah, 34b: "Yelidei ha'Anak", with reference to Achiman, Sheishai and Talmai, is describing their immense height - ''Ma'anikim es ha'Chamah be'Komasan' (They were so tall, that it appeared as if the sun was a necklace around their necks). 1
Which is of course, an exaggeration (Torah Temimah).
What is the significance of the names "Achiman, Sheishai and Talmai"?
Sotah, 34b: "Achiman" is the acronym of 'Meyuman she'be'Achim' - the head of the brothers; "Sheishai" - 'she'Oseh es ha'Aretz ki'Shechasos' (He would destroy the land when he walked) and "Talmai" - When he walked, he would turn the land into 'Telamim' (furrows). 1
See Torah Temimah, who elaborates and who explains that the Torah is coming to teaching us the giants' awesomeness - of which Calev was unperturbed. See Sotah (Ibid.), which also names a town which each of the brothers built.
Why does the Torah need to tell us about the sons of Anok?
Refer to 13:22:1.1:1* & 13:22:4:2 & 4.
Oznayim la'Torah: To teach us the importance of Eretz Yisrael - bearing in mind that these giants could have lived wherever they wished, but chose to liver in Eretz Cana'an. 1
Moreover, Tzo'an of Egypt was built more recently tha Chevron, and the fact that they opted to live in Chevron rather than in Tzo'an proves that Chevron was more beautiful than Tzo'an - See Oznayim la'Torah, DH 've'Chevron Sheva Shanim Nivn'sah ... '.
What is the significance of the fact that Chevron was built before Tzo'an?
Rashi: Refer to 13:21:2.1:1 and notes.
Ramban: Chevron is synonymous with Kiryas Arba, so-called because Arba 1 - the original giant built it for his son Anak, 2 the father of the Anakim 3 (Achiman, Sheishai and Talmai), which explains why the Torah writes here "ve'Sham Achiman, Sheishai and Talmai Yelidei ha'Anak". And the Torah is coming to teach us the power of the Anakim 4 - whose longevity matched their height.
Rashbam #1: Yisrael were aware of the importance of Tzo'an, so the Pasuk points out that Chevron was built before Tzo'an and was therefore more important than it. 5
Rashbam #2 and Hadar Zekenim: It is pointing out how the giants, who were from earlier generations, were still alive (This refutes the claim of the spies, who maintined that the land consumes its residents [they die prematurely] - Hadar Zekenim).
Ramban: See Yehoshua, 14:15. Targum Yonasan also explains that 'Anak' is the name of a man, and not a word that means 'giants'.
Ramban: The father of the giants (See R. Chavel's footnotes.
Ramban: Who were called by that name due to their tall and handsome appearance - like 'Anakim' (necklaces) to the throat - See Mishlei, 1:9.
Ramban: Bearing in mind that Arba built Chevron before Tzo'an was built.
Rashbam: Since the older the town, the more esteemed it is.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes that only Calev went to Daven at the graves of the Avos. Why did Yehoshua not accompany him?
Moshav Zekenim (in Pasuk 16): Because he relied on Moshe's B'rachah (on Pasuk 16), and subsequently, on a miracle. 1
Oznayim la'Torah #1: Because Yehoshua and Calev did not want to leave the other ten spies to their own devices, without one of them being present.
Oznayim la'Torah #2: Refer to 13:23:1.1:1.
See Oznayim la'Torah, who elaborates - end of DH 'Vayavo ad Chevron' #2, and who adds a third reason - See answer #2.
Rashi writes 'how could Cham build Chevron for Cana'an? 'We cannot say that Cham built it for [and gave it to] Cana'an, because when Avraham came to Eretz Yisrael, the Torah writes in Lech-l'cha Bereishis, 12:6 "ve'ha'Cana'ani Az ba'Aretz", and Rashi explained that they were conquering it from Shem?
Moshav Zekenim: We must say 'how could Noach build Chevron for Shem his younger son before Tzo'an for Cham, his older son?' It is proven in Sanhedrin 69b that Cham was older. However, in Kesuvos (112a) it continues "u'Vnei Cham Kush u'Mitzrayim?" - Cham built for his sons! In any case, surely the Pasuk teaches that Chevron was more esteemed. It is not relevant which was built first!
See Oznayim la'Torah who elaborates, before querying Rashi (Sotah, 34b) further, based on the fact that Cham, who was a weak character, followed his stronger son Cana'an blindly in all matters, 1 in which case it would hardly have been surprising for him to have built a town on his behalf before building one on behalf of his oldest son Mitzrayim.
See Oznayim la'Torah, DH 'Sheva SHanim Nivn'sah'. who elaborates.
