The Torah always refers to traveling towards Eretz Yisrael as 'ascending,' for "Eretz Yisrael is higher than all other lands" (Rashi to 33:1). What does this mean? Isn't the earth a sphere?
Maharal (Chidushei Agados Vol. 2, p. 147, to Kidushin 69a): Chazal mean that Eretz Yisrael is more holy than all other lands. That which is holy is highest (i.e. most significant); and as such, [conceptually] Eretz Yisrael must be positioned at the top of the globe. 1
Maharal (Be'er ha'Golah, Be'er #6, p. 131): Eretz Yisrael is higher than all other lands, not in the physical sense, but in its essence. All other lands tilt towards the extremes, whereas Eretz Yisrael is the center, and contains everything.
Why did Hashem insert the words, "Min ha'Aretz ha'Hi"?
Targum Yonasan: He was informing Moshe that He was about to take Yisrael from a Tamei land to a good land (that is Tahor).
What exactly is the meaning of "a land flowing with milk and honey"?
Rashi #1 (in Megilah 6a): Milk flowed from the goats, and honey from the dates and from the figs.
Rashi #2 (in Megilah 6a): Goats ate the figs, and honey dripped from them, and milk dripped from the goats, and they combined to form rivers of milk and honey.
Seforno: It is merely a Mashal referring to an abundance of flocks and an abundance of food - both tasty and healthy. 1
Bechoros 6b: This teaches that milk is not considered Ever min ha'Chai, because the Torah would not praise Eretz Yisrael via something that is forbidden to eat.
Kesuvos 112a: 'A land whose fruit is fatter than milk and sweeter than honey.' 2
Seforno: See Mishlei 24:14.
The Gemara adds this after, based on the Pasuk, "V'Eten Lach Eretz Chemdah, Nachalas Tzvi" (Yirmeyah 3:10). It describes Eretz Yisrael as a land whose fruit ripens 'swiftly like a deer' - to teach us that (unlike a deer, whose flesh is lean,) it also produces fat and luscious fruit.
Why does the Torah write "El Mekom ha'Kena'ani" (and not 'El Eretz ha'Kena'ani,' as it does in other places)?
Ramban: Because the idea was (not for them to dwell in Eretz Kena'an together with the Kena'anim, but) to destroy them and to take their place.
What is the significance of the various forms of praise of Eretz Yisrael listed here?
Ramban: a. The air is "good" and fresh for the people to live there, and for growing all kinds of good things; b. It is "spacious," in which case there is plenty of room for all of Yisrael to settle there; or it contains all kinds of land - lowland, valleys and plateaus, big and small, and not predominantly hills and valleys; c. It is good for breeding sheep and cattle, because it contains excellent grazing-grounds; d. The water is good, enabling the cattle to produce an abundance of good-quality milk, and e. Its fruit is juicy and sweet, to the point that the juice drips from it. 1
Maharal: See the next question, 3:8:4.1.
Ramban: Hence the Navi Yechezkel refers to Eretz Yisrael as "the most delectable of all lands!" (Yechezkel 20:6).
This verse highlights three praises of Eretz Yisrael - it is "good," "spacious," and "flowing of milk and honey." What is their significance, according to Maharal?
Maharal #1 (Gevuros Hashem Ch. 24, p. 103): To parallel our verse, Chazal instituted the three-fold praise in Birkas ha'Mazon, "[Eretz] Chemdah, Tovah, u'Rechavah." People love that which has one of three qualities - a. something tasty ("Chemdah;" or "Chalav u'Devash" 1 ); b. beneficial, e.g. wealth ("Rechavah"); or c. [intrinsically] good ("Tovah"). 2
Maharal #2 (ibid. p. 104): The Land is "good" for matters of this world; and "spacious" for matters relating to Olam ha'Ba. (The feeling of being confined is only relevant in physical terms, when conflicting interests can crowd each other out. Not so for transcendental matters, which have no space imitations). 3
Maharal #3 (ibid.): "Chemdah" (desired) is not an intrinsic property of the Land, only in the perception of the viewer. "Tovah" describes the Land itself; and "Rechavah" in its G-dly qualities.
Maharal #4 (ibid.): "Chemdah" indicates the quality of the Land's Chomer (its physical nature; which is not absolute good); "Tovah," its special Tzurah; 4 and "Rechavah" refers to its transcendental, G-dly level. 5
Maharal sees the name 'Eretz Chemdah,' found in Nach (e.g. Tehilim 106:24), and in Birkas ha'Mazon, as parallel to the praise "Eretz Zavas Chalav u'Devash" in our Pasuk. But see 3:8:4.1:4**.
Maharal (Nesivos Olam, Nesiv ha'Avodah Ch. 18, p. 139): A person might covet (be 'Chomed') something harmful to himself; it must say the Land is "desirable," as well as "good." "Rechavah" means that it holds all of its inhabitants comfortably.
Maharal (Netzach Yisrael Ch. 6, p. 40): Due to its Kedushah, Eretz Yisrael expands when Am Yisrael are dwelling there. Boundaries are properties only of the physical.
In Maharal's terminology, Tzurah is the form that material (Chomer) can assume, bringing it to actualization. Hence, Chomer is physical, and Tzurah is spiritual. (EK)
Maharal (loc. cit.): However, "Zavas Chalav u'Devash" is more than just an example of the desirable produce of "Eretz Chemdah." (Indeed, the term "Chemdah" is not mentioned in our Pasuk, for it could be said of other lands as well!) What is striking about "Chalav u'Devash" is that they are opposites - as milk is cold-natured, whereas honey is warm. Nonetheless, both are found together in Eretz Yisrael, a land which lacks nothing! (Other lands may excel in one sort of produce, but then not in the opposite sort.)
In what merit would Bnei Yisrael receive these this Land full of three blessings (see preceding question, 3:8:4.1)?
Maharal (Nesivos Olam, Nesiv ha'Avodah Ch. 18, p. 139): "Eretz Chemdah," 1 in the merit of Avraham, who was beloved by all, due to his kindness for all. "Tovah," in the merit of Yaakov, who had no one unworthy among his children. "Rechavah," in the merit of Yitzchak, who declared, "Hashem has granted us space (Hirchiv Hashem Lanu)" (Bereishis 26:22). 2
Why the repeated word "Eretz" in the third praise, "El Eretz Zavas Chalav u'Devash"?
Maharal (Gevuros Hashem Ch. 24, p. 104): This emphasizes how Eretz Yisrael is unique, in that it contains all good things, even when they are opposite. Refer to 3:8:4.1:4**.
To be technical, it is not the land itself, but rather the goats that ooze milk! (See Rashi to 13:5).
Gur Aryeh (to 13:5): The goats are raised on the land (i.e. they forage its vegetation); so that we can say that land flows milk. 1
The Gemara (Kesuvos 111b) discusses just how large this fertile area of Eretz Yisrael was; see Maharal (Chidushei Agados Vol. 1, p. 166, to Kesuvos 111b) as to the significance.
Is it proper to praise Eretz Yisrael about physical matters?
Maharal (Derush Al ha'Torah, p. 20): Because of the Land's sanctity, it ought to contain everything (ha'Kol). After Bnei Yisrael received the Torah, which contains everything, they merited the Land which likewise lacks for nothing (Devarim 8:9). 1
Refer to 3:8:4.1:4**.
Why did Hashem list only six nations, omitting the Girgashi?
Ramban #1: Because the territory of the Girgashi did not fall under the category of "Zavas Chalav u'Devash" like the other six.
Ramban #2: Because the six that are listed attacked Yisrael, and Hashem gave them into the hands of Yehoshua; whereas the Girgashi they conquered only later. 1
Ramban #3 (citing the Yerushalmi in Shevi'is, 6:1): The Pasuk is confined to the nations against whom they fought and defeated; whereas the Girgashi fled of their own accord.
Ramban: And it is for the same two reasons that the Torah again omits the Girgashi in Parshas Mishpatim (23:23).
