Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

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War with Sichon and Surrounding Nations

The Israelites* send messengers to Sichon the king of the Amorites asking if they can pass through their land. Although they were instructed not to begin talking to them with words of peace, they did so anyways, reassuring the Amorites that if they were to pass, they would not wander in their fields or vinyards nor drink from their wells.

*Side note: Rashi points out that in Devarim 2:22, it is narrated that Moshe was the one who specifically sent these messengers. Rashi says that this is to teach us that the leader and his nation are one and the same.

All of the Canaanite kings paid tribute to Sichon in exchange for Sichon guarding these Canaanite nations against invading armies. So Sichon said no way that can he let the Israelites pass through.

Sichon went out to the desert of Yachaz to attack the Israelites.

Cheshbon, which contained the Amorite city and its surrounding areas was so strongly fortified that according to Rashi, even if it were full of only gnats, no one would be able to conquer it. And Sichon was such a mighty warrior that even if he were in a weak village he should have naturally been victorious.

So G-d miraculously put it into Sichon and the other men on his side to go out into open field to wage war against the Israelites, rather than waiting for the Israelites to come to them and have to fight their fortifications. This way the Israelites were able to more easily fight all of their enemies at once in one open field.

The Israelites indeed won and conquered their land (from Arnon to Yavok, until the chidren of Ammon - as the children of Amon were very strong). . They approached Cheshbon where only women and children were now (who were so confident that their men were going to win they did not keep their city gated as the gnats would have as per Rashi's description).

So the Israelites settled in the Amorite city within Cheshon.

Sichon had conquered Cheshbon from Moav and now it was the Israelites'.

Sichon was unable to conquer the Moavites naturally so he hired Bilam to curse it. This is the basis of what Balak later says regarding Bilam (see later on in Bamidbar 22:6) that whatever Bilam curses is cursed and whatever he blesses is blessed.

Chumash now details a poem that Bilam and his father Be'or declared regarding this war which Sichon waged against Moav. (see the text Bamidbar 21:27-35).

It details how Cheshbon conquered Sichon and how Moav suffered as a result. And how the Israelites settled in the land of the Amorites. And then Moshe sent spies to capture Yaezer and its suburbs, driving away the Amorites who were there. And these spies declared that they were not like the spies who went into the Land of Israel in that they would listen to Moshe this time. The Israelites then ascended, passing by Og, the king of Bashan. G-d told Moshe not to fear Og, who Moshe did somewhat fear as he thought that Og might have the merit of Avraham upon him since he alone survived escaping from the Rephaim when Chedarlaomer struck (see Breishis 14:5). Moshe struck Og and his sons and people until none of his people survived and the Israelites conquered that land.

The Israelites journey and encamp in the plains of Moav opposite the Jordan near Yericho.