דברים, פרק י״ב, פסוק כ״ט

Transitioning from military conquest to permanent settlement introduces profound spiritual challenges. The physical victory over native populations does not mark the end of the campaign, but rather the beginning of a complex cultural and religious test. There is a constant danger that the void left by the decimated nations will be filled by the adoption of their corrupt customs. In this conquest, it is God who actively destroys the opposing nations. Unlike mortal kings who send their armies into battle and claim the glory for themselves, God fights the war yet places the crown of victory upon the Israelites [רא״ש]. The expansion of the borders is entirely dependent on this divine victory [אבן עזרא, חזקוני], and the promise that God will eradicate these nations serves as a direct reward for the Israelites' simple willingness to arrive and take possession of the land [מלבי״ם].

The mandate goes beyond merely subjugating the local populations for tax revenue; it requires a complete expulsion to actively inherit their specific territory [בעל הטורים, ביאור יש״ר]. The eradication of these nations serves a dual purpose: it physically distances the Israelites from corrupt practices and stands as a stark warning. If God annihilated such mighty empires because of their sins, the Israelites must be all the more terrified of sinning themselves [שפתי כהן, רשב״ם, חזקוני]. The directive requires the Israelites to inhabit the specific land of these nations rather than building new cities elsewhere [מלבי״ם]. Settling the Land of Israel is considered equivalent to all the commandments in the Torah, as it forms the foundational requirement for fulfilling most of them [תורה תמימה]. By embracing the commandment to inherit the land, the Israelites earn the right to dwell in security [אדרת אליהו], for true peace and permanence are only possible when wickedness is entirely uprooted from the world [שפתי כהן].

A profound question arises regarding the persistent lure of foreign worship following the destruction of these nations. Logically, witnessing the absolute failure of pagan idols to save their worshippers should cause the Israelites to despise these deities rather than follow them [שטיינזלץ, אלשיך]. However, commentators identify several psychological and spiritual hazards that emerge after the dust of war settles. First, once firmly established, the Israelites might mistakenly conclude that the unique spiritual nature of the land itself demands pagan rituals, given that the Canaanites had previously thrived there for many years [העמק דבר]. Second, theological confusion could take root. An individual might assume that because God actively punished these nations, their rituals must possess genuine supernatural power, leading to an attempt to worship God Himself using those same pagan methods [אור החיים, רבנו בחיי, אברבנאל]. Alternatively, one might view pagan rituals as meaningless nonsense and perform them out of a mistaken belief that God does not care about such trivialities. To counter this, the warning emphasizes that practices like burning children in fire are inherently abominable and deeply hated by God [אור החיים]. Furthermore, as the memory of the conquest fades over time, intellectual curiosity might tempt the Israelites to investigate foreign worship, suspecting that the ancient nations possessed hidden wisdom worth adopting [אלשיך].

Despite the mandate for eradication, God intentionally left remnants of these nations in the land. This is illustrated by a parable of a king who planted a vineyard containing both mighty cedars and lowly thorns. The king chopped down the cedars but left the thorns untouched. When questioned, the king explained that without the thorns, he would have no fence to protect his vineyard. Similarly, God cut down the powerful nations like cedars but left their remnants behind to test the Israelites. As long as the Israelites faithfully observe the Torah, they remain protected. However, if they stray from the proper path, those surviving remnants will act as agonizing thorns, tormenting them and ultimately awakening them to repentance [רבנו בחיי, צאינה וראינה, שפתי כהן].