דברים, פרק ל״ב, פסוק ח׳

The division of humanity and the drawing of geographical borders is not a historical accident, but a calculated Divine plan designed around the future destiny of the Israelites. The primary approach among commentators is that this grand division took place after the Great Flood, during the generation of the Dispersion. At that time, God scattered humanity, separating them into distinct nations and assigning each its unique language, natural traits, and homeland [רש״י, רשב״ם, ספורנו, רש ר הירש]. Alternatively, this separation occurred later, during the time of Abraham, when Lot parted ways with him and the Canaanites first began to settle the land [הכתב והקבלה].

This global division also established a profound difference in Divine providence. While God placed the other nations of the world under the administration of heavenly ministers and constellations, He kept the Israelites under His own direct, personal guidance and supervision [אבן עזרא, אור החיים, פני דוד, ביאור יש״ר]. Furthermore, despite the rebellion of early humanity, God chose not to destroy them. Instead, He ensured their survival, establishing them as permanent residents in their defined territories [רש״י, הכתב והקבלה]. This preservation and the specific placement of their borders were planned with the future in mind, ultimately preparing the world for the emergence of the Israelites and their destined inheritance [רש״י, ספורנו, מזרחי].

The precise borders of the world's nations were drawn to directly mirror the structure of the Israelites, showing that this single nation carries the same weight and importance as the rest of the world combined [כלי יקר, שד״ל]. One perspective highlights the number seventy. God divided humanity into exactly seventy nations with seventy distinct languages, perfectly matching the seventy members of Jacob's family who later went down to Egypt [רש״י, כלי יקר, אור החיים, שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This parallel reflects a deep spiritual balance, where every individual soul from Israel is equivalent to an entire nation. In this structure, the Israelites serve as spiritual representatives and messengers on behalf of all the world's nations [כלי יקר, אם למקרא].

Another approach focuses on the number twelve. God arranged the borders of the nations, particularly the Canaanites, into twelve distinct families to parallel the twelve tribes of Israel [רשב״ם, רא״ש, הדר זקנים, דעת זקנים, בכור שור, חזקוני]. Handing the Land of Israel to twelve Canaanite families was a deliberate and temporary arrangement. The Canaanites lived under an ancient curse of servitude to the descendants of Shem, the ancestors of the Israelites. Based on the legal principle that whatever a slave acquires automatically belongs to his master, the land was always legally owned by the Israelites. This ensured that when the Israelites finally arrived to claim their homeland, no other nation could challenge their right to it, as they were lawfully taking it from their own servants [רא״ש, הדר זקנים, דעת זקנים, בכור שור, חזקוני, פענח רזא]. Ultimately, this entire design highlights a final contrast: God handed over the vast territories of numerous nations to the Israelites, even though they were a remarkably small group of people [הכתב והקבלה, מלבי״ם].