שמות, פרק ל״ד, פסוק י״א

Following the devastating crisis of the Golden Calf, the renewal of the covenant between God and His people establishes clear conditions for entering the Land of Israel. Divine promises are carefully woven with severe warnings, designed to guarantee the nation's spiritual uniqueness and sever any foreign influences. The opening directive to observe these laws is understood in different ways. Some view it as a personal instruction to Moses, charging him with the responsibility to preserve, record, and transmit these conditions to the Israelites without any alteration [אבן עזרא, אברבנאל]. Conversely, others suggest the directive is aimed at the entire nation, emphasizing that keeping the commandments is entirely for their own ultimate benefit, especially given their historical vulnerability to sin [העמק דבר, מלבי״ם, ביאור יש״ר]. This instruction may even carry implications reaching into the distant future at the End of Days [אור החיים]. Furthermore, the emphasis on the immediate present signals a fresh start. Past transgressions have been forgiven, and from this day forward, heightened vigilance is expected [חזקוני].

The primary approach among commentators is that these commands are not new, and their repetition highlights God's profound kindness. Despite the severe betrayal of the Golden Calf, God does not burden the Israelites with harsh new decrees to earn their atonement. Instead, He simply restores them to the original terms of the covenant [רמב״ן, אברבנאל, קאסוטו]. Yet, woven into this restoration are stricter, renewed warnings specifically tailored to eradicate the roots of idolatry and prevent any future spiritual decline [רמב״ן, העמק דבר].

God promises direct intervention in conquering the land, taking an active role rather than relying on a messenger or an angel to push out the local inhabitants [אבן עזרא, צרור המור]. One vivid perspective suggests that this expulsion will be driven by the Divine image radiating from the faces of the Israelites, casting a natural terror that will cause the Canaanite nations to flee [אלשיך]. Only six nations are explicitly marked for expulsion, raising the question of why the Girgashite nation is omitted. The accepted explanation is that the Girgashites voluntarily abandoned the land out of fear, leaving only six nations that required active removal [רש״י, משכיל לדוד, חומש קה״ת]. The Amorites are mentioned at the top of this list because their measure of sin had finally reached its limit, signaling that the time for their retribution had arrived [פרדס יוסף].

This promise of divine expulsion creates a conceptual tension. If God is destined to drive out the inhabitants, it seems counterintuitive to immediately warn the Israelites against making treaties with them. This is resolved by understanding that the expulsion will be a gradual process, leaving a temporary window where the danger of assimilation remains very real [אבן עזרא]. Additionally, since God Himself is fighting Israel's battles and removing their enemies, forging a peace treaty with those same adversaries would be an act of betrayal and a desecration of God's honor [אברבנאל].

Beyond mere physical conquest, the ultimate purpose of this expulsion is to completely eradicate the forces of impurity and the pagan culture embedded in the land. The Israelites are tasked not only with avoiding idolatry themselves but also with ensuring it is not practiced by anyone within their borders, maintaining their isolation and absolute dedication to God [ספורנו, שפתי כהן, רש״ר הירש]. Before the sin of the Golden Calf, this expulsion was intended to be swift and absolute. However, the reality shifted in the wake of their failure. The nation is now required to actively distance themselves and engage in spiritual repair. They are strictly forbidden from forming any alliances with the local inhabitants, as any connection would inevitably become a cultural and spiritual trap [אור החיים, מלבי״ם].