Humility and Inheriting the Land

Shavua Tov. The Netivot Shalom makes a distinction between במספר שמות, according to the number of names, mentioned in today’s Parsha, and בית אבותם, the houses of the fathers, mentioned in Parshat Pinchas. The first census related to the generation that left Egypt, and the second census to the generation about to enter Israel. The term מספר שמות alludes to Jews who thought a lot of themselves. Because of their lofty status, they were not worthy to enter Israel. The name כנען, represents הכנעה, or surrender. Only someone from the old crowd was worthy of entering, because of his humility. He referred to Israel as טובה הארץ מאוד מאוד, that it was a very, very, good land. One of the only other times we say מאוד מאוד, is from פרקי אבות that says one should be מאוד מאוד שפל רוח, be very, very, humble. The message of the נתיבות שלום is that only those with great humility, are worthy of living in this land.