17 Dec IS SYRIA PART OF ISRAEL’S PROMISED TERRITORY?

A couple of months
ago, when the
conflict between
Israel and Lebanon
erupted, we
published an article titled ‘Is Lebanon Part
of Israel’s Promised Territory?’
We discusses how Hashem promised
Avraham Avinu the Land of Israel,
extending from the River of Egypt
(which includes Gaza in the south) to the
Euphrates River near Turkey in the north.
The Torah delineates Lebanon as part of
Israel’s borders.
This publication followed a previous
article posted more than a year ago, titled
‘Is Gaza a Jewish Land?’
In light of these discussions and the
recent events in Syria, today we wish to
explore another related question: What is
the status of the land of Syria? According
to the Torah, is Syria considered Jewish
land?
The question of whether Syria is part of
biblical Israel’s territory is a complex
one, rooted in the Torah and historical
accounts of the ancient Land of Israel.
Various descriptions of Israel’s borders
in the Torah and Tanakh suggest that
portions of what is now modern-day
Syria overlap with the territories
described as part of biblical Israel.
Torah Boundaries
Syria, unlike Gaza and Lebanon,
although part of the Promised Land
granted to Avraham Avinu and defined
within the borders of the Torah, was to
be conquered only after the entire of
the Land of Israel was secured. In
contrast, the entire Land of Israel,
including Gaza, was conquered by
Yehoshua and immediately divided
among the tribes to grant it the full
status of the Land of Israel.
Consequently, Gaza and Lebanon were
subject to the full laws of the Land of
Israel, including the obligation to
separate portions of agricultural
produce for the Kohanim and Leviim.
The Torah outlines the boundaries of the
Promised Land in multiple places, such
as Bamidbar (34) and Devarim (11:24).
While the core of Eretz Yisrael is
centered around modern-day Israel, these
descriptions often extend to broader
regions. For instance, the border
sometimes includes the area up to the
Euphrates River, a significant

geographical feature that flows through
modern Syria. This suggests that parts of
Syria were within the envisioned borders
of biblical Israel.
The land of Syria was conquered by King
David, but this conquest was not carried
out in full accordance with the proper
order. As explained above, he was
supposed to conquer the entire Land of
Israel first before acquiring new territory
which he didn’t. Additionally, Syria was
conquered not by the entire nation but by
King David’s private army. Our sages
referred to this as a ‘single conquest.’ As
a result, Syria holds a status that is not
entirely equivalent to the Land of Israel.
The Rambam on the land of Syria
The Rambam (Beginning of Halachot of
Trumot) writes in regards to the laws of
separating Trumah: Whenever Eretz
Yisrael is mentioned, the intent is the
lands conquered by the King of Israel or
a prophet with the consent of the entire
Jewish people. This is called “a conquest
of the community.” If, however, an
individual Jew, a family, or a tribe go and
conquer a place for themselves – even in
the land given to Abraham – it is not
considered as Eretz Yisrael in the sense
that one is obligated to observe all the
mitzvot there. The lands which King
David conquered outside of the Land of
Canaan, e.g., Aram Naharaim, Aram
Tzovah, Achlab, and the like, even
though he was a King of Israel and he
was acting with the consent of the High
Court, is not considered as the Land of
Israel with regard to all matters, nor is it
like the Diaspora, i.e., Babylonia and
Egypt with regard to all matters. Instead,
it was removed from the category of the
Diaspora, but did not enter the category
of Eretz Yisrael.
Why its level was considered lower than
that of Eretz Yisrael? Because David
conquered them before he conquered all
of Eretz Yisrael. Instead, there were still
members of the seven nations there. If,
however, he had conquered Eretz Yisrael
entirely, in all of its boundaries, and
afterwards conquered other lands, his
entire conquest would have been
equivalent to Eretz Yisrael with regard to
all matters. The lands which King David
conquered are called Syria.
Historical Context
The Jewish people have a long history in
Syria, starting from the patriarchs and

continuing through to the recent
esteemed and glorified communities
who lived there for many generations,
which were known for their deep
learning and Torah scholarship.
The Torah describes the Avot
(Patriarchs) and Imahot (Matriarchs)
events in areas that are part of
modern-day Syria or its surrounding
regions:
Avraham Avinu
Avraham Avinu was in Syria during
parts of his life. The Torah mentions
that he traveled extensively
throughout the region. For example:
• Charan: Avraham lived in Charan
(modern-day southern Turkey or
northern Syria) before being
commanded by Hashem to go to the
Land of Canaan (Bereishit 12:1-5).
• Damascus: In Bereishit 14:15,
Avraham pursued the kings who had
captured Lot “until Chovah, which is
to the north of Damascus,” indicating
his presence near or within the Syrian
region.
• Eliezer of Damascus: Avraham’s
servant Eliezer is described as being
from Damascus (Bereishit 15:2),
suggesting that Avraham had
connections or interactions in that
area.
Yitzchak
• Rivkah’s Origins: Rivkah, Yitzchak’s
wife, came from Padan Aram (Bereishit
25:20), a region identified with Aram
Naharaim, near Charan in modern-day
northern Syria or southern Turkey.
Yaakov
• Journey to Charan: Yaakov fled to
Charan (also part of Aram, in the
region of Syria) to escape Esav’s anger
and to find a wife (Bereishit 28:10). He
lived there for 20 years, working for
Lavan and marrying Leah and Rachel.
Leah and Rachel
• Both Leah and Rachel, daughters of
Lavan, were born and raised in the
region of Padan Aram (Bereishit 29).
Lavan, their father is explicitly
described as an Aramean (Devarim
26:5).
Bilhah and Zilpah
• Bilhah and Zilpah, the handmaids who
became mothers of several of Yaakov’s
children, were also from Lavan’s
household, thus tied to Syria.

King David
As explained, during the height of the
United Monarchy under King David and
King Solomon, the kingdom expanded to
include territories beyond the immediate
borders of Israel. For example:
• Aram: Northern regions such as
Aram-Damascus (modern-day
southern Syria) were mentioned in the
context of interactions, alliances, and
conflicts with Israel. Damascus, a
prominent city in Syria, played a
significant role in biblical history.
• Hamath: This ancient city, now part
of central Syria, is referenced as a
northern boundary of Israel’s sphere of
influence during Solomon’s reign
(Melachim 1. 8:65).
• The Euphrates River (Nehar Perat):
In some texts, the Land of Israel’s
borders are described as stretching
“from the river of Egypt to the great
river, the Euphrates” (Bereshit 15:18).
This expansive definition includes
parts of Syria, particularly its southern
and central regions.
In summary, while not all the Avot and
Imahot lived in Syria for extended
periods, many significant events and
connections in their lives involved
regions of modern-day Syria, especially
through their familial ties and journeys.
Let us conclude with the encouraging
words of Chazal regarding the end of
times before the arrival of Mashiach:
The Sifrei states: “In the future,
Jerusalem will expand in all directions,
and the gates of Jerusalem will extend as
far as Damascus” (Sifrei Devarim, 1).
May these unfolding events mark the
beginning of the fulfillment of those
prophecies.