“אתן לך לאמר את ארץ כנען חבל נחלתכם בהיותם מתי מספר כמעט וגרים בה”
Why does the passuk refer to the promised land as “Eretz Cana’an” and not “Eretz Yisrael”? Harav Shlomo Chelm, author of Markeves Hamishnah, explains that the answer to this is found in the continuation of the passuk: Chazal say (see Zohar Noach 73 1; Yalkut Re’uveini Vayeishev) that when the Shechinah dwells in the Land, it is called “Eretz Yisrael” and when the Shechinah does not dwell there it is called “Eretz Cana’an.”
But the dwelling of the Shechinah does not only depend on the conduct of Am Yisrael, but also on their quantity, as Chazal say (Bereishis Rabbah 74 17): “The Shechinah does not dwell with less than six hundred thousand.” And that is what the passuk means: When Hashem promised the Land to our ancestors, the intention was “Eretz Cana’an.” Why? Because they were still “mesei mispar,” few in number, and the Shechinah did not dwell there.
(Markeves Hamishnah al HaTorah p. 271)
