At the Time of the Future Geulah the Melech HaMashiach Will First Conquer All of Eretz Yisrael and Then the Rest of the World
We will now present a question posed by the Shela hakadosh. When Mashiach comes, Yisrael will rule over the entire world, not just over the lands of the ten nations. So, why do Chazal (B.B. 56a) say that the additional three cities of refuge only refer to the Kini, Kenizi, and Kadmoni—Ammon, Moav, and Edom? But le’asid la’vo, there will be no borders, as it states (Tehillim 72, 8): “May he dominate from sea to sea,” i.e., his influence will extend from ocean to ocean over the entire earth. The Shela hakadosh explains that his arrival will proceed in two stages. He will first conquer the three nations HKB”H promised to Avraham Avinu—the Kini, Kenizi, and Kadmoni—and only afterwards the rest of the world. He adds that perhaps Mashiach ben Yosef will conquer those first three nations, and Mashiach ben David will subsequently conquer the rest of the world.
Undoubtedly, Mashiach will reign over the entire world, which encompasses much more than just the three nations.
Therefore, it does not appear that all the positive changes and tikunim will transpire all at once immediately with the inception of the geulah. They will occur gradually as knowledge spreads throughout Yisrael. The klipah will vanish completely and his dominion will extend from ocean to ocean. Then “arei miklat” will no longer be required. Perhaps that will be in the time of Mashiach ben Yosef. Thus, we can postulate that the above refers to the time prior to the appearance of Mashiach ben David.
As a loyal servant in the presence of his master, I would like to expand on his sacred remarks. For, we find an explicit source for his chiddush in the words of the Rambam as explained by the Minchat Chinuch (Mitzvah 520) in relation to the mitzvah of preparing the “arei miklat”:
It appears that even though the Melech HaMashiach will conquer the entire world, and the entire world will have the status of Eretz Yisrael (as explained by the Rambam in Hilchos Terumot and Hilchos Melachim) . . . Most certainly, the Melech HaMashiach will act in accord with the precepts of the Torah; he will first conquer Eretz Yisrael as defined in the Torah (completing the conquest of the ten nations), and afterwards he will certainly conquer the entire the world.
In this regard, they taught in the Gemara that in the future, Eretz Yisrael will expand to (incorporate) the entire world. In other words, the Melech HaMashiach will conquer the entire world, and the entire world will have the status of Eretz Yisrael with regards to all the types of kedushah that apply in Eretz Yisrael . . .
In other words, if a king of Yisrael conquers other lands before he conquers Eretz Yisrael, they are not imbued with the kedushah of Eretz Yisrael. Therefore, it is imperative that the Melech HaMashiach conquers the Kini, Kenizi, and Kenizi before he proceeds to conquer the rest of the world. This explains why Syria does not possess the kedushah of Eretz Yisrael; because David HaMelech conquered it before he conquered all of Eretz Yisrael. (This is also explained by the Rambam in Hilchos Terumot 1, 5.) Back then, David HaMelech only had to conquer the lands of the seven nations first, since that is all that had been promised us by HKB”H. Le’asid la’vo, however, we have also been promised the lands of the other three nations. Therefore, the Melech HaMashiach will have to conquer them first, before conquering the other nations of the world. Thus, they will all possess the kedushah of Eretz Yisrael.
Indeed, we have an explicit source for the chiddush of the Shela hakadosh. The Shela hakadosh adds, however, that perhaps the conquest of the first three nations—the Kini, Kenizi, and Kadmoni—will be accomplished by Mashiach ben Yosef, while the conquest of the entire world will be accomplished Mashiach ben David. As a result, the entire world will be sanctified with the kedushah of Eretz Yisrael.
