When the Prophet Chavakuk (3:6) spoke of God “measuring the earth,” this measuring, says Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, encompassed many things.

He measured all the nations and found only Israel worthy of receiving the Torah; all the generations and found only the generation which left Egypt worthy of receiving the Torah; all the mountains and found only Sinai worthy as the site for giving the Torah; all the cities and found only Jerusalem worthy of building the Beit HaMikdash in it.

Similarly, God measured all the Lands, and found only Eretz Yisrael worthy of being given to the People of Israel.

(Vayikra Rabbah 13)

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