Why the Land of Israel Is Most Dear in Birkat HaMazon

(Numbers 34:1-2:) "And the LORD spoke [unto Moses, saying: Command the children of Israel and say unto them: When you come into the land of Canaan,] etc." Let our master teach us: Before they entered the land, how did they bless over the food? Thus our masters taught: Before they entered the land, they would say a single blessing, "Who sustains all." Once they entered, they would bless "for the land and for the food." When Jerusalem was destroyed, they added "Builder of Jerusalem." When those slain at Bethther were buried, they added "Who is good and does good": "Who is good," because they did not putrefy, and "Who does good," because they were given over for burial. And there is none among them all more beloved than the blessing of the land. For thus the sages said: Whoever does not mention in the blessing over the food "for the land and for the food," "a land desirable, good, and spacious," "covenant and Torah, life and food," has not fulfilled his obligation. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: The land of Israel is more beloved to Me than all. I am the one who scouted it out, as it is said (Ezekiel 20:6), "unto [a land] which I had scouted out for them." And so it says (Jeremiah 3:19), "And I gave [you] a desirable land, etc." You find, when Joshua slew those kings—Rabbi Yannai the Priest said: there were sixty-two kings, thirty-one at Jericho and thirty-one with Sisera. When he went to fight against Israel, they too were slain along with him. Why? Because they craved, along with him, to drink water from the waters of Israel. And they asked of Sisera and said to him, "We beg of you, let us come with you for free, for we crave to fill our bellies from the waters of the land of Israel," as it is said (Judges 5:19), "Kings came, they fought, etc.; they took no gain of money, etc."—to make known the belovedness of the land of Israel. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: This land is beloved to Me, as it is said (Deuteronomy 11:12), "a land which the LORD your God seeks out." And Israel is beloved to Me, as it is said (Deuteronomy 7:8), "Because of the LORD's love, etc." The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Let Me bring [Israel, who are] beloved to Me, into a land that is beloved to Me. [Where is it shown? From what they read on the subject (Numbers 34:2):] "When you come into the land, etc."