Midrash for Numbers 27:2

(Ex. 15, 17) Bring them and plant them. They did not say us, but then this was a prophecy, of which they themselves did not know what they were prophesying. (Num. 28, 2) And they stood before Moses and hefore Elazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation. Is it possible that when Moses did not answer them that they were going to complain before the princes? We must therefore reverse the passage, so said R. Jashia. Abba Chanan in the name of R. Elazar said: "All of them were in the house of learning when they came to make their complaint." In what point do they differ? One holds that even in the presence of a teacher a disciple should not be honored, but the other one holds that in the presence of a teacher a risciple should he honored. The halacha prevails that he may or may not be honored; and it presents no difficulty. In case the master himself honors the disciple, honor should be given to him by others also; but if he does not, others should also not honor him in the presence of his teacher.

(Bamidbar 27:2) "And they stood before Moses and before Elazar the Cohein": Scripture hereby apprises us that they stood there only (after) the fortieth year (of the exodus) after Aaron had died, viz. (Ibid. 33:38) "And Aaron the Cohein went up to Hor Hahar by the 'mouth' of the L-rd, and he died there in the fortieth year, etc." "before Moses and before Elazar the Cohein": If Moses did not know (how to answer them), could Elazar know? Invert the verse (i.e., first Elazar, then Moses,) and expound it. These are the words of R. Yoshiyah. Abba Channan says in the name of R. Eliezer: They were (all) in the house of study and they came and stood before (all of) them. R. Akiva says: It is written here (27:3) "desert," and elsewhere (Ibid. 15:32) (in respect to a man gathering wood on the Sabbath) "desert." Just as the man here is Tzelofchad, so, the man there. "And he was not in the midst of the congregation": the cavilers (viz. Shemot 16:2). "who gathered against the L-rd": the congregation of the spies. "(nor in) the congregation of Korach." "but he died in his own sin": without inciting others (to sin) with him. "and he left no sons": for if he had a son, we would make no claim.