Midrash sur Les Nombres 27:15

(Exodus 16:15) "And the children of Israel saw it, and each said to his neighbor 'man hu.'" As one says to his friend "mah hu" ("What is it?") The expounders of metaphors said: Israel called it "man" ("sustenance"), as it is written (Ibid.) "And Moses said to them: This is the 'bread' that the L-d has given to you to eat." (viz. Ibid. 4) R. Yehoshua says: Moses said it to the elders, and the elders, to all of Israel. From here, R. Yossi and R. Shimon say: Israel "stuffed" themselves like horses at that time, it being written here "to eat," and elsewhere (re the manna) (Psalms 78:25) "Each man ate the bread of abirim." Read it not "abirim," but "eivarim" ("limbs") — bread that is absorbed by the limbs. He said to them: This "man" that you are eating is being absorbed by your limbs. (Psalms, Ibid.) "He sent them sustenance to satiety": This refers to Joshua the son of Nun, for whom the manna descended over and against all of Israel. Others say: On his limbs it descended, and from his limbs he took it to eat. Thus, "The bread of abirim was eaten by man ("ish")" (i.e., Joshua, viz. Numbers 27:15)

What was Moses’ reason for making this request after declaring the order of inheritance? Just this, that when the daughters of Tzelophehad inherited from their father, Moses reasoned: The time is right for me to make my own request. If daughters inherit, it is surely right that my sons should inherit my glory.

15 (Numb. 27:16) “[…] Let the Lord, the God of the spirits [of all flesh], appoint”: Anyone who comes to seek the needs of the community is as if he comes forcefully. (Numb. 27:16) “Let the Lord appoint”: What reason did [Moses] have to request this need after the ordering of inheritance? It is simply that since he saw the daughters of Zelophehad inherit the properties of their father, Moses said, “See it is the time for me to claim my needs. If daughters inherit, it is [also] proper for my sons to inherit my glory.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (in Prov. 27:18), “’He who tends a fig tree will enjoy its fruit.’ Your sons sat [with] their own [concerns] and were not involved with Torah [study]. [Whereas] Joshua served you much and showed you much honor. And he got up early to your house of meeting and left late. He arranged the benches and spread out the mats. Since he served you with all of his ability, he is worthy to serve Israel, so as not to lose his compensation.” (Numb. 27:18) “Take Joshua bin Nun,” in order to fulfill what is stated (in Prov. 27:18), “He who tends a fig tree will enjoy its fruit.”

(Ibid.) "to say": This is one of the times when Moses says to the L-rd: Tell me whether or not You will grant my request. Similarly, (Shemoth 17:4) "And Moses cried out to the L-rd, to say: What can I do to this people?" What is the intent of "to say"? Apprise me of whether or not I will fall into their hand. Similarly (Ibid. 6:12) "And Moses spoke before the L-rd, to say": Apprise me whether or not You will redeem them. Similarly, (Bamidbar 12:13) "And Moses cried out to the L-rd to say": Apprise me whether or not You will heal her. Similarly, (Ibid. 27:15) "And Moses spoke to the L-rd, to say": Apprise me whether or not You will appoint leaders over them. Thus, here, "at that time, to say": Apprise me whether or not I will enter the land.

(Bamidbar 12:10) "And the cloud departed from above the tent": An analogy: A king says to a pedagogue: "Chastise my son — but not until I leave!" For a father is mercifully inclined to his son. Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If the L-rd is mercifully inclined to the righteous in the time of His wrath, how much more so in the time of His (good) will! As it is written (Isaiah 49:8) "In a time of (good) will I (most certainly) will answer you!" (Ibid.) "And, behold, (after the cloud had departed), Miriam was as leprous as snow": We are hereby taught that she was stricken with intense (i.e., highly visible) leprosy, and that she was fair-skinned (for which reason it looked like snow). And thus is it written (Shemot 4:6) "And the L-rd said further to him (Moses): Place now your hand into your bosom … and, behold, his hand was leprous as snow." (Ibid.) "And Aaron 'turned'": He was "turned" from his leprosy. R. Yehudah b. Betheira says: He who says that Aaron was stricken (with leprosy) is destined to pay for it. He who spoke and brought the world into being covered up for him (by not mentioning it explicitly in the verse) and you would reveal it! He who says that Tzelafchad was the mekoshesh ("the wood gatherer" [viz. Bamidbar 15:32]) is destined to pay for it. He who spoke and brought the world into being covered up for him and you would reveal it! And he who says that the ban was placed on Akavya b. Mehalalel (viz. Berachoth 19a) is destined to pay for it. "And Aaron turned to Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous": Scripture hereby apprises us that whenever he looked at her she became leprous. (Ibid. 11) "And Aaron said to Moses: Pray, my lord, do not impute transgression to us in that we have been foolish and have sinned.": He said to him: If we have been willful (in our sin), forgive us, as if we were unwitting. (Ibid. 12) "Let her not be as a dead one": Just as a dead body imparts tumah in a tent, so, a leper imparts tumah by entrance (into a house). Aaron hereby said: Our sister loses on all accounts: I (being her kin) cannot quarantine her nor declare her tamei nor declare her clean. In passing we learn that Aaron expounds that one (a Cohein) does not inspect the plague-spots of his kin. "who leaving his mother's womb": He should have said "who leaving our mother's womb," but Scripture here is being euphemistic. "and half his flesh has been consumed": He should have said "and half our flesh," as in (Bereshit 37:27) "for he is our brother, our flesh," but Scripture here is being euphemistic. (Ibid. 13) "And Moses cried out to the L-rd, saying: 'Lord, I pray You; heal her, I pray You.'": Scripture hereby teaches us proper conduct — that one's requests should be prefaced by two or three words, of imploration. And what is the intent of "saying"? Moses said: Answer me whether You will heal her or not — and the Holy One Blessed be He answered him, viz. (14) "And the L-rd said to Moses: Now if her father had spat in her face, etc." R. Elazar b. Azaryah says: In four places Moses requested (to be answered by the Holy One Blessed be He), and he was answered. Similarly, (Shemot 6:12) "And Moses spoke before the L-rd, to say: "The children of Israel would not listen to me, etc." What is the intent of "to say"? Moses asked the L-rd to answer him whether or not he would redeem them. And He did answer him (Ibid. 7:4) "And I will take out My hosts. My people, Israel, from the land of Egypt." Similarly, (Bamidbar 27:15) "And Moses spoke to the L-rd to say: (16) Let the L-rd, the G-d of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation." What is the intent of "to say"? Moses said to Him: Answer me as to whether or not You will appoint leaders (for them). And He did answer him, (Ibid. 18) "Take for yourself Joshua the son of Nun." Similarly, (Devarim 3:23) "And I implored the L-rd at that time to say." What is the intent of "to say"? He said to Him: Answer me as to whether or not I will enter the land. And He did answer him, (Ibid. 26) "It is enough for you, etc." Here, too, let "to say" not be written. But, (the intent is that) he asked Him to answer whether or not He would heal her, and He answered "Now if her father had spat in her face, etc." (Bamidbar, Ibid. 13) "G-d, I pray You; heal her, I pray You": Why did Moses not prolong his prayer? So that Israel not say "His sister is in distress and he stretches out his prayer." Variantly: It is not that Moses prays and the L-rd hears his prayer, but (in the order of) (Iyyov 22:28) "You (the tzaddik) will decree, and it will be fulfilled for you," (Isaiah 58:9) "Then, when you (the tzaddik) call, the L-rd will answer." R. Eliezer was asked by his disciples: How long shall a man be in his prayer? He answered: Not longer than Moses, of whom it is written (Devarim 9:18) "And I fell down before the L-rd (in prayer) as at first, forty days and forty nights." And how short should he be in prayer? He answered: Not shorter than Moses, of whom it is written "G-d, I pray You; heal her, I pray You." There is a time to be short and a time to be long.

(Bamidbar 27:15) "And Moses spoke to the L-rd to say, etc.": (This is mentioned) to apprise us of the virtues of the righteous, that when they are about to die they put aside their own concerns and occupy themselves with those of the congregation. "to say": What is the intent of this? Moses said to Him: Tell me whether you are appointing leaders for them or not — until the Holy One Blessed be He answered him (Ibid. 18) "Take for yourself Joshua the son of Nun, a man who has spirit in him (viz. 16), and place your hand upon him." R. Eliezer b. Azaryah says: In four places Moses made requests of the Holy One Blessed be He and He responded to them, viz. (Shemot 6:12) "And Moses spoke before the L-rd, to say: The children of Israel did not hearken to me. How, then, will Pharaoh do so? And I am impeded of speech." What is the intent of "to say"? Moses said to him: Apprise me whether or not you will redeem them — until the L-rd granted his request, viz. (Ibid. 7:4) "And I will take out My hosts, My people, the children of Israel, from the land of Egypt." Similarly, (Bamidbar 12:13) "And Moses cried out to the L-rd to say "G-d, I pray You; heal her, I pray you." What is the intent of "to say"? He said before Him: Tell me, I pray You, whether or not You will heal her — until the Holy One Blessed be He answered his question, viz. (Ibid. 14) "Now if her father had spat in her face, would she not be in shame for seven days?" Similarly, (Devarim 3:23) "And I supplicated the L-rd at that time to say": What is the intent of "to say"? He said to Him: Tell me whether or not I will enter the land — until the L-rd answered him, viz. (Ibid. 26) "It is enough for you, etc." Here, too, what is the intent of "to say"? He said to him: Tell me whether or not You are appointing leaders for them — until the L-rd answered him: "Take for yourself Joshua the son of Nun."