מדרש על במדבר 27:24

(Numb. 25:11) “Phinehas ben Elazar […].” What reason did the Holy One, blessed be He, have for tracing the lineage of Phinehas after this act (of slaying Zimri in Numb. 25:8)?¹Numb. R. 21:3. [The reason was] that, when Zimri was pierced along with Cozbi, the tribes rose up against [Phinehas] and said, “Did you see the son (actually, grandson) of Puti? This man, whose mother's father²Thus Puti was actually Phinehas’ maternal grandfather, whose full name was Putiel. So Exod. 6:25. fattened calves for idolatry, has killed a tribal prince of Israel!” Therefore Scripture has come to trace his lineage [through his paternal grandfather] (in Numb. 25:11), “Phinehas the son of Eliezer, [who is] the son of Aaron the priest.” (Numb. 25:12:) “Therefore I hereby grant My covenant of peace.” Great is the peace that He gave, as the world only functions according to peace. And the Torah is [likewise] completely peace, as stated (Prov. 3:17), “Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.” If someone comes from a journey, we inquire of his peace (wellbeing). So too in the morning, we inquire of his peace, and in the evening we inquire of his peace. And we read the recital of the Shema and we conclude [its blessings] with peace, “who spreads the cover of peace.” And in prayer, we conclude, “Who blesses His people Israel with peace.” (Numb. 25:12:) “Therefore I hereby grant [My covenant of peace],” as he still survives. And so it says (in Mal. 2:5), “My covenant was with him, [a covenant of] life and peace.” (Numb. 25:13:) “And it shall belong to him and to his seed after him […, because he was zealous for his God] and atoned for the Children of Israel.” Since atonement is spoken of in connection with him, did he offer a sacrifice? [The mention of atonement is] simply to teach you that when anyone sheds the blood of the wicked, it is as if he had offered a sacrifice.

(Numb. 25:10–11:) THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING: PHINEHAS BEN ELEAZAR <BEN AARON THE PRIEST HAS TURNED AROUND MY WRATH FROM UPON THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL>…. Let our master instruct us: What blessing does one say on seeing a human being that is different?¹Tanh., Numb. 8:10. Thus have our masters taught: On seeing a black person, one with red blotches, one with white blotches,²Lawqan. Gk.: leuke (“white leprosy”); cf. leukos (“white”). a hunchback, a pockmarked person, a dwarf,³nannas. Gk.: nanos. or one afflicted with dropsy⁴draqinus. Cf. Gk.: huderikos or hudropikos, or rhadinos (“one excessively thin”)., one says: Blessed is the one who makes mortals different. On seeing [an amputee,] someone blind, or someone smitten with boils, one says: Blessed is one who makes mortals different; <he is> the true judge.⁵TBer. 7:6(6:3); yBer. 9:2 or 1 (13b); Ber. 58b. Note that with the exception of the pock-marked person, the first group were born with their afflictions while the second acquired them later in life. When <should one recite it>? When they who were <once> whole have become different. But if they were like that from their mother's womb, one says: Blessed is the one who makes mortals different. On seeing good creatures and good trees, one says: Blessed are you O Lord our God, King of the World, who has created such things in his world;⁶TBer. 7:7(6:4). but if he sees crowds⁷Gk.: ochloi. of human beings, he says: Blessed is the one who is learned in mysteries.⁸Numb. R. 21:2. Just as their faces⁹Gk.: prosopa. are unlike each other, so are they unlike in temperament. Rather each and every individual has his own individual temperament; and so it says (in Job 28:25): TO FIX A WEIGHT FOR THE SPIRIT,¹⁰Ru’ah. In the context of Job ru’ah is better translated “wind,” but the midrash is depicting the human temperament. <i.e.,> the <spiritual> weight of each and every individual. You yourself know that it is so, because of what Moses asked from the Holy One at the time of his death, when he said to him: Sovereign of the World, the temperament of each and every person is revealed to you; and the temperament of one person is unlike the temperament of another. Now that I am departing from them, would you please, if you so desire, appoint a leader over them. Appoint over them a person who will bear with each and every one of them according to his temperament. Where is it shown? From what they have read on the matter (in Numb. 27:16): LET THE LORD, THE GOD OF THE SPIRITS OF ALL FLESH, APPOINT <SOMEONE OVER THE CONGREGATION >….

(Lev. 25:14:) “When you sell property to your kinsman.” This text is related (to Prov. 28:22), “An evil-eyed person moves quickly after wealth, [and he does not know that loss will come to him].” This verse speaks about many people. “An evil-eyed person moves quickly after wealth.” This was Cain. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “You moved quickly to inherit the world. By your life, you shall have a loss [in the matter].” Ergo (in Prov. 28:22), “and he does not know that loss will come to him.” And what happened to him? That he wandered about the world, as stated (in Gen. 4:12), “you shall become a ceaseless wanderer on the earth.” Another interpretation (of Prov. 28:22), “An evil-eyed person moves quickly after wealth”: This was Ephron the Hittite.¹See Tanh. (Buber), Exod. 6:5; and the parallels listed there; and Tanh. (Buber), Deut. 4:4. When Abraham's wife Sarah died, Abraham went to Ephron for him to sell him the cave. Ephron said to him, “Give me its price.” He said to him (in Gen. 23:15), “What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver between you and me?” Abraham began piling up the silver for Ephron, as stated (in Gen. 23:16), “So Abraham heeded Ephron, and Abraham weighed out […].” Ben Ma'ma said, “Although R. Hanina has said, ‘All the shekels in the Torah are sela'im,’ these [shekels] are an exception, since they are centenaria.²The word is Latin. One centenarium was worth 100,000 sesterces. According to a fourth-century inscription of northern Africa, a centenarium was a hundred pieces (e.g., of gold). See A. Souter, A Glossary of Later Latin to 600 A.D. (Oxford: Clarendon, 1957). [So it was] four hundred centenaria [that] Abraham piled up before Ephron.” When Ephron saw the silver, he moved quickly and hastily, as stated (in Gen. 23:6), “bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “You have moved quickly after money. By your life, you shall have a loss in the matter.” And what was his loss? R. Judah bar Shallum the Levite said, “Every [mention of] Ephron which is written here [in Scripture], before he took the silver from Abraham, is written plene as 'prwn (i.e., with the vowel o represented by the Hebrew consonant w); but this [usage] (in Gen. 23:16) is deficient (hsr), ‘and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron ('prn). It is written with the w missing (hsr).” Another interpretation (of Prov. 28:22), “An evil-eyed person moves quickly after wealth”: This is the one who lends at interest, because he is anxious to become wealthy. He lends in order to receive interest from the borrower and becomes wealthy from the interest. But a curse is given through his riches, as stated (ibid., cont.), “and he does not know that loss will come to him.” Another interpretation (of Prov. 28:22), “An evil-eyed person moves quickly after wealth”: This represents those who engage in business in the sabbatical year, in that they move quickly to become rich. They do not observe the sabbatical year, and think they will become rich. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “By your life, you shall have a loss in the matter.” Since he did not observe the sabbatical year, the curse began entering into his money, and he sells [all that he had]. What is written above the matter (in Lev. 25:2), “the land shall observe a Sabbath for the Lord.” And after that it is written (in vs. 14), “When you sell property.” R. Eleazar Haqappar said, “It is written (in Cant. 5:15), ‘His legs are pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold.’ This column has a capital above and a pedestal³Gk.: basis. below.”⁴See Lev. R. 25:8. R. Samuel ben Guriah said, “You have no section in the Torah which does not have a capital above and a pedestal below.⁵The parallel in Lev. R. 25:8 explains that each section can be expounded with reference to what precedes and follows it. What is written above of the matter (in Lev. 25:1-2)? ‘Then the Lord spoke unto Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, “Speak unto the Children of Israel [….] ‘the land shall observe [a Sabbath for the Lord].’”’ Then after that [comes] the section on the jubilee (in vs. 8), ‘And you shall count seven [Sabbaths of years].’ If one has not observed the sabbatical year and the jubilee, or [even] one of them, in the end, I will make it that he will sell his land, [as stated] (in vs. 14), ‘When you sell property to your kinsman.’⁶T’Arakh. 5:9; below, 9:8. [If] he repents, [all] is well; but if not, he will end up selling his field, as stated (in vs. 25), ‘When your relative becomes poor and sells some of his property.’ [If] he repents, that is preferable; but if not, he will end up selling his house, as stated (in vs. 29), ‘And when someone sells a dwelling house.’ [If] he repents, that is preferable; but if not, he will end up going around [begging] at doorways, as stated (in vs. 35), ‘And when your relative becomes poor [… you shall maintain him as a foreigner and sojourner and let him live near you].’ [If] he repents, that is preferable; but if not, he will end up being sold to you, as stated (in vs. 39), ‘And when your relative becomes poor] near you and is sold to you.’ [If] he repents, that is preferable; but if not, he will end up being sold to the gentiles, as stated (in vs. 47), ‘And when a foreigner and a sojourner near you becomes wealthy, [while your relative near him becomes poor and is sold to a sojourning foreigner near you….].’ Now it is not merely the individual himself [at issue here], but that person and all Israel; for so you find in the days of Jeremiah, because they profaned the sabbatical year, they were sold to the gentiles, as stated (in II Chron. 36:17-18), ‘So He brought up the king of the Chaldeans upon them [….] And all the vessels of the house of God […] and the treasures of the house of the Lord […].’ Behold the case of [all] Israel.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “See how they will be sold to the gentiles because they profaned the sabbatical year.” He said to him, “Master of the world, did You not say this (in Lev. 25:35), ‘And when your relative becomes poor, and his strength fails near you, [you shall maintain him as a foreigner and sojourner and let him live near you]?’ Fulfill what You said to them and called them, ‘My relatives (ah) and friends,’ as stated (in Ps. 122:8), ‘For the sake of My relatives (ah) and friends’: (Lev. 25:35:) ‘And when your relative becomes poor, and his strength fails near you,’ [i.e.,] when their strength fails before Nebuchadnezzar, the Divine Presence, as it were, will be with them. It is so stated (in Is. 43:14), ‘for your sake I have sent to Babylon.’ (Lev. 25:35, cont.:) ‘You shall maintain (literally, hold on to) him.’ Hold them (i.e., Israel), lest they perish. But how? (Lev. 25:35, cont.:) ‘As a foreigner and sojourner and let him live near you.’ Although they became foreigners and sojourners in Babylon, if You do not give them grace, they will perish, [so just] ‘let him live near You.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Because of their sins I have sold My house to the Chaldeans.” It is so stated (in Lev. 25:29), “And when someone sells a dwelling house.” This is the house of the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in Ps. 132:13), “For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for His dwelling.” And what happened [to it]? (II Kings 25:9 = Jer. 52:13:) And he burned the house of the Lord [...].” (Lev. 25:29, cont.:) “A walled city.” This is the city of the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated] (in II Chron. 36:19), “and they broke down the wall of Jerusalem […].” That is what the Holy One, blessed be He, says (in Lev. 25:47), “And when a foreigner and a sojourner [near you] becomes wealthy.” This wealthy foreigner is Nebuchadnezzar, and this sojourner is the Median Empire. (Ibid., cont.:) “And is sold to a sojourning foreigner.” This [sojourning foreigner] is the Greek Empire. (Ibid., cont.:) “Or to a foreigner's family.” This is the Edomite Empire (i.e., Rome). Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, why were they sold to these empires?” He said to him, “Because they profaned the sabbatical year.” It is so stated (in II Chron. 36:20–21), “Then he carried off unto Babylon those left from the sword,” and the end of the Scripture is “[until the land made up] its Sabbaths; as long as it lay desolate, it observed Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.” Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses at the end of all of these sections, “Is it your wish that they do not go into exile? [Then] warn them concerning the sabbatical years and the jubilees.” That is what He has said at the end of all the sections (in Lev. 26:2), “You shall observe My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary. I am the Lord.” What is the meaning of “I am the Lord?” I am the one who is going to give you a good reward, if you observe them; but if not, I am going to exact retribution from them through the Empires. Therefore, say to them to be careful about the sabbatical year. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 25:2), “the land shall observe a Sabbath for the Lord,” so that they do not attain [the punishments in] those sections written below (in Lev. 26:14-45). (Lev. 25:14:) “When you sell property to your kinsman or buy from your neighbor's hand, do not deceive.” [Thus] you shall not deceive one another. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “For I also sold the whole world to Abraham and did not deceive him. He [then went back and sold it to Me,” as stated (Genesis 14:19), “the Buyer⁷Qoneh. A more traditional rendering of this word here would be MAKER. of heaven and earth.” When? When Abraham observed the commandments of the Holy One, blessed be He. Before the Torah was given to Israel, our father Abraham kept it [and observed all the commandments that are in the Torah]. R. Samuel bar Nahman said in the name of R. Alexandra, “Abraham even observed the [rabbinic precept of] eruvim of cooked foods.”⁸See Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 3:1, and the notes there. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 26:5), “Because ('qb 'shr) Abraham heeded [My voice and kept My charge: My commandments, My statutes, and My Torahs].” What is the meaning of 'qb?⁹Gen. R. 95:3; Cant. R. 5:16:1; PR 21:12; cf. Ned. 32a. R. Simeon ben Laqish said, “At the age of three years Abraham recognized the Holy One, blessed be He.”¹⁰So also Numb. R. 18:21. According to other traditions Abraham recognized his creator at the age of forty-eight (Gen. R. 30:8; 46:2; Cant. R. 5:16:1), at the age of fifty (PR 21:12), or at the age of one (Gen. R. 95:3). How is this shown? 'Qb is a number. (I.e., 'ayin) is seventy, q (i.e., qof) is one hundred, [and] b (i.e., bet) is two, for a total of one hundred seventy-two. Now (according to Gen. 25:7) Abraham lived one hundred seventy-five [years]. Deduct from them. [The result is] three, when he was little. Ergo, at the age of three years Abraham recognized the Holy One, blessed be He. When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw how Abraham loved the commandments, He began buying heavenly and earthly [places] for him, as stated (in Gen. 14:19), “Blessed be Abram of God most high, Buyer of heaven and earth.” So also it says (Gen. 13:15), “For all the land (or earth) which you see, to you I will give it.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “All the world is wholly Mine; and I bought it for Abraham, because he has observed My commandments. But you, through your sins, have caused him to be [like] an alien who rents a house from its owners, for so Jeremiah has said (in Jer. 14:8), ‘why are you like a foreigner in the land […]?’ When you sinned before Me, I sold you, as stated (in Ps. 44:13), ‘You shall sell Your people for no money […].’ For that reason, if someone has to sell a house, a field, or [some] article, you shall not deceive one another.” It is therefore written (in Lev. 25:14), “shall not deceive his brother.” (Lev. 25:15-18:) “According to the years after the jubilee […]. According to the multitude of years, you shall increase […]. A man shall not deceive his brother […]. So you shall carry out my statutes and judgements.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Just as I sold my people and returned again to reinstate them, as stated (Jer. 3:14), ‘”Turn back, faithless children,” says the Lord; “for I am a master to you.”’ It is also written (in Is. 52:3), ‘For thus says the Lord, “You were sold for free, and you shall be redeemed for no money.”’ So too you should not sell the land absolutely, as stated (in Lev. 25:23), ‘[it] shall not be sold permanently.’ The Land [of Israel] is dear to me because I have made it holier than all the [other] lands in the world.” You yourself know, when the Land of Israel was distributed to the tribes, it did not pass from tribe to tribe. Rather [it was distributed] to each tribe separately. You yourself know. Look at how many lawsuits the daughters of Zelophehad brought, so that their inheritance would not pass from one tribe to another. Moreover the Holy One, blessed be He, conceded to their words, as stated (in Numb. 27:7), “The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right.” (Numb. 36:9:) “Thus no inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another.” Therefore, if a redeemer is found for it, fine; but if not, whoever buys it acquires it until the jubilee. Then on the jubilee he releases it. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 25:41), “Then he shall depart from you, he and his children with him and he shall return to his family.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “When the year of the redemption draws near, I will redeem you, as stated (in Is. 63:4), ‘For a day of vengeance was in My heart, but there came My year of redemption.’”

(Fol. 13b) Abaye said to R. Jose: "Whence do we infer that to ordain one as Rabbi three judges are necessary? Shall I take it from (Num. 27, 23) And he laid his hand upon him, etc., then let one be sufficient, as Moses was the only one person; and if you will say that Moses took the place of [the great Sanhedrin who were] seventy-one, then say that to ordain one as Rabbi, seventy-one are needed?" The objection is sustained. R. Acha b. Raba said to R. Ashi: "Is it necessary to actually lay the hands upon the head of the man whom we ordain?' He answered: "We merely name him Rabbi and give him permission to adjudicate fines."

At that time the Lord said unto Moses: Behold, the days are approaching for thee to die. Take ‎thou Joshua, the son of Nun, thy servant, and place him in the tabernacle that I may give him ‎my commandments, and Moses did so.‎‏ ‏And the Lord appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of ‎cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord commanded ‎Joshua, the sun of Nun, saying unto him: Be thou strong and courageous for thou shalt bring ‎the children of Israel to the land which I have given unto them, and I will be with thee.‎‏ ‏And ‎Moses said unto Joshua: Be strong and courageous, for thou wilt cause the children of Israel to ‎inherit the land, and the Lord will be with thee, He will not leave thee nor forsake thee. Fear ‎not and be not dismayed.‎‏ ‏And Moses called to all Israel and he said unto them: Ye have seen ‎all the good which the Lord your God hath done for you in the wilderness. Now therefore ‎observe ye all the words of this law and walk in the way of the Lord your God, do not turn from ‎the path which the Lord hath commanded you, neither to the right nor to the left. And Moses ‎taught the child ren of Israel statutes, and judgments, and laws, to practice them in the land, ‎as the Lord had commanded him, behold they are written in the book of the law of God which ‎he gave unto the children of Israel by the hand of Moses. And when Moses had finished ‎instruct ing the children of Israel, the Lord said unto him: Go up to Mount Abarim and die ‎there, and thou shalt be gathered to thy people like unto Aaron, thy brother. And Moses went ‎up, as the Lord had commanded unto him, and he died there, in the land of Moab, in the ‎fortieth year of the children of Israel’s departure from the land of Egypt. And the children of ‎Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab, thirty days; so the days of mourning for Moses ‎were ended.‎

5...

R. Juda b. Nachmeni, the interpreter of Resh Lakish, lectured: "Whoever gazes upon the three following things, his eyes will grow weak, viz.: upon the rainbow, at the prince, and at the priests. Upon the rainbow, as it is written (Ez. 1, 28) Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain … this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. At the prince, because it is written (Num. 27, 20) And thou shalt put some of thy greatness upon him. At the priests, refers to the time when the Temple was in existence, and the priests stood upon their platform, blessing Israel in the Tetragrammaton."

2) Variantly: "Take Aaron and his sons with him": What is the intent of this? In many places the "taking" of men is mentioned in respect to Moses, viz. (Numbers 3:41): "And you shall take the Levites for Me — I am the L–rd." (Numbers 11:16): "And you shall take them (the seventy elders) to the tent of meeting." (Numbers 1:17): "and Moses… took these men who were designated by name." (Numbers 27:18): "Take for yourself Joshua the son of Nun." Now did Moses "string men over his shoulders"? (The intent is that) the Holy One Blessed be He said to him: "Take" them with words so that their hearts not be tied to other things.

(Lev. 25:18, 23:) SO YOU SHALL CARRY OUT MY STATUTES…. [BUT THE LAND MAY NOT BE SOLD PERMANENTLY.] The Holy One said to him: Similarly I sold my people and returned again to reinstate them, as stated (Jer. 3:14:) TURN BACK, FAITHLESS CHILDREN, SAYS THE LORD; FOR I AM A MASTER TO YOU. It is also written (in Is. 52:3): [FOR] THUS SAYS THE LORD: YOU WERE SOLD FOR FREE, AND YOU SHALL BE REDEEMED FOR NO MONEY. You shall therefore not sell the land absolutely, since it is stated (in Lev. 25:23): BUT THE LAND MAY NOT BE SOLD PERMANENTLY, FOR THE LAND BELONGS TO ME. The land of Israel is dear to me because I have made it holier than all the < other > lands. You yourself know, when the land of Israel was distributed to the tribes, it did not pass from tribe to tribe. Rather [it was distributed] to each tribe separately. You yourself know. So look at how many lawsuits the daughters of Zelophehad brought, so that their inheritance would not pass from one tribe to another. Moreover the Holy One gave thanks for their words, as stated (in Numb. 27:7): THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD SPEAK WHAT IS RIGHT…. (Numb. 36:9:) THUS NO INHERITANCE SHALL BE TRANSFERRED FROM ONE TRIBE TO ANOTHER. Therefore, if a redeemer is found for it, fine; but if not, whoever takes it acquires it until the Jubilee. Then on the Jubilee he releases it. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 25:41): THEN HE SHALL DEPART {IN THE JUBILEE} [FROM YOU], HE AND HIS CHILDREN WITH HIM. The Holy One said: When the year of the redemption draws near, I will redeem you, as stated (in Is. 63:4): FOR A DAY OF VENGEANCE WAS IN MY HEART, BUT THERE CAME MY YEAR OF REDEMPTION.

"Lord God, You have begun" (Deuteronomy 3:24): There is a [relevant] parable: To what is this comparable? To a king that saw an orphaned woman and sought to marry her. He sent to propose to her. She said, "I am not fit to marry the king." He sent [again] and proposed seven times, but she did not listen to him. After a while, she married the king. [Later,] the king got angry with her and sought to divorce her and marry another [woman]. The first one said, "I have no shame if you divorce me, as it is you who sought me to begin with. However since you are divorcing me, I plead with you, do not do to this [wife] like what you have done to me." So [too] did the Holy One, blessed be He, do to Moshe. He seduced him for seven days. And [Moshe] said to him (Exodus 4:10), "I am not a man of words." After a while, the Holy One, blessed be He, appeased him. [So] he went on His mission, and all of the miracles happened through him. In the end, [God] said to him, "For 'you shall not enter [the land]'" (Deuteronomy 32:52). [So] Moshe our teacher said to Him, "Master of the world, if You do not want me to bring them to the land, I have no shame, as 'You began,'" which is an expression of beginning; "but since You have decreed this upon me, do not do to the one who brings them like You have done to me, 'That he should go in front of them [...] and that he bring them' (Numbers 27:17)." "And the Lord said to me, 'It is enough (rav) for you; do not add'" (Deuteronomy 3:26). As your opponent has preceded you. As so did Iyov state (Job 31:35), "O that I had someone to give me a hearing; O that the Omnipresent would reply to my writ, or my opponent (eesh rivi) write a book (a bill of charges)!" And which book [is that]? "This is the book of the generations of Adam" (Genesis 5:1, as Adam brought death to the world). What did Job say? "Small and great are there, and the slave is free of his master" (Job 3:19). Therefore, "It is enough."

Rabba, in the name of R. Jochanan, said again: "The Holy One, praised be He! will make seven canopies (Chupas) for each and every righteous, as it is said (Is. 4, 5) And then will the Lord create upon every dwelling of Mount Zion, and upon her places of assembly, a cloud and smoke by day, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over the glory shall be a covering (Chupa). We infer from this that the Holy One, praised be He! will make a Chupa for each and every righteous according to his dignity." But why smoke for a Chupa? R. Chanina said: "Each one who looks with an angry eye upon the scholars in this world, will his eyes be filled with smoke in the future world." And why fire [in the Chupa]? R. Chanina said: "Infer from this that each of the upright will be burned by the Chupa of his neighbor." O for that shame! O for that disgrace! This is similar to the following passage (Num. 27, 20) And thou shalt put some of thy greatness upon him. But not all of it. The elder of that generation used to say: The appearance of Moses was like the sun and the appearance of Joshua like the moon. O for that shame! O for that disgrace!

[(Gen. 42:1:) THEN JACOB SAW THAT THERE WAS GRAIN IN EGYPT.] This text is related (to Job 9:7): THE ONE WHO TELLS THE SUN NOT TO SHINE < AND SEALS UP THE STARS >.¹⁹Gen. R. 91:1. {It simply tells about Jacob and his children, since they were likened to them. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 37:9): HERE WERE THE SUN, THE MOON, AND ELEVEN STARS BOWING DOWN TO ME.} Look at all Job's wisdom! Now who does not know that, if the Holy One tells the sun or the stars not to shine, they do not shine, as stated (in Job 9:7): THE ONE WHO TELLS THE SUN NOT TO SHINE … ? It simply tells about Jacob and his children, [since they were likened to them. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 37:9): HERE WERE THE SUN, THE MOON, AND ELEVEN STARS BOWING DOWN TO ME]. (Job 9:7:) THE ONE WHO TELLS THE SUN NOT TO SHINE. For the twenty-two years that Joseph stayed away from his brothers in Egypt, the Holy Spirit was hidden from Jacob and his children. He was no farther from them than a journey of four or five days; but they did not know that he was in Egypt. Now Jacob and his children had previously been great prophets. Do you want to understand? When Joseph had told them his dream, what did he say (in Gen. 37:10)? ARE WE TO COME, I AND YOUR MOTHER AND YOUR BROTHERS, AND BOW DOWN < TO THE GROUND FOR YOU > ? Then, when he had been sold, they did not know where he was. Ergo (in Job 9:7): THE ONE WHO TELLS THE SUN NOT TO SHINE. Why so? So that the prophets would not be boastful. The Holy One therefore made his power known to them to show them that they were nothing. And so you find with the greatest of the prophets (i.e., Moses). Because he had said (in Deut. 1:17): BUT THE CASE WHICH IS TOO HARD FOR YOU < YOU SHALL BRING UNTO ME >….²⁰Sifre to Deut. 1:17 (17); Sanh. 8a. The Holy One said to him: Are you able to interpret a difficult case? By your life, I am showing you! So, when the affair of the daughters of Zelophehad arrived, he began to have difficulties with it. When he did not know what to say, he brought their cause before the LORD, as stated (in Numb. 27:5): THEN MOSES BROUGHT THEIR CAUSE BEFORE THE LORD. The Holy One said to him: Was it not you who said (in Deut. 1:17): BUT THE CASE WHICH IS TOO HARD FOR YOU < YOU ARE TO BRING UNTO ME > … ? See, you do not know what the women know. (Numb. 27:7:) THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD SPEAK WHAT IS RIGHT. These women have judged better than you. And so also in the case of Samuel, when he was measured against Moses and Aaron. Because he had said (in I Sam. 9:19): I AM THE SEER, the Holy One said to him: You have said: I AM THE SEER! By your life, tomorrow I am showing you whether you are a seer. Thus it is stated (in I Sam. 16:1): FILL YOUR HORN WITH OIL AND GO; {COME} [I AM SENDING YOU] UNTO JESSE THE BETHLEHEMITE BECAUSE I HAVE CHOSEN A KING FOR MYSELF AMONG HIS SONS. When he had gone, what is written (in I Sam. 16:6)? AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN HE HAD COME, THAT HE SAW ELIAB AND SAID: SURELY THE LORD'S ANOINTED IS STANDING BEFORE HIM. The Holy One said to him: Are you the one who said (in I Sam. 9:19): I AM THE SEER? (I Sam. 16:7:) DO NOT LOOK UPON HIS APPEARANCE…. And so also in the case of Jacob [and his children], they were prophets and sages, and nothing was hidden from them. When Joseph was sold, they did not know about him until the Holy One [wanted] < them to know >. Ergo (in Job 9:7): THE ONE WHO TELLS THE SUN NOT TO SHINE….

IV) Because [thus] the king's son is dead (II Samuel 18:20). The word thus is lacking, because of the evil of his deeds, for he sought to kill his father and cover up the matter, and came to fornicate with his father's concubines. Though Joab said because thus the king's son is dead, the word thus is suspended on the margin, because the king's son was killed for his wrongs, but thus can mean right as in rightly have the daughters of Ẓelopheḥad spoken (Numbers 27:7) or "what you are saying is right." (Genesis 44:10).

(Numb. 27:1:) “Then came forward the daughters of Zelophehad.” In that generation the women were fencing¹¹On raising a fence about the Law, see Avot 1:1. that which the men were breaching.¹²Numb. R. 21:10. Accordingly you find that Aaron said to them (i.e., the men in Exod. 32:2), “Take off the gold rings [that are in the ears of your wives…]”; but the women were unwilling and protested against their husbands. Thus it is stated (in vs. 3), “So all the people took off the gold rings that were in their¹³Since “their” is masculine here, there is an implication that the men only took their own earrings. ears.” Thus the women did not take part in making the [golden] calf. So also in the case of the spies who had spread slander (according to Numb. 14:36), “when they returned, they made [the whole congregation] murmur against him.” A decree was issued against them, because they had said (in Numb. 13:31), “We are unable to go up [against this people for they are stronger than us].” The women, however, were not with them in their counsel. What is written above the matter (in Numb. 26:65)? “Because the Lord had said to them, ‘They shall surely die in the wilderness,’ not a man of them remained.” [Note that Scripture speaks of] “a man,” and not of "a woman.” Because they (i.e., the men) did not want to enter the land, but the women came forward to ask for an inheritance [in the land]; (Numb. 27:1) “Then came forward the daughters of Zelophehad.” Therefore the parashah [about the death of that generation] was written next to this parashah, because what the men broke down the women fenced in. Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:1), “Then came forward [the daughters of Zelophehad ben Hepher ben Gilead ben Machir ben Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh ben Joseph”: [Their action was] an honor to them. [It was also] an honor to their father, an honor to Machir, an honor to Manasseh and an honor to Joseph that such righteous and wise women had issued from him.¹⁴Numb. R. 21:11. But what was their wisdom? They [only] spoke up at the proper time, when Moses was busy with the parashah about inheritance (in accordance with Numb. 26:53), “To these shall you apportion the land [for an inheritance].” [So what was their wisdom? That] they said to him, “If we are like a son, let us inherit; but if not, let our mother perform levirate marriage (marry her husband's brother).”¹⁵His duty would be to rear children in the name of the deceased father. On levirate marriage generally, see Deut. 25:5-6: also Gen. 38:8-9; Ruth 4:5. Immediately (in Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause before the Lord.” They were righteous, In that they had never been married to someone unworthy of them. Then why did they meet with Moses now? So that he would not [put on airs] over having abstained from his wife for forty years.¹⁶Since Moses regularly stood in the Divine Presence, he needed to preserve an unbroken state of purity. The Holy One, blessed be He, informed him through these [women], saying, “Here are women who without being commanded [remained unmarried] for forty years, until they were married to someone worthy of them.”

(Numb. 27:1:) THEN CAME FORWARD THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD. In that generation the women were fencing in <the Law>,²⁷On raising a fence about the Law, see Avot 1:1. which the men were breaking down.²⁸Tanh., Numb. 8:7; Numb. R. 21:10. Accordingly you find that Aaron said to them (i.e., the men in Exod. 32:2): TAKE OFF THE GOLD RINGS <THAT ARE IN THE EARS OF YOUR WIVES … >; but the women were unwilling and tried to stop their husbands. Thus it is stated (in vs. 3): SO ALL THE PEOPLE TOOK OFF THE GOLD RINGS THAT WERE IN THEIR²⁹Since their is masculine, there is an immplication that the women did not cooperate. EARS. Thus the women did not take part in making the <golden> calf. So also in the case of the spies who had spread slander (according to Numb. 14:36): WHEN THEY RETURNED, THEY MADE THE WHOLE CONGREGATION MURMUR AGAINST HIM. A decree was issued against them, because they had said (in Numb. 13:31): WE ARE UNABLE TO GO UP <AGAINST THIS PEOPLE FOR THEY ARE STRONGER THAN WE>. The women, however, were not with them in their counsel. What is written above on the matter (in Numb. 26:65)? BECAUSE THE LORD HAD SAID TO THEM: THEY SHALL SURELY DIE IN THE WILDERNESS, NOT A MAN OF THEM REMAINED. <Note that Scripture speaks of> [A MAN] and not of "a woman." Why? Because they (i.e., the men) did not want to enter the land, but the women came forward to ask for an inheritance in the land. Therefore the parashah (which contains Numb. 26:65) was written next to this parashah, because what the men broke down the women fenced in.

Rabbi Berekhya interpreted it regarding this verse: “May the Lord, God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint [a man over the congregation]” (Numbers 27:16). “May the Lord…appoint”—[Moses] said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, since you are ousting me from the world, inform me who are the shepherds whom You are installing over Your children.’ Where is the matter articulated? “Tell me, he whom my soul loves,” the nation that my soul loves, the nation to whom I dedicated my life; “where do you herd,” during the period of the monarchy; “where do you rest your flock at noon,” when [Israel is] subjudgated to [foreign] kingdoms. “Why [shalama] should I be as one bound [keoteya]?” Rabbi Azarya said: Shalama, that I will not [shelo] become as nothing [lema] in the eyes of Your companions²²⁴This is a reference to the patriarchs. regarding their flocks. There will be a desecration of Heaven in the matter if your children are in distress and the flocks of Your companions²²⁵This is a reference to the nations of the world. Their kings are referred to here as God’s companions (Etz Yosef). Alternatively, the reference is to the nations that descend from Ishmael and Esau, sons of the patriarchs Abraham and Isaac (Midrash HaMevoar). are comfortable. Rabbi Yudan bar Simon said: So the nations of the world will not say that the attribute of justice has erred [ta’at].²²⁶This is alluded to in the word keoteya. [God] knew that He sought to slaughter them in the wilderness and He slaughtered them in the wilderness, just as it says: “He slaughtered them in the wilderness” (Numbers 14:16).²²⁷This phrase appears in the passage in which Moses implores God not to destroy Israel in the aftermath of the sin of the scouts, arguing that the nations of the world would say God knew He could not defeat the Canaanite nations and therefore slaughtered Israel in the wilderness (see Numbers 14:13–19). Similarly, Moses requested that God appoint good leaders over the nation after him so as to avoid a desecration of Gdod’s name. The Rabbis say: So that your children will not see that their trouble is trouble and deviate [yatu] from following You and cleave to the flocks of Your companions,²²⁸This is a reference to the nations of the world. just as you say: “Can the seat of wickedness be Your companion?” (Psalms 94:20).²²⁹This verse demonstrates that the nations of the world can be referred to as companions of God.
At that moment the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Moses, you say to Me: “Where do you herd, where do you rest your flock,” by your life, if you do not know, ultimately, you will know,’ as it is stated: “If you do not know, fairest among women” (Song of Songs 1:8).²³⁰The Hebrew phrase generally translated “if you do not know” can also be translated “shall you not know,” and that is how the midrash is interpreting it here.
Another matter, “if you do not know, fairest among women,” fairest among prophets, the most outstanding among the prophets. Rabbi Yosei bar Yirmeya said: Why were the prophets likened to women? To say to you: Just as a woman is not shy about demanding her household needs from her husband, so the prophets are not shy about demanding the needs of Israel from their Father in Heaven.

(Fol. 73) Our Rabbis were taught: How were the Urim and Tumim consulted? The inquirer had his face directed to him (the priest) who was consulted, and the one consulted (the priest) directed himself to the Shechina. The inquirer asks [as it is mentioned (I Sam. 30, 8) ] "Shall I pursue this troop? Will I succeed?" And the priest answers him: "Pursue! So hath the Lord said. Go and thou wilt succeed." R. Juda, however, said: "He need not say, 'So hath God said.' He has only to say, 'Go and thou wilt succeed.' " One must not ask in a loud voice, as it is said (Num. 27, 21) And he shall ask of him (alone). Nor should he keep the question merely in his mind, because it is said. He shall ask of him before the Lord. Hence he should ask as Hannah prayed (I Sam. 1, 13) Now as for Hannah, she spoke in her heart. Two inquiries at a time should not be made, and if one makes two inquiries at a time, only one is answered; the first one, as it is said (Ib. 23, 11-12) Will the men of Ke'ilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down? etc. And the Lord said: He will came down. But you have said only the first question is answered? David asked (Ib. b) them not in the proper order, but he was answered in the proper order. Then, when David realized that he had not asked in the proper order, he repeated the second question: Will the men of Ke'ilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And he was answered: They will deliver. When, however, two questions must be asked at once [without delay], then the two questions are both answered, as it is said (Ib. 30, 8) Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And the reply was: Pursue, for thou wilt surely overtake them, and certainly recover. And although the decision of a prophet can be revoked, the decision of the Urim and Tummim cannot be changed, as it is said (Num. 27, 21) The judgment of the Urim. And why were they called Urim and Tumim? Urim, because they illuminate their words; Tumim, because they give a complete answer. One might ask: If so, then why did it not give a complete answer to Israel at Gibath Benjamin? Because the people did not think of asking whether they would be victorious or whether they would be defeated. They were answered, Go, and they were beaten; but later, when they understood how to inquire, they received a complete reply, as it is said (Jud. 20, 28) And Phineas. the son of El'azar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those day, saying: Shall I yet continue to go out to battle with the children of Benjamin, my brother, or shall I forbear? And the Lord said: Go up, for to-morrow will I deliver him into thy hand. How did the priest receive the reply? R. Jochanan said: "The letters [constituting the reply] became protruded." Resh Lakish said: "The letters [composing the words] came near each other." But the letter Tsade was not there. R. Samuel, son of R. Isaac, said: "The names of Abraham, Yitzshak and Jacob were also written there." But was not the letter Teth missing? The words Shibtei Jeshurun (the tribes of Israel) were likewise there. "Inquiries are not made except for a king," etc. Whence do we deduce this? R. Abahu said: "Scripture says (Num. 27, 21) Before Elazar, the priest shall he stand, and he shall ask of him after the judgment of the Urim before the Lord … he and all the children of Israel with him. He, refers to the king; and all Israel with him, refers to the priest anointed as the chaplain of the army; and all the congregation, refers to the Sanhedrin.

(Numb. 27:5:) “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].” Some say that [God] made this become too hard for Moses, as there are righteous people that become [overly] proud in matters of a commandment, and [so] the Holy One, blessed be He, weakens their ability. You find that David said (in Ps. 119:54), “Your statutes were songs for me,” [meaning] they are light and customary for me like songs. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “By your life, your end will be to err about something that [even] the schoolchildren know about.” At the time that he brought up the ark, he erred and put in on a cart, as stated (in II Sam. 6:3),” They loaded the ark of God onto a new cart.” [So God] suspended the ark in the air and the oxen became dislodged from under it. [Then] Uzzah approached to support it, but (according to II Sam. 6:7,) “God struck him down on the spot,” as an error in study is considered as wanton. Immediately (in II Sam. 6:8), “David was distressed because the Lord had inflicted a breach upon Uzzah.” [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say, ‘Your statutes were songs for me?’ Did you not learn (in Numb. 7:9), ‘But to the Kohathites he did not give; since theirs was the service of the [most] sacred objects, their porterage was by shoulder?’” [So David] began to ponder and say (in I Chron. 15:13), “The Lord our God burst out against us, for we did not seek Him like the law.” And so too, [this happened] with Moses. Because he said (in Deut. 1:17), “But the case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me and I will hear it,” the Holy One, blessed be He, weakened his ability.¹⁷Numb. R. 21:12; above, Gen. 10:6; Sifre to Deut. 1:17 (17); Sanh. 8a. The matter is comparable to a moneychanger who said to his student, “If coins come to you to be exchanged, exchange them, but if pearls should come to you, bring them to me.” [When] a ring of baubles came to him, [the student] brought it to [this] teacher. [But] then the teacher went and showed it to another [money changer]. So too here. Moses said (in Deut. 1:17), “The case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me and I will hear it.” [But] when the daughters of Zelophehad came to him, [God] made it too hard for him. (Numb. 27:5-7) “Moses brought their cause before the Lord. [And the Lord said…,] ‘The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly,’” such is the law. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say (ibid.), ‘The case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me?’ In the case of the judgment which you do not know, see [that even] the women know it.”

... “And David went and he took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh- gilead… And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son…” (Shmuel II 21:12-13) What did David do? He went and gathered all the elders and great ones of Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and came to Yavesh-gilead. He found the bones of Shaul and his son Yonatan, placed them in a casket and crossed back over the Jordan, as it says “And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father and they did all that the king commanded…” (Shmuel II 21:14) What does ‘in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father’ mean? It comes to teach us that they brought them to the border of Jerusalem and buried them there. Zela is next to Jerusalem, as it says “And Zelah, Eleph, and the Jebusite, which is Jerusalem…” (Yehoshua 18:28) ‘and they did all that the king commanded’ And what did the king command? He commanded that they carry Shaul’s casket from tribe to tribe. As Shaul’s casket entered each tribe’s territory all the men, women and children came out in order to perform an act of loving kindness to Shaul and his sons and thereby all of Israel would fulfill its obligation to loving kindness. This went on until they reached the land of his portion on the border of Jerusalem. Since the Holy One saw that they did loving kindness to Shaul and fulfilled the judgement of the Givonites He was immediately filled with mercy and sent rain upon the land, as it says “And God was entreated for the land after that.” (Shmuel II 21:14) From this we learn how close the Holy One brings those that are far away, even though they converted not for the sake of heaven. There is no need to even mention how he draws near righteous converts, “O Lord, all the kings of the earth will acknowledge You…” (Tehillim 138:4)

(Fol. 115) R. Jochanan said in the name of R. Simon b. Jochai: "He who leaves no son to succeed him, the Holy One, praised be He! is filled with anger at him, for it is written here (Num. 27, 8) Then shall ye cause his inheritance to pass (Haabartem), and it is written there (Zeph. 1, 15) That day is a day of wrath (Ebrah)." (Ps. 55, 20) Those who leave no changes fear no God. R, Jochanan and R. Joshua b. Levi differ. According to one a son is meant, and according to the other a disciple. We can infer that R. Jochanan is the one who holds that it refers to a disciple; for R. Jochanan said: "This is the bone of my tenth son [whom I have buried]." The inference is sustained. Now, if R. Jochanan refers to a disciple then R. Joshua b. Levi refers to a son, if so, why do we find that R. Joshua b. Levi did not go to a funeral unless the deceased was childless, because it is written (Jer. 22, 10) Weep sorely for him that goeth away, which R. Juda in the name of Rab interpreted to refer to one who passeth away without a son! It must be concluded that R. Joshua b. Levi was the one who said it refers to a disciple. Now since R. Joshua b. Levi is the one who holds it refers to a disciple, we must say that R. Jochanan is the one who holds it refers to a son. If so, then it means that R. Jochanan contradicts himself, [for above it was inferred that he held it referred to a disciple]. This is not difficult to explain, for one he said in his own name, and the other in the name of his teacher.

R. Chana b. Adda said: "The decree concerning the Gibeonites was issued by David, as it is said (II Sam. 21, 2) And the king called for the Gibeonites and said unto them: now the Gibeonites are not of the children of Israel." Why did David make such a decree against them? Because, as it is written And then was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year. During the first year of the famine, David said to Israel: "Perhaps there are odilaters amongst ye, concerning which it is written (Deut. 11, 16) And ye turn aside and serve other gods, and worship them. Then the Lord's wrath will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the heavens that there be no rain." They investigated and found nothing of the kind. During the second year [of the famine] ( he again said to them: "Perhaps there are amongst you adulterers, concerning whom it is written (Jer. 3, 3) And [though] the early showers were with-holden, and the later rain came not, yet hadst thou a forehead of incestuous wife." Thereupon they investigated, but again found nothing of the kind. Upon the third year of the famine, David said to Israel: "Perhaps there are amongst you such that subscribed to charity in public and refused to pay, concerning which it is written (Pr. 25, 14) Like clouds and wind without rain, so is man that vaunteth falsely of a gift." They investigated and again did not find any trace of it. David then said: "The cause hangs upon none else but myself." Immediately (II Sam. 21, 1) and David besought the presence of the Lord. What does this mean? Resh Lakish said: "He asked information through the Urim and the Tummim." What is the intimation for it? Said R. Elazar: "We infer through the [analogy of expression] of the word R'nei, P'nei. It is written here (Ib.) And David besought the presence (P'nei) of the Lord, and it is written there (Num 27, 21) and he shall ask of him after the Judgment of the Urim before (Li-phnei) the Lord." (II Sam. 21, 1) And the Lord said, On account of Saul, and on account of the house of blood is this; because he hath slain the Gibeonites; i.e., on account of Saul, that he was not eulogized properly; and on account of the house of blood, because he hath slain the Gibeonites. Where do we find that Saul had slain the Gibeonites? We must therefore say that because he had slain the inhabitants of Nob, the city of the priests, who supported the Gibeonites with water and food [thus cutting off their support,] Scripture considers it as if he had actually slain them." Because Saul was not eulogized properly [Saul's honor,] and at the same time He demands because he had slain the Gibeonites [hence Saul's destruction?] Indeed so; for Resh Lakish said: "What is the meaning of the passage (Zeph. 2, 3) Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, who have fulfilled His ordinances; i.e., in the same place where one is judged for his [bad actions,] also his [good deeds] are recorded. David then said: "As to Saul's grievances twelve months have already elapsed (Fol. 69) and it is not customary to make a funeral address any longer. But concerning the Gibeonites, let us call them and try to appease them." (II Sam. 21, 2-6) And the king called for the Gibeonite, and said unto them, etc. What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the Lord? And the Gibeonites said unto him: We have no concern of silver or gold with Saul and with his house, nor do we wish, etc. Let there be delivered unto us seven men of his sons, and we will hang them up unto the Lord. David tried to appease them [with any other thing but that:] however, they were not conciliated. David then said: "This nation (Israel) is recognized by three characteristic features, they are merciful, chaste and charitable. Merciful, as it is written (Deut. 13, 18) and grant thee mercy, and have mercy upon them and multiply thee; chaste, as it is written (Ex. 20, 20) and in order that His fear may be before your faces; charitable, as it is written (Gen. 18, 19) that he will command his children and his household, etc., with whomsoever possesses these characteristic features it is befitting to be associated, but with whomsoever posseses not these characteristic features it is not fitting to be associated."

Raba said again unto Rabba bar Mari: "Wherefrom the following people's saying: 'Although the wine belongs to the owner, thanks is nevertheless due to the waiter?'" He answered: "From (Num. 27, 19) And thou shalt lay thy hand upon him; and also (Deut. 34, 9) And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him," etc. (The whole credit is given to Moses). Raba said again to Rabba bar Mari: "Wherefrom the following people's saying: 'The bad palm will travel to meet a barren can (like meets like)?'" He answered: "This is written in the Pentateuch, repeated in the Prophets, mentioned a third time in the Hagiographa, also learned in a Mishnah and taught in a Baraitha: Pentateuch, the following passage (Gen. 38, 9) And Esau went unto Ishmael; Prophets (Jud. 11, 3) And then gathered themsleves to Yiphthach idle men, and they went out with him; Hagiographa (Ben Sira, 13) Every fowl associates with its kind and man with his equal; Mishnah, "All that is attached to an unclean article is unclean and all that is attached to a clean article is clean." Baraitha: R. Eliezer said: "Not in vain did the gladiator go to the raven, because it is of its kind."

(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.

There is a Baraitha that the daughters of Z'laphchad were wise, understood lecturing, and were also righteous. They were wise, as their protest was to the point, for as R. Samuel b. R. Isaac said: "On that day Moses out Master was sitting and lecturing about the law of Yibum. They then said to him: 'If we are considered as a son, then let us inherit; and if we are not considered at all, then let our uncle marry our mother." Immediately follows (Num. 27, 5) And Moses brought the case before the Lord. They understood lecturing, as they said: If we should have a son, we would not say a word. But is there not written in a Baraitha that they said if there should be a daughter instead of a son? R. Jeremiah said: "Strike out the word daughters from the Baraitha." Abaye, however, said: "It is not necessary to strike it out, for they said, 'If there should have been even a daughter from a son, we would not say a word.' " They were upright, because they married only such that were worthy for them.

Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: R. Simeon ben Laqish said, “Our master Moses knew this judgment, but they first came before chiefs of tens. They said to them, ‘It is a judgment concerning inheritance, and this is not for us but for those greater than us.’ They came before the chiefs of fifties. [When] they saw that the chiefs of ten had shown them honor, the chiefs of fifty said, ‘[In our case] also there are those greater than us.’ So also [they came before] the chiefs of hundreds, the chiefs of thousands, and the princes. They all responded to them in a similar way, because they did not want to open their mouths before one who was greater than them. Moses said, ‘If I tell them the decision, I shall be appropriating all their dignity.’ He said to them, ‘In my case also there is One greater than I.’ Therefore (in Numb. 27:5), ‘Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].’” He answered him with (in vs. 7), “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, acknowledged their utterance. (Numb. 27:7, cont.:) “You shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father].” Give them [also] chattel and their father's birthright in the assets of Hepher. They took three portions: The portion of their father, who was among those who had come out from Egypt; his portion with his brothers in the assets of Hepher; and since he was the first born, he took two portions. Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: After they [already] received [their share] on the other side of the Jordan, they came before Joshua in the land of Canaan, as stated (in Josh. 17:4), “Now they (i.e., the daughters of Zelophehad) came before Elazar the priest, Joshua ben Nun, and the princes [and said, ‘The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with our male kin’].” Moreover, our ancestor Jacob also knew that they were receiving [an inheritance] on this side [of the Jordan] as well as on that side, since it is stated (in Gen. 49:22), “daughters¹⁸English versions generally read “boughs” or the like. step over a wall.” This [wall] is the Jordan, which became a wall [for Moses] so that he would not enter the land. Thus Jacob said to Joseph, “Your daughters shall receive a share on this [side of the Jordan] as well as on that [side].” (Numb. 27:7, cont.:) “And you shall transfer to them the inheritance of their father.” With reference to [standard] inheritance it is stated (in vs. 9), “and you shall give,” but with reference to a daughter, [it says (in vs. 8),] “and you shall transfer.”¹⁹The Hebrew is slightly different here from what is written in vs. 7. There the word you is singular while here the “you” is plural, as in vs. 8. Thus she may transfer an inheritance from tribe to tribe.²⁰So BB 109b. (Numb. 27:11:) “And it shall be a statutory judgment for the Children of Israel.” [The word judgment] teaches that inheritances [can only] be carried out through judges. (Numb. 27:12:) “Then the Lord [said] unto Moses, saying, ‘Go up on this mountain of Abarim.’” What reason did he have [for it] to be written after the parashah about inheritance?²¹Numb. R. 21:10. It was simply that when Moses heard from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, (in Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them,” he thought that the Holy One, blessed be He, had been reconciled to him.²²Numb. R. 21:13. He said, “Here I am entering with Israel.” [Hence] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “My decree remains in place; (Numb. 27:12-13) ‘Go up into the mountain of Abarim […] and you shall be gathered to your people…’ You are no better than your brother [in this].’”

Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: R. Simeon ben Laqish said, “Our master Moses knew this judgment, but they first came before chiefs of tens. They said to them, ‘It is a judgment concerning inheritance, and this is not for us but for those greater than us.’ They came before the chiefs of fifties. [When] they saw that the chiefs of ten had shown them honor, the chiefs of fifty said, ‘[In our case] also there are those greater than us.’ So also [they came before] the chiefs of hundreds, the chiefs of thousands, and the princes. They all responded to them in a similar way, because they did not want to open their mouths before one who was greater than them. Moses said, ‘If I tell them the decision, I shall be appropriating all their dignity.’ He said to them, ‘In my case also there is One greater than I.’ Therefore (in Numb. 27:5), ‘Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].’” He answered him with (in vs. 7), “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, acknowledged their utterance. (Numb. 27:7, cont.:) “You shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father].” Give them [also] chattel and their father's birthright in the assets of Hepher. They took three portions: The portion of their father, who was among those who had come out from Egypt; his portion with his brothers in the assets of Hepher; and since he was the first born, he took two portions. Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: After they [already] received [their share] on the other side of the Jordan, they came before Joshua in the land of Canaan, as stated (in Josh. 17:4), “Now they (i.e., the daughters of Zelophehad) came before Elazar the priest, Joshua ben Nun, and the princes [and said, ‘The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with our male kin’].” Moreover, our ancestor Jacob also knew that they were receiving [an inheritance] on this side [of the Jordan] as well as on that side, since it is stated (in Gen. 49:22), “daughters¹⁸English versions generally read “boughs” or the like. step over a wall.” This [wall] is the Jordan, which became a wall [for Moses] so that he would not enter the land. Thus Jacob said to Joseph, “Your daughters shall receive a share on this [side of the Jordan] as well as on that [side].” (Numb. 27:7, cont.:) “And you shall transfer to them the inheritance of their father.” With reference to [standard] inheritance it is stated (in vs. 9), “and you shall give,” but with reference to a daughter, [it says (in vs. 8),] “and you shall transfer.”¹⁹The Hebrew is slightly different here from what is written in vs. 7. There the word you is singular while here the “you” is plural, as in vs. 8. Thus she may transfer an inheritance from tribe to tribe.²⁰So BB 109b. (Numb. 27:11:) “And it shall be a statutory judgment for the Children of Israel.” [The word judgment] teaches that inheritances [can only] be carried out through judges. (Numb. 27:12:) “Then the Lord [said] unto Moses, saying, ‘Go up on this mountain of Abarim.’” What reason did he have [for it] to be written after the parashah about inheritance?²¹Numb. R. 21:10. It was simply that when Moses heard from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, (in Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them,” he thought that the Holy One, blessed be He, had been reconciled to him.²²Numb. R. 21:13. He said, “Here I am entering with Israel.” [Hence] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “My decree remains in place; (Numb. 27:12-13) ‘Go up into the mountain of Abarim […] and you shall be gathered to your people…’ You are no better than your brother [in this].’”

Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: R. Simeon ben Laqish said, “Our master Moses knew this judgment, but they first came before chiefs of tens. They said to them, ‘It is a judgment concerning inheritance, and this is not for us but for those greater than us.’ They came before the chiefs of fifties. [When] they saw that the chiefs of ten had shown them honor, the chiefs of fifty said, ‘[In our case] also there are those greater than us.’ So also [they came before] the chiefs of hundreds, the chiefs of thousands, and the princes. They all responded to them in a similar way, because they did not want to open their mouths before one who was greater than them. Moses said, ‘If I tell them the decision, I shall be appropriating all their dignity.’ He said to them, ‘In my case also there is One greater than I.’ Therefore (in Numb. 27:5), ‘Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].’” He answered him with (in vs. 7), “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, acknowledged their utterance. (Numb. 27:7, cont.:) “You shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father].” Give them [also] chattel and their father's birthright in the assets of Hepher. They took three portions: The portion of their father, who was among those who had come out from Egypt; his portion with his brothers in the assets of Hepher; and since he was the first born, he took two portions. Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: After they [already] received [their share] on the other side of the Jordan, they came before Joshua in the land of Canaan, as stated (in Josh. 17:4), “Now they (i.e., the daughters of Zelophehad) came before Elazar the priest, Joshua ben Nun, and the princes [and said, ‘The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with our male kin’].” Moreover, our ancestor Jacob also knew that they were receiving [an inheritance] on this side [of the Jordan] as well as on that side, since it is stated (in Gen. 49:22), “daughters¹⁸English versions generally read “boughs” or the like. step over a wall.” This [wall] is the Jordan, which became a wall [for Moses] so that he would not enter the land. Thus Jacob said to Joseph, “Your daughters shall receive a share on this [side of the Jordan] as well as on that [side].” (Numb. 27:7, cont.:) “And you shall transfer to them the inheritance of their father.” With reference to [standard] inheritance it is stated (in vs. 9), “and you shall give,” but with reference to a daughter, [it says (in vs. 8),] “and you shall transfer.”¹⁹The Hebrew is slightly different here from what is written in vs. 7. There the word you is singular while here the “you” is plural, as in vs. 8. Thus she may transfer an inheritance from tribe to tribe.²⁰So BB 109b. (Numb. 27:11:) “And it shall be a statutory judgment for the Children of Israel.” [The word judgment] teaches that inheritances [can only] be carried out through judges. (Numb. 27:12:) “Then the Lord [said] unto Moses, saying, ‘Go up on this mountain of Abarim.’” What reason did he have [for it] to be written after the parashah about inheritance?²¹Numb. R. 21:10. It was simply that when Moses heard from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, (in Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them,” he thought that the Holy One, blessed be He, had been reconciled to him.²²Numb. R. 21:13. He said, “Here I am entering with Israel.” [Hence] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “My decree remains in place; (Numb. 27:12-13) ‘Go up into the mountain of Abarim […] and you shall be gathered to your people…’ You are no better than your brother [in this].’”

Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: R. Simeon ben Laqish said, “Our master Moses knew this judgment, but they first came before chiefs of tens. They said to them, ‘It is a judgment concerning inheritance, and this is not for us but for those greater than us.’ They came before the chiefs of fifties. [When] they saw that the chiefs of ten had shown them honor, the chiefs of fifty said, ‘[In our case] also there are those greater than us.’ So also [they came before] the chiefs of hundreds, the chiefs of thousands, and the princes. They all responded to them in a similar way, because they did not want to open their mouths before one who was greater than them. Moses said, ‘If I tell them the decision, I shall be appropriating all their dignity.’ He said to them, ‘In my case also there is One greater than I.’ Therefore (in Numb. 27:5), ‘Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].’” He answered him with (in vs. 7), “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, acknowledged their utterance. (Numb. 27:7, cont.:) “You shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father].” Give them [also] chattel and their father's birthright in the assets of Hepher. They took three portions: The portion of their father, who was among those who had come out from Egypt; his portion with his brothers in the assets of Hepher; and since he was the first born, he took two portions. Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: After they [already] received [their share] on the other side of the Jordan, they came before Joshua in the land of Canaan, as stated (in Josh. 17:4), “Now they (i.e., the daughters of Zelophehad) came before Elazar the priest, Joshua ben Nun, and the princes [and said, ‘The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with our male kin’].” Moreover, our ancestor Jacob also knew that they were receiving [an inheritance] on this side [of the Jordan] as well as on that side, since it is stated (in Gen. 49:22), “daughters¹⁸English versions generally read “boughs” or the like. step over a wall.” This [wall] is the Jordan, which became a wall [for Moses] so that he would not enter the land. Thus Jacob said to Joseph, “Your daughters shall receive a share on this [side of the Jordan] as well as on that [side].” (Numb. 27:7, cont.:) “And you shall transfer to them the inheritance of their father.” With reference to [standard] inheritance it is stated (in vs. 9), “and you shall give,” but with reference to a daughter, [it says (in vs. 8),] “and you shall transfer.”¹⁹The Hebrew is slightly different here from what is written in vs. 7. There the word you is singular while here the “you” is plural, as in vs. 8. Thus she may transfer an inheritance from tribe to tribe.²⁰So BB 109b. (Numb. 27:11:) “And it shall be a statutory judgment for the Children of Israel.” [The word judgment] teaches that inheritances [can only] be carried out through judges. (Numb. 27:12:) “Then the Lord [said] unto Moses, saying, ‘Go up on this mountain of Abarim.’” What reason did he have [for it] to be written after the parashah about inheritance?²¹Numb. R. 21:10. It was simply that when Moses heard from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, (in Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them,” he thought that the Holy One, blessed be He, had been reconciled to him.²²Numb. R. 21:13. He said, “Here I am entering with Israel.” [Hence] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “My decree remains in place; (Numb. 27:12-13) ‘Go up into the mountain of Abarim […] and you shall be gathered to your people…’ You are no better than your brother [in this].’”

(Fol. 141) Shall we assume that a daughter is better for him than a son (as the Mishnah says, "If a male one hundred, and a daughter two hundred)?" Has not R. Jochanan said in the name of R. Simon b. Jochai: "The Holy One, praised be He! is full of wrath against the one who leaves no son to succeed him, for it is written (Num. 27, 8) And if a man die and leave no son, then shall you cause his inheritance to pass (v'ha'vartem) unto his daughter. And the word 'avarah has the meaning of evrah (meaning wrath), as is written (Zeph. 1, 15) That day is a day of wrath (evrah)?" Concerning inheritance, a male is better for him [as he bears his name]; but as to comfort for the house, a daughter is better for him. Samuel explained: "The Mishnah treats of a woman who is pregnant with her first child." And it is in accordance with R. Chisda, who said elsewhere: "If the first child is a female, it is a good sign for future children." According to some, because she will educate the sons; and according to others, that she should not he afflicted by a covetous eye. Said R. Chisda: "As for me, I always give preference to females over males." And if you wish, it may be said that our Mishnah is in accordance with R. Juda, for we are taught in a Baraitha: It is a meritorious act for one to support his daughters, and so much the more his sons who occupy themselves with the Torah. So is the opinion of R. Meir. R. Juda, however, says: "It is a meritorious act to support the sons, and so much the more to support the daughters, because of their humiliation [if they should have to beg]."

(Numb. 27:7:) <THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD SPEAK WHAT IS RIGHT. YOU SHALL INDEED GRANT THEM POSSESSION OF AN INHERITANCE AMONG THE BROTHERS OF THEIR FATHER, > AND YOU SHALL TRANSFER TO THEM THE INHERITANCE OF THEIR FATHER. With reference to <normal> inheritance it is stated (in vs. 9): AND YOU SHALL GIVE <HIS INHERITANCE TO HIS BROTHERS>, but with reference to a daughter <it says> (in vs. 8): AND YOU SHALL TRANSFER.³⁷The Hebrew is slightly different here from what is written in vs. 7. There the word you is singular while here the you is plural, as in vs. 8. Thus she may TRANSFER an inheritance from tribe to tribe.³⁸So BB 109b.

Another matter, “your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,” when they explore the halakha with each other, like Rabbi Abba bar Mimi and his colleagues. “Your neck with beads,” when they would string together matters of Torah, from Torah to Prophets, and from Prophets to Writings, and fire is ignited around them, and the matters were as joyful as when they were given from Sinai. At their primary giving from Mount Sinai, were they not given in fire, as it is stated: “The mountain was burning with fire to the heart of the heavens” (Deuteronomy 4:11)?
Ben Azai was sitting and expounding and fire was surrounding him. They went and told Rabbi Akiva: Rabbi, ben Azai is sitting and expounding and fire is burning around him. [Rabbi Akiva] went to him and said to him: ‘I heard that you were expounding and fire was buring around you.’ He said to [Rabbi Akiva]: ‘Yes.’ [Rabbi Akiva] said to him: ‘Perhaps you were engaged in the esoterica of the Divine Chariot?’ He said to [Rabbi Akiva]: ‘No, but rather I was sitting and stringing together matters of Torah, from Torah to Prophets, and from Prophets to Writings, and the matters were as joyful as when they were given from Sinai, and as sweet as when they were first given. At their primary giving from Mount Sinai, were they not given in fire? That is what is written: “The mountain was burning with fire” (Deuteronomy 4:11).’ Rabbi Abahu was sitting and expounding and fire was burning around him. He said: ‘Am I perhaps not stringing together matters of Torah properly? As Rabbi Levi said: There are those who know to string but do not know to drill and there are those who know to drill but do not know to string. However, I was stringing and I was drilling.’²⁵⁵The reference is to drilling and stringing pearls. The metaphor is that one must delve deeply in one’s Torah study and then properly tie together the matters analyzed. Rabbi Abahu said that the fire was burning around him as he studied because he had followed all of those steps.
Another matter, “your cheeks are lovely with ornaments [batorim],” when they read matters of Torah in their sequence [betoreihen]; the halakhot of Passover on Passover, the halakhot of Shavuot on Shavuot, and the halakhot of Sukkot on Sukkot. Just as you say: “When the turn [tor] of each and every young woman would come” (Esther 2:12). “Your neck with beads,” Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina: These are the portions of the Torah that are linked to each other, lead one to another, leap one to another,²⁵⁶That which is unclear or missing from one passage is clarified or filled in from a different passage (Matnot Kehuna). are comparable one to another, and are related one to another. Like this, that is written: “To these the land will be divided as an inheritance” (Numbers 26:53). What is written there? “The daughters of Tzelofḥad approached” (Numbers 27:1), “the daughters of Tzelofḥad speak correctly” (Numbers 27:7), and it is written thereafter: “Ascend to this highland of Avarim” (Numbers 27:12),²⁵⁷The midrash cites verses from three consecutive passages: Moses took a census of the Israelites, following which God commanded that the Land of Israel be eventually divided among those counted in that census (Numbers 26:1–56). The daughters of Tzelofḥad came to Moses to request that although only men were counted in the census, since their father had died without sons, his portion should go to his daughters. Moses consulted God, who said that in a case where a man dies without sons, he is inherited by his daughters (Numbers 27:1–11). Then God commanded Moses to ascend to Avarim, where he would die, and Moses asked God to appoint a successor to lead the Israelites, and God appointed Joshua (Numbers 27:12–23). which is Mount Nevo.²⁵⁸See Deuteronomy 32:49. What does this have to do with that? Since the land was divided, the daughters of Tzelofḥad came to Moses to receive their portion and Moses recused himself from their case. That is what is written: “Moses brought their case before [the Lord]” (Numbers 27:5). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Moses, from their case you recuse yourself, but you do not remove yourself from before Me?²⁵⁹You continue pleading before Me to allow you to enter the Land. “Ascend to this highland of Avarim.”’²⁶⁰Moses was told that he may see the Land from the mountain, and that after seeing the Land he would die without entering it. He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, since You are expelling me from the world, what leaders are You appointing for Israel?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Is it necessary for you to command Me regarding My children; “will you command Me regarding My handiwork” (Isaiah 45:11)? Before you command Me regarding My children,²⁶¹Moses’s request is expressed in a somewhat assertive manner: “Let the Lord appoint a man” (Numbers 27:16). command My children in My regard.’ This is that is written: “Command the children and say to them” (Numbers 28:2).²⁶²This introduces the command to bring the daily continual offerings. To what is this matter analogous? It is to a king’s wife who was departing from the world. She said to him: ‘By the life of my lord, the king, I command you regarding my children.’ He said to her: ‘Before you command me regarding my children, command my children in my regard.’ So it was when Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, since You are expelling me from the world, what leaders are You appointing over them?’

Another matter, “your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,” when they explore the halakha with each other, like Rabbi Abba bar Mimi and his colleagues. “Your neck with beads,” when they would string together matters of Torah, from Torah to Prophets, and from Prophets to Writings, and fire is ignited around them, and the matters were as joyful as when they were given from Sinai. At their primary giving from Mount Sinai, were they not given in fire, as it is stated: “The mountain was burning with fire to the heart of the heavens” (Deuteronomy 4:11)?
Ben Azai was sitting and expounding and fire was surrounding him. They went and told Rabbi Akiva: Rabbi, ben Azai is sitting and expounding and fire is burning around him. [Rabbi Akiva] went to him and said to him: ‘I heard that you were expounding and fire was buring around you.’ He said to [Rabbi Akiva]: ‘Yes.’ [Rabbi Akiva] said to him: ‘Perhaps you were engaged in the esoterica of the Divine Chariot?’ He said to [Rabbi Akiva]: ‘No, but rather I was sitting and stringing together matters of Torah, from Torah to Prophets, and from Prophets to Writings, and the matters were as joyful as when they were given from Sinai, and as sweet as when they were first given. At their primary giving from Mount Sinai, were they not given in fire? That is what is written: “The mountain was burning with fire” (Deuteronomy 4:11).’ Rabbi Abahu was sitting and expounding and fire was burning around him. He said: ‘Am I perhaps not stringing together matters of Torah properly? As Rabbi Levi said: There are those who know to string but do not know to drill and there are those who know to drill but do not know to string. However, I was stringing and I was drilling.’²⁵⁵The reference is to drilling and stringing pearls. The metaphor is that one must delve deeply in one’s Torah study and then properly tie together the matters analyzed. Rabbi Abahu said that the fire was burning around him as he studied because he had followed all of those steps.
Another matter, “your cheeks are lovely with ornaments [batorim],” when they read matters of Torah in their sequence [betoreihen]; the halakhot of Passover on Passover, the halakhot of Shavuot on Shavuot, and the halakhot of Sukkot on Sukkot. Just as you say: “When the turn [tor] of each and every young woman would come” (Esther 2:12). “Your neck with beads,” Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina: These are the portions of the Torah that are linked to each other, lead one to another, leap one to another,²⁵⁶That which is unclear or missing from one passage is clarified or filled in from a different passage (Matnot Kehuna). are comparable one to another, and are related one to another. Like this, that is written: “To these the land will be divided as an inheritance” (Numbers 26:53). What is written there? “The daughters of Tzelofḥad approached” (Numbers 27:1), “the daughters of Tzelofḥad speak correctly” (Numbers 27:7), and it is written thereafter: “Ascend to this highland of Avarim” (Numbers 27:12),²⁵⁷The midrash cites verses from three consecutive passages: Moses took a census of the Israelites, following which God commanded that the Land of Israel be eventually divided among those counted in that census (Numbers 26:1–56). The daughters of Tzelofḥad came to Moses to request that although only men were counted in the census, since their father had died without sons, his portion should go to his daughters. Moses consulted God, who said that in a case where a man dies without sons, he is inherited by his daughters (Numbers 27:1–11). Then God commanded Moses to ascend to Avarim, where he would die, and Moses asked God to appoint a successor to lead the Israelites, and God appointed Joshua (Numbers 27:12–23). which is Mount Nevo.²⁵⁸See Deuteronomy 32:49. What does this have to do with that? Since the land was divided, the daughters of Tzelofḥad came to Moses to receive their portion and Moses recused himself from their case. That is what is written: “Moses brought their case before [the Lord]” (Numbers 27:5). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Moses, from their case you recuse yourself, but you do not remove yourself from before Me?²⁵⁹You continue pleading before Me to allow you to enter the Land. “Ascend to this highland of Avarim.”’²⁶⁰Moses was told that he may see the Land from the mountain, and that after seeing the Land he would die without entering it. He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, since You are expelling me from the world, what leaders are You appointing for Israel?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Is it necessary for you to command Me regarding My children; “will you command Me regarding My handiwork” (Isaiah 45:11)? Before you command Me regarding My children,²⁶¹Moses’s request is expressed in a somewhat assertive manner: “Let the Lord appoint a man” (Numbers 27:16). command My children in My regard.’ This is that is written: “Command the children and say to them” (Numbers 28:2).²⁶²This introduces the command to bring the daily continual offerings. To what is this matter analogous? It is to a king’s wife who was departing from the world. She said to him: ‘By the life of my lord, the king, I command you regarding my children.’ He said to her: ‘Before you command me regarding my children, command my children in my regard.’ So it was when Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, since You are expelling me from the world, what leaders are You appointing over them?’

Another matter, “your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,” when they explore the halakha with each other, like Rabbi Abba bar Mimi and his colleagues. “Your neck with beads,” when they would string together matters of Torah, from Torah to Prophets, and from Prophets to Writings, and fire is ignited around them, and the matters were as joyful as when they were given from Sinai. At their primary giving from Mount Sinai, were they not given in fire, as it is stated: “The mountain was burning with fire to the heart of the heavens” (Deuteronomy 4:11)?
Ben Azai was sitting and expounding and fire was surrounding him. They went and told Rabbi Akiva: Rabbi, ben Azai is sitting and expounding and fire is burning around him. [Rabbi Akiva] went to him and said to him: ‘I heard that you were expounding and fire was buring around you.’ He said to [Rabbi Akiva]: ‘Yes.’ [Rabbi Akiva] said to him: ‘Perhaps you were engaged in the esoterica of the Divine Chariot?’ He said to [Rabbi Akiva]: ‘No, but rather I was sitting and stringing together matters of Torah, from Torah to Prophets, and from Prophets to Writings, and the matters were as joyful as when they were given from Sinai, and as sweet as when they were first given. At their primary giving from Mount Sinai, were they not given in fire? That is what is written: “The mountain was burning with fire” (Deuteronomy 4:11).’ Rabbi Abahu was sitting and expounding and fire was burning around him. He said: ‘Am I perhaps not stringing together matters of Torah properly? As Rabbi Levi said: There are those who know to string but do not know to drill and there are those who know to drill but do not know to string. However, I was stringing and I was drilling.’²⁵⁵The reference is to drilling and stringing pearls. The metaphor is that one must delve deeply in one’s Torah study and then properly tie together the matters analyzed. Rabbi Abahu said that the fire was burning around him as he studied because he had followed all of those steps.
Another matter, “your cheeks are lovely with ornaments [batorim],” when they read matters of Torah in their sequence [betoreihen]; the halakhot of Passover on Passover, the halakhot of Shavuot on Shavuot, and the halakhot of Sukkot on Sukkot. Just as you say: “When the turn [tor] of each and every young woman would come” (Esther 2:12). “Your neck with beads,” Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina: These are the portions of the Torah that are linked to each other, lead one to another, leap one to another,²⁵⁶That which is unclear or missing from one passage is clarified or filled in from a different passage (Matnot Kehuna). are comparable one to another, and are related one to another. Like this, that is written: “To these the land will be divided as an inheritance” (Numbers 26:53). What is written there? “The daughters of Tzelofḥad approached” (Numbers 27:1), “the daughters of Tzelofḥad speak correctly” (Numbers 27:7), and it is written thereafter: “Ascend to this highland of Avarim” (Numbers 27:12),²⁵⁷The midrash cites verses from three consecutive passages: Moses took a census of the Israelites, following which God commanded that the Land of Israel be eventually divided among those counted in that census (Numbers 26:1–56). The daughters of Tzelofḥad came to Moses to request that although only men were counted in the census, since their father had died without sons, his portion should go to his daughters. Moses consulted God, who said that in a case where a man dies without sons, he is inherited by his daughters (Numbers 27:1–11). Then God commanded Moses to ascend to Avarim, where he would die, and Moses asked God to appoint a successor to lead the Israelites, and God appointed Joshua (Numbers 27:12–23). which is Mount Nevo.²⁵⁸See Deuteronomy 32:49. What does this have to do with that? Since the land was divided, the daughters of Tzelofḥad came to Moses to receive their portion and Moses recused himself from their case. That is what is written: “Moses brought their case before [the Lord]” (Numbers 27:5). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Moses, from their case you recuse yourself, but you do not remove yourself from before Me?²⁵⁹You continue pleading before Me to allow you to enter the Land. “Ascend to this highland of Avarim.”’²⁶⁰Moses was told that he may see the Land from the mountain, and that after seeing the Land he would die without entering it. He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, since You are expelling me from the world, what leaders are You appointing for Israel?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Is it necessary for you to command Me regarding My children; “will you command Me regarding My handiwork” (Isaiah 45:11)? Before you command Me regarding My children,²⁶¹Moses’s request is expressed in a somewhat assertive manner: “Let the Lord appoint a man” (Numbers 27:16). command My children in My regard.’ This is that is written: “Command the children and say to them” (Numbers 28:2).²⁶²This introduces the command to bring the daily continual offerings. To what is this matter analogous? It is to a king’s wife who was departing from the world. She said to him: ‘By the life of my lord, the king, I command you regarding my children.’ He said to her: ‘Before you command me regarding my children, command my children in my regard.’ So it was when Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, since You are expelling me from the world, what leaders are You appointing over them?’

Another matter, “your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,” when they explore the halakha with each other, like Rabbi Abba bar Mimi and his colleagues. “Your neck with beads,” when they would string together matters of Torah, from Torah to Prophets, and from Prophets to Writings, and fire is ignited around them, and the matters were as joyful as when they were given from Sinai. At their primary giving from Mount Sinai, were they not given in fire, as it is stated: “The mountain was burning with fire to the heart of the heavens” (Deuteronomy 4:11)?
Ben Azai was sitting and expounding and fire was surrounding him. They went and told Rabbi Akiva: Rabbi, ben Azai is sitting and expounding and fire is burning around him. [Rabbi Akiva] went to him and said to him: ‘I heard that you were expounding and fire was buring around you.’ He said to [Rabbi Akiva]: ‘Yes.’ [Rabbi Akiva] said to him: ‘Perhaps you were engaged in the esoterica of the Divine Chariot?’ He said to [Rabbi Akiva]: ‘No, but rather I was sitting and stringing together matters of Torah, from Torah to Prophets, and from Prophets to Writings, and the matters were as joyful as when they were given from Sinai, and as sweet as when they were first given. At their primary giving from Mount Sinai, were they not given in fire? That is what is written: “The mountain was burning with fire” (Deuteronomy 4:11).’ Rabbi Abahu was sitting and expounding and fire was burning around him. He said: ‘Am I perhaps not stringing together matters of Torah properly? As Rabbi Levi said: There are those who know to string but do not know to drill and there are those who know to drill but do not know to string. However, I was stringing and I was drilling.’²⁵⁵The reference is to drilling and stringing pearls. The metaphor is that one must delve deeply in one’s Torah study and then properly tie together the matters analyzed. Rabbi Abahu said that the fire was burning around him as he studied because he had followed all of those steps.
Another matter, “your cheeks are lovely with ornaments [batorim],” when they read matters of Torah in their sequence [betoreihen]; the halakhot of Passover on Passover, the halakhot of Shavuot on Shavuot, and the halakhot of Sukkot on Sukkot. Just as you say: “When the turn [tor] of each and every young woman would come” (Esther 2:12). “Your neck with beads,” Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina: These are the portions of the Torah that are linked to each other, lead one to another, leap one to another,²⁵⁶That which is unclear or missing from one passage is clarified or filled in from a different passage (Matnot Kehuna). are comparable one to another, and are related one to another. Like this, that is written: “To these the land will be divided as an inheritance” (Numbers 26:53). What is written there? “The daughters of Tzelofḥad approached” (Numbers 27:1), “the daughters of Tzelofḥad speak correctly” (Numbers 27:7), and it is written thereafter: “Ascend to this highland of Avarim” (Numbers 27:12),²⁵⁷The midrash cites verses from three consecutive passages: Moses took a census of the Israelites, following which God commanded that the Land of Israel be eventually divided among those counted in that census (Numbers 26:1–56). The daughters of Tzelofḥad came to Moses to request that although only men were counted in the census, since their father had died without sons, his portion should go to his daughters. Moses consulted God, who said that in a case where a man dies without sons, he is inherited by his daughters (Numbers 27:1–11). Then God commanded Moses to ascend to Avarim, where he would die, and Moses asked God to appoint a successor to lead the Israelites, and God appointed Joshua (Numbers 27:12–23). which is Mount Nevo.²⁵⁸See Deuteronomy 32:49. What does this have to do with that? Since the land was divided, the daughters of Tzelofḥad came to Moses to receive their portion and Moses recused himself from their case. That is what is written: “Moses brought their case before [the Lord]” (Numbers 27:5). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Moses, from their case you recuse yourself, but you do not remove yourself from before Me?²⁵⁹You continue pleading before Me to allow you to enter the Land. “Ascend to this highland of Avarim.”’²⁶⁰Moses was told that he may see the Land from the mountain, and that after seeing the Land he would die without entering it. He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, since You are expelling me from the world, what leaders are You appointing for Israel?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Is it necessary for you to command Me regarding My children; “will you command Me regarding My handiwork” (Isaiah 45:11)? Before you command Me regarding My children,²⁶¹Moses’s request is expressed in a somewhat assertive manner: “Let the Lord appoint a man” (Numbers 27:16). command My children in My regard.’ This is that is written: “Command the children and say to them” (Numbers 28:2).²⁶²This introduces the command to bring the daily continual offerings. To what is this matter analogous? It is to a king’s wife who was departing from the world. She said to him: ‘By the life of my lord, the king, I command you regarding my children.’ He said to her: ‘Before you command me regarding my children, command my children in my regard.’ So it was when Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, since You are expelling me from the world, what leaders are You appointing over them?’

(Numb. 27:16:) “Let the Lord, [the God of the spirits of all flesh], appoint….” This text is related (to Is. 45:11), “Regarding the things to come, would you question Me concerning My children and command the work of My hands?”³⁰Although the two verbs in this citation are imperative, both the biblical context and the interpretation of the midrash regard these commands as unthinkable suggestions. A parable: To what is the matter comparable?³¹Numb. R. 21:12, cont. To a king who took a wife and had a best man (shoshevin). Every time that the king was angry with his wife, the best man would placate³²Rt. PYS. Cf. the Gk.: peisis or peisa (“persuasion”). him and the king would be reconciled. When the best man was about to die, he began to make a request of the king. He said to him, “Would you please pay attention to your wife [to be foregoing with her after I die].” The king said to him, “Instead of you charging me concerning my wife, charge my wife concerning me, that she be careful with my honor.” So did the Holy One, blessed be He, as it were, say to Moses, “Instead of you charging Me (in Numb. 27:16), ‘Appoint…,’ charge them concerning Me, that they be diligent with My honor.” What is written below (in Numb. 28:2)? “Command the Children of Israel, and say unto them, ‘My offering, My bread.’” 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]. It is [more] appropriate that Joshua, who served you, serve Israel and not lose his compensation,” as stated (in Numb. 27:18), “Take Joshua bin Nun.” And why is the Torah compared to a fig tree? Since [the fruit of] most trees – the olive tree, the grapevine, the date palm – is gathered [all] at once, but the fig tree is gathered a little [at a time]. And so too is the Torah. Today he studies a little and tomorrow he studies much; as it is not taught in a year, nor in two. (Numb. 27:18:) “A man with the spirit of God with him.” Since you said (in Numb. 27:16), “’The God of the spirits of all flesh,’ since You know each and every one, one should be appointed who knows how to proceed with each and every one of them according to his temperament”; [so then (in Numb 27:18, cont.),] “lay your hand upon him,” like one who lights a candle from a candle. (Numb 27:20), “Invest him with your majesty,” like one who pours from one vessel to another vessel. Concerning that which I said to you (in Numb. 36:9), “So the inheritance will not move around from one tribe to another,” this glory will not move from the house of your father, as even Joshua who will arise in your place (according to Numb. 27:19), “shall stand in front of Elazar the priest” (nephew of Moses).

(Numb. 27:16:) “Let the Lord, [the God of the spirits of all flesh], appoint….” This text is related (to Is. 45:11), “Regarding the things to come, would you question Me concerning My children and command the work of My hands?”³⁰Although the two verbs in this citation are imperative, both the biblical context and the interpretation of the midrash regard these commands as unthinkable suggestions. A parable: To what is the matter comparable?³¹Numb. R. 21:12, cont. To a king who took a wife and had a best man (shoshevin). Every time that the king was angry with his wife, the best man would placate³²Rt. PYS. Cf. the Gk.: peisis or peisa (“persuasion”). him and the king would be reconciled. When the best man was about to die, he began to make a request of the king. He said to him, “Would you please pay attention to your wife [to be foregoing with her after I die].” The king said to him, “Instead of you charging me concerning my wife, charge my wife concerning me, that she be careful with my honor.” So did the Holy One, blessed be He, as it were, say to Moses, “Instead of you charging Me (in Numb. 27:16), ‘Appoint…,’ charge them concerning Me, that they be diligent with My honor.” What is written below (in Numb. 28:2)? “Command the Children of Israel, and say unto them, ‘My offering, My bread.’” 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]. It is [more] appropriate that Joshua, who served you, serve Israel and not lose his compensation,” as stated (in Numb. 27:18), “Take Joshua bin Nun.” And why is the Torah compared to a fig tree? Since [the fruit of] most trees – the olive tree, the grapevine, the date palm – is gathered [all] at once, but the fig tree is gathered a little [at a time]. And so too is the Torah. Today he studies a little and tomorrow he studies much; as it is not taught in a year, nor in two. (Numb. 27:18:) “A man with the spirit of God with him.” Since you said (in Numb. 27:16), “’The God of the spirits of all flesh,’ since You know each and every one, one should be appointed who knows how to proceed with each and every one of them according to his temperament”; [so then (in Numb 27:18, cont.),] “lay your hand upon him,” like one who lights a candle from a candle. (Numb 27:20), “Invest him with your majesty,” like one who pours from one vessel to another vessel. Concerning that which I said to you (in Numb. 36:9), “So the inheritance will not move around from one tribe to another,” this glory will not move from the house of your father, as even Joshua who will arise in your place (according to Numb. 27:19), “shall stand in front of Elazar the priest” (nephew of Moses).

(Numb. 27:16:) “Let the Lord, [the God of the spirits of all flesh], appoint….” This text is related (to Is. 45:11), “Regarding the things to come, would you question Me concerning My children and command the work of My hands?”³⁰Although the two verbs in this citation are imperative, both the biblical context and the interpretation of the midrash regard these commands as unthinkable suggestions. A parable: To what is the matter comparable?³¹Numb. R. 21:12, cont. To a king who took a wife and had a best man (shoshevin). Every time that the king was angry with his wife, the best man would placate³²Rt. PYS. Cf. the Gk.: peisis or peisa (“persuasion”). him and the king would be reconciled. When the best man was about to die, he began to make a request of the king. He said to him, “Would you please pay attention to your wife [to be foregoing with her after I die].” The king said to him, “Instead of you charging me concerning my wife, charge my wife concerning me, that she be careful with my honor.” So did the Holy One, blessed be He, as it were, say to Moses, “Instead of you charging Me (in Numb. 27:16), ‘Appoint…,’ charge them concerning Me, that they be diligent with My honor.” What is written below (in Numb. 28:2)? “Command the Children of Israel, and say unto them, ‘My offering, My bread.’” 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]. It is [more] appropriate that Joshua, who served you, serve Israel and not lose his compensation,” as stated (in Numb. 27:18), “Take Joshua bin Nun.” And why is the Torah compared to a fig tree? Since [the fruit of] most trees – the olive tree, the grapevine, the date palm – is gathered [all] at once, but the fig tree is gathered a little [at a time]. And so too is the Torah. Today he studies a little and tomorrow he studies much; as it is not taught in a year, nor in two. (Numb. 27:18:) “A man with the spirit of God with him.” Since you said (in Numb. 27:16), “’The God of the spirits of all flesh,’ since You know each and every one, one should be appointed who knows how to proceed with each and every one of them according to his temperament”; [so then (in Numb 27:18, cont.),] “lay your hand upon him,” like one who lights a candle from a candle. (Numb 27:20), “Invest him with your majesty,” like one who pours from one vessel to another vessel. Concerning that which I said to you (in Numb. 36:9), “So the inheritance will not move around from one tribe to another,” this glory will not move from the house of your father, as even Joshua who will arise in your place (according to Numb. 27:19), “shall stand in front of Elazar the priest” (nephew of Moses).

Raba said to Rabba b. Mari: "It is written (I Kings 1, 47) May God make the name of Solomon more famous than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne." Is this the usual way of speaking to a king? And he answered: "It is not to be taken literally; they meant to say similar to thy name, for if you would not say so, how is to be understood (Jul. 5. 24) Blessed above women shall Joel be, the wife of Heber the Kenite, above women in the tent shall she be blessed? Who is meant by women in the tent, if not Sarah, Rebeka, Rachel, and Leah? Now, is this prayer to mean that Joel shall be more blessed than they? But it means, similar to them; so also here it means similar to them." This, however, disagrees with the opinion of R. Jose b. Choni; for R. Jose b. Choni said that of every one a man is jealous except of his own son and disciple. Of his son, as we see from the above-cited verse concerning Solomon. And of his disciple, if you wish you may infer it from (II Kings 2, 9) And Elisha said, Let there be, I pray thee, a double portion of thy spirit upon me, and if you wish you may infer it from (Num. 27, 23) And he laid his hands (both) upon him, though he was commanded (Ib. ib. 18) Thou shalt lay thy hand (one) upon him.

(Exodus 13:12) "Veha'avarta every firstling": "ha'avarata" is "setting apart," as in (Numbers 278) "veha'avartem his inheritance for his daughter." Shimon b. Azzai says: What is the intent of "Veha'avarta"? From (Leviticus 27:32) "Whatever (beast) passes ('ya'avor') under the staff" (for tithing), I would think that an orphan, too, (is tithed). And this would follow, viz.: If a blemished animal, which is not fit for the altar, enters the shed for tithing, then an orphan, which is fit for the altar, how much more so! __ (No,) this is refuted by (the instance of) a purchased animal, which, although it is fit for the altar, does not enter the shed for tithing. __ No, this may be true of a purchased animal, which was not born in his domain, wherefore it does not enter the shed for tithing, as opposed to an orphan, which was born in his domain, wherefore it should enter the shed for tithing. I have not succeeded (in deriving the halachah) by logic alone. (I must, therefore, derive it thus:) It is written here (Exodus) "Veha'avarta," and there (Leviticus) "ya'avor." Just as here, sanctity attaches to it only in the lifetime of its mother, so, there. In that case, why not say: Just as here, (in the instance of the firstling, only) males (are indicated), there, too, (only) males (should be tithed)? It is, therefore, written (Leviticus, Ibid.) "Whatever passes under the staff" — either males or females.

And thou shalt set apart unto the Lord all that openeth the womb (ibid. 12). Set apart means to put aside, as in the matter of an inheritance. Then ye shall cause his inheritance to be set apart unto his daughter (Num. 27:8). Simeon the son of Azzai said: Why does Scripture mention Thou shalt set apart all that openeth the womb (Exod. 13:12)? Since it states elsewhere: Whatsoever passeth under the rod,¹⁸Word-play on haavarta (“set apart”) and yavaor (“passeth under”). the tenth shall be holy unto Me the Lord (Lev. 27:32). Does this say (I might deduce) that this includes an orphaned animal? Since the word set aside is used in the former verse, just as in the latter verse, one may not sanctify the priests’ share of the offering except during the life of its mother, so in this instance one may not sanctify the priests’ share except during the lifetime of its mother. If this is so, then just as the latter verse refers only to male animals, so the former verse applies only to male animals. Hence, when Scripture says Whatsoever passeth under the rod, it means (to include) male and female. All that openeth the womb indicates that a prematurely born offspring is exempted from the law of the firstborn. The one that is born after the premature offspring is also considered not to be the firstborn.

(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)

25 (Numb. 11:17:) “Then I will come down and speak with you there”: [This verse is] to inform you that the day for appointing elders was as dear to the Holy One, blessed be He, as the day for the giving of Torah. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 19:11), “for on the third day the Lord will come down”; and also (in Numb. 11:17) with reference to appointing the elders, “I will come down,” is written. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had an orchard and hired a guard for it. Then he gave him the payment of a guard for him to guard the orchard. After a time the guard said to him, “I cannot guard all of it myself. Rather give me others to guard it with me.” The king said to him, “I have given the entire orchard into your keeping, and I have given you all [the payment] for guarding it; but now you would say to me, ‘Go and bring others to guard it with me.’ See I am bringing others to guard with you, but observe that I am not giving them their payment from what belongs to me. Rather it is from your payment which I have given you that they are receiving their payment.” Similarly did the Holy One, blessed be He, speak to Moses. When [Moses] said to Him, “I cannot [do everything] alone,” the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “I have given you understanding and knowledge to sustain⁵⁴PRNS. Cf. Gk.: pronoos (“prudent”). My children. Moreover, I did not want others, simply so that you would have strength and knowledge and so that you would stand alone in that greatness. But [now] you are the one who wants another. Be aware that they will receive [payment], not from what is Mine, but from what is yours.” It is so stated (in Numb. 11:17.), “and I will set aside some of the spirit which is upon you and put it on them [...].” Nevertheless Moses did not lack anything. You should know that after forty years He said to Moses (in Numb. 27:18, 20), “Take Joshua ben Nun …. And put some of your glory upon him.” Then what is written about Joshua (in Deut. 34:9)? “Now Joshua ben Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom.” Why? (Ibid. cont.:) “Because Moses had laid his hands upon him.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In this world [only] individuals have prophesied, but in the world to come all Israel shall become prophets.” It is so stated (in Joel 3:1), “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh so that your sons and your daughters and your elders shall prophesy, etc.”⁵⁵ Cf. Deut. R. 6:14. So did R. Tanchuma beRabbi Abba expound.

(Numb. 11:16:) “Gather Me seventy man (sic)⁶³The midrash is ignoring the fact that Hebrew uses singular nouns with large numbers in order to build an interpretation on this singular usage. from the elders of Israel.”⁶⁴Numb. R. 5:23. This text is related (to Prov. 22:11), “The one who loves purity of heart has grace on his lips, has a king as his friend.” Why did He not say to him (in Numb. 11:16), “seventy men" (with "men" in the plural), instead of “seventy man.” It is simply that He said to him, “seventy man (ish) [with the singular ish indicating] singular individuals,⁶⁵I.e. singular individuals like the one described in Prov. 22:11. because they were to be like Me and you, as stated (Exod. 15:3:) “The Lord is a Man (ish) of war,” [and it is likewise] stated (Numb. 12:3), “Now the man (ish) Moses was very humble.” (Numb. 11:16:) “Gather Me [seventy men from the elders of Israel].” But did you not have elders before?⁶⁶Numb. R. 15:24. Here now it is written concerning Mount Sinai (in Exod. 24:9), “Then there went up Moses […] and the seventy elders of Israel”; and this parashah (with Numb. 11:16) comes after that. So where were the[se earlier] elders? It is simply that, when Israel did those things which are stated (in Numb. 11:1), “Now the people were as murmurers […] then the fire of the Lord burned against them,” they were all destroyed by fire at that time. It is simply that their burning was like the burning of Nadab and Abihu, for they also had acted with disrespect on ascending Sinai, when they saw the Divine Presence. It is so stated (in Exod. 24:11), “they beheld God, and they ate and drank.” Was there eating and drinking there? To what is the matter comparable? To a servant who attended his master while [holding] a slice of bread in his hand and taking bites from it. Similarly had they acted with disrespect as though eating and drinking. So the elders along with Nadab and Abihu deserved to be destroyed by fire on that day; but because the giving of Torah was dear to the Holy One, blessed be He, He therefore did not want to harm them and bring calamity to them on that day. This is what is written (ibid.), “But He (the Holy One, blessed be He,) did not raise His hand against the nobles of the Children of Israel.” From this you may infer that they deserved to have a hand raised [against them]. After a time, however, they were destroyed by fire. Nadab and Abihu were destroyed by fire as they entered the tent of meeting, while the elders were destroyed by fire when they were filled with lusting, as stated (in Numb. 11:4), “Then the rabble (ha'safsuf) which was in their midst became filled with lust.” Who were the rabble (ha'safsuf)? R. Simeon ben Menasya and R. Simeon bar Abba [differed on the matter]. One said, “These were the proselytes who came up with them from Egypt and who were gathered (ne'esafim) together with them as stated (in Exod. 12:38), ‘And a mixed multitude went up with them.’” But the other said, “Rabble can only be a Sanhedrin, since it is stated (in Numb. 11:16), ‘Gather (esfah) Me seventy men.’” What [else] is written there (in Numb. 11:1)? “Then the fire of the Lord burned against them and consumed them in the outskirts (qetseh) of the camp,” [i.e.,] among the selected (muqetsim) in the camp. And where is it shown that those elders who went up onto the mountain were destroyed by fire? Where it is stated (in Ps. 106:18), “And fire broke out in their company ('edah),” since company ('edah) can only be a Sanhedrin as stated (in Numb. 15:24), “And it shall come to pass that if it was done [by mistake] away from the eyes of the congregation ('edah).”⁶⁷I.e. the leaders of the congregation. So Rashi on Numb. 15:24. It is also written (in Lev. 4:13), “And if the whole congregation ('edah) of Israel⁶⁸This expression was often interpreted as denoting the Sanhedrin. So Sifra to Lev. 4:13 (42: Wayyiqra parashah 4); R. Meir in Hor. 5a; Rashi on Lev. 4:13. should err.” And so did David say (in Ps. 78:31), “When God’s anger flared up at them, He slew their sturdiest,” these were the Sanhedrin; “struck down the chosen of Israel,” these were the chosen ones that were called elders, about whom it is written (in II Sam. 6:1), “And David still added to the chosen among Israel.” Then they wept again and demanded meat. Now you might say, “What they wanted was flesh? Did it not come about that the manna became whatever they wanted inside of their mouths, as stated (in Ps. 106:15), ‘So He gave them what they asked for...’?” And in case you should say that they did not have oxen and cattle in the desert, has it not already stated (in Exod. 12:38), “And a mixed multitude went up with them and flocks and herds.” And in case you should say they ate them in the desert, is it not written (in Numb. 32:1), “Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had much livestock?” From here R. Simeon said, “It was not meat for which they lusted, since it says so (in Ps. 78:27), ‘And He rained down flesh (she'er) upon them like dust.’ Now she'er must denote illicit intercourse since it is stated (in Lev. 18:6), ‘None of you shall approach any close (she'er) relation to him.’ Ergo, it [really] says that they desired to permit illicit intercourse for themselves; and so it says (in Numb. 11:10), ‘Now Moses heard the people weeping for their families.’”⁶⁹See Yoma 75a according to which they were weeping here because of the family relations with whom they were forbidden to have intercourse. Thus when they desired such [relations] (ibid. cont.), “the Lord was very angry and it was bad in the eyes of Moses.” At that time Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, (in vs. 11), “’Why have you mistreated Your servant […]?’ In the past there was one with me who would bear the burden of Israel, but now I am alone.” Thus it is written (in vs. 14-15), “I am not able to bear [all] this people alone…. So if You are dealing like this with me, please truly kill me.” At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Appoint other elders instead of those elders.” It is so stated] (in vs. 16), “Gather Me seventy men.” (Numb. 11:17:) “Then I will come down and speak with you there.” [This verse is] to inform you that the day for appointing elders was as dear to the Holy One, blessed be He, as the day for the giving of Torah.⁷⁰Numb. R. 15:25. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 19:11), “for on the third day the Lord will come down”; and also (in Numb. 11:17) with reference to appointing the elders, “I will come down,” is written. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had an orchard and hired a guard for it. Then he gave him the payment of a guard for him to guard the orchard. After a time the guard said to him, “I cannot guard all of it myself. Rather give me others to guard it with me.” The king said to him, “I have given the entire orchard into your keeping, and I have given you all the payment for guarding it; but now you would say to me, ‘Go and bring others to guard it with me.’ See I am bringing others to guard with you, but observe that I am not giving them their payment from what belongs to me. Rather it is from your payment which I have given you that they are receiving their payment.” Similarly did the Holy One, blessed be He, speak to Moses. When [Moses] said to Him, “I cannot [do everything] alone,” the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “I have given you understanding and knowledge to sustain⁷¹PRNS. Cf. Gk.: pronoos (“prudent”). My children. Moreover, I did not want others, simply so that you would have strength and knowledge and so that you would stand alone in that greatness. But now you are the one who wants others. Be aware that they will receive [payment], not from what is Mine, but from what is yours.” It is so stated (in Numb. 11:17.), “and I will set aside some of the spirit which is upon you and put it on them [...].” Nevertheless Moses did not lack anything. You should know that after forty years He said to Moses (in Numb. 27:18, 20), “Take Joshua ben Nun …. And put some of your glory upon him.” Then what is written about Joshua (in Deut. 34:9)? “Now Joshua ben Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom.” Why? (Ibid. cont.:) “Because Moses had laid his hands upon him.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In this world [only] individuals have prophesied, but in the world to come all Israel shall become prophets.” It is so stated (in Joel 3:1), “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh so that your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.”⁷²See also above Gen. 10:4; cf. Deut. R. 6:14. So did R. Tanchuma bar Abba expound.

(Exodus, Ibid. 16) "And they said to Moses: Speak, you, with us, and we will hear, (and let G d not speak with us, lest we die.") We are hereby apprised that they lacked the strength to receive no more than ten pronouncements, viz. (Devarim 5:22) "If we continue hearing the voice of the L rd our G d, we will die," but (Ibid. 6) you draw near," and we will hear. At that time, Israel merited the L rd's establishing prophets for them, as it is written (Ibid. 18:18) "A prophet shall I raise up for them, etc." I was destined to set up a prophet for them (later), but their merit preempted it, viz. (Ibid. 17) "And the L rd said to me: They have done well in speaking as they did" (viz. Ibid. 16). Happy are those in whose words the L rd concurs! And thus is it written (Numbers 27:7) "Rightly do the daughters of Tzelafchad speak," (Ibid. 36:5) "Rightly does the scribe of the sons of Yosef speak." Happy are those in whose words the L rd concurs! And thus is it written (Ibid. 14:20) "I have forgiven because of your (Moses') words.

"And the thing that is too difficult for you, you shall bring near to me and I shall hear it": The Holy One Blessed be He said to Moses: You (say that) you are judging a difficult case? By your life, I shall apprise you that you are not judging a difficult case. For I will bring upon you a case that the women can hear (i.e., resolve), which you cannot hear. Which is that? The case of the daughters of Tzelafchad. And thus is it written (Bamidbar 27:5) "And Moses brought forth their judgment before the L-rd." Similarly (I Samuel 9:18-19) "And Saul approached Samuel within the gate and said to him: Tell me now, which is the house of the seer. And Samuel answered Saul, saying: I am the seer" — whereupon the Holy One Blessed be He said to him: You are the seer? By your life, I shall apprise you that you are not the seer. And when did He apprise him? When He said to him (16:1) "Fill your horn with oil and go and I will send you to Yishai of Bethlehem. For I have seen among his sons a king for Me." What is stated thereafter? (Ibid. 6) "And it was when they came that he (Samuel) saw Eliav and he said: Surely, before the L-rd is His anointed one." And the Holy One Blessed be He said to him: Did you not say "I am the seer"? (Ibid. 7) "Do not look at his appearance and at his tall stature, for I have rejected him. For it is not as a man sees. For a man sees to the (beauty of) the eyes, but the L-rd sees to the heart."

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.

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.

10 (Numb. 27:1) “Then came forward the daughters of Zelophehad”: In that generation the women were fencing⁹On raising a fence about the Law, see Avot 1:1. that which the men were breaching. Accordingly you find that Aaron said to them (i.e., the men in Exod. 32:2), “Take off the gold rings that are in the ears of your wives”; but the women were unwilling and protested against their husbands. Thus it is stated (in vs. 3), “So all the people took off the gold rings that were in their¹⁰Since “their” is masculine here, there is an implication that the men only took their own earrings. ears.” Thus the women did not take part in making the [golden] calf. So also in the case of the spies who had spread slander (according to Numb. 14:36), “when they returned, they made [the whole congregation] murmur against him.” A decree was issued against them, because they had said (in Numb. 13:31), “We are unable to go up [against this people for they are stronger than us].” The women, however, were not with them in their counsel. What is written above the matter (in Numb. 26:65)? “Because the Lord had said to them, ‘They shall surely die in the wilderness,’ not a man of them remained […].” [Note that Scripture speaks of] “a man,” and not of "a woman.” Because they (i.e., the men) did not want to enter the land, but the women came forward to ask for an inheritance in the land. Therefore the parashah [about the death of that generation] was written next to this parashah, because what the men broke down the women fenced in.

11 Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:1): “Then came forward [the daughters of Zelophehad [ben Hepher ben Gilead ben Machir ben Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh ben Joseph]”: [Their action was] an honor to them. [It was also] an honor to their father, an honor to Machir and an honor to Joseph that such righteous and wise women had issued from him. But what was their wisdom? They [only] spoke up at the proper time, when Moses was busy with the parashah about inheritance (in accordance with Numb. 26:53), “To these shall you apportion the land [for an inheritance].” They said to him, “If we are like a son, let us inherit; but if not, let our mother perform levirate marriage (marry her husband's brother).”¹¹His duty would be to rear children in the name of the deceased father. On levirate marriage generally, see Deut. 25:5-6: also Gen. 38:8-9; Ruth 4:5. Immediately (in Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause before the Lord.” They were righteous, In that they had never been married to someone unworthy of them. Then why did they meet with Moses at the end [of the forty years]? So that he would not [put on airs] over having abstained from his wife for forty years.¹²Since Moses regularly stood in the Divine Presence, he needed to preserve an unbroken state of purity. The Holy One, blessed be He, informed him through these [women], saying, “Here are women who without being commanded [remained unmarried] for forty years, until they were married to someone worthy of them.”

11 Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:1): “Then came forward [the daughters of Zelophehad [ben Hepher ben Gilead ben Machir ben Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh ben Joseph]”: [Their action was] an honor to them. [It was also] an honor to their father, an honor to Machir and an honor to Joseph that such righteous and wise women had issued from him. But what was their wisdom? They [only] spoke up at the proper time, when Moses was busy with the parashah about inheritance (in accordance with Numb. 26:53), “To these shall you apportion the land [for an inheritance].” They said to him, “If we are like a son, let us inherit; but if not, let our mother perform levirate marriage (marry her husband's brother).”¹¹His duty would be to rear children in the name of the deceased father. On levirate marriage generally, see Deut. 25:5-6: also Gen. 38:8-9; Ruth 4:5. Immediately (in Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause before the Lord.” They were righteous, In that they had never been married to someone unworthy of them. Then why did they meet with Moses at the end [of the forty years]? So that he would not [put on airs] over having abstained from his wife for forty years.¹²Since Moses regularly stood in the Divine Presence, he needed to preserve an unbroken state of purity. The Holy One, blessed be He, informed him through these [women], saying, “Here are women who without being commanded [remained unmarried] for forty years, until they were married to someone worthy of them.”

12 And it is written (in Numb. 27:5) “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: Some say that [God] made this become too hard for Moses, as there are righteous people that become [overly] proud in matters of a commandment, and [so] the Holy One, blessed be He, weakens their ability. You find that David said (in Ps. 119:54), “Your statutes were songs for me,” [meaning] they are light and customary for me like songs. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “By your life, your end will be to err about something that [even] the schoolchildren know about.” At the time that he brought up the ark, he erred and put in on a cart, as stated (in II Sam. 6:3),” They loaded the ark of God onto a new cart.” [So God] suspended the ark in the air and the oxen became dislodged from under it. [Then] Uzzah approached to support it, but (according to II Sam. 6:7,) “God struck him down on the spot,” as an error in study is considered as wanton. Immediately (in II Sam. 6:8), “David was distressed because the Lord had inflicted a breach upon Uzzah.” [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say, ‘Your statutes were songs for me?’ Did you not learn (in Numb. 7:9), ‘But to the Kohathites he did not give; since theirs was the service of the [most] sacred objects, their porterage was by shoulder?’” [So David] began to ponder and say (in I Chron. 15:13), “The Lord our God burst out against us, for we did not seek Him like the law.” And so too, [this happened] with Moses. Because he said (in Deut. 1:17), “But the case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me and I will hear it,” [the Holy One, blessed be He,] weakened his ability.¹³ Sifre to Deut. 1:17 (17); Sanh. 8a. The matter is comparable to a moneychanger who said to his student, “If coins come to you to be exchanged, exchange them, but if pearls should come to you, bring them to me.” [When] a ring of baubles came to him, [the student] brought it to [this] teacher. [But] then the teacher went and showed it to another [money changer]. So too here. Moses said (in Deut. 1:17), “The case which is too hard for you, [you shall bring unto me and I will hear it].” [But] when the daughters of Zelophehad came to him, [God] made it too hard for him. (Numb. 27:5-7) “And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. [And the Lord said…,] ‘The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly,’” such is the law. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say (ibid.), ‘The case which is too hard for you, [you shall bring unto me]?’ In the case of the judgment which you do not know, [see that even] the women determine it.” 13 Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: R. Simeon ben Laqish said, “Our master Moses knew this judgment, but they first came before chiefs of tens. They said to them, ‘It is a judgment concerning inheritance, and this is not for us but for those greater than us.’ They came before the chiefs of fifties. [When] they saw that the chiefs of ten had shown them honor, the chiefs of fifty said, ‘[In our case] also there are those greater than us.’ So also [they came before] the chiefs of hundreds, the chiefs of thousands, and the princes. They all responded to them in a similar way, because they did not want to open their mouths before one who was greater than them. [So] they went in front of Elazar. He said to them, Behold there is Moses our teacher’ These and those came in front of Moses. Moses said, ‘If I tell them the decision, I shall be appropriating the greatness.’ He said to them, ‘In my case also there is One greater than I.’ Therefore (in Numb. 27:5), ‘Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].’” He answered him with (in vs. 7), “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, acknowledged their utterance. (Numb. 27:7, cont.) “You shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: Give them [also] chattel and their father's birthright in the assets of Hepher. They took three portions: The portion of their father, who was among those who had come out from Egypt; his portion with his brothers in the assets of Hepher; and since he was the first born, he took two portions. Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: After they [already] received [their share] on the other side of the Jordan, they came before Joshua and Elazar in the land of Canaan, as stated (in Josh. 17:4), “Now they (i.e., the daughters of Zelophehad) came before Elazar the priest, Joshua ben Nun, and the princes and said, ‘The Lord commanded Moses [to give us an inheritance along with our male kin’].” Moreover, our ancestor Jacob also knew that they were receiving [an inheritance] on this side [of the Jordan as well as on that side], since it is stated (in Gen. 49:22), “daughters¹⁴English versions generally read “boughs” or the like. step over a wall.” This [wall] is the Jordan, which became a wall [for Moses] so that he would not enter the land. Thus Jacob said to Joseph, “Your daughters shall receive a share on this [side of the Jordan] as well as on that [side].” (Numb. 27:7, cont.) “And you shall transfer to them the inheritance of their father”: With reference to inheritance of a son it is stated (in vs. 9), “and you shall give,” but with reference to a daughter, [it says (in vs. 8),] “and you shall transfer.”¹⁵The Hebrew is slightly different here from what is written in vs. 7. There the word you is singular while here the “you” is plural, as in vs. 8. Thus she may transfer an inheritance from tribe to tribe.¹⁶So BB 109b. (Numb. 27:11) “And it shall be a statutory judgment for the Children of Israel”: [The word judgment] teaches that inheritances [can only] be carried out through judges.

12 And it is written (in Numb. 27:5) “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: Some say that [God] made this become too hard for Moses, as there are righteous people that become [overly] proud in matters of a commandment, and [so] the Holy One, blessed be He, weakens their ability. You find that David said (in Ps. 119:54), “Your statutes were songs for me,” [meaning] they are light and customary for me like songs. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “By your life, your end will be to err about something that [even] the schoolchildren know about.” At the time that he brought up the ark, he erred and put in on a cart, as stated (in II Sam. 6:3),” They loaded the ark of God onto a new cart.” [So God] suspended the ark in the air and the oxen became dislodged from under it. [Then] Uzzah approached to support it, but (according to II Sam. 6:7,) “God struck him down on the spot,” as an error in study is considered as wanton. Immediately (in II Sam. 6:8), “David was distressed because the Lord had inflicted a breach upon Uzzah.” [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say, ‘Your statutes were songs for me?’ Did you not learn (in Numb. 7:9), ‘But to the Kohathites he did not give; since theirs was the service of the [most] sacred objects, their porterage was by shoulder?’” [So David] began to ponder and say (in I Chron. 15:13), “The Lord our God burst out against us, for we did not seek Him like the law.” And so too, [this happened] with Moses. Because he said (in Deut. 1:17), “But the case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me and I will hear it,” [the Holy One, blessed be He,] weakened his ability.¹³ Sifre to Deut. 1:17 (17); Sanh. 8a. The matter is comparable to a moneychanger who said to his student, “If coins come to you to be exchanged, exchange them, but if pearls should come to you, bring them to me.” [When] a ring of baubles came to him, [the student] brought it to [this] teacher. [But] then the teacher went and showed it to another [money changer]. So too here. Moses said (in Deut. 1:17), “The case which is too hard for you, [you shall bring unto me and I will hear it].” [But] when the daughters of Zelophehad came to him, [God] made it too hard for him. (Numb. 27:5-7) “And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. [And the Lord said…,] ‘The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly,’” such is the law. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say (ibid.), ‘The case which is too hard for you, [you shall bring unto me]?’ In the case of the judgment which you do not know, [see that even] the women determine it.” 13 Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: R. Simeon ben Laqish said, “Our master Moses knew this judgment, but they first came before chiefs of tens. They said to them, ‘It is a judgment concerning inheritance, and this is not for us but for those greater than us.’ They came before the chiefs of fifties. [When] they saw that the chiefs of ten had shown them honor, the chiefs of fifty said, ‘[In our case] also there are those greater than us.’ So also [they came before] the chiefs of hundreds, the chiefs of thousands, and the princes. They all responded to them in a similar way, because they did not want to open their mouths before one who was greater than them. [So] they went in front of Elazar. He said to them, Behold there is Moses our teacher’ These and those came in front of Moses. Moses said, ‘If I tell them the decision, I shall be appropriating the greatness.’ He said to them, ‘In my case also there is One greater than I.’ Therefore (in Numb. 27:5), ‘Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].’” He answered him with (in vs. 7), “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, acknowledged their utterance. (Numb. 27:7, cont.) “You shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: Give them [also] chattel and their father's birthright in the assets of Hepher. They took three portions: The portion of their father, who was among those who had come out from Egypt; his portion with his brothers in the assets of Hepher; and since he was the first born, he took two portions. Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: After they [already] received [their share] on the other side of the Jordan, they came before Joshua and Elazar in the land of Canaan, as stated (in Josh. 17:4), “Now they (i.e., the daughters of Zelophehad) came before Elazar the priest, Joshua ben Nun, and the princes and said, ‘The Lord commanded Moses [to give us an inheritance along with our male kin’].” Moreover, our ancestor Jacob also knew that they were receiving [an inheritance] on this side [of the Jordan as well as on that side], since it is stated (in Gen. 49:22), “daughters¹⁴English versions generally read “boughs” or the like. step over a wall.” This [wall] is the Jordan, which became a wall [for Moses] so that he would not enter the land. Thus Jacob said to Joseph, “Your daughters shall receive a share on this [side of the Jordan] as well as on that [side].” (Numb. 27:7, cont.) “And you shall transfer to them the inheritance of their father”: With reference to inheritance of a son it is stated (in vs. 9), “and you shall give,” but with reference to a daughter, [it says (in vs. 8),] “and you shall transfer.”¹⁵The Hebrew is slightly different here from what is written in vs. 7. There the word you is singular while here the “you” is plural, as in vs. 8. Thus she may transfer an inheritance from tribe to tribe.¹⁶So BB 109b. (Numb. 27:11) “And it shall be a statutory judgment for the Children of Israel”: [The word judgment] teaches that inheritances [can only] be carried out through judges.

12 And it is written (in Numb. 27:5) “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: Some say that [God] made this become too hard for Moses, as there are righteous people that become [overly] proud in matters of a commandment, and [so] the Holy One, blessed be He, weakens their ability. You find that David said (in Ps. 119:54), “Your statutes were songs for me,” [meaning] they are light and customary for me like songs. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “By your life, your end will be to err about something that [even] the schoolchildren know about.” At the time that he brought up the ark, he erred and put in on a cart, as stated (in II Sam. 6:3),” They loaded the ark of God onto a new cart.” [So God] suspended the ark in the air and the oxen became dislodged from under it. [Then] Uzzah approached to support it, but (according to II Sam. 6:7,) “God struck him down on the spot,” as an error in study is considered as wanton. Immediately (in II Sam. 6:8), “David was distressed because the Lord had inflicted a breach upon Uzzah.” [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say, ‘Your statutes were songs for me?’ Did you not learn (in Numb. 7:9), ‘But to the Kohathites he did not give; since theirs was the service of the [most] sacred objects, their porterage was by shoulder?’” [So David] began to ponder and say (in I Chron. 15:13), “The Lord our God burst out against us, for we did not seek Him like the law.” And so too, [this happened] with Moses. Because he said (in Deut. 1:17), “But the case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me and I will hear it,” [the Holy One, blessed be He,] weakened his ability.¹³ Sifre to Deut. 1:17 (17); Sanh. 8a. The matter is comparable to a moneychanger who said to his student, “If coins come to you to be exchanged, exchange them, but if pearls should come to you, bring them to me.” [When] a ring of baubles came to him, [the student] brought it to [this] teacher. [But] then the teacher went and showed it to another [money changer]. So too here. Moses said (in Deut. 1:17), “The case which is too hard for you, [you shall bring unto me and I will hear it].” [But] when the daughters of Zelophehad came to him, [God] made it too hard for him. (Numb. 27:5-7) “And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. [And the Lord said…,] ‘The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly,’” such is the law. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say (ibid.), ‘The case which is too hard for you, [you shall bring unto me]?’ In the case of the judgment which you do not know, [see that even] the women determine it.” 13 Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: R. Simeon ben Laqish said, “Our master Moses knew this judgment, but they first came before chiefs of tens. They said to them, ‘It is a judgment concerning inheritance, and this is not for us but for those greater than us.’ They came before the chiefs of fifties. [When] they saw that the chiefs of ten had shown them honor, the chiefs of fifty said, ‘[In our case] also there are those greater than us.’ So also [they came before] the chiefs of hundreds, the chiefs of thousands, and the princes. They all responded to them in a similar way, because they did not want to open their mouths before one who was greater than them. [So] they went in front of Elazar. He said to them, Behold there is Moses our teacher’ These and those came in front of Moses. Moses said, ‘If I tell them the decision, I shall be appropriating the greatness.’ He said to them, ‘In my case also there is One greater than I.’ Therefore (in Numb. 27:5), ‘Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].’” He answered him with (in vs. 7), “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, acknowledged their utterance. (Numb. 27:7, cont.) “You shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: Give them [also] chattel and their father's birthright in the assets of Hepher. They took three portions: The portion of their father, who was among those who had come out from Egypt; his portion with his brothers in the assets of Hepher; and since he was the first born, he took two portions. Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: After they [already] received [their share] on the other side of the Jordan, they came before Joshua and Elazar in the land of Canaan, as stated (in Josh. 17:4), “Now they (i.e., the daughters of Zelophehad) came before Elazar the priest, Joshua ben Nun, and the princes and said, ‘The Lord commanded Moses [to give us an inheritance along with our male kin’].” Moreover, our ancestor Jacob also knew that they were receiving [an inheritance] on this side [of the Jordan as well as on that side], since it is stated (in Gen. 49:22), “daughters¹⁴English versions generally read “boughs” or the like. step over a wall.” This [wall] is the Jordan, which became a wall [for Moses] so that he would not enter the land. Thus Jacob said to Joseph, “Your daughters shall receive a share on this [side of the Jordan] as well as on that [side].” (Numb. 27:7, cont.) “And you shall transfer to them the inheritance of their father”: With reference to inheritance of a son it is stated (in vs. 9), “and you shall give,” but with reference to a daughter, [it says (in vs. 8),] “and you shall transfer.”¹⁵The Hebrew is slightly different here from what is written in vs. 7. There the word you is singular while here the “you” is plural, as in vs. 8. Thus she may transfer an inheritance from tribe to tribe.¹⁶So BB 109b. (Numb. 27:11) “And it shall be a statutory judgment for the Children of Israel”: [The word judgment] teaches that inheritances [can only] be carried out through judges.

12 And it is written (in Numb. 27:5) “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: Some say that [God] made this become too hard for Moses, as there are righteous people that become [overly] proud in matters of a commandment, and [so] the Holy One, blessed be He, weakens their ability. You find that David said (in Ps. 119:54), “Your statutes were songs for me,” [meaning] they are light and customary for me like songs. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “By your life, your end will be to err about something that [even] the schoolchildren know about.” At the time that he brought up the ark, he erred and put in on a cart, as stated (in II Sam. 6:3),” They loaded the ark of God onto a new cart.” [So God] suspended the ark in the air and the oxen became dislodged from under it. [Then] Uzzah approached to support it, but (according to II Sam. 6:7,) “God struck him down on the spot,” as an error in study is considered as wanton. Immediately (in II Sam. 6:8), “David was distressed because the Lord had inflicted a breach upon Uzzah.” [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say, ‘Your statutes were songs for me?’ Did you not learn (in Numb. 7:9), ‘But to the Kohathites he did not give; since theirs was the service of the [most] sacred objects, their porterage was by shoulder?’” [So David] began to ponder and say (in I Chron. 15:13), “The Lord our God burst out against us, for we did not seek Him like the law.” And so too, [this happened] with Moses. Because he said (in Deut. 1:17), “But the case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me and I will hear it,” [the Holy One, blessed be He,] weakened his ability.¹³ Sifre to Deut. 1:17 (17); Sanh. 8a. The matter is comparable to a moneychanger who said to his student, “If coins come to you to be exchanged, exchange them, but if pearls should come to you, bring them to me.” [When] a ring of baubles came to him, [the student] brought it to [this] teacher. [But] then the teacher went and showed it to another [money changer]. So too here. Moses said (in Deut. 1:17), “The case which is too hard for you, [you shall bring unto me and I will hear it].” [But] when the daughters of Zelophehad came to him, [God] made it too hard for him. (Numb. 27:5-7) “And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. [And the Lord said…,] ‘The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly,’” such is the law. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say (ibid.), ‘The case which is too hard for you, [you shall bring unto me]?’ In the case of the judgment which you do not know, [see that even] the women determine it.” 13 Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: R. Simeon ben Laqish said, “Our master Moses knew this judgment, but they first came before chiefs of tens. They said to them, ‘It is a judgment concerning inheritance, and this is not for us but for those greater than us.’ They came before the chiefs of fifties. [When] they saw that the chiefs of ten had shown them honor, the chiefs of fifty said, ‘[In our case] also there are those greater than us.’ So also [they came before] the chiefs of hundreds, the chiefs of thousands, and the princes. They all responded to them in a similar way, because they did not want to open their mouths before one who was greater than them. [So] they went in front of Elazar. He said to them, Behold there is Moses our teacher’ These and those came in front of Moses. Moses said, ‘If I tell them the decision, I shall be appropriating the greatness.’ He said to them, ‘In my case also there is One greater than I.’ Therefore (in Numb. 27:5), ‘Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].’” He answered him with (in vs. 7), “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, acknowledged their utterance. (Numb. 27:7, cont.) “You shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: Give them [also] chattel and their father's birthright in the assets of Hepher. They took three portions: The portion of their father, who was among those who had come out from Egypt; his portion with his brothers in the assets of Hepher; and since he was the first born, he took two portions. Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: After they [already] received [their share] on the other side of the Jordan, they came before Joshua and Elazar in the land of Canaan, as stated (in Josh. 17:4), “Now they (i.e., the daughters of Zelophehad) came before Elazar the priest, Joshua ben Nun, and the princes and said, ‘The Lord commanded Moses [to give us an inheritance along with our male kin’].” Moreover, our ancestor Jacob also knew that they were receiving [an inheritance] on this side [of the Jordan as well as on that side], since it is stated (in Gen. 49:22), “daughters¹⁴English versions generally read “boughs” or the like. step over a wall.” This [wall] is the Jordan, which became a wall [for Moses] so that he would not enter the land. Thus Jacob said to Joseph, “Your daughters shall receive a share on this [side of the Jordan] as well as on that [side].” (Numb. 27:7, cont.) “And you shall transfer to them the inheritance of their father”: With reference to inheritance of a son it is stated (in vs. 9), “and you shall give,” but with reference to a daughter, [it says (in vs. 8),] “and you shall transfer.”¹⁵The Hebrew is slightly different here from what is written in vs. 7. There the word you is singular while here the “you” is plural, as in vs. 8. Thus she may transfer an inheritance from tribe to tribe.¹⁶So BB 109b. (Numb. 27:11) “And it shall be a statutory judgment for the Children of Israel”: [The word judgment] teaches that inheritances [can only] be carried out through judges.

12 And it is written (in Numb. 27:5) “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: Some say that [God] made this become too hard for Moses, as there are righteous people that become [overly] proud in matters of a commandment, and [so] the Holy One, blessed be He, weakens their ability. You find that David said (in Ps. 119:54), “Your statutes were songs for me,” [meaning] they are light and customary for me like songs. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “By your life, your end will be to err about something that [even] the schoolchildren know about.” At the time that he brought up the ark, he erred and put in on a cart, as stated (in II Sam. 6:3),” They loaded the ark of God onto a new cart.” [So God] suspended the ark in the air and the oxen became dislodged from under it. [Then] Uzzah approached to support it, but (according to II Sam. 6:7,) “God struck him down on the spot,” as an error in study is considered as wanton. Immediately (in II Sam. 6:8), “David was distressed because the Lord had inflicted a breach upon Uzzah.” [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say, ‘Your statutes were songs for me?’ Did you not learn (in Numb. 7:9), ‘But to the Kohathites he did not give; since theirs was the service of the [most] sacred objects, their porterage was by shoulder?’” [So David] began to ponder and say (in I Chron. 15:13), “The Lord our God burst out against us, for we did not seek Him like the law.” And so too, [this happened] with Moses. Because he said (in Deut. 1:17), “But the case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me and I will hear it,” [the Holy One, blessed be He,] weakened his ability.¹³ Sifre to Deut. 1:17 (17); Sanh. 8a. The matter is comparable to a moneychanger who said to his student, “If coins come to you to be exchanged, exchange them, but if pearls should come to you, bring them to me.” [When] a ring of baubles came to him, [the student] brought it to [this] teacher. [But] then the teacher went and showed it to another [money changer]. So too here. Moses said (in Deut. 1:17), “The case which is too hard for you, [you shall bring unto me and I will hear it].” [But] when the daughters of Zelophehad came to him, [God] made it too hard for him. (Numb. 27:5-7) “And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. [And the Lord said…,] ‘The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly,’” such is the law. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say (ibid.), ‘The case which is too hard for you, [you shall bring unto me]?’ In the case of the judgment which you do not know, [see that even] the women determine it.” 13 Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: R. Simeon ben Laqish said, “Our master Moses knew this judgment, but they first came before chiefs of tens. They said to them, ‘It is a judgment concerning inheritance, and this is not for us but for those greater than us.’ They came before the chiefs of fifties. [When] they saw that the chiefs of ten had shown them honor, the chiefs of fifty said, ‘[In our case] also there are those greater than us.’ So also [they came before] the chiefs of hundreds, the chiefs of thousands, and the princes. They all responded to them in a similar way, because they did not want to open their mouths before one who was greater than them. [So] they went in front of Elazar. He said to them, Behold there is Moses our teacher’ These and those came in front of Moses. Moses said, ‘If I tell them the decision, I shall be appropriating the greatness.’ He said to them, ‘In my case also there is One greater than I.’ Therefore (in Numb. 27:5), ‘Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].’” He answered him with (in vs. 7), “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, acknowledged their utterance. (Numb. 27:7, cont.) “You shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: Give them [also] chattel and their father's birthright in the assets of Hepher. They took three portions: The portion of their father, who was among those who had come out from Egypt; his portion with his brothers in the assets of Hepher; and since he was the first born, he took two portions. Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: After they [already] received [their share] on the other side of the Jordan, they came before Joshua and Elazar in the land of Canaan, as stated (in Josh. 17:4), “Now they (i.e., the daughters of Zelophehad) came before Elazar the priest, Joshua ben Nun, and the princes and said, ‘The Lord commanded Moses [to give us an inheritance along with our male kin’].” Moreover, our ancestor Jacob also knew that they were receiving [an inheritance] on this side [of the Jordan as well as on that side], since it is stated (in Gen. 49:22), “daughters¹⁴English versions generally read “boughs” or the like. step over a wall.” This [wall] is the Jordan, which became a wall [for Moses] so that he would not enter the land. Thus Jacob said to Joseph, “Your daughters shall receive a share on this [side of the Jordan] as well as on that [side].” (Numb. 27:7, cont.) “And you shall transfer to them the inheritance of their father”: With reference to inheritance of a son it is stated (in vs. 9), “and you shall give,” but with reference to a daughter, [it says (in vs. 8),] “and you shall transfer.”¹⁵The Hebrew is slightly different here from what is written in vs. 7. There the word you is singular while here the “you” is plural, as in vs. 8. Thus she may transfer an inheritance from tribe to tribe.¹⁶So BB 109b. (Numb. 27:11) “And it shall be a statutory judgment for the Children of Israel”: [The word judgment] teaches that inheritances [can only] be carried out through judges.

14 (Numb. 27:12) “Then the Lord [said] unto Moses, saying, ‘Go up on this mountain of Abarim […].’”: What reason did he have [for it] to be written after the parashah about inheritance? It was simply that when Moses heard from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, (in Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them,” he thought that the Holy One, blessed be He, had been reconciled to him. He said, “Here I am giving the inheritance to Israel.” [Hence] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “My decree remains in place; (Numb. 27:12-13) ‘Go up into the mountain of Abarim [… and you shall be gathered to your people] like your brother Aaron was gathered.’ You are no better than your brother [in this].’”

14 (Numb. 27:12) “Then the Lord [said] unto Moses, saying, ‘Go up on this mountain of Abarim […].’”: What reason did he have [for it] to be written after the parashah about inheritance? It was simply that when Moses heard from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, (in Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them,” he thought that the Holy One, blessed be He, had been reconciled to him. He said, “Here I am giving the inheritance to Israel.” [Hence] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “My decree remains in place; (Numb. 27:12-13) ‘Go up into the mountain of Abarim [… and you shall be gathered to your people] like your brother Aaron was gathered.’ You are no better than your brother [in this].’”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

16 Another interpretation of (Numb. 27:16) “Let the Lord, appoint”: A parable: A king saw an orphan woman [and] sought to take her for him as a wife. He sent to seek her. She said, “I am not worthy to marry the king.” He sent to seek her seven times, but she did not allow it. In the end she married him. After a time, the king was angry with her and sought to divorce her. She said, “I did not seek to be married to you; you sought me. Since this is so and you have decreed to divorce me and to take another, do not do to that one like what you did to me.” So is it with the Holy One, blessed be He: R. Samuel the son of Nahmani said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, tried for seven days to persuade Moses from the midst of the burning bush, but Moses replied, (in Exod. 4:13), ‘Send please, whomever you will send’; (ibid. 4:10) ‘I am not a man of words, neither yesterday nor the day before.’ This indicates seven days. After time, the Holy One, blessed be He persuaded him; and he went as His agent; and He did all of those miracles through him. In the end, He said to him (in Numb. 20:12), ‘You shall not bring.’ Moses said, ‘Master of the world, (as in Deut. 3:24), “You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness, etc.” Since this is so [and] You have decreed against me, do not do like what You did to me to the one that will go in. Rather (as in Numb. 27:17), ‘Who shall go out before them and come in before them.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, (in Numb. 27:18) “Take Joshua bin Nun.” And Moses did [it] with a generous eye, as stated (Prov. 22:9), “The generous man is blessed.” A parable: A king said to one of his household, “Give so and so a seah of wheat.” He went and agave him two seah. He said to him, “One seah is from the king and one seah is from me.” So did the Holy One, blessed be He say to Moses (in Numb. 27:18), “And lay your hand upon him” – one hand. What did he do? (In Numb 27:23) “He laid his hands upon him and commissioned him,” to fulfill that which is stated (Prov. 22:9), “The generous man is blessed.” Therefore (as in Prov. 27:18), “He who tends a fig tree will enjoy its fruit.” And why is the Torah compared to a fig tree? Since [the fruit of] most trees – the olive tree, the grapevine, the date palm – is gathered [all] at once, but the fig tree is gathered a little [at a time]. And so too is the Torah. Today he studies a little and tomorrow he studies much; as it is not taught in a year, nor in two. (Numb. 27:18) “A man with the spirit of God with him”: Since you said (in Numb. 27:16), “’The God of the spirits of all flesh,’ since You know each and every one, one should be appointed who knows how to proceed with each and every one of them according to his temperament”; [so then (in Numb. 27:18, cont.),] “and lay your hand upon him,” like one who lights a candle from a candle. (Numb 27:20) “Invest him with your majesty,” like one who pours from one vessel to another vessel. Concerning that which I said to you (in Numb. 36:9), “So the inheritance will not move around from one tribe to another,” this glory will not move from the house of your father, as even Joshua who will arise in your place (according to Numb. 27:19), “shall stand in front of Elazar the priest” (nephew of Moses).

16 Another interpretation of (Numb. 27:16) “Let the Lord, appoint”: A parable: A king saw an orphan woman [and] sought to take her for him as a wife. He sent to seek her. She said, “I am not worthy to marry the king.” He sent to seek her seven times, but she did not allow it. In the end she married him. After a time, the king was angry with her and sought to divorce her. She said, “I did not seek to be married to you; you sought me. Since this is so and you have decreed to divorce me and to take another, do not do to that one like what you did to me.” So is it with the Holy One, blessed be He: R. Samuel the son of Nahmani said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, tried for seven days to persuade Moses from the midst of the burning bush, but Moses replied, (in Exod. 4:13), ‘Send please, whomever you will send’; (ibid. 4:10) ‘I am not a man of words, neither yesterday nor the day before.’ This indicates seven days. After time, the Holy One, blessed be He persuaded him; and he went as His agent; and He did all of those miracles through him. In the end, He said to him (in Numb. 20:12), ‘You shall not bring.’ Moses said, ‘Master of the world, (as in Deut. 3:24), “You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness, etc.” Since this is so [and] You have decreed against me, do not do like what You did to me to the one that will go in. Rather (as in Numb. 27:17), ‘Who shall go out before them and come in before them.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, (in Numb. 27:18) “Take Joshua bin Nun.” And Moses did [it] with a generous eye, as stated (Prov. 22:9), “The generous man is blessed.” A parable: A king said to one of his household, “Give so and so a seah of wheat.” He went and agave him two seah. He said to him, “One seah is from the king and one seah is from me.” So did the Holy One, blessed be He say to Moses (in Numb. 27:18), “And lay your hand upon him” – one hand. What did he do? (In Numb 27:23) “He laid his hands upon him and commissioned him,” to fulfill that which is stated (Prov. 22:9), “The generous man is blessed.” Therefore (as in Prov. 27:18), “He who tends a fig tree will enjoy its fruit.” And why is the Torah compared to a fig tree? Since [the fruit of] most trees – the olive tree, the grapevine, the date palm – is gathered [all] at once, but the fig tree is gathered a little [at a time]. And so too is the Torah. Today he studies a little and tomorrow he studies much; as it is not taught in a year, nor in two. (Numb. 27:18) “A man with the spirit of God with him”: Since you said (in Numb. 27:16), “’The God of the spirits of all flesh,’ since You know each and every one, one should be appointed who knows how to proceed with each and every one of them according to his temperament”; [so then (in Numb. 27:18, cont.),] “and lay your hand upon him,” like one who lights a candle from a candle. (Numb 27:20) “Invest him with your majesty,” like one who pours from one vessel to another vessel. Concerning that which I said to you (in Numb. 36:9), “So the inheritance will not move around from one tribe to another,” this glory will not move from the house of your father, as even Joshua who will arise in your place (according to Numb. 27:19), “shall stand in front of Elazar the priest” (nephew of Moses).

16 Another interpretation of (Numb. 27:16) “Let the Lord, appoint”: A parable: A king saw an orphan woman [and] sought to take her for him as a wife. He sent to seek her. She said, “I am not worthy to marry the king.” He sent to seek her seven times, but she did not allow it. In the end she married him. After a time, the king was angry with her and sought to divorce her. She said, “I did not seek to be married to you; you sought me. Since this is so and you have decreed to divorce me and to take another, do not do to that one like what you did to me.” So is it with the Holy One, blessed be He: R. Samuel the son of Nahmani said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, tried for seven days to persuade Moses from the midst of the burning bush, but Moses replied, (in Exod. 4:13), ‘Send please, whomever you will send’; (ibid. 4:10) ‘I am not a man of words, neither yesterday nor the day before.’ This indicates seven days. After time, the Holy One, blessed be He persuaded him; and he went as His agent; and He did all of those miracles through him. In the end, He said to him (in Numb. 20:12), ‘You shall not bring.’ Moses said, ‘Master of the world, (as in Deut. 3:24), “You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness, etc.” Since this is so [and] You have decreed against me, do not do like what You did to me to the one that will go in. Rather (as in Numb. 27:17), ‘Who shall go out before them and come in before them.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, (in Numb. 27:18) “Take Joshua bin Nun.” And Moses did [it] with a generous eye, as stated (Prov. 22:9), “The generous man is blessed.” A parable: A king said to one of his household, “Give so and so a seah of wheat.” He went and agave him two seah. He said to him, “One seah is from the king and one seah is from me.” So did the Holy One, blessed be He say to Moses (in Numb. 27:18), “And lay your hand upon him” – one hand. What did he do? (In Numb 27:23) “He laid his hands upon him and commissioned him,” to fulfill that which is stated (Prov. 22:9), “The generous man is blessed.” Therefore (as in Prov. 27:18), “He who tends a fig tree will enjoy its fruit.” And why is the Torah compared to a fig tree? Since [the fruit of] most trees – the olive tree, the grapevine, the date palm – is gathered [all] at once, but the fig tree is gathered a little [at a time]. And so too is the Torah. Today he studies a little and tomorrow he studies much; as it is not taught in a year, nor in two. (Numb. 27:18) “A man with the spirit of God with him”: Since you said (in Numb. 27:16), “’The God of the spirits of all flesh,’ since You know each and every one, one should be appointed who knows how to proceed with each and every one of them according to his temperament”; [so then (in Numb. 27:18, cont.),] “and lay your hand upon him,” like one who lights a candle from a candle. (Numb 27:20) “Invest him with your majesty,” like one who pours from one vessel to another vessel. Concerning that which I said to you (in Numb. 36:9), “So the inheritance will not move around from one tribe to another,” this glory will not move from the house of your father, as even Joshua who will arise in your place (according to Numb. 27:19), “shall stand in front of Elazar the priest” (nephew of Moses).

16 Another interpretation of (Numb. 27:16) “Let the Lord, appoint”: A parable: A king saw an orphan woman [and] sought to take her for him as a wife. He sent to seek her. She said, “I am not worthy to marry the king.” He sent to seek her seven times, but she did not allow it. In the end she married him. After a time, the king was angry with her and sought to divorce her. She said, “I did not seek to be married to you; you sought me. Since this is so and you have decreed to divorce me and to take another, do not do to that one like what you did to me.” So is it with the Holy One, blessed be He: R. Samuel the son of Nahmani said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, tried for seven days to persuade Moses from the midst of the burning bush, but Moses replied, (in Exod. 4:13), ‘Send please, whomever you will send’; (ibid. 4:10) ‘I am not a man of words, neither yesterday nor the day before.’ This indicates seven days. After time, the Holy One, blessed be He persuaded him; and he went as His agent; and He did all of those miracles through him. In the end, He said to him (in Numb. 20:12), ‘You shall not bring.’ Moses said, ‘Master of the world, (as in Deut. 3:24), “You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness, etc.” Since this is so [and] You have decreed against me, do not do like what You did to me to the one that will go in. Rather (as in Numb. 27:17), ‘Who shall go out before them and come in before them.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, (in Numb. 27:18) “Take Joshua bin Nun.” And Moses did [it] with a generous eye, as stated (Prov. 22:9), “The generous man is blessed.” A parable: A king said to one of his household, “Give so and so a seah of wheat.” He went and agave him two seah. He said to him, “One seah is from the king and one seah is from me.” So did the Holy One, blessed be He say to Moses (in Numb. 27:18), “And lay your hand upon him” – one hand. What did he do? (In Numb 27:23) “He laid his hands upon him and commissioned him,” to fulfill that which is stated (Prov. 22:9), “The generous man is blessed.” Therefore (as in Prov. 27:18), “He who tends a fig tree will enjoy its fruit.” And why is the Torah compared to a fig tree? Since [the fruit of] most trees – the olive tree, the grapevine, the date palm – is gathered [all] at once, but the fig tree is gathered a little [at a time]. And so too is the Torah. Today he studies a little and tomorrow he studies much; as it is not taught in a year, nor in two. (Numb. 27:18) “A man with the spirit of God with him”: Since you said (in Numb. 27:16), “’The God of the spirits of all flesh,’ since You know each and every one, one should be appointed who knows how to proceed with each and every one of them according to his temperament”; [so then (in Numb. 27:18, cont.),] “and lay your hand upon him,” like one who lights a candle from a candle. (Numb 27:20) “Invest him with your majesty,” like one who pours from one vessel to another vessel. Concerning that which I said to you (in Numb. 36:9), “So the inheritance will not move around from one tribe to another,” this glory will not move from the house of your father, as even Joshua who will arise in your place (according to Numb. 27:19), “shall stand in front of Elazar the priest” (nephew of Moses).

16 Another interpretation of (Numb. 27:16) “Let the Lord, appoint”: A parable: A king saw an orphan woman [and] sought to take her for him as a wife. He sent to seek her. She said, “I am not worthy to marry the king.” He sent to seek her seven times, but she did not allow it. In the end she married him. After a time, the king was angry with her and sought to divorce her. She said, “I did not seek to be married to you; you sought me. Since this is so and you have decreed to divorce me and to take another, do not do to that one like what you did to me.” So is it with the Holy One, blessed be He: R. Samuel the son of Nahmani said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, tried for seven days to persuade Moses from the midst of the burning bush, but Moses replied, (in Exod. 4:13), ‘Send please, whomever you will send’; (ibid. 4:10) ‘I am not a man of words, neither yesterday nor the day before.’ This indicates seven days. After time, the Holy One, blessed be He persuaded him; and he went as His agent; and He did all of those miracles through him. In the end, He said to him (in Numb. 20:12), ‘You shall not bring.’ Moses said, ‘Master of the world, (as in Deut. 3:24), “You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness, etc.” Since this is so [and] You have decreed against me, do not do like what You did to me to the one that will go in. Rather (as in Numb. 27:17), ‘Who shall go out before them and come in before them.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, (in Numb. 27:18) “Take Joshua bin Nun.” And Moses did [it] with a generous eye, as stated (Prov. 22:9), “The generous man is blessed.” A parable: A king said to one of his household, “Give so and so a seah of wheat.” He went and agave him two seah. He said to him, “One seah is from the king and one seah is from me.” So did the Holy One, blessed be He say to Moses (in Numb. 27:18), “And lay your hand upon him” – one hand. What did he do? (In Numb 27:23) “He laid his hands upon him and commissioned him,” to fulfill that which is stated (Prov. 22:9), “The generous man is blessed.” Therefore (as in Prov. 27:18), “He who tends a fig tree will enjoy its fruit.” And why is the Torah compared to a fig tree? Since [the fruit of] most trees – the olive tree, the grapevine, the date palm – is gathered [all] at once, but the fig tree is gathered a little [at a time]. And so too is the Torah. Today he studies a little and tomorrow he studies much; as it is not taught in a year, nor in two. (Numb. 27:18) “A man with the spirit of God with him”: Since you said (in Numb. 27:16), “’The God of the spirits of all flesh,’ since You know each and every one, one should be appointed who knows how to proceed with each and every one of them according to his temperament”; [so then (in Numb. 27:18, cont.),] “and lay your hand upon him,” like one who lights a candle from a candle. (Numb 27:20) “Invest him with your majesty,” like one who pours from one vessel to another vessel. Concerning that which I said to you (in Numb. 36:9), “So the inheritance will not move around from one tribe to another,” this glory will not move from the house of your father, as even Joshua who will arise in your place (according to Numb. 27:19), “shall stand in front of Elazar the priest” (nephew of Moses).

16 Another interpretation of (Numb. 27:16) “Let the Lord, appoint”: A parable: A king saw an orphan woman [and] sought to take her for him as a wife. He sent to seek her. She said, “I am not worthy to marry the king.” He sent to seek her seven times, but she did not allow it. In the end she married him. After a time, the king was angry with her and sought to divorce her. She said, “I did not seek to be married to you; you sought me. Since this is so and you have decreed to divorce me and to take another, do not do to that one like what you did to me.” So is it with the Holy One, blessed be He: R. Samuel the son of Nahmani said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, tried for seven days to persuade Moses from the midst of the burning bush, but Moses replied, (in Exod. 4:13), ‘Send please, whomever you will send’; (ibid. 4:10) ‘I am not a man of words, neither yesterday nor the day before.’ This indicates seven days. After time, the Holy One, blessed be He persuaded him; and he went as His agent; and He did all of those miracles through him. In the end, He said to him (in Numb. 20:12), ‘You shall not bring.’ Moses said, ‘Master of the world, (as in Deut. 3:24), “You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness, etc.” Since this is so [and] You have decreed against me, do not do like what You did to me to the one that will go in. Rather (as in Numb. 27:17), ‘Who shall go out before them and come in before them.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, (in Numb. 27:18) “Take Joshua bin Nun.” And Moses did [it] with a generous eye, as stated (Prov. 22:9), “The generous man is blessed.” A parable: A king said to one of his household, “Give so and so a seah of wheat.” He went and agave him two seah. He said to him, “One seah is from the king and one seah is from me.” So did the Holy One, blessed be He say to Moses (in Numb. 27:18), “And lay your hand upon him” – one hand. What did he do? (In Numb 27:23) “He laid his hands upon him and commissioned him,” to fulfill that which is stated (Prov. 22:9), “The generous man is blessed.” Therefore (as in Prov. 27:18), “He who tends a fig tree will enjoy its fruit.” And why is the Torah compared to a fig tree? Since [the fruit of] most trees – the olive tree, the grapevine, the date palm – is gathered [all] at once, but the fig tree is gathered a little [at a time]. And so too is the Torah. Today he studies a little and tomorrow he studies much; as it is not taught in a year, nor in two. (Numb. 27:18) “A man with the spirit of God with him”: Since you said (in Numb. 27:16), “’The God of the spirits of all flesh,’ since You know each and every one, one should be appointed who knows how to proceed with each and every one of them according to his temperament”; [so then (in Numb. 27:18, cont.),] “and lay your hand upon him,” like one who lights a candle from a candle. (Numb 27:20) “Invest him with your majesty,” like one who pours from one vessel to another vessel. Concerning that which I said to you (in Numb. 36:9), “So the inheritance will not move around from one tribe to another,” this glory will not move from the house of your father, as even Joshua who will arise in your place (according to Numb. 27:19), “shall stand in front of Elazar the priest” (nephew of Moses).

16 Another interpretation of (Numb. 27:16) “Let the Lord, appoint”: A parable: A king saw an orphan woman [and] sought to take her for him as a wife. He sent to seek her. She said, “I am not worthy to marry the king.” He sent to seek her seven times, but she did not allow it. In the end she married him. After a time, the king was angry with her and sought to divorce her. She said, “I did not seek to be married to you; you sought me. Since this is so and you have decreed to divorce me and to take another, do not do to that one like what you did to me.” So is it with the Holy One, blessed be He: R. Samuel the son of Nahmani said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, tried for seven days to persuade Moses from the midst of the burning bush, but Moses replied, (in Exod. 4:13), ‘Send please, whomever you will send’; (ibid. 4:10) ‘I am not a man of words, neither yesterday nor the day before.’ This indicates seven days. After time, the Holy One, blessed be He persuaded him; and he went as His agent; and He did all of those miracles through him. In the end, He said to him (in Numb. 20:12), ‘You shall not bring.’ Moses said, ‘Master of the world, (as in Deut. 3:24), “You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness, etc.” Since this is so [and] You have decreed against me, do not do like what You did to me to the one that will go in. Rather (as in Numb. 27:17), ‘Who shall go out before them and come in before them.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, (in Numb. 27:18) “Take Joshua bin Nun.” And Moses did [it] with a generous eye, as stated (Prov. 22:9), “The generous man is blessed.” A parable: A king said to one of his household, “Give so and so a seah of wheat.” He went and agave him two seah. He said to him, “One seah is from the king and one seah is from me.” So did the Holy One, blessed be He say to Moses (in Numb. 27:18), “And lay your hand upon him” – one hand. What did he do? (In Numb 27:23) “He laid his hands upon him and commissioned him,” to fulfill that which is stated (Prov. 22:9), “The generous man is blessed.” Therefore (as in Prov. 27:18), “He who tends a fig tree will enjoy its fruit.” And why is the Torah compared to a fig tree? Since [the fruit of] most trees – the olive tree, the grapevine, the date palm – is gathered [all] at once, but the fig tree is gathered a little [at a time]. And so too is the Torah. Today he studies a little and tomorrow he studies much; as it is not taught in a year, nor in two. (Numb. 27:18) “A man with the spirit of God with him”: Since you said (in Numb. 27:16), “’The God of the spirits of all flesh,’ since You know each and every one, one should be appointed who knows how to proceed with each and every one of them according to his temperament”; [so then (in Numb. 27:18, cont.),] “and lay your hand upon him,” like one who lights a candle from a candle. (Numb 27:20) “Invest him with your majesty,” like one who pours from one vessel to another vessel. Concerning that which I said to you (in Numb. 36:9), “So the inheritance will not move around from one tribe to another,” this glory will not move from the house of your father, as even Joshua who will arise in your place (according to Numb. 27:19), “shall stand in front of Elazar the priest” (nephew of Moses).

Two goodly leaders arose for Israel — Moses and David king of Israel. Moses said to the Holy One Blessed be He: L-rd of the universe, I have transgressed. Let it be written after me, so that men not say: It seems that Moses has fabricated the Torah or that he has written something which he was not commanded to write. An analogy: A king decreed that one who ate unripe figs shevi'ith of (the sabbatical year) be pilloried. She: Please publicize my fault so that people not say: It must be that she was caught in niuf (illicit relations) or in witchcraft. When they see shevi'ith figs strung around my neck, they will know that it is because of this that I am being pilloried. Thus did our teacher Moses say before the Holy One Blessed be He: Let my transgression be written down after me. The Holy One: I will write that it was only because of your lapse at the waters (of Marah), viz. (Bamidbar 27:14) [This, your death, was decreed] "when you flouted My command in the desert of Tzin in the contention of the congregation, etc."

(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.

Another interpretation of "Command the Children of Israel" (Leviticus 24:2): Bar Kapparah opened [his discourse]: "It is You who light my lamp" (Psalms 18:29) - the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Adam, "Your light is in My hands and My light is in your hands." Your light is in My hands, as it is stated (Proverbs 20:27), "The lamp of the Lord is the soul of man"; and My light is in your hands, as it is stated (Leviticus 24:2), "to light a continual lamp." Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "If you light My lamp, I will certainly light your lamp." This is [the understanding of] "Command the Children of Israel" (Leviticus 24:2). This is [the understanding of] that which is written (Song of Songs 7:6), "Your head (roshekha) upon you is like crimson wool (karmel), the locks of your head are like purple" - the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, "The poor (rashim) among you are as beloved to Me as Eliyahu, when he went up to [Mount] Carmel." This is [the understanding of] "and Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel, crouched on the ground, and put his face between his knees." And why did he put his face between his knees? He said, "Master of the world, if we do not have any merit, look to the covenant of circumcision." "The locks (dalat) of your head are like purple" (Song of Songs 7:6) - the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "The indigent (dalim) among you are beloved to me like David, as it is stated (Zechariah 12:8), 'and the feeblest of them shall be in that day like David.'" And some say, "Like Daniel, as it is stated (Daniel 5:29), 'they clothed Daniel in purple.'" "A king is held captive in the tresses (rehatim)" (Song of Songs 7:6) - the Holy One, blessed be He, bound Himself with an oath that he has His Divine Presence dwell within the boards (rehitin) of Yaakov our father. In whose merit? Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said, "In the merit of Avraham our father, as it is written (Genesis 30:38), 'And Avraham ran (which in Aramaic is rahat) to the cattle.'" Rabbi Levi said, "In the merit of Yaakov, as it is written (Geneis 30:38), 'The rods that he had peeled he set up in the troughs (rehatim).'" Rabbi Berakhiah said, "'A king is held captive in the tresses'" - that is [referring to] Moshe. For about him is it written (Deuteronomy 33:5), 'And he was a king in Yeshurun'; 'in the tresses (rehatim),' as the Holy One, blessed be He, decreed upon him that he would not enter the land. Because of [what]? Because of the troughs of the Waters of Merivah. This is [the understanding of] that which is written (Numbers 20:13) 'These are the waters of Meribah upon which the Children of Israel quarreled.'" Rabbi Yehudah [said], "They compared this to a parable: To what is this thing similar? To a king that made a decree and said, 'Anyone who plucks and eats fruits of the seventh-year [that are forbidden] will be placed upon the [town] platform.' A women of noble lineage came and plucked and ate from fruits of the seventh-year. [So] they began to place her on the platform. She was [then] yelling out, 'I plead with you, my master the king, hang these unripe figs from my neck so that the creatures do not say, "It appears to us that there is a matter of licentiousness or a matter of sorcery with her." Rather from that which they see the unripe figs on my neck, they will know that I am placed [here] on account of them.' So did Moshe say in front of the Holy One, blessed be He. 'Master of the world, write in Your Torah why I am not entering the Land, so that Israel will not say, "It appears to us that Moshe forged the Torah or said something that he was not commanded."' The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'By your life, I shall write that it was only for the water.'" This is [the understanding of] that which is written (Numbers 27:14), "as you rebelled against My [word] in the Wilderness of Tsin." Rabbi Shimon [said], "They compared this to a parable: To what is this thing similar? To a king, when the king was on the road and his son was with him in a carriage. When they reached a narrow place, the carriage overturned on his son. His eye was blinded, his hand was cut off [and] his foot was broken. When the king would reach that place, he would remember and say, 'His eye was blinded here; his hand was cut off here, his foot was broken here.' So [too] the Holy One, blessed be He, mentions the Waters of Merivah three times in His Torah, meaning to say, 'I killed Moshe here; I killled Aharon here; I killed Miriam here.'" This is [the understanding of] that which is written (Psalms 141: 6), "May their judges slip on the rock, but let my words be heard, for they are sweet." Rav Nachman said, "'A king' - that is [referring to] Moshe, as it is written (Deuteronomy 33:5), 'And he was a king in Yeshurun.' The Holy One, blessed be He, said 'I have appointed you king over Israel. The way of a king is to decree and others observe [his decree]. So [too] shall you decree and Israel observe [it].'" This is [the understanding of] that which is written, "Command the Children of Israel" (Leviticus 24:2).

"A husband inherits from his wife." From where do we learn this? Learn it from “And he shall inherit it,” (Numbers 27:11) with the word “it” written in the feminine “otah,” which can also be translated as: Her. This teaches that a husband inherits from his wife; this is the statement of Rabbi Akiva. But Rabbi Yishmael says: This derivation is not necessary, as the verse states, “And Elazar, the son of Aharon, died [and they buried him in the Hill of Pinehas his son, which was given him in Mount Ephraim]” (Joshua 24:33). And from where did Pinehas have land that his father, Elazar, did not have? Rather, this teaches that Pinehas married a woman [who possesed land, perhaps from her own father], and she died and he inherited from her [so Pinehas had his own land]. And a [similar] verse says: “And Seguv begot Yair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead” (I Chronicles 2:22). And from where did Yair have land that his father, Seguv, did not have? Rather, this teaches that Yair married a woman, and she died and he inherited from her. Why "And a verse says"? And if you would say it was Elazar, his father, who married a woman who died, and her son Pinehas inherited from her - come and hear a proof from the verse: “And Seguv begot Yair” (I Chronicles 2:22). And if you would say: That is the case there as well [that it was Yair who inherited it from his deceased mother], if so, why do I need two verses? Rav Pappa said to Abaye: I could actually say to you: A husband does not inherit [from his wife], and the verses are concerned about the son, as we explained. And Yair? He purchased it [from a third party, with no inheritance]. And Pinehas? He purchased it from a third party. You cannot say [that Pinehas purchased the land where he buried his father], as if so, the field would return to its original owner in the Jubilee Year, and it would be found that this righteous man, i.e., Elazar, is buried in a grave in land that is not his. Rather, say that [in his capacity as a priest] Pinehas came into possession of this land as a dedicated field.

Rabbi Reuben said: The entire body follows the head, and when the shepherd goes astray the sheep go astray after him, as it is said, "For the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and wherewith he made Israel to sin" (1 Kings 15:30). When the shepherd is good, all follow after him. Moses began to sing, and to utter praises before the Holy One, blessed be He, and all Israel followed him, as it is said, "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel" (Ex. 15:1). Miriam began to sing and to utter praises, before the Holy One, blessed be He, and all the women followed her, as it is said, "And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel… and all the women went out after her" (Ex. 15:20). Whence did they have timbrels and chorus in the wilderness? But the righteous always know and conciliate (God), and are assured that the Omnipresent, blessed be He, performs for them miracles and mighty deeds. Before (the time of) their departure from Egypt they prepared for themselves timbrels and chorus.

..."The sun rises and goes down" (Ecclesiastics 1:5). Rabbi Aba bar Kahana said: Don't we know that the sun rises and goes down? Rather (this is what it means): When the Holy One of Blessing causes the sun of a righteous person to set, he causes the sun of his fellow to shine forth. The day that Rabbi Akiba died, our rabbi (Judah the Prince) was born and it was written about him "The sun rises and the sun goes down." On the day that our rabbi died Rabbi Ada Bar Ahava was born and it was written about him "The sun rises and the sun goes down." On the day that Rabbi Ada Bar Ahava died, Rabbi Avin was born and it was written about him "The sun rises and the sun goes down." On the day that Rabbi Avin died, his son Rabbi Avin was born. The day that Rabbi Avin died, Aba Hoshaya from Traya was born. The day that Aba Hoshaya died Rabbi Hoshaya was born and it was written about him "The sun rises and the sun goes down." Before the sun of Moses set the sun of Joshua shone forth as it is written, "God said to Moses, take Joshua Son of Nun" (Numbers 27:18). Before the sun of Joshua set the sun of Itaniel son of Kenaz shone forth as it is said, "Itaniel son of Kenaz took it" (Judges 1:13). Before the sun of Eli the priest set, the sun of Samuel shone forth, "the lamp of God had not yet gone out and Samuel lay on the sanctuary of God" (1 Sam 3:3). Rabbi Yochanan said, "like a perfect calf." Before the God causes the sun of Sarah to set, he causes the sun of Rebecca to shine forth. For first it says "Behold Malkah also bore children" (Gen 22:20) and after "and the life Sarah was one hundred years..."

(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 27:1) "And there drew near the daughters of Tzelofchad": When the daughters of Tzelofchad heard that the land was to be apportioned to the tribes and not to females, they gathered together to take counsel, saying: Not as the mercies of flesh and blood are the mercies of the L-rd. The mercies of flesh and blood are greater for males than for females. Not so the mercies of He who spoke and brought the world into being. His mercies are for males and females (equally). His mercies are for all! As it is written (Psalms 145:9) "The L-rd is good to all, and His mercies are upon all of His creations." "the son of Chefer, the son of Gilad, the son of Machir, the son of Menashe": Scripture apprises us that just as Tzelofchad was a first-born, so, were all of the others first-born, and to apprise us that they (the daughters) were worthy daughters of a worthy man. For all whose deeds and the deeds of whose fathers are veiled and who Scripture traces (to their forbears) for praise are righteous ones the seed of righteous ones; and all whose deeds and the deeds of whose fathers are veiled and who Scripture traces (to their forbears) for denigration are evildoers the seed of evildoers. R. Nathan says: It is written above (26:65) "For the L-rd had said of them: They will surely die in the desert. And there was left not a man of them, etc.", followed by "And there drew near the daughters of Tzelofchad, etc." What is the connection? Scripture comes to teach us that the strength of the women in that generation was greater than that of the men, the men saying (Bamidbar 14:4) "Let us make a leader and return to Egypt, and the women saying (Ibid. 27:4) "Give us a holding, etc."

(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.

(Bamidbar 27:4) "Why should the name of our father be withheld from his family because he has no son?" R. Yehudah says: It is written here "name," and elsewhere (Devarim 28:6). "Just as "name" here connotes inheritance, so, "name" there. And just as "name" here connotes seed, so, "name" there. "because he has no son": Why is this written? Is it not already written (3) "and he left no sons"? They were sage women and were expounding: But if there were a daughter of a son, we would make no claim. R. Chidka said: Shimon Hashikmoni was a colleague of mine from the disciples of R. Akiva. He said: Moses knew that daughters inherit. Where was the question? As to whether they inherit what is fit to be inherited (in Eretz Yisrael) as well as what is already in their possession. The section on inheritance was fit to be stated by Moses, but the daughters of Tzelofchad merited that it be stated through them. "Merit is effected through the meritorious and liability through the liable."

(Bamidbar 27:6-7) "And the L-rd said to Moses: Rightly do the daughters of Tzelafchad speak": The daughters of Tzelafchad have claimed well, for thus is this section written before Me on high. Happy is the man whose words the L-rd acknowledges. Similarly, (Ibid. 36:5) "Rightly does the tribe of the sons of Joseph speak." Similarly, (Ibid. 14:20) "And the L-rd said: I have forgiven according to your words." The peoples of the world are destined to say this: "Happy is the man whose words the L-rd acknowledges." "Given shall be given to them the holding of an inheritance": This is the inheritance of their father. "in the midst of the brothers of their father": This is the inheritance of the father of their father "and you shall pass over the inheritance of their father to them": This is the portion of the first-born — whence we are apprised that the daughters of Tzelafchad took three portions: that of their father, that of their father's father, and the double portion of the first-born. R. Eliezer b. Yaakov says: Also that of their father's brothers, it being written "Given shall be given to them."

(Bamidbar 27:8) "And to the children of Israel shall you speak, saying": This tells us only of the immediate situation (i.e., that of Tzelafchad's daughters). Whence do we derive (the same for) future generations? From "And to the children of Israel shall you speak, saying: A man, if he die, and he have no son, then you shall pass his inheritance to his daughter." Rebbi says: In all instances (of inheritance) the term "giving" is used, but in this instance "passing" is the term employed. For only a daughter can "pass" an inheritance (from one tribe to another), her son and her husband inheriting her (i.e., what she has inherited from her father, who may be of a different tribe.) Whence is it derived that the father (of the deceased) precedes his brothers (i.e., the brothers of the deceased) in the inheritance? R. Yishmael was wont to say: It is written "then you shall pass over his inheritance to his daughter." Because of a daughter you pass over an inheritance from the father, and not because of the brothers. And whence is it derived that a father inherits (his son)? It follows, a fortiori, viz.: If the father's brothers who come (to inherit) only by power of the father, inherit him, then the father (himself), whose brothers come (to inherit) only by his power, how much more so should he inherit (his son)? And whence is it derived that the son's daughter stands in place of the son? It follows a fortiori, viz.: If the daughters of Tzelafchad, who inherited only for a particular time (i.e., an exception was made in their case, for the land was apportioned only to those who had left Egypt and had died), how much more so (is this to obtain) for the succeeding generations! Whence is it derived that females stand in the place of males (in all the "inheritances" of the Torah)? It follows (inductively), viz.: Since sons inherit and the brothers of the (deceased) father inherit, then just as with sons, females are equated with males, so, with all inheritors, females are equated with males. And just as with sons, males take precedence to females, so, with all inheritors, males take precedence to females. And just as with redeemers (of land) sons are equated with their fathers, (viz. Vayikra 25:49), so, with all inheritors, sons are equated with their fathers. And whence is it derived that a daughter inherits (her mother's possessions)? It is written (Bamidbar 36:8) "And every daughter who receives an inheritance from the tribes of the children of Israel, etc." This tells me only of a daughter. Whence do I derive (the same for) a son? It follows a fortiori, viz.: If a daughter, whose power (of inheritance) is attenuated where there is a son, inherits (her mother), how much more so, a son! And whence is it derived that a man inherits his wife? From (Ibid. 27:11) "… and he shall inherit (lit.,) her." These are the words of R. Akiva. R. Yishmael says: This (derivation) is not needed. For it is already written (Ibid. 36:8) "And every daughter who receives an inheritance from the tribes of the children of Israel, etc.", and (Ibid. 7) "And an inheritance of the children of Israel shall not go around from tribe to tribe," and (Joshua 24:33) "And Elazar the son of Aaron died, and they buried him on the hill of Pinchas, his son … in the mountain of Ephraim." Now whence did Pinchas have (land) in the mountain of Ephraim? It must be that he married a woman from the children of Ephraim, who died and whom he inherited. Similarly, (I Chronicles 2:22) "And Seguv begot Yair, and he had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilad." Now whence did Yair have (land) in the land of Gilad? It must be that he married a woman from the children of Menasheh, who died and whom he inherited.

(Bamidbar 27:11) "And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his flesh who is near to him": The "nearest" takes precedence in the inheritance. "of his family": his father's family or his mother's family? It is, therefore, written (Ibid. 1:2) "by their families, by their fathers' house" — the families are according to the fathers. "and he shall inherit her": (as above). "and it shall be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment." The Torah hereby authorizes the sages to adjudicate the matter (i.e., to decide who is the "nearest.") "then you shall give his inheritance to his flesh who is near to him of his family": Whoever is closest in "flesh" takes precedence in inheritance.

(Bamidbar 27:12) "And the L-rd said to Moses: Go up to this Mount Avarim": This is the inheritance of the children of Reuven. When Moses entered the (prospective) inheritance of the children of Reuven and the children of Gad, he rejoiced, thinking "It seems to me that He has revoked His decree" (against my entering Eretz Yisrael) — whereupon he poured out supplication before the King. An analogy: A king decreed against his son that he not enter the doors of his palace. He came to the gate and left it behind him; to the storage room, and left it behind him. As he was about to enter the inner chamber, he said to him "My son, from here on, you are forbidden." Likewise, when Moses entered the inheritance of the children of Gad and the children of Reuven, he rejoiced, thinking "It seems to me that He has revoked His decree," whereupon he began to pour out supplication before the L-rd. Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If Moses, the great sage, the father of the sages and the father of the prophets, even though he knew that a decree had gone forth against him, did not keep himself from supplication, how much more so should this hold true for other men!

(Devarim 34:4) "And the L-rd said: This is the land, etc.": R. Akiva says: Scripture hereby apprises us that the L-rd showed Moses all the recesses of Eretz Yisrael as (if it were) a set table, viz. (Ibid. 1) "And the L-rd showed him all the land." R. Eliezer says: He empowered Moses' eyes to see from one end of the world to the other. And thus do you find with the tzaddikim — that they see from one end of the world to the other, as it is written (Isaiah 33:13) "The King in His beauty shall your eyes see. They shall see the land roundabout." We find, then, two kinds of "seeings" — one of pleasure; the other, of pain. Of Abraham it is written (Bereshit 13:14) "Lift up your eyes and see, from the place where you find yourself, etc." — a seeing of pleasure. Of Moses it is written (Bamidbar 27:12) "Go up to this Mount Avarim, etc." (Devarim 3:27) "Go up to the summit of Pisgah, etc." — a seeing of pain. And thus do you find two kinds of "drawing near" — one for the sake of Heaven; the other, not for the sake of heaven. (Devarim 4:11) "And you drew near and you stood at the foot of the mountain" — drawing near for the sake of Heaven. (Ibid. 1:22) "Then all of you drew near to me" — drawing near not for the sake of Heaven. (Ibid. 3:28) "And command Joshua and strengthen him and hearten him" — towards the learning (of Torah). R. Yehudah says: Command him in respect to the Giveonites (i.e., to accept them). Variantly: Command him relative to the trials and tribulations and the contentions. "for he will pass before this people, and he will cause them to inherit, etc.": We are hereby apprised that he would not die until he had caused them to inherit the land. "the land that you will see": We are hereby apprised that Moses saw with his eyes what Moses did not traverse with his feet.

(Bamidbar 27:13) "Then you will see it (Eretz Yisrael), and you will be gathered to your people — you, too — as Aaron your brother was gathered" — whence we are apprised that Moses lusted after such a death.

(Bamidbar 27:14) "when you flouted My command in the desert of Tzin in the contention of the congregation": R. Shimon b. Elazar says: Moses and Aaron, too, died by kareth ("cutting-off"), as it is written (Devarim 32:51) "because you did not sanctify My name, etc." (the implication being) if you had sanctified Me, your time would not yet have come to die.

(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."

(Bamidbar 27:16) "Let the L-rd, the G-d of the spirits of all flesh, etc.": Scripture hereby apprises us that all the spirits issue only from Him. R. Eliezer the son of R. Yossi Haglili says: Let this "sign" always be in your hand: that so long as a man is alive his soul is reposited in the hand of its Owner, as it is written (Iyyov 12:10) "… that in His hand is the spirit of all living things. When he dies, it is reposited in the otzar ("the treasury,") as it is written (I Samuel 25:29) "and may the soul of my master be bound up in the bond of life." I might think, (the soul of) both the righteous and the wicked; it is, therefore, written (Ibid.) "and may He sling out the soul of your foes (as) in the hollow of a sling." "a man over the congregation": This is Joshua, as it is written (Psalms 78:25) "the bread of the mighty (i.e., manna) did a man eat." And why did Scripture not specify (that it was Joshua)? So as not to stir up controversy (over the appointment of Joshua) among his sons and the sons of his brother (Aaron, i.e., Elazar and Ithamar.)"

(Bamidbar 27:17) "who will go out before them and who will come in before them": Not as others, who send others in the vanguard and who bring up the rear. But as Moses did, viz. (Bamidbar 21:34) "And the L-rd said to Moses: Do not fear him (Og, [to confront him in the vanguard]) for I have delivered him into your hand." And as Joshua did, viz. (Joshua 5:13) "And Joshua went up to him, and said: 'Are you for us or for our foes?'" And as Pinchas did, viz. (Bamidbar 31:6) "And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Pinchas (in the vanguard) etc." (Ibid. 27:17) "who will go out before them" — at the head, viz. (I Chronicles 11:6) "And Yoav ben Tzeruyah went up first, and he was at the head." "who will go out before them" — in a troop. "and who will come in before them" — in a troop. "who will go out before them" — on the way. "and who will come in before them" — on the way. "and who will take them out" — in his merits. "and who will bring them back" — in his merits. "and who will take them out" — with a count. "and who will bring them back" — with a count (i.e., none missing), as it is written (Bamidbar 31:44) "And they said to Moses: Your servants have counted the men of war who were under our charge, and not one of us is missing." And why did they need atonement (viz. Ibid. 50)? For they had "feasted their eyes" on nakedness (i.e., on the Midianite women [viz. Ibid. 16]). (Ibid. 27:17) "And let the congregation of the L-rd not be as sheep without a shepherd": On this the tradition comments (Song of Songs 1:7) "Tell me (Moses), O You, whom my soul loves, etc. for why should I be covered up," as in (Jeremiah 43:12) "And he (Nevuchadnezzar) will cover up the land of Egypt, as the shepherd covers up his cloak." (Song of Songs, Ibid.) "by the flocks of Your companions" — Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Go out and see how the Holy One answers him (Song of Songs, Ibid. 8): "If you do not know, you fairest among the women (i.e., most exalted of the prophets), go out in the footsteps of the flock." (See) what I am destined to do for them in the end (of their "footsteps"), "and graze your kids by the tents of the shepherd" — whence it is derived that the L-rd showed Moses all the leaders who were destined to serve Israel from the day they left the desert until the resurrection. Thus, "Go out in the footsteps of the flock."

(Bamidbar 27:18) "And the L-rd said to Moses: Take for yourself Joshua the son of Nun": ("for yourself") what is in your heart. Take for yourself him (Joshua), who you know to be worthy (of this high station), as per (Mishlei 27:18) "the watcher of the fig-tree will eat its fruit, and the keeper (Joshua) of his master (Moses) will be honored." (Bamidbar, Ibid.) "a man who has spirit in him": one who can accommodate himself to the spirit of each individual. "and place your hand upon him": He said to him: Give Joshua an interpreter to ask and to expound and to issue rulings in your lifetime, so that when you die Israel not say: In his master's lifetime he did not rule, and now he rules! — whereupon he raised him from the ground (the place of disciples) and sat him next to him on the (judge's) bench. R. Nathan says: When Joshua entered, he (Moses) would silence the interpreter until he had come in and sat in his place.

(Bamidbar 27:20) "And you shall place (some) of your glory (i.e., shining of countenance) upon him": and not all of your glory — whence we derive "The face of Moses was like the face of the sun; the face of Joshua was like the face of the moon."

(Bamidbar 27:21) "And before Elazar the Cohein shall he (Joshua) stand": Joshua had recourse to Elazar, and Elazar, to Joshua. "And he (Joshua) shall inquire of him (Elazar)": I might think, (that the inquiry was) "between him and himself"; it is, therefore, written "as to the judgment of the urim." I might then think, (that he inquired) in full voice. It is, therefore, written "and he shall inquire of him," (connoting in subdued voice). How so? He stood and moved his lips, and the high-priest answered his inquiries.

(Bamidbar 27:22) "And Moses did as the L-rd commanded him": He did so with joy, undiluted with regret for his son and his brother's sons (i.e., for the honor not having been accorded them.) "and he 'took' Joshua": He "took" him with words, apprising him of the reward of the leaders of Israel in the world to come.

(Bamidbar 27:23) "And he placed his hands upon him": He made him an overflowing vessel of Torah, viz. (above) "the watcher of the fig-tree will eat its fruit." For it is written (Shemot 33:11) "And his attendant, Joshua the son of Nun, a youth, did not depart from the midst of the tent," and, likewise, (Joshua 1:8) "this book of the Torah shall not depart from your mouth." Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If Joshua, of whom it is written (Devarim 34:9) "He was full of the spirit of wisdom" — If Joshua "did not depart, etc.", then how much more so (should this hold for) other men! "And he commanded him as the L-rd had spoken by the hand of Moses": Just as the Holy One Blessed be He had commanded Moses with joy, so, Moses commanded Joshua with joy. I might think that Moses' powers waned (with age.) It is, therefore, written (Devarim, Ibid. 7) "And Moses was a hundred and twenty years old in his death. His eye had not dimmed" (in deciding) between unclean and clean, between forbidden and permitted, "and his strength had not abated" in toiling in Torah.

Variantly: "and they bear him sons": Sons come under this ordinance (of bechor) and not daughters. Because we find that daughters divide the inheritance where there are no brothers, (viz. Bamidbar 27:8), we might think that this ordinance obtains with them (as well as with sons); it is, therefore, written "and they bear him sons" — Sons come under this ordinance and not daughters.

"My yavam does not desire to invest for his brother a name in Israel": R. Yehudah says: It is written here "name," and elsewhere (in connection with the daughters of Tzelafchad, Bamidbar 27:4) "name." Just as "name" there refers to seed, so, "name" here — to exclude (from chalitzah) a castrate, who, even if he wanted to perpetuate a "name" for his brother, could not.

(Bamidbar 27:18) "And the L-rd said to Moses: Take ("kach) for yourself Joshua the son of Nun": "kach" connotes "seizing," for a friend is acquired only with great difficulty — whence they ruled: One should acquire a friend for himself to learn Scripture with him, to learn Mishnah with him, to eat with him, to drink with him, and to tell his secrets to him. And thus is it written (Koheleth 4:9) "Two are better than one … (12) and the three-fold cord is not soon sundered." The Holy Spirit responded to Moses: Set up an interpreter for Joshua, and have him ask, expound, and teach rulings in your lifetime, so that Israel not say to him: "In the lifetime of your teacher you did not speak, and now you (suddenly) speak?" Others say: he (Moses) lifted him from the ground and placed him between his knees, and Moses and Israel would lift their heads to hear the voice of Joshua. And this is what it said: "Blessed is the L-rd, who gave Torah to Israel by the hand of Moses our teacher."

R. Nathan says: Moses was saddened that one of his sons did not stand (in his place) — whereupon the L-rd said to him: Are the sons of your brother Aaron not like your sons? He, too, that I appoint over Israel will go and stand at Elazar's door (to learn from him). To what may this be compared? A king had a son fit for royalty and he took the (governance of the) kingdom from him and gave it to his lover, telling him: Though I gave you greatness, go and stand at my son's door. Likewise, the Holy One Blessed be He said to Joshua: Go and stand at the door of the sons of Elazar, viz. (Bamidbar 27:21) "And before Elazar the Cohein shall he (Joshua) stand." At that time the strength of Moses increased and he strengthened Joshua before the eyes of all of Israel, as it is written (Devarim 31:7) "And Moses called to Joshua and he said to him before the eyes of all of Israel: 'Be strong and firm!'" Behold, the people that I am giving you are still kids, still infants. Do not be censorious of what they do, for neither was their Master, viz. (Hoshea 11:1) "For Israel was a youth and I loved him," and (Song of Songs 1:8) "And graze your kids by the dwellings of the shepherds" — Take them into the shepherds' tents. Variantly: (Ibid.) "beikvei hatzon" — They were trodden down by the heel (ekev). "And graze your kids".