וְכָל־בַּ֞ת יֹרֶ֣שֶׁת נַחֲלָ֗ה מִמַּטּוֹת֮ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ לְאֶחָ֗ד מִמִּשְׁפַּ֛חַת מַטֵּ֥ה אָבִ֖יהָ תִּהְיֶ֣ה לְאִשָּׁ֑ה לְמַ֗עַן יִֽירְשׁוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אִ֖ישׁ נַחֲלַ֥ת אֲבֹתָֽיו׃
At ang bawat anak na babae na nagmamana ng mana mula sa mga lipi ng mga anak ni Israel ay mag-aasawa sa isa mula sa angkan ng lipi ng kanyang ama, upang mamana ng bawat isa sa mga anak ni Israel ang mana ng kanyang mga ninuno.
Bartenura
והאיש את אמו – as it is written (Numbers 36:8): “ Every daughter among the Israelite tribes who inherits a share [must marry someone from a clan of her father’s tribe, in order that every Israelite may keep his ancestral share],”how a daughter inherits two tribes, but this [is the case] where her father is from one tribe and her mother is from another tribe, "וירשתן"/and she shall inherit them (see Numbers 36:8 and Talmud Bava Batra 111a) – for since it is written (in our verse): "ממטות"/from the tribe, he made an analogy of two verses near each other – the tribe of the mother to the tribe of the father. Just as the tribe of the father, the son precedes the daughter, so too, the tribe of the mother – the son precedes the daughter.
Torah Temimah
It can also be said with a necessary reason that this interpretation, that they were permitted to marry men from all the tribes, is based on the opinion of Rabbi, as stated in Bava Batra 109b. In every portion regarding inheritance, it is stated that it shall be given to them, as it is stated: "And you shall give [the inheritance]" (Numbers 36:4). In the case of a daughter, it is specifically stated: "And you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter" (Numbers 27:8), because you can transfer inheritance from one tribe to another only through a daughter. This is because when she builds her own family and marries, her sons inherit from her, and her husband also inherits from her. For example, Serach, the daughter of Asher, married Chanoch, the son of Reuben, and he died without male children. Serach, his daughter, inherited from him, and when Serach died, her son or her husband, who were from the tribe of Reuben, inherited her portion. Thus, the inheritance of the tribe that belonged to the tribe of Reuben was transferred. Therefore, in the case of the daughters of Tzelafchad, it is also written using the language of transfer: "And you shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them" (Numbers 27:7). It is explicitly stated that their inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another, according to the meaning and indication of the language of transfer, as explained. Therefore, it is necessary to understand that when it says here "only within the family of their father's tribe shall they marry," it is merely a good advice, as explained, because it is impossible for the inheritance to pass from one tribe to another at all. And the reason why this interpretation relies on the phrase "for their own benefit they may marry" and not on the phrase "and you shall cause to pass," is because it intends to clarify the matter and the order of the verses in its place, and its significance in this portion. This needs further analysis. In the Gemara, it explains that even though it is written "every daughter who possesses an inheritance from the tribe of her father's family shall marry a man from the tribe of her father" (Numbers 36:8), all this applies to other women and not to the daughters of Tzelafchad. Perhaps the reason is that they were important, as explained in the portion of Pinchas, so they were considered under special circumstances. (Bava Batra 120a)
Ramban
V’LO THISOV NACHALAH’ (SO SHALL NO INHERITANCE) OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL MOVE FROM TRIBE TO TRIBE. Scripture was only concerned to improve the situation at that time [i.e., for the daughters of Zelophehad who had raised that problem]. For if there were [then] women in Israel [already] married to [men of] another tribe, and they [the women] inherited [a portion of the Land] at that time, or would inherit at some future time if their brothers or fathers died without sons, their inheritance would perforce move from one tribe to another [because their husbands, who were of a different tribe, or their sons, would inherit them when they died], and who can straighten out in time what they have made crooked!115Ecclesiastes 7:13. The Torah, furthermore, did not want to command that the sons or husbands of these women should not inherit them [if they were not of the same tribe], because it did not deem it fit to abrogate [in this case] the [regular] law of inheritance. Similarly Scripture did not concern itself with events which would occur in the future; for even if those daughters who do not possess an inheritance [before they are married] would be permitted to marry [men from] any of the tribes, yet it is possible that at some future time they might inherit some property, if [all] their brothers die in the lifetime of their father, and thus their father’s inheritance, or that of their relatives would pass on to them.116In other words, if not for the opinion of the Rabbis on the meaning of Scripture we could say that this prohibition is for all times, applying to such women as the daughters of Zelophehad who stood to be married and who already possessed an inheritance. But women who were already married at that time to men of other tribes and are [like the daughters of Zelophehad] inheriting now [because their fathers who were among those who left Egypt, died without sons], and similarly, women who stand to be married and may yet inherit their fathers if they die without sons — with all these possibilities Scripture was not concerned. Instead, the law for all times was specifically applying to women who stand to be married and have already an inheritance of the tribe, just like the daughters of Zelophehad. All this we might be inclined to say. But according to the opinion of our Rabbis etc. (see text) — (Kur Zahav, quoting Aboab).
But according to the opinion of our Rabbis who interpreted:117Baba Bathra 117a. “This law118Literally: “this thing,” based upon Verse 6 which reads: ‘This is the thing’ which the Eternal hath commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad — that they marry men of their father’s tribe. only applies to that particular generation,” it is possible119The gist of Ramban’s thought is as follows: In the light of the saying of our Rabbis, that this law did not apply for all times [as explained above in Note 116] but only to that particular generation, it is possible then to say that Scripture was also concerned with the above-mentioned possibilities. As for those women who were already married to men of other tribes and are now inheriting, it is possible to say that there was no other case in that generation similar to that of Zelophehad’s daughters, the proof being that no other tribe complained. And as for the other possibility, of women who stand to be married and may yet inherit their fathers if they die without sons, we answer, G-d in Whose hand etc. (see text) — (Kur Zahav, in the name of Aboab). that [at that time] there were no daughters who inherited a portion amongst all those who were to come into the Land [of Israel] except for the daughters of Zelophehad, and therefore [we do not find that] they [i.e., other women] asked [Moses about it as the daughters of Zelophehad did]. Scripture, then, is commanding that if anyone dies from that day onwards until the Land is divided up amongst their tribes, and his daughter inherits him, she should not marry [anyone] from another tribe, in order that when the Land is divided up, that man should not come to take himself an inheritance amongst another tribe. For the [Torah’s] concern about them [i.e., about the separate inheritance of each tribe] was greater at the time of the division of the Land [than afterwards], so that the [different] tribes should not become mixed up with each other when taking their inheritance, whereas afterwards their [separate] inheritance will have already become known, and they would not be so concerned about it. But since the [exact] time of the division [of the Land] was not yet known, He imposed the prohibition on the whole of that generation. And G-d in Whose hand is the soul of every living thing120Job 12:10. Ramban’s intent is to state that He in Whose hand is the soul of every living thing knew that “until the division of the Land no man would die without leaving a son, so that his daughters would be inheriting him” (Aboab). But such an assurance could naturally not apply if we were to say that the prohibition was for all generations. did not have to be concerned with future events [which might in certain cases result in the transfer of a particular inheritance from one tribe to another].
This explanation is correct according to the plain meaning of Scripture, for [the phrase in Verse 9] v’lo thisov nachalah is not a reason [for prohibiting the marriage of a woman who has already an inheritance, with a man from another tribe] “in order that the inheritance shall not be moved [from tribe to tribe],” but there are two separate commandments [in this section]. He commanded [first, in Verses 6-8] that those women who already possess an inheritance [such as the daughters of Zelophehad, who were not married] should only marry into their father’s tribe, and then [in Verse 9] He commanded that [in the case of] those who are already married [to men of other tribes and have no inheritance], or [in the case of all those women] who will come into an inheritance [later on] after they marry a man [of another tribe], the inheritance shall not move from one tribe to another tribe, but their brothers or their relatives are to inherit them, and not their sons or their husbands. Thus at first [in Verses 6-7] He commanded [the law] in connection with the daughters of Zelophehad, and afterwards [in Verse 8] concerning every daughter that possesseth an inheritance; and then He said in connection with all Israel that an inheritance shall not move from one tribe to another tribe [as stated in Verse 9, meaning] that even in the case of women who are [already] married [to men of another tribe], or [unmarried] women who have been commanded [not to marry men of another tribe] and who transgress this commandment, the men of their tribes [i.e., the women’s brothers or other relatives] should inherit them, in order that they should be closely attached to the inheritance of their fathers’ tribes, and their inheritance should not be severed from them, nor they from the inheritance of their fathers. And all these [restrictions] applied only to the generation which took possession of the Land, at the time that it was divided up. Thus He advised them about unmarried women, concerning whom they had asked, and He also made provision for those that were already married.
But according to the opinion of our Rabbis who interpreted:117Baba Bathra 117a. “This law118Literally: “this thing,” based upon Verse 6 which reads: ‘This is the thing’ which the Eternal hath commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad — that they marry men of their father’s tribe. only applies to that particular generation,” it is possible119The gist of Ramban’s thought is as follows: In the light of the saying of our Rabbis, that this law did not apply for all times [as explained above in Note 116] but only to that particular generation, it is possible then to say that Scripture was also concerned with the above-mentioned possibilities. As for those women who were already married to men of other tribes and are now inheriting, it is possible to say that there was no other case in that generation similar to that of Zelophehad’s daughters, the proof being that no other tribe complained. And as for the other possibility, of women who stand to be married and may yet inherit their fathers if they die without sons, we answer, G-d in Whose hand etc. (see text) — (Kur Zahav, in the name of Aboab). that [at that time] there were no daughters who inherited a portion amongst all those who were to come into the Land [of Israel] except for the daughters of Zelophehad, and therefore [we do not find that] they [i.e., other women] asked [Moses about it as the daughters of Zelophehad did]. Scripture, then, is commanding that if anyone dies from that day onwards until the Land is divided up amongst their tribes, and his daughter inherits him, she should not marry [anyone] from another tribe, in order that when the Land is divided up, that man should not come to take himself an inheritance amongst another tribe. For the [Torah’s] concern about them [i.e., about the separate inheritance of each tribe] was greater at the time of the division of the Land [than afterwards], so that the [different] tribes should not become mixed up with each other when taking their inheritance, whereas afterwards their [separate] inheritance will have already become known, and they would not be so concerned about it. But since the [exact] time of the division [of the Land] was not yet known, He imposed the prohibition on the whole of that generation. And G-d in Whose hand is the soul of every living thing120Job 12:10. Ramban’s intent is to state that He in Whose hand is the soul of every living thing knew that “until the division of the Land no man would die without leaving a son, so that his daughters would be inheriting him” (Aboab). But such an assurance could naturally not apply if we were to say that the prohibition was for all generations. did not have to be concerned with future events [which might in certain cases result in the transfer of a particular inheritance from one tribe to another].
This explanation is correct according to the plain meaning of Scripture, for [the phrase in Verse 9] v’lo thisov nachalah is not a reason [for prohibiting the marriage of a woman who has already an inheritance, with a man from another tribe] “in order that the inheritance shall not be moved [from tribe to tribe],” but there are two separate commandments [in this section]. He commanded [first, in Verses 6-8] that those women who already possess an inheritance [such as the daughters of Zelophehad, who were not married] should only marry into their father’s tribe, and then [in Verse 9] He commanded that [in the case of] those who are already married [to men of other tribes and have no inheritance], or [in the case of all those women] who will come into an inheritance [later on] after they marry a man [of another tribe], the inheritance shall not move from one tribe to another tribe, but their brothers or their relatives are to inherit them, and not their sons or their husbands. Thus at first [in Verses 6-7] He commanded [the law] in connection with the daughters of Zelophehad, and afterwards [in Verse 8] concerning every daughter that possesseth an inheritance; and then He said in connection with all Israel that an inheritance shall not move from one tribe to another tribe [as stated in Verse 9, meaning] that even in the case of women who are [already] married [to men of another tribe], or [unmarried] women who have been commanded [not to marry men of another tribe] and who transgress this commandment, the men of their tribes [i.e., the women’s brothers or other relatives] should inherit them, in order that they should be closely attached to the inheritance of their fathers’ tribes, and their inheritance should not be severed from them, nor they from the inheritance of their fathers. And all these [restrictions] applied only to the generation which took possession of the Land, at the time that it was divided up. Thus He advised them about unmarried women, concerning whom they had asked, and He also made provision for those that were already married.