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Masei

Aliya 7

וַֽיִּקְרְב֞וּ רָאשֵׁ֣י הָֽאָב֗וֹת לְמִשְׁפַּ֤חַת בְּנֵֽי־גִלְעָד֙ בֶּן־מָכִ֣יר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁ֔ה מִֽמִּשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת בְּנֵ֣י יוֹסֵ֑ף וַֽיְדַבְּר֞וּ לִפְנֵ֤י מֹשֶׁה֙ וְלִפְנֵ֣י הַנְּשִׂאִ֔ים רָאשֵׁ֥י אָב֖וֹת לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

The heads of the fathers of the family of the children of Gilad, son of Makhir, son of Manasseh, from the families of the sons of Joseph, approached, and they spoke before Moses, and before the princes, the heads of the fathers of the children of Israel.

וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ אֶת־אֲדֹנִי֙ צִוָּ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה לָתֵ֨ת אֶת־הָאָ֧רֶץ בְּנַחֲלָ֛ה בְּגוֹרָ֖ל לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַֽאדֹנִי֙ צֻוָּ֣ה בַֽיהוָ֔ה לָתֵ֗ת אֶֽת־נַחֲלַ֛ת צְלָפְחָ֥ד אָחִ֖ינוּ לִבְנֹתָֽיו׃

They said: On the one hand, the Lord commanded my lord, Moses, to give the land as inheritance by lot to the children of Israel, the men, and on the other hand my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of Tzelofhad our brother to his daughters. These two commands lead to a contradiction of sorts:

וְ֠הָיוּ לְאֶחָ֞ד מִבְּנֵ֨י שִׁבְטֵ֥י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ לְנָשִׁים֒ וְנִגְרְעָ֤ה נַחֲלָתָן֙ מִנַּחֲלַ֣ת אֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּ וְנוֹסַ֕ף עַ֚ל נַחֲלַ֣ת הַמַּטֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּהְיֶ֖ינָה לָהֶ֑ם וּמִגֹּרַ֥ל נַחֲלָתֵ֖נוּ יִגָּרֵֽעַ׃

If they, the daughters of Tzelofhad, shall be to the sons of the tribes of the children of Israel for wives, then they will join a different tribe, and their inheritance will be deducted from the inheritance of our fathers, and it will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they will be joined through marriage. In this manner a portion of our tribe’s inheritance will be transferred to another tribe, and ultimately from the lot of our inheritance it shall be deducted.

RASHI

ונוסף על נחלת המטה.שֶׁהֲרֵי בְנָהּ יוֹרְשָׁהּ, וְהַבֵּן מִתְיַחֵס עַל שֵׁבֶט אָבִיו:

וְאִם־יִהְיֶ֣ה הַיֹּבֵל֮ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וְנֽוֹסְפָה֙ נַחֲלָתָ֔ן עַ֚ל נַחֲלַ֣ת הַמַּטֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּהְיֶ֖ינָה לָהֶ֑ם וּמִֽנַּחֲלַת֙ מַטֵּ֣ה אֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּ יִגָּרַ֖ע נַחֲלָתָֽן׃

When the Jubilee will be for the children of Israel, when the members of every tribe return to their original inheritance,

RASHI

ואם יהיה היבל.מִכָּאן הָיָה רַ' יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר עָתִיד הַיּוֹבֵל שֶׁיִּפְסֹק (ספרא ויקרא ב'):

ואם יהיה היובל.כְּלוֹמַר, אֵין זוֹ מְכִירָה שֶׁחוֹזֶרֶת בַּיּוֹבֵל, שֶׁהַיְרֻשָּׁה אֵינָהּ חוֹזֶרֶת, וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם יִהְיֶה הַיּוֹבֵל לֹא תַחֲזֹר הַנַּחֲלָה לְשִׁבְטוֹ, וְנִמְצָא שֶׁנּוֹסְפָה על נחלת המטה אשר תהיינה להם:

וַיְצַ֤ו מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל עַל־פִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר כֵּ֛ן מַטֵּ֥ה בְנֵֽי־יוֹסֵ֖ף דֹּבְרִֽים׃

Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the directive of the Lord, saying: The tribe of the sons of Joseph speaks justly. Their claim was correct. Moses did not have a ready answer for them himself; therefore, he had to hear a response from God.

זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֞ר אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֣ה יְהוָ֗ה לִבְנ֤וֹת צְלָפְחָד֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לַטּ֥וֹב בְּעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם תִּהְיֶ֣ינָה לְנָשִׁ֑ים אַ֗ךְ לְמִשְׁפַּ֛חַת מַטֵּ֥ה אֲבִיהֶ֖ם תִּהְיֶ֥ינָה לְנָשִֽׁים׃

This is the matter that the Lord commanded with regard to the daughters of Tzelofhad, saying: To whomever is good in their eyes they shall be wives; however, there is one condition, that they shall be wives to the family of the tribe of their father. They can marry any man of their choice, provided that he is a member of their tribe.

וְלֹֽא־תִסֹּ֤ב נַחֲלָה֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִמַּטֶּ֖ה אֶל־מַטֶּ֑ה כִּ֣י אִ֗ישׁ בְּנַחֲלַת֙ מַטֵּ֣ה אֲבֹתָ֔יו יִדְבְּק֖וּ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

No inheritance of the children of Israel shall pass from tribe to tribe, as each of the children of Israel shall cleave to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. This command is not referring to the daughters of Tzelofhad alone; rather, it is a general instruction:

וְכָל־בַּ֞ת יֹרֶ֣שֶׁת נַחֲלָ֗ה מִמַּטּוֹת֮ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ לְאֶחָ֗ד מִמִּשְׁפַּ֛חַת מַטֵּ֥ה אָבִ֖יהָ תִּהְיֶ֣ה לְאִשָּׁ֑ה לְמַ֗עַן יִֽירְשׁוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אִ֖ישׁ נַחֲלַ֥ת אֲבֹתָֽיו׃

Every daughter who inherits an inheritance from the tribes of the children of Israel, shall be a wife to one from the families of the tribe of her father, so that each of the children of Israel will inherit the inheritance of his fathers.

RASHI

וכל בת ירשת נחלה.שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה בֵן לְאָבִיהָ:

וְלֹֽא־תִסֹּ֧ב נַחֲלָ֛ה מִמַּטֶּ֖ה לְמַטֶּ֣ה אַחֵ֑ר כִּי־אִישׁ֙ בְּנַ֣חֲלָת֔וֹ יִדְבְּק֕וּ מַטּ֖וֹת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

No inheritance shall pass from tribe to tribe, as each of the children of Israel shall cleave to his inheritance.

כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֑ה כֵּ֥ן עָשׂ֖וּ בְּנ֥וֹת צְלָפְחָֽד׃

As the Lord commanded Moses, so the daughters of Tzelofhad did.

וַתִּהְיֶ֜ינָה מַחְלָ֣ה תִרְצָ֗ה וְחָגְלָ֧ה וּמִלְכָּ֛ה וְנֹעָ֖ה בְּנ֣וֹת צְלָפְחָ֑ד לִבְנֵ֥י דֹדֵיהֶ֖ן לְנָשִֽׁים׃

Mahla, Tirtza, Hogla, Milka, and Noa, daughters of Tzelofhad, were married to the sons of their uncles.

RASHI

מחלה תרצה וגו'.כָּאן מְנָאָן לְפִי גְדֻלָּתָן זוֹ מִזּוֹ בַּשָּׁנִים, וְנִשְּׂאוּ כְּסֵדֶר תּוֹלְדוֹתָן, וּבְכָל הַמִּקְרָא מְנָאָן לְפִי חָכְמָתָן, וּמַגִּיד שֶׁשְּׁקוּלוֹת זוֹ כְּזוֹ (עי' בבא בתרא ק"כ):

מִֽמִּשְׁפְּחֹ֛ת בְּנֵֽי־מְנַשֶּׁ֥ה בֶן־יוֹסֵ֖ף הָי֣וּ לְנָשִׁ֑ים וַתְּהִי֙ נַחֲלָתָ֔ן עַל־מַטֵּ֖ה מִשְׁפַּ֥חַת אֲבִיהֶֽן׃

From the families of the sons of Manasseh son of Joseph, they were wives and their inheritance was with the tribe of the family of their father. Their inheritance thereby remained within their tribe.

אֵ֣לֶּה הַמִּצְוֺ֞ת וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּעַֽרְבֹ֣ת מוֹאָ֔ב עַ֖ל יַרְדֵּ֥ן יְרֵחֽוֹ׃

These are the last commandments and the ordinances which the Lord commanded at the hand of Moses to the children of Israel on the plains of Moav along the Jordan at Jericho. This concludes the series of statutes related to the nation’s entrance into the land of Canaan.