Sifrei Bamidbar 132

¹(Bamidbar 26:53) "To these shall the land be apportioned as an inheritance according to the number of names": I would understand that all are included — Israelites, Cohanim, Levites, proselytes, women, bondsmen, tumtumim (those of indeterminate sex), and hermaphrodites. It is, therefore, written (Ibid. 18:20) "And the L-rd said to Aaron: In their land you shall not inherit" — to exclude Cohanim. (Ibid. 24) "In the midst of the children of Israel they shall not have an inheritance" — to exclude Levites. (Ibid. 26:55) "By the names of the tribes of their fathers shall they inherit" — to exclude proselytes and bondsmen. (Ibid. 59) "To a man, according to his numbers, shall his inheritance be given" — to exclude women, tumtumim, and hermaphrodites. R. Yoshiyah says: The land was apportioned to those who left Egypt, as it is written "By the names of the tribes of their fathers shall they inherit." What, then, is the intent of "To these shall the land be apportioned"? (To such as these,) to exclude minors (below the age of twenty). R. Yonathan says: The land was apportioned according to those who came to the land, as it is written "To these shall the land be apportioned." And what is the intent of "By the names of the tribes of their fathers"? The L-rd changed this inheritance from all the inheritances in the Torah. For in all the inheritances in the Torah the living inherit the dead, whereas here, the dead inherit the living. Rebbi says: An analogy: Two brothers, Cohanim, were in a city. One had one son; the other, three. They go to the granary (to take their portion.) The first takes one sa'ah; the others, three, after which they go to their fathers' father and share equally. R. Shimon b. Elazar says: The land was apportioned to these and to these. How so? If they were of those who left Egypt, they took a share with those who left Egypt. If they were of those who entered the land, they took a share with those who entered the land. If they were both of these and of the others, they took a share of both — so that both verses are satisfied. ²(Bamidbar 26:54) "To the (more) numerous (tribe) you shall increase its inheritance, and to the less (numerous) you shall decrease its inheritance." If one had five sons when he left Egypt, and ten sons when he entered the land, I apply to them "To the numerous you shall increase its inheritance." If he had ten sons when he left Egypt, and five when he entered the land, I apply to them "and to the less you shall decrease its inheritance." "To a man": to exclude women, tumtumim, and hermaphrodites. "according to its numbers": We are hereby taught that Eretz Yisrael was apportioned to each tribe according to its (head-count). And thus is it written (Joshua 17:14-15) "And the children of Joseph said to Joshua: Why have you given me a single allotment as an inheritance, when we are a great multitude whom the L-rd had thus far blessed? And Joshua said to them: If you are a great multitude, go up to the forest country and clear an area for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzi and the Rephaim, the mountain of Ephraim constricting you." "shall his inheritance be given": I would understand this to mean (that each tribe took) indiscriminately. It is, therefore, written (55) "by allotment." If "by allotment," I would understand, by themselves (i.e., by their own lottery.) It is, therefore, written (56) "By the word (of the lottery"), whereby we are apprised that Eretz Yisrael was apportioned by the Holy Spirit. I might think, by himself (i.e., the high-priest, by means of the urim vetumim). It is, therefore, written "shall its inheritance be divided," (connoting in the presence of the entire tribe). ³(Bamidbar 26:25) "Only by lot shall the land be divided": ("Only") — excluding Joshua and Calev (who received special portions.) And thus is it written (Judges 15:13) "And to Calev ben Yefuneh was given a portion in the midst of the children by word of the L-rd to Joshua," and (Judges 1:20) "And they gave Chevron to Calev as Moses had spoken," and (Joshua 19:49-50) "And the children of Israel gave a portion to Joshua the son of Nun in their midst. By word of the L-rd they gave him the city that he asked for, Timnath Serach." ⁴(Bamidbar 26:55) "By the names of the tribes of their fathers": to exclude proselytes and bondsmen. (56) "between the large and the small": We are hereby apprised that Eretz Yisrael was apportioned by estimate — beth-kor (a large measure [of relatively inferior land]) against a beth-sa'ah (a small measure [of relatively superior land]) and vice versa.