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].’”
דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיַּקְרֵב מֹשֶׁה אֶת מִשְׁפָּטָן. רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ אָמַר, יוֹדֵעַ הָיָה מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ אֶת הַדִּין הַזֶּה, אֶלָּא בָּאוּ לִפְנֵי שָׂרֵי עֲשָׂרוֹת תְּחִלָּה. אָמְרוּ לָהֶן, דִּין שֶׁל נַחֲלָה הוּא וְאֵין זֶה שֶׁלָּנוּ אֶלָּא שֶׁל גְּדוֹלִים מִמֶּנּוּ. בָּאוּ אֵצֶל שָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים. רָאוּ שֶׁכִּבְּדוּ אוֹתָם שָׂרֵי עֲשָׂרוֹת, אָמְרוּ שָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים, אַף אָנוּ יֵשׁ גְּדוֹלִים מִמֶּנּוּ. וְכֵן לְשָׂרֵי מֵאוֹת, וְכֵן לְשָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים, וְכֵן לַנְּשִׂיאִים, הֵשִׁיבוּ כֻּלָּן כָּעִנְיָן הַזֶּה, שֶׁלֹּא רָצוּ לִפְתֹּחַ פֶּה לִפְנֵי מִי שֶׁגָּדוֹל מֵהֶם. הָלְכוּ לִפְנֵי אֶלְעָזָר. אָמַר לָהֶם: הֲרֵי מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ. בָּאוּ אֵלּוּ וְאֵלּוּ לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה. רָאָה מֹשֶׁה שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד כִּבֵּד אֶת מִי שֶׁגָּדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ. אָמַר מֹשֶׁה, אוֹמַר לָהֶם אֶת הַדִּין וְאֶטֹּל אֶת גְּדֻלָּתָם. אָמַר לָהֶם: אַף אֲנִי יֵשׁ גָּדוֹל מִמֶּנִּי. לְפִיכָךְ, וַיַּקְרֵב מֹשֶׁה. הֱשִׁיבוֹ, כֵּן בְּנוֹת צְלָפְחָד דּוֹבְרוֹת, שֶׁהוֹדָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא דִּבּוּרָן. נָתֹן תִּתֵּן לָהֶן, מִטַּלְטְלִין וּבְכוֹרַת אֲבִיהֶם בְּנִכְסֵי חֵפֶר. נָטְלוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה חֲלָקִים, חֵלֶק אֲבִיהֶן שֶׁהָיָה מִיּוֹצְאֵי מִצְרִים, וְחֶלְקוֹ עִם אֶחָיו בְּנִכְסֵי חֵפֶר, וְעַל שֶׁהָיָה בְּכוֹר נָטַל פִּי שְׁנַיִם. דָּבָר אַחֵר, נָתֹן תִּתֵּן לָהֶם. שֶׁנָּטְלוּ בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן וְקָרְבוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַתִּקְרַבְנָה לִפְנֵי אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן וְלִפְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן (יהושע יז, ד). וְאַף יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ רָאָה שֶׁנּוֹטְלוֹת מִכָּאן וּמִכָּאן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בָּנוֹת צָעֲדָה עֲלֵי שׁוּר (בראשית מט, כב), זֶה הַיַּרְדֵּן שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה כְּחוֹמָה, שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנֵס לָאָרֶץ. וְאָמַר לוֹ יַעֲקֹב לְיוֹסֵף, בְּנוֹתֶיךָ נוֹטְלוֹת כָּאן וְכָאן. וְהֶעֱבַרְתָּ אֶת נַחֲלַת אֲבִיהֶם לָהֶם. וְאוֹמֵר בַּיְרֻשָּׁה, וּנְתַתֶּם. וּבַבַּת, וְהֶעֱבַרְתֶּם, שֶׁמַּעֲבֶרֶת נַחֲלָה מִשֵּׁבֶט לְשֵׁבֶט. וְהָיְתָה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְחֻקַּת מִשְׁפָּט. מְלַמֵּד, שֶׁהַנַּחֲלוֹת יוֹצְאִין בְּדַיָּינִין. וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה עֲלֵה אֶל הַר הָעֲבָרִים הַזֶּה. מָה רָאָה לִכָּתֵב זֶה אַחַר פָּרָשַׁת נַחֲלוֹת. אֶלָּא שֶׁשָּׁמַע מֹשֶׁה, נָתֹן תִּתֵּן לָהֶם, וְהָיָה סָבוּר שֶׁנִּתְרַצָּה לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. אָמַר הֲרֵינִי נִכְנַס אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, גְּזֵרָתִי בִּמְקוֹמָהּ עוֹמֶדֶת. עֲלֵה אֶל הַר הָעֲבָרִים הַזֶּה, וְרָאִיתָ אוֹתָהּ וְנֶאֱסַפְתָּ אֶל עַמֶּךָ וְגוֹ', אֵין אַתָּה יָפֶה מֵאָחִיךָ.
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].’”