פנחס, רביעי

כן בנות צלפחד דברת. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, "יָאוּת" — כָּךְ כְּתוּבָה פָרָשָׁה זוֹ לְפָנַי בַּמָּרוֹם, מַגִּיד שֶׁרָאֲתָה עֵינָן מַה שֶּׁלֹּא רָאֲתָה עֵינוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה (תנחומא):

Tzelofchad’s daughters speak justly. As Targum renders, יָאוּת, “correctly.” This chapter is just so inscribed before Me on high. This teaches that their eye discerned what Moshe’s did not.

כן בנות צלפחד דברת. יָפֶה תָּבְעוּ, אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם שֶׁהַקָּבָּ"ה מוֹדֶה לִדְבָרָיו (ספרי):

Tzelofchad’s daughters speak justly. Their claim was proper. Fortunate is the person with whom the Holy One, Blessed is He, concurs with his words.

נתן תתן. שְׁנֵי חֲלָקִים, חֵלֶק אֲבִיהֶן שֶׁהָיָה מִיּוֹצְאֵי מִצְרַיִם, וְחֶלְקוֹ עִם אֶחָיו בְּנִכְסֵי חֵפֶר (בבא בתרא קי"ח):

Give [lit. Give, you shall give]. Two portions. The portion of their father, who was among those who left Egypt, and his portion with his brothers, in the property of Cheifer.

והעברת. לְשׁוֹן עֶבְרָה הוּא בְּמִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַנִּיחַ בֵּן לְיָרְשׁוֹ. דָּ"אַ — עַל שֵׁם שֶׁהַבַּת מַעֲבֶרֶת נַחֲלָה מִשֵּׁבֶט לְשֵׁבֶט, שֶׁבְּנָהּ וּבַעְלָהּ יוֹרְשִׁין אוֹתָהּ — שֶׁ"לֹא תִסֹּב נַחֲלָה" (במדבר ל"ו) לֹא נִצְטַוָּה אֶלָּא לְאוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר בִּלְבַד (בבא בתרא ק"כ) — וְכֵן וְהַעֲבַרְתֶּם אֶת נַחֲלָתוֹ לְבִתּוֹ, בְּכֻלָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר "וּנְתַתֶּם" וּבַבַּת הוּא אוֹמֵר "וְהַעֲבַרְתֶּם":

Transfer. The word הַעֲבַרְתָּ denotes transference (anger), when someone does not leave a son to inherit him. Another interpretation: Because a daughter transfers the inheritance from tribe to tribe, as her son or husband inherit her. The prohibition against transferring an inheritance was placed only on that generation. Similarly, “his hereditary property shall be transferred to his daughter.” With all of them, it says “give,” but with the daughter, it says “transfer.”

לשארו הקרב אליו ממשפחתו. וְאֵין מִשְׁפָּחָה קְרוּיָה אֶלָּא מִצַּד הָאָב (שם ק"ט):

The the relative closest to him in his family. Nothing constitutes family except from the father’s side.

עלה אל הר העברים. לָמָּה נִסְמְכָה לְכָאן? כֵּיוָן שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּבָּ"ה נָתֹן תִּתֵּן לָהֶם, אָמַר אוֹתִי צִוָּה הַמָּקוֹם לְהַנְחִיל, שֶׁמָּא הֻתְּרָה הַגְּזֵרָה וְאֶכָּנֵס לָאָרֶץ? אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּבָּ"ה גְּזֵרָתִי בִּמְקוֹמָהּ עוֹמֶדֶת. דָּ"אַ — כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּכְנַס מֹשֶׁה לְנַחֲלַת בְּנֵי גָד וּבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן שָׂמַח וְאָמַר, כִּמְדֻמֶּה שֶׁהֻתַּר לִי נִדְרִי; מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁגָּזַר עַל בְּנוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנֵס לְפֶתַח פָּלָטִין שֶׁלּוֹ, נִכְנַס לַשַּׁעַר וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו, לֶחָצֵר וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו, לַטְּרַקְלִין וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו, כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּא לִכָּנֵס לַקִּיטוֹן, אָמַר לוֹ בְּנִי מִכָּאן וָאֵילָךְ אַתָּה אָסוּר לִכָּנֵס (ספרי):

Go up this Avarim Mountain. Why is this placed here? When the Holy One, Blessed is He, said [to Moshe], “give them. . .,” he said, ‘God commanded me to give them the hereditary property. Perhaps the decree was abrogated, and I may enter the land.’ The Holy One, Blessed is He, said to him, “My decree remains in place.” Another interpretation: When Moshe entered the inheritance given to the sons of Gad and Reuven, he rejoiced, and said, ‘It seems that the vow regarding me was abrogated.’ This is comparable to a king who decreed that his son could not enter the doorway to his palace. He [the King] entered the gateway, and he [the son] followed, [he entered] the courtyard, and he followed, [he entered] the anteroom, and he followed. When he was about to enter the chamber, he [the king] said to him, ‘My son, from here and onward, you are forbidden to enter.’

כאשר נאסף אהרן אחיך. מִכָּאן שֶׁנִּתְאַוָּה מֹשֶׁה לְמִיתָתוֹ שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן (שם); דָּ"אַ — אֵין אַתָּה טוֹב מִמֶּנּוּ, "עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא קִדַּשְׁתֶּם" (דברים לב, נא), הָא אִם קִדַּשְׁתֶּם אוֹתִי עֲדַיִן לֹא הִגִּיעַ זְמַנְכֶם לְהִפָּטֵר (שם); בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁכָּתַב מִיתָתָם כָּתַב סֻרְחָנָם, לְפִי שֶׁנִּגְזְרָה גְזֵרָה עַל דּוֹר הַמִּדְבָּר לָמוּת בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּעָוֹן שֶׁלֹּא הֶאֱמִינוּ, לְכָךְ בִּקֵּשׁ מֹשֶׁה שֶׁיִּכָּתֵב סֻרְחָנוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ אַף הוּא מִן הַמַּמְרִים הָיָה, מָשָׁל לִשְׁתֵּי נָשִׁים שֶׁלּוֹקוֹת בְּבֵית דִּין, אַחַת קִלְקְלָה וְאַחַת אָכְלָה פַגֵּי שְׁבִיעִית וְכוּ', אַף כָּאן בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁהִזְכִּיר מִיתָתָן הִזְכִּיר סֻרְחָנָן, לְהוֹדִיעַ שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה בָהֶם אֶלָּא זוֹ בִּלְבַד (יומא פ"ו):

As your brother Aharon was gathered. From here we derive that Moshe yearned for a death such as Aharon’s. Another interpretation: You are no better than he. “Because you did not sanctify. . .” But if you had sanctified Me, your time would not yet have arrived, for passing from the world. Wherever their death is mentioned, their iniquity is mentioned, because it was decreed that the generation of the wilderness would die in the wilderness, for their sin of not having faith. Moshe, therefore, requested that his iniquity be mentioned, so that it would not be said that he, too, was among those who rebelled. This is comparable to two women who were punished by the court, one for degenerate behavior, the other for eating unripened Shmittah produce, etc. Here, too, wherever their death is mentioned, their iniquity is mentioned, to make it known that there was nothing [sinful] about them but this.

הם מי מריבת קדש. הֵם לְבַדָּם — אֵין בָּהֶם עָוֹן אַחֵר; דָּ"אַ — הֵם שֶׁהִמְרוּ בְמָרָה, הֵם הָיוּ שֶׁהִמְרוּ בְיַם סוּף, הֵם עַצְמָם שֶׁהִמְרוּ בְמִדְבַּר צִן:

Those were the waters of dispute at Kadeish. Those alone — they had no other sins. Another interpretation: Those of the rebellion at Marah were the same as those of the rebellion at the Reed Sea, and the very same as those of the rebellion at the desert of Tzin.

וידבר משה אל ה' וגו'. לְהוֹדִיעַ שִׁבְחָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים, כְּשֶׁנִּפְטָרִים מִן הָעוֹלָם מַנִּיחִים צָרְכָּן, וְעוֹסְקִין בְּצָרְכֵי צִבּוּר (ספרי):

Moshe spoke to Adonoy, etc. To make the virtue of the righteous known — when they pass from the world, they ignore their own needs, and concern themselves with the needs of the community.

לאמר. אָמַר לוֹ, הֲשִׁיבֵנִי אִם אַתָּה מְמַנֶּה לָהֶם פַּרְנָס אִם לָאו (שם):

Saying. He said to Him, ‘answer me. Will You appoint a leader over them or not.’

יפקד ה'. כֵּיוָן שֶׁשָּׁמַע מֹשֶׁה שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ הַמָּקוֹם תֵּן נַחֲלַת צְלָפְחָד לִבְנוֹתָיו, אָמַר הִגִּיעַ שָׁעָה שֶׁאֶתְבַּע צָרְכִּי — שֶׁיִּירְשׁוּ בָּנַי אֶת גְּדֻלָּתִי, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּבָּ"ה לֹא כָךְ עָלְתָה בְמַחֲשָׁבָה לְפָנַי, כְּדַאי הוּא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לִטֹּל שְׂכַר שִׁמּוּשׁוֹ שֶׁלֹּא מָשׁ מִתּוֹךְ הָאֹהֶל (שמות ל״ג:י״א), וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה (משלי כ"ז) "נוֹצֵר תְּאֵנָה יֹאכַל פִּרְיָהּ" (תנחומא):

Let Adonoy . . . appoint. When Moshe heard the Omnipresent say to him, ‘give Tzelofchad’s inheritance to his daughters,’ he said, ‘The time has come for me to ask for a personal request — that my sons may inherit my position of leadership.’ The Holy One, Blessed is He said to him, ‘That is not My intention. Yehoshua is worthy of being rewarded for his service, as he never moved from the tent. This is [the meaning of] Shlomo’s statement, “he who keeps watch over the fig tree shall eat its fruit.”

אלהי הרוחת. לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר? אָמַר לְפָנָיו, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, גָּלוּי לְפָנֶיךָ דַּעְתּוֹ שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד, וְאֵינָן דּוֹמִין זֶה לָזֶה, מַנֵּה עֲלֵיהֶם מַנְהִיג שֶׁיְּהֵא סוֹבֵל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לְפִי דַעְתּוֹ (ילקוט שמעוני):

God of the spirits. Why was this said? He said before Him: “Master of the universe, the thought of every individual is known before you, each dissimilar to the other’s. Appoint a leader over them who will exercise forbearance with each of them according to his intellect.”

אשר יצא לפניהם. לֹא כְדֶרֶךְ מַלְכֵי הָאֻמּוֹת שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִים בְּבָתֵּיהֶם וּמְשַׁלְּחִין אֶת חַיָּלוֹתֵיהֶם לַמִּלְחָמָה, אֶלָּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשִׂיתִי אֲנִי, שֶׁנִּלְחַמְתִּי בְסִיחוֹן וּבְעוֹג, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כ"א) "אַל תִּירָא אֹתוֹ", וּכְדֶרֶךְ שֶׁעָשָׂה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַיֵּלֶךְ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֵלָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הֲלָנוּ אַתָּה" וְגוֹ' (יהושע ה'), וְכֵן בְּדָוִד הוּא אוֹמֵר (שמואל א י"ח) "כִּי הוּא יוֹצֵא וָבָא לִפְנֵיהֶם" — יוֹצֵא בָּרֹאשׁ וְנִכְנָס בָּרֹאשׁ (ספרי):

Who will go forth before them. Unlike the approach of the gentile kings, who stay at home and dispatch their armies to war. Rather, as I did, when I battled Sichon and Og, as it is said, “do not fear him,” and the way Yehoshua acted, as it is said, “Yehoshua went to him and said to him, ‘are you ours, etc.”’ Similarly, with David, it says, “for he goes forth and comes before them.” He goes forth at their head, and enters at their head.

ואשר יוציאם. בִּזְכֻיּוֹתָיו:

Who will lead them out. With his merit.

ואשר יביאם. בִּזְכֻיּוֹתָיו. דָּ"אַ — ואשר יביאם, שֶׁלֹּא תַעֲשֶׂה לוֹ כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁאַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה לִּי, שֶׁאֵינִי מַכְנִיסָן לָאָרֶץ (ילקוט שמעוני):

And bring them in. With his merit. Another interpretation of “and bring them in”: That You will not treat him the way You treat me — for I will not bring them into the land.

קח לך. קָחֶנּוּ בִּדְבָרִים — אַשְׁרֶיךָ שֶׁזָּכִיתָ לְהַנְהִיג בָּנָיו שֶׁל מָקוֹם:

Take to yourself. Take him with words of persuasion — you are fortunate to merit leading the children of the Omnipresent.

לך. אֶת שֶׁבָּדוּק לְךָ, אֶת שֶׁאַתָּה מַכִּיר:

Yourself. Someone scrutinized by you, one whom you recognize.

אשר רוח בו. כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁאַלְתָּ, שֶׁיּוּכַל לַהֲלֹךְ כְּנֶגֶד רוּחוֹ שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד (ספרי):

In whom there is spirit. As you requested, capable of accommodating everyone’s spirit.

וסמכת את ידך עליו. תֵּן לוֹ מְתֻרְגְּמָן שֶׁיִּדְרֹשׁ בְּחַיֶּיךָ, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ עָלָיו, לֹא הָיָה לוֹ לְהָרִים רֹאשׁ בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה:

And lay your hand on him. Provide a public announcer for him in order that he might preach during your lifetime, so that it should not be said of him that he was unable to lift his head in Moshe’s day.

וצויתה אתו. עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, דַּע שֶׁטַּרְחָנִין הֵם, סַרְבָנִים הֵם, עַל מְנָת שֶׁתְּקַבֵּל עָלֶיךָ (ספרי במדבר י"א):

And command him. Concerning the Bnei Yisroel. Know that they are tedious and recalcitrant — [your appointment is] on condition that you accept this.

ונתתה מהודך עליו. זֶה קֵרוּן עוֹר פָּנִים:

Bestow some of your radiance on him. This refers to radiance of the facial skin.

מהודך. וְלֹא כָּל הוֹדְךָ, וּמָצִינוּ לְמֵדִין פְּנֵי מֹשֶׁה כַּחַמָּה פְּנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כַּלְּבָנָה (ספרי; בבא בתרא ע"ה):

Some of your radiance. But not all your radiance. Hence we learn that the face of Moshe was like the sun, the face of Yehoshua like the moon.

למען ישמעו כל עדת בני ישראל. שֶׁיִּהְיוּ נוֹהֲגִין בּוֹ כָּבוֹד וְיִרְאָה, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁנּוֹהֲגִין בְּךָ:

So that the entire community of Bnei Yisroel will hear. They will treat him with reverence and awe, the way they treat you.

ולפני אלעזר הכהן יעמד. הֲרֵי שְׁאֵלָתְךָ שֶׁשָּׁאַלְתָּ, שֶׁאֵין הַכָּבוֹד הַזֶּה זָז מִבֵּית אָבִיךָ, שֶׁאַף יְהוֹשֻׁעַ יְהֵא צָרִיךְ לְאֶלְעָזָר (תנחומא):

He shall stand before Elozor the kohein. Here is [the reply to] your request — this glory will not be removed from your father’s house, as Yehoshua, too, will depend on the affirmation of Elozor.

ושאל לו. כְּשֶׁיִּצְטָרֵךְ לָצֵאת לַמִּלְחָמָה:

And ask, of him. When he needs to go to war.

על פיו. שֶׁל אֶלְעָזָר:

By his word. [the word] of Elozor.

וכל העדה. סַנְהֶדְרִין:

And the entire community. The Sanhedrin.

ויקח את יהושע. לְקָחוֹ בִדְבָרִים וְהוֹדִיעוֹ מַתַּן שְׂכַר פַּרְנְסֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא (ספרי):

He took Yehoshua. He persuaded him, verbally, informing him of the reward for the leaders of Klal Yisroel in the World to Come.

ויסמך את ידיו. בְּעַיִן יָפָה, יוֹתֵר וְיוֹתֵר מִמַּה שֶּׁנִּצְטַוָּה, שֶׁהַקָּבָּ"ה אָמַר לוֹ "וְסָמַכְתָּ אֶת יָדְךָ", וְהוּא עָשָׂה בִּשְׁתֵּי יָדָיו, וַעֲשָׂאוֹ כִכְלִי מָלֵא וְגָדוּשׁ, וּמִלְּאוֹ חָכְמָתוֹ בְּעַיִן יָפָה (שם):

He laid his hands. Generously, over and above what he had been commanded. For the Holy One, Blessed is He, said to him, “lay your hand,” but he used both hands. He fashioned him like a vessel filled to overflowing, filling him generously with his wisdom.

כאשר דבר ה'. אַף לְעִנְיַן הַהוֹד — נָתַן מֵהוֹדוֹ עָלָיו:

As Adonoy had commanded. also regarding the radiance — He bestowed some of his radiance on him.