Lizchus Avi Mori Vi-Imi Morasi
Lizchus Moshe Yehuda ben Pesha Dina, Jonathan Hanus
Li-rfuas HaRav Dovid Henach Mordechai ben Freeda Simcha bisoch שח"י
וּבְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ לֹא־הָ֣יָה אִ֔ישׁ מִפְּקוּדֵ֣י משֶׁ֔ה וְאַֽהֲרֹ֖ן הַכֹּהֵ֑ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר פָּֽקְד֛וּ אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי:
Among these there was no man who had been [included] in the census of Moshe and Aharon when they counted the children of Israel in the Sinai desert. [26-64]
רש"י - ובאלה לא היה איש וגו': אבל על הנשים לא נגזרה גזרת המרגלים, לפי שהן היו מחבבות את הארץ. האנשים אומרים (במדבר יד ד) נתנה ראש ונשובה מצרימה, והנשים אומרות (במדבר כז, ד) תנה לנו אחוזה. לכך נסמכה פרשת בנות צלפחד לכאן:
Rashi: Among these there was no man…: But the women were not included in the decree [enacted in the aftermath] of the spies, for they cherished the Land. The men said, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt!” (14:4), whereas the women said,“Give us a portion” (27:4). This is why the passage of Tzlophchad’s daughters follows here. — [Mid. Tanchuma Pinchas 7]
THE DIFFICULTIES
This is difficult because Rashi writes [27-1]:
למשפחת מנשה בן יוסף: למה נאמר, והלא כבר נאמר בן מנשה, אלא לומר לך יוסף חבב את הארץ, שנאמר (בראשית נ כה) והעליתם את עצמותי וגו', ובנותיו חבבו את הארץ, שנאמר (במדבר כז, ד) תנה לנו אחוזה.
of the families of Menashe the son of Yosef: Why is this said? Has it not already said, “the son of Menashe”? But to inform you that Joseph cherished the Land, as it says, “and you shall bring up my bones… ” (Exod. 13:19), and his daughters cherished the Land, as it says, “Give us a portion” (verse 4) (Sifrei Pinchas 10)
So we see that it is because they were descended from Yosef that the women loved E.Y and not all the women as Rashi said earlier. So which on is it?
Also, if it was because of Yosef then why only the women and not the men who were descended from Yosef?
Another question: How does the fact that Yosef wanted to be buried in E.Y. prove that he loved the land? Being buried in E.Y. gives one Kappara, and we find that the Gemara relates to Yosef the idea that he wanted to be buried in E.Y. because he was concerned he might not roll back into E.Y. if he is buried in חו"ל [see Ksubos 111a]. So it is not about the love of the Land [as Rashi says] but about the great benefits of being buried there?!
Not only that, but we find that all of the sons of Yaakov had their bones brought to E.Y. for burial [Rashi Beshalach 13-19], so what was so special about Bnei Menashe who love E.Y. because of Yosef?
THE RESOLUTION
It would seem that the love of the land and the desire to be buried there is either because of Hashem's command to inherit the Land as we had when we left Egypt and were told that we are going to E.Y. or because a person loves the Land itself [there are numerous sources that teach that one must LOVE E.Y. that we wrote about elsewhere]. The request of the Bnos Tzlafchad for a portion in the Land was because they loved the Land [reason #2], which is why they wanted a part of it. If it is just a matter of the command of Hashem to go there, then why would that dictate that they get a portion in the land? So in fact ALL the women loved E.Y. for the first reason and that is why they weren't included in the decree of the Meraglim but the second type of love was unique to the tribe of Yosef. That is why Rashi emphasized the that they wanted a portion in the Land which indicates the 2nd type of love that came from Yosef.
However it would appear that that without the first type of love which is because of Hashem's command to inherit the land then the second type of love would not have helped. That is why the men of Yosef didn't display love of the land. Against that love was the claim "נשינו וטפינו יהיו לבז" - our wives and children will be looted, and that outweighed any natural, positive feelings they had for the Land. So it must be that the ladies had a foundational love of the Land because Hashem commanded it to us and that outweighed the fear of "נשינו וטפינו יהיו לבז". On that, the first Rashi we quoted wrote that the women had love of the Land which excluded them from the decree to die in the desert. If not for that they wouldn't have had enough love to remain for the Land itself [the second type of love] for which they requested a portion. So the two Rashi's are not only not contradictory but complimentary. The women needed both types of love. The first type to save from the decree to die in the desert after the incident with the Meraglim [which all women had] and the second type to request a portion in the Land [which was unique to the tribe of Yosef].
More to come בל"נ!!
