Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”LTo sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email itistaught@gmail.comInheritance. Moshe Is to Ascend. Yehoshua Appointed.Laws of Inheritance for a Man Who Had No SonsG-d tells Moshe that the daughters of Zelophchad spoke correctly* and that they most definitely should be given a portion of land as an inheritance from their father. These daughters were privy to seeing an aspect of this law which Moshe did not.In fact, G-d says, they should be given two portions of land - one from their father who was amongst those who left Egypt and one from his brothers.*Side note: Rashi quotes Sifrei 134 in their praise which states "Fortunate is the one who G-d confirms what he says."G-d also tells Moshe to relay to the rest of the Israelites these general rules regarding a man who passes away and leaves no sons behind. In such a case, his inheritance should go to his daughters. If he doesn't have any daughters, it should be given to his brothers. If he doesn't have any brothers, it should be given to his father's brothers. And if his father does not have any brothers, it should be given to the closest relative on his father's side.Moshe's False HopeSince G-d commanded Moshe to apportion the land for when they enter Israel, Moshe became joyous as he was hopeful that perhaps this meant that G-d had rescinded the decree against him not entering the land. Moshe may also have thought that he was now allowed to enter the land since he did enter into land that was part of Gad and Reuven's portion (however this land was not part of Israel proper).However by juxtaposing the laws of inheritance with the upcoming section regarding Moshe ascending the mountain to prepare for his death, this was G-d's way of stating that His decree stands.Rashi likens Moshe entering into the territory of Gad and Reuven to a king who forbids his son from entering into the palace. The king enters into the palace gates and the son follows. The king then enters into the palace courtyard and the son follows. The king then enters the reception room and once again the son follows. The king then enters into his bedroom and tells his son that from here on he is forbidden entry.G-d Tells Moshe to Ascend the MountainG-d tells Moshe to ascend the Avarim mountain and see the land G-d is giving to the Israelites. And then he is to be brought to his people and to die as Aaron did because of the sin involving the sanctification of G-d's name in the desert of Zin with the rock.Moshe's death was likened to that of Aarons as that was what Moshe desired. Or another explanation was that this was G-d's way of saying that Moshe was not any better than Aaron and that they both died for neglecting to sanctify G-d's name and if they would have sanctified His name they would have lived for much longer.Wherever Moshe and Aaron's death is mentioned, so is their sin. This might seem like a negative thing however it is actually in their praise. It is to illustrate that 1)They were not part of the group who were decreed to die in the desert as a result of the sin of the spies as they did not participate in that. Also 2)It is to emphasize that this was the only sin they were guilty of their whole life. Rashi relates a tale of two women who were lashed in court that is brought down in Yoma 86b. One of them was being judged for acting immodestly and the second one for the relatively minor sin of eating from the fruits of the seventh year (the fruits of the seventh year are not meant to be destroyed and eating them is considered destroying them). To separate between herself and the immodest woman (i.e. to show the minor nature of her crime), the one who ate the fruit wished for her sin to be stated.Chumash refers to the waters at the rock where they sinned as being "The Waters of the Strife of Kadesh". Although this was their only sin, it was what led to the Israelites rebelling at Marah and at the Sea of Reeds (where they didn't trust that the Egyptians drowned in the sea and thought they might have emerged on the other side the way the Israelites emerged). Also, since the Israelites were already shown to be wanting in their faith regarding water, Moshe should have been extra careful to sanctify G-d's name in this regard.Moshe, being the holy man that he was, turned his attention away from personal thoughts regarding his passing and concerned himself with what would happen to the nation after he died. Moshe asked G-d to appoint a leader over Israel who can deal with each individual in accordance with their personality.Transmission of Leadership to YehoshuaMoshe ...
