The Dead Inherit the Living and the Daughters of Zelophehad

It is taught: Rabbi Yoshiyah says, the Land was apportioned to those who came out of Egypt, as it says, "according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit" (Numbers 26:55). What does "to these the Land shall be divided" teach? On account of the women and the minors. Rabbi Yonatan says: the Land was apportioned to those who entered the Land, as it says, "these are the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand" - "to these the Land shall be divided." What does "according to the names of the tribes of their fathers" teach? Scripture made this inheritance different from all inheritances in the Torah, for in all inheritances the living inherit the dead, but here the dead inherit the living. Rabbi says: To what is the matter comparable? To two priestly brothers in a city, one with a single son and one with three sons. They went to the threshing floor; this one took one se'ah and those took three se'ah, and they brought it to their father, then returned and divided it equally. So too with those who entered the Land: this one took a field of one se'ah and those a field of one se'ah, and they bequeathed to their fathers, the dead inherited the living, and then they divided equally. Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Shimon says: this one took his portion and his father's portion, and that one took his portion and his father's portion - thus "to these the Land shall be divided" is upheld, and "according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit" is upheld. So if a man came out of Egypt with ten sons and at the entry to the Land he had five sons, I apply to him "to the few you shall lessen his inheritance" (Numbers 26:54). And if a man came out with five sons and at the entry he had ten, I apply to him "to the many you shall increase his inheritance." When the daughters of Zelophehad saw that the Land was being apportioned to males and not to females, they all gathered together to take counsel. They said: the compassion of flesh and blood is not like the compassion of the Omnipresent. The compassion of flesh and blood favors males over females, but the One who spoke and the world came into being is not so; His compassion is upon males, upon females, and upon all, as it says, "He gives bread to all flesh" (Psalms 136:25), giving to the beast its food, and it says, "The LORD is good to all, and His compassion is over all His works" (Psalms 145:9). "And the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher son of Gilead drew near" (Numbers 27:1) - Scripture traces their lineage in praise: this is a righteous person, child of a righteous person. And anyone whose deeds are concealed and whose ancestors' deeds are concealed, yet Scripture traces his lineage in blame, is wicked, child of the wicked. "Son of Manasseh son of Joseph" - just as Joseph cherished the Land of Israel, so there came from him those who cherished the Land of Israel. "Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah" (Numbers 27:1) - is whoever comes first in the verse first in deed? Scripture says, "And Mahlah, Tirzah" (Numbers 36:11), telling that they were equally weighed against one another. Rabbi Natan says: the strength of women is greater than the strength of men. The men said, "Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt" (Numbers 14:4), but the women said, "Give us a possession" (Numbers 27:4).