I heard from R’ Shragi Kallus shlita another answer to the above question. Before we bring the answer, I would like to ask the question the way he did. He asked: If one would find out that he has the rights to a big plot of land in Tel Aviv, which he inherited from a rich grandfather who lived in Tel Aviv, would he not be desperate to claim it? It’s worth a lot, why wouldn’t he. If so, what is the proof that the daughters of Tzelafchad loved Eretz Yisroel, perhaps they were simply interested in the land. Yosef who was concerned that his bones get buried there showed a love for the Land, but where do we see that the daughters of Tzelafchad had a love for the land of Eretz Yisroel, perhaps they simply were interested in the monetary aspect of it?
R' Kallus related that he heard this question from R’ Aharon Leib Shteinman. R’ Shteinman answered: “The story doesn’t make the man; the man makes the story”.
What does this mean? The best way to understand this is with the following two stories:
Story #1
There was once a man who was a complete drunkard, and he spent his entire life drinking. One day he drank to much and he was about to die.
In those days they never had fancy carpet or tiles, and the floor of a house was normally made of dirt. This had a number of advantages. One such advantage was that they could store potatoes in the dirt, and it would keep them fresh. However, it was important for them to be kept dry.
As the drunkard in our story was about to die and his family were gathered around him, he uttered his final words and said, “don’t let them do the taharah [a process done to a dead body, which involves pouring water over the body] in the house, the water will splash on the floor, and it will ruin the potatoes.”
What a drunkard, he spent his entire life drinking, and he is about to go to the Oilam HaEmes, and his entire family is gathered around him. We would expect that at least his final words would be something of value, yet all he cares about is money, money, money. What a stupid drunkard.
Story #2
There was once a great Jew called R’ Yisroel Salanter, he was like a maloch. He excelled in Torah, yirah, avodah, in bein adam l’Makom, in bein adam lechaveiro, eventually it came time for him to go to the Oilam HaEmes.
In those days they never had fancy carpet or tiles, and the floor of a house was normally made of dirt. This had a number of advantages. One such advantage was that they could store potatoes in the dirt, and it would keep them fresh. However, it was important for them to be kept dry.
He was on his deathbed, he finished saying viduy and the final words that he said were: “Don’t let them do the taharah in the house, the water will splash on the floor, and it will ruin the potatoes”. We see how amazing R’ Yisroel Salanter was, even on his deathbed he didn’t want someone else to have to suffer, and he made sure that another person potatoes wouldn’t get wet. Wow, such a holy Yid!
We just said the same story twice, yet each time it had an entirely different meaning. In the story with R’ Yisroel it brought out his anivus [humility], it brought out how all he ever cared about was another Yid. Yet, in the story with the drunkard, it just highlighted his stupidity. How are we to understand this? The answer is like R’ Shteinman said, “the story doesn’t make the man, the man makes the story”.
Therefore, R’ Yisroel Salanter who was a holy Yid, it highlighted his greatness. Whereas in the drunkard’s case, who wasted his life, it simply highlighted his stupidity.
Back to our original question about the daughters of Tzelafchad. We know that they were special, therefore, when they wanted land in Eretz Yisroel, it must have been for a positive reason. However, in the case of inheriting land in Tel Aviv, we are dealing with an ordinary person, therefore, all we see is money, money, money.
