Following the second and final census of Bnei Yisrael conducted in the desert, our Parsha deals with how the land of Eretz Yisrael was to be divided, by lottery, among the tribes and families of the nation. It is this topic I would like to focus on. Given the topic’s breadth and depth, it will carry us into next week’s shiur as well, B’ezrat Hashem, where we find the start of the execution of the commands issued this week. Next week, we’ll read who represented each tribe in the process, new names we’ve yet to meet in the Torah.
Immediately following the plague that came as a result of intermingling with the daughters of Moav, Moshe and Elazar were commanded to count Bnei Yisrael. The total number of men between the ages of twenty and sixty was 601,730. Then it came time for the apportioning of the land:
לָאֵלֶּה תֵּחָלֵק הָאָרֶץ בְּנַחֲלָה בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת׃
The land shall be apportioned among these, as an inheritance according to the number of names.
It was to the aforementioned members of Bnei Yisrael, in the census, that the land of Eretz Yisrael was to be divided. Rashi points out, based on the Gemara (Bava Batra 117a), that it was not to be allocated to anyone less than twenty years old at that time, even though they would eventually be included among those who were twenty years old when the allocation took effect – i.e., after seven years of conquering the land and seven years of its allocation. Anyone aged six to nineteen when the command was issued on the doorstep of Eretz Yisrael would not receive their own allotment, as they were not twenty years of age at that time in the desert. The Kli Yakar suggests the second counting was not to confirm who would receive land and who would not, but rather to confirm that land would be received at all! It was meant to reassure Bnei Yisrael that they met the requisite number of shishim riboh – 600,000 – required to enter Eretz Yisrael. After a number of calamities, plagues, and punishments in the desert – where according to my calculations somewhere between 900,000 to 1,000,000 people died – there were fears that the population total had slipped below that threshold, and they’d be unable to enter. In fact, when Balak sought to curse Bnei Yisrael, he did not seek to eradicate them completely. Rather, he sought to reduce their number slightly, so they did not meet the entrance requirements: אוּלַי אוּכַל נַכֶּה־בּוֹ וַאֲגָרְשֶׁנּוּ מִן־הָאָרֶץ.
With regards to the allocation, we’re told of two criteria:
לָרַב תַּרְבֶּה נַחֲלָתוֹ וְלַמְעַט תַּמְעִית נַחֲלָתוֹ אִישׁ לְפִי פְקֻדָיו יֻתַּן נַחֲלָתוֹ׃ אַךְ־בְּגוֹרָל יֵחָלֵק אֶת־הָאָרֶץ לִשְׁמוֹת מַטּוֹת־אֲבֹתָם יִנְחָלוּ׃ עַל־פִּי הַגּוֹרָל תֵּחָלֵק נַחֲלָתוֹ בֵּין רַב לִמְעָט׃
To the large, increase their inheritance, and to the small, diminish their inheritance; each person, according to his number, shall be given his inheritance. Only by lot should the land be divided, according to the names of their fathers’ tribes should they inherit it. By word of the lottery should their inheritance be divided, with regard to whether they are many or few.
If the commandment was to allocate land according to the size of each tribe, then it seems the land’s allocation was not truly determined by lottery, and the instructions somewhat contradict one another. Therefore, there is clearly a deeper meaning to the lottery. Rashi once again quotes the Gemara (Bava Batra 122b) in explaining, and it is worthwhile to learn the full source and gain a complete picture here. Rashi says, each tribe received a portion of land relative to its size. As an example, a tribe or family with 50,000 people received a portion of land 50,000 dunam in size, whereas one with 35,000 people received 35,000 dunam. However, this process was done solely through Ruach Hakodesh and not through Moshe, Elazar, or the leaders taking out their spreadsheets and maps to figure out how everyone could be fit into the appropriate parcel of land. Elazar HaKohen wore the Urim v'Tumim, and through Ruach HaKodesh said, “If such-and-such a tribe comes up, such-and-such a territory shall come up with him.” There are several opinions as to the exact details of the process, but essentially, the names of the tribes were written on twelve wood tablets, and those of twelve districts on twelve other wood tablets, and these two sets of tablets, or lots, were mixed in a drum. The head of each tribe inserted his hand into the drum and pulled out two tablets, one bearing the name of his tribe and one bearing the name of the district declared by the Urim v’Tumim to be for his tribe. Not only that, but the lot itself would then speak the results aloud, “I, the lot of such-and-such tribe, have the such-and-such boundary,” as it is says: עַל פִּי הַגּוֹרָל – by the mouth (utterance) of the lot.
Rashi adds one more interesting factor. The land was not divided by measurement alone because one district was superior to another. Rather, it was divided by estimating its fertility, with a bad piece of land regarded as the equivalent of one-thirtieth of the good piece (or other ratios, based on differing opinions). As an example, one dunam in Raanana was considered equivalent to thirty dunams in Arad, whereby a tribe of 35,000 received 35,000 dunams in Raanana, and another tribe of the same size received 1,050,000 dunams in Arad. This was all determined by Shamayim, via the Urim v’Tumin.
Let’s now jump over the Gemara in Bava Batra to dive deeper into the subject and discover some pearls along with a major question:
וְלֹא נִתְחַלְּקָה אֶלָּא בְּגוֹרָל – שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: “אַךְ בְּגוֹרָל”. וְלֹא נִתְחַלְּקָה אֶלָּא בְּאוּרִים וְתוּמִּים – שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: “עַל פִּי הַגּוֹרָל”. הָא כֵּיצַד? אֶלְעָזָר מְלוּבָּשׁ אוּרִים וְתוּמִּים, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ וְכׇל יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹמְדִים לְפָנָיו; וְקַלְפִּי שֶׁל שְׁבָטִים וְקַלְפִּי שֶׁל תְּחוּמִין מוּנָּחִין לְפָנָיו; וְהָיָה מְכַוֵּין בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְאוֹמֵר: זְבוּלֻן עוֹלֶה, תְּחוּם עַכּוֹ עוֹלֶה עִמּוֹ. טָרַף בְּקַלְפִּי שֶׁל שְׁבָטִים – וְעָלָה בְּיָדוֹ זְבוּלֻן, טָרַף בְּקַלְפִּי שֶׁל תְּחוּמִין – וְעָלָה בְּיָדוֹ תְּחוּם עַכּוֹ. וְחוֹזֵר וּמְכַוֵּין בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְאוֹמֵר: נַפְתָּלִי עוֹלֶה, וּתְחוּם גִּינּוֹסַר עוֹלֶה עִמּוֹ. טָרַף בְּקַלְפִּי שֶׁל שְׁבָטִים – וְעָלָה בְּיָדוֹ נַפְתָּלִי, טָרַף בְּקַלְפִּי שֶׁל תְּחוּמִין – וְעָלָה בְּיָדוֹ תְּחוּם גִּינּוֹסַר. וְכֵן כׇּל שֵׁבֶט וָשֵׁבֶט.
The Gemara asks how the conflicting details are reconciled – one Pasuk indicates the land was divided by lottery and the other indicates it was divided with the Urim V’Tumim. The process is then explained, differing very slightly from Rashi’s account. Elazar wore the Urim V’Tumim while Yehoshua and the people stood before him, and two lottery receptacles, or drums were placed before him: one containing the names of the tribes and another with the names of the boundaries of the twelve different regions of Eretz Yisrael. Elazar would receive the name of the tribe through Ruach HaKodesh – via the Urim V’Tumim – and say: “The name of the tribe Zevulun will now emerge from the receptacle in the lottery.” After stating this, he would mix the lots in the receptacle of the tribes, reach in to select one, and the lot of Zevulun would emerge in his hand. He would then look back to the Urim V’Tumim for the allocation and declare: “The region whose boundary is Acco will now emerge from the receptacle,” following which he’d mix the lots in the receptacle of the boundaries and pull one out, and it would be the boundary of Acco that emerges in his hand. Elazar would then repeat this process and receive the assignments for all the tribes. Naftali would receive Gonosar, and so on. The Yerushalmi differs slightly, saying it was not Elazar who reached in to the two lottery drums to pull out lots, but rather two young Pirchei Kehuna – two young boys, pure and innocent, who could never be accused of circumventing the process for any ulterior motives. The Rashbam adds, through such a process, with the Urim v’Tumim and a voice of the lots, Bnei Yisrael knew the process was from Heaven and fair in nature. There was no bickering about the results and no accusations of proteksia.
I’d like to ask a very simple question at this point, but just before doing so, we’ll review one more text from Midrash Rabbah (21:9), also found in Midrash Tanchuma (Pinchas 6):
מִדְיָנִים יַשְׁבִּית הַגּוֹרָל.
The lot causes contentions to cease (Mishlei 18:18).
A lottery was needed so not to create machloket and dispute, with each tribe or family pointing to another and comparing who received what. When it comes to lotteries, all suspicion is removed, and everyone believes the lottery (and luck) is on their side. How do I know this? By the sheer number of people who buy lottery tickets! Isn’t that lottery ticket, or the many tickets bought together in a fancy envelope, a waste of money? Should the money not be given to tzedakah instead? “No, no, no. Hakadosh Baruch Hu knows exactly why I need it. Besides, I don’t need any of the winnings for myself. Even if I win the forty million, I only need a Tesla and villa for myself, and the rest is for family and friends and noble institutions all over. And even the Tesla and villa aren’t truly for me – I need them to drive others and to welcome in guests, naturally. I personally have no needs here, but it’s all for Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s sake. I’m just the distributor.” So, the lottery tickets are purchased and no doubt all the numerical values of Shem Hashem are selected. The numbers 15, 26 and 42 no doubt appear on all righteous tickets sold! If the person buying this ticket was certain it would result in nothing, they’d not waste even a shekel on it. But lotteries are on their side.
The same is true when inheritance is being fought over, and each child wants the same sections of property being handed down, believing they have unique rights to what they seek. I’ve seen parcels of land that sit untouched for generations, all because that original machloket as to who gets what still exists. And the dispute can’t even be resolved because the grandchildren don’t talk to one another. Instead of handing it down in a personalized manner and getting into such ugly and sticky predicaments, hold a lottery and let the lots decide! As Shlomo HaMelech said: בַּחֵיק יוּטַל אֶת־הַגּוֹרָל וּמֵה' כָּל־מִשְׁפָּטוֹ – The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole of its decision is from the Lord (Mishlei 16:33). Hold a lottery and have a rebbe with a long beard pull the lots and let Hakadosh Baruch Hu speak!
Of importance to our primary focus, the Midrash, in addressing why this was needed, points out that Yaacov Avinu had already allotted the land to each tribe:
מִדְיָנִים יַשְׁבִּית הַגּוֹרָל, לְפִי שֶׁכָּתַב סִימָן כָּל שֵׁבֶט וְשֵׁבֶט מִיַּעֲקֹב: זְבוּלֻן לְחֹף יַמִּים יִשְׁכֹּן: יִשָּׂשכָר רֹבֵץ בֵּין הַמִּשְׁפְּתָיִם: מֵאָשֵׁר שְׁמֵנָה לַחְמוֹ: אֵין לְךָ רְשׁוּת לְחַלֵּק אֶלָּא עַל פִּי הַגּוֹרָל.
“Casting lots may quiet contentions” – because he had written an indicator for each and every tribe, from Yaacov: “Zevulun shall dwell at the shore of seas”; “Yissachar… lying among the sheepfolds”; “from Asher, his bread is rich”; You have permission to distribute only by means of lots.
Back in Parshat Vayechi, it was already declared that Zevulun would reside on the coast – לְחֹף יַמִּים יִשְׁכֹּן. He didn’t know if it would be in Ashdod, Netanya, Haifa, or Acco, but the options were limited as they’d need to be right on the water. The same for Asher. Rashi says Asher needed to be in a location that produced oil – מֵאָשֵׁר שְׁמֵנָה לַחְמוֹ, so it was clear the lot on which was written “Bnei Brak” would not be pulled for Asher. Nothing grows or is produced in Bnei Brak! The Gemara says shemen was found in Tekoa, and from there we knew in advance what the results of the lottery would be. Naftali’s allotment was also known in advance, as we’re told by Rashi and the Midrash: נַפְתָּלִי אַיָּלָה שְׁלֻחָה – symbolic of the valley of Ginosar (Kinneret) which ripens its fruits very quickly, just as a deer runs rapidly. If each tribe knew its location based on the blessings of Yaacov Avinu, why was a Heavenly lottery required to produce the same results?
The Midrash continues:
וּמַעֲשֵׂה נִסִּים הָיָה בַּגּוֹרָל, אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן אַהֲרֹן מֻלְבָּשׁ אוּרִים וְתֻמִּים, וְקַלְפֵּי הַגּוֹרָל לִפְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ... וְזוֹ הָיְתָה יְתֵרָה שֶׁהָיָה הַגּוֹרָל צוֹוֵחַ בִּשְׁעַת עֲלִיָּתוֹ, אֲנִי גּוֹרַל פְּלוֹנִי הַשֵּׁבֶט, עָלִיתִי לִי בְּמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי, וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁהָיָה הַגּוֹרָל מְדַבֵּר, דִּכְתִיב (במדבר כו, נו): עַל פִּי הַגּוֹרָל.
The lot entailed miraculous acts. Elazar son of Aharon was dressed in the Urim V’Tumim, and the receptacle of the lots was before Joshua… Moreover, the lot would cry out as it is being drawn: ‘I am the lot of such and such tribe; I have been drawn in such and such place.’ From where is it derived that the lot would speak? As it is written: “According to the lot.”
Rabbotai, I can now ask my simple question. As per the Gemara and Midrash, the Urim v’Tumim, worn by Elazar HaKohen, was directly used in the exercise of allocating the land, and it clearly had the ability to highlight the names of every tribe and boundary. If so, why was that not enough? If the answers provided by the Urim V’Tumim were directly from Hakadosh Baruch Hu, why was another tool – the unbiased lottery – necessary? The Urim V’Tumim only announced what was to then manifest from the lottery, in the form of a name and boundary, so why was there a need to add steps?
Furthermore, even the lottery seems to not be enough, given that after the two lots were raised, the lots themselves would speak out the result. The allotment of land, which came from Hakadosh Baruch Hu, was essentially repeated four times in this process. Is this not overkill? I don’t understand why all these repetitive steps were required given that Yaacov Avinu already indicated to each tribe what land they’d receive. Was a lottery required to determine where each tribe would position itself around the Mishkan? No, it was clear. Hakadosh Baruch Hu instructed what the configuration would look like – no lottery or repetition needed. In fact, that too was derived form Yaacov Avinu’s original allotment.
The Midrash says (Bamidbar Rabbah 2), when Hakadosh Baruch Hu instructed Moshe to arrange Bnei Yisrael according to flags or banners (דְּגָלִים) as they desired, Moshe worried that dispute would arise between the tribes as to each’s position. Hakadosh Baruch Hu replied to him: “Moshe, why do you care? They do not even need you. They recognize their placement on their own! They have a will in their possession from Yaacov Avinu, detailing how to encamp according to the banners – nothing new is being introduced to them here! Just as the protocol from Yaacov Avinu states, and just as they carried him and surrounded his coffin, so they will surround the Mishkan.” The Midrash explains, when Yaacov was set to depart from this world, he summoned his sons, blessed them, and commanded them regarding the ways of Hakadosh Baruch Hu and acceptance of עֹל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם. When he completed these words, he instructed them on how to handle his coffin with awe and honor, not allowing an Egyptian to touch it, and carrying it as follows:
וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֹתוֹ בָנָיו, הֵיאַךְ צִוָּם, אֶלָּא אָמַר לָהֶם בָּנַי יְהוּדָה יִשָּׂשכָר וּזְבוּלוּן יִטְעֲנוּ מִטָּתִי מִן הַמִּזְרָח, רְאוּבֵן וְשִׁמְעוֹן וְגָד יִטְעֲנוּ מִטָּתִי מִן הַדָּרוֹם, אֶפְרַיִם וּמְנַשֶּׁה וּבִנְיָמִין יִטְעֲנוּ מִן הַמַּעֲרָב, דָּן אָשֵׁר וְנַפְתָּלִי יִטְעֲנוּ מִן הַצָּפוֹן, יוֹסֵף אַל יִטְעַן שֶׁהוּא מֶלֶךְ וְאַתֶּם צְרִיכִין לַחְלֹק לוֹ כָּבוֹד, לֵוִי אַל יִטְעַן לָמָּה שֶׁהוּא טוֹעֵן אֶת הָאָרוֹן וּמִי שֶׁהוּא טוֹעֵן אֲרוֹנוֹ שֶׁל חֵי הָעוֹלָמִים אֵינוֹ טוֹעֵן אֲרוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מֵת, וְאִם עֲשִׂיתֶם וּטְעַנְתֶּם אֶת מִטָּתִי כְּשֵׁם שֶׁצִּוִּיתִי אֶתְכֶם, הָאֱלֹהִים עָתִיד לְהַשְׁרוֹת אֶתְכֶם דְּגָלִים.
His sons carried him; how did he command them? He said to them: ‘My children Yehudah, Yissachar, and Zevulun, shall bear my bier from the east; Reuven, Shimon, and Gad from the south; Ephraim, Menashe, and Binyamin will bear from the west; Dan, Asher, and Naftali will bear from the north. Yoseph will not bear, as he is the king and you are obligated to accord him deference. Levi will not bear. Why? It is because he bears the Aron, and one who bears the Aron of the One Who Lives Forever shall not bear the coffin of the dead. If you did so, and bore my bier as I commanded you, G-d is destined to encamp you according to banners.
Hakadosh Baruch Hu rewarded them for fulfilling their father’s command – וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בָנָיו לוֹ כֵּן כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּם – by instructing them to encamp according to banners in accordance with their father’s command. Nothing was changed so as not to introduce dispute between them. That is why it is stated לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם – Of their patrilineal houses, just as they surrounded their father’s coffin, so they shall Bnei Yisrael encamp.
Rabbotai, if all this was known back from the days of Yaacov Avinu, and when it came to positioning the tribes around the Mishkan it was clear and no special routines or declarations were needed, why now when it came to the division and allotment of Eretz Yisrael was an additional, seemingly superfluous, three-staged technique invoked?
One can suggest that in Yaacov’s blessings, not every child had a clear location stipulated and some were left stranded, so to speak. Despite not having found a source for this, I believe that Yaacov Avinu indicated a location to the rest of his sons as well, and not just to the ones that stick out in the text or are called out by Chazal. The Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 98:2) says:
וַיִּקְרָא יַעֲקֹב אֶל בָּנָיו (משלי טז, לג):בַּחֵיק יוּטַל אֶת הַגּוֹרָל, זֶה גּוֹרָלוֹ שֶׁל יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים. (משלי טז, לג): וּמֵה' כָּל מִשְׁפָּטוֹ, לֵידַע אֵיזֶה הוּא לַשֵּׁם וְאֵיזֶה לַגְּזֵרָה. דָּבָר אַחֵר, בַּחֵיק יוּטַל אֶת הַגּוֹרָל, זֶה גּוֹרָלָן שֶׁל שְׁבָטִים. וּמֵה' כָּל מִשְׁפָּטוֹ, שֶׁהִסְכִּים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עִמּוֹ לִתֵּן לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לְפִי מַה שֶּׁהוּא.
Yaacov called to his sons – “The lot is cast in the bosom” (Mishlei 16:33) – this is the lottery of Yom Kippur. “And all of one’s judgment is from the Lord” (Mishlei 16:33) – to determine which will be for G-d and which will go to an uninhabitable land. Another matter: “The lot is cast in the bosom” – this is the lot of the tribes. “And all of one’s judgment is from the Lord” – that Hakadosh Baruch Hu agreed with him to give each and every one as befitting him.
Another answer is found in the above Midrash. Hakadosh Baruch Hu agreed with Yaacov Avinu’s allocation, including the portion of land that would be provided to each tribe. In other words, the lottery found in our Parsha reflects the consent of Hakadosh Baruch Hu as to Yaacov Avinu’s plan. Why was Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s consent required? As the earlier Midrash said, in order for the process, and the lottery itself, not to result in any discord and dispute.
Rabbotai, I have a very simple question to ask here. The question is a warranted one, but I have not found too many sources who deal with it. I will provide the question now but hold back on discussing the answer for a week, giving you time to contemplate it and perhaps find an answer yourselves. The question is: Why are four steps needed to provide each tribe with their inheritance and allotment? Four steps – Yaacov Avinu’s instruction, the Urim V’Tumim, a lottery, and the lots speaking – all contributed to where each member of Bnei Yisrael settled in Eretz Yisrael. Why four steps? Each on their own should have been enough. Yaacov Avinu should have been enough just as he was when it came to the banners and encampment around his coffin and the Mishkan. The Urim V’Tumin should have been enough, just as it is when determining when to go out to war and similar critical questions. The lottery should have been enough, as lotteries settle all dispute (מִדְיָנִים יַשְׁבִּית הַגּוֹרָל). And the final layer of the lottery speaking out its results should have been enough too! Why are so many layers required? Bli Neder, we’ll return to this question next week.
For now, I would like to extract and learn just one idea. When I read the Midrash, and Rashi’s answer based on the Midrash, that the lottery spoke out its results, I asked a question: What is added to the process by way of hearing that voice? Did the lots of Yom Kippur – that determined which goat was sacrificed and which was tossed off a cliff – also speak? Furthermore, are you familiar with any domem – silent or inanimate creation – that speaks? Sefer Tzeida LaDarech (Yitro) asks, why are these lots not included in the list of items created at sunset on the sixth day of Creation? The unique donkey that opened its mouth and spoke to Bilaam last week is in that list, so why are these lots left off?
Interestingly, this question is asked by the Tzeida LaDarech not here in our Parsha, but back in Parshat Yitro. Why is that? What suddenly spoke up in Parshat Yitro? According to Rashi, the first inanimate object to speak out loud was Har Sinai: וְהִגְבַּלְתָּ אֶת־הָעָם סָבִיב לֵאמֹר. If someone approached Har Sinai, the boundary called out to them: “Stop! Do not proceed any further!” It is unclear, however, whether the meaning is that the boundary actually spoke or perhaps, as some commentators suggest, it spoke to the approaching person figuratively, just as something we believe in strongly, or fear intensely, speaks to us and calls our name. Tzeida LaDarech says that was not the case though, and there is no vagueness or indirectness in this picture. The boundary itself spoke, with a loud voice, just as the lots in our Parsha were audible. If so, why was this miracle not listed alongside the miracle of the donkey opening its mouth and speaking words? In his opinion, the miracle of the boundary and the lots speaking is far greater than Bilaam’s donkey giving him a verbal message, because in the philosophical and Kabbalistic works of Chazal, the entirety of creation is divided into four realms or kingdoms: domem, the silent or inanimate creations; tzomeach, growing things; chai, the animal world; and medaber, the speaker – i.e., man. The lowest level is that of the inanimate object, and seemingly, inanimate objects such as the boundary and the lots speaking is a bigger chiddush. It is a bigger leap and miracle than a chai (donkey) speaking. If so, why was it not included in the list?
His answer is tremendous: In a place of kedusha, even the domem speaks! In a place of holiness, animals speak, as do trees and members of all four realms! This is as designed by Hakadosh Baruch Hu, and no extraordinary measures are required. The Yaavetz says, while the world around us was created to run according to the laws of nature, there is one exception – the Beit Hamikdash, which runs according to miracles. Does this mean just the Beit Hamikdah proper? No! It means every place of pure and true kedusha.
We can bring several examples to support this. We’re familiar with the two cows used to return the stolen Aron back to the Mikdash, as described in the Neviim (Shmuel I, 6:12). At the advice of their priests and magicians, the Plishtim sent the Aron back to Bnei Yisrael by placing it in a chriot that was pulled by two nursing cows. They wished to see if the cows would unnaturally march on and return it, or if they’d turn around to their calves left behind – something expected of them. The cows went straight ahead along the road to Beit Shemesh ignoring their calves left behind and never turning back. According to the Gemara (Avodah Zarah 24b), וַיִּשַּׁרְנָה הַפָּרוֹת – they did so while singing songs of praise. When they reached the camp of Am Yisrael with the Aron in tow, David Hamelech received them and adopted their song for the Levi’im to sing alongside the Korban HaTamid. Do cows suddenly sing? Is this not a miracle just like Bilaam’s donkey? What about the serpent in Gan Eden that spoke to Chava? Is it suddenly normal for serpents to talk? The answer is, in a place of kedusha, it is no surprise or miracle that animals speak. Bilaam’s donkey, on the other hand, was in a place of impurity, and a great miracle was thus required to deviate from the laws of nature. No miracles were needed for the boundary’s voice at Har Sinai during Matan Torah, or the lottery’s voice at the doorstep of Eretz Yisrael when the holy nation was set to enter.
The entire world can feel a makom kadosh – a holy place. Birds knew not to fly above the First Beit Hamikdash for 410 years due to the holy Aron standing within it (unlike the Second Beit Hamikdash where spikes needed to be installed atop the walls due to the Aron bot being present). Elisha HaNavi was perceived by the Shunamit woman as a holy man – הִנֵּה־נָא יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אִישׁ אֱ-לֹהִים קָדוֹשׁ הוּא עֹבֵר עָלֵינוּ תָּמִיד: Behold now, I perceive that he is a holy man of G-d who passes by us continually. How did she know? The Gemara says (Berachot 10b): שֶׁלֹּא רָאֲתָה זְבוּב עוֹבֵר עַל שֻׁלְחָנוֹ – She never saw a fly pass over his table. That’s how she knew, but how did the fly know? It is because a makom kadosh is palpable. It knew from the Mishna Avot (5:5): וְלֹא נִרְאָה זְבוּב בְּבֵית הַמִּטְבָּחַיִם – No fly was ever seen in the slaughterhouse [of the Beit Hamikdash]. There were no nets, nor were there any blue zapper lights, or sticky fly paper to catch them – the Mikdash did not look like our Succah, filled with contraptions to trap all the unwanted guests. There were no flies, no cockroaches, no bees, nor any other insects in the holy domain of the Beit Hamikdash. Never did a serpent or a scorpion harm anyone in Yerushalayim either (Avot 5:5). Were the snakes there never hungry or angry? In a holy place, there is nothing for the serpents or jookim to look for! And how do they themselves know? They feel the holiness of the place, and they know not to enter. The same for the birds overhead.
Tzeida LaDarech tells us, the world feels a makom kadosh and reveres one who is holy. The Keruvim that sat atop the Aron were made of gold, and the Gemara (Bava Batra 99a) says they at times faced one another and at times turned away from one another. When Am Yisrael were fulfilling the will of Hakadosh Baruch Hu they’d face each other, and when Am Yisrael were not – they’d turn away. How did they turn? Was the gold flexible? No. They were made from a solid piece of pure gold – so how did they swivel? Was there a rotating tray underneath them? No, it’s not even a question! In the Kodesh HaKodashim, is there any doubt how they could turn? There are no laws of nature or physics for metals in such a space of kedusha! No rules and no restrictions exist.
Similarly, at the foot of Har Sinai, a place on which we are told any trespasser would be killed, there is no question as to how something against the laws of nature occurred. Obviously, the boundary can talk, because the place is one of the utmost kedusha. Similarly, the lottery and the talking lots. There is no question as to the limitless capabilities in such a realm of holiness, and no need to call out what would be a miracle anywhere the laws of nature prevail and a special creation – established during the days of Creation before the laws of nature were set in motion – is needed to overcome them.
Let’s bring one more proof. In Megillat Esther, late one night, the king couldn’t sleep: בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא נָדְדָה שְׁנַת הַמֶּלֶךְ. What did the restless Achashverosh do? He commanded that the book of records of the chronicles be brought, and they be read out to him. Yalkut Shimoni points out, it does not say וַיִּקְרְאוּ לְפָנָיו – that the servants read from the book to him. Rather, it says וַיִּהְיוּ נִקְרָאִים לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ – the book read itself! The staff opened it up, and it sounded its own voice, narrating its own contents. Why? Because the Iranian hooligans did not want to read out what Mordechai had done, setting the Jew up for great reward. So, they opened the book and flipped back several pages to another chapter. But the book jumped back on its own and told the story of Mordechai itself. They tried flipping ahead a few chapters, but once again, the book returned to the desired spot and continued its narration. Hakadosh Baruch Hu was behind the entire story of Purim and held this book of chronicles in His hand. Why is this miracle not mentioned among the others of Purim in the liturgy established by Chazal? Why is this speaking scroll not listed in the Mishna?
The Midrash (Tanchuma Ki Teitze) says, we have 248 (רמ"ח) positive Mitzvot, equal to our number of limbs, and each day they scream out to their owner, “Use me for Mitzvot and gain life in this world!” We also have 365 (שס"ה) negative commandments, corresponding to the days of the solar year, and at the start of each day, it (the day) screams out, “Don't transgress the commandments with me!” Do limbs and days suddenly speak? Can they suddenly relay messages to their bearer? The Midrash says, both the hand and staff of Moshe Rabbeinu indeed spoke upon arriving in Egypt. They recounted to Bnei Yisrael the miracles that just occurred at the burning bush, and how they had been temporarily covered in leprosy and transformed into a snake, respectively. Why are these two miracles not recounted in the Haggadah on the Seder night? Why are they not in the Mishna?
The answer is, in a place of pure holiness, sticks can speak, hands can speak, and scrolls can find the page on their own and read aloud. Unlike in the case of Yam Suf, whose intermediary argued with Hakadosh Baruch Hu prior to the sea splitting, when it came to Har Sinai and the lottery, they spoke directly. Just as the well of Miriam spoke two weeks ago, and the mouth of the earth spoke up against Korach the week prior. The laws of nature do not apply in places of holiness, and the miracles stemming from special creations and predetermined deviations made at sunset on the sixth day of Creation are not needed. The donkey requires a miracle to speak the words of Ruach Hakodesh to its wicked master, because it was in a place of impurity, in the home of Bilaam. That needs to be called out; we need to be told when that special scenario was set up as it deviates from the laws of nature. The rest need no proof and no explanation, however. Holiness speaks for itself.
And with this, we end with our question that will B’ezrat Hashem be addressed next week: Why when it comes to the division and allocation of Eretz Yisrael, do we require the directive of Yaacov Avinu, the Urim V’Tumim, and a lottery that both displays and speaks its results? The magic of Eretz Yisrael will be revealed next week.