Pinchas - R'vi'i

You Have a Point!

G-d said that the daughters of Tzelofchad had a good case and they could inherit their father's portion. That would be the rule: if a man only has daughters, they would inherit his portion. If he has no children, his brothers inherit him. If he has no brothers, it goes to his father's brothers. If he has no paternal uncles, the closest relative could claim it.

Next, G-d told Moshe to ascend the mountains so that he could see the land of Israel. After that, he would be "gathered to his people" like Aharon was, because of the incident at the rock (in parshas Chukas, chapter 20). Moshe asked G-d to appoint a worthy replacement to lead the people after he was gone. G-d told Moshe to publicly invest Yehoshua with his authority so that the people would accept him; this Moshe did. (Some say he passed on the glow that we saw at the end of parshas Ki Sisa. The Talmud in Baba Basra 75a says that Moshe's face shone like the sun and Yehoshua's like the moon.)

Author: Rabbi Jack Abramowitz