Bava Basra - Daf 118
- Yehoshua’s advice to shevet Yosef to avoid עין הרע
Abaye said, from the fact that Torah recorded only two complaints regarding receiving portions in Eretz Yisroel (בנות צלפחד and shevet Yosef), that there was no one who entered Eretz Yisroel who did not receive a portion. If someone else had complained, it would have been recorded. The Gemara adds that one cannot argue that only complaints which were successful in obtaining portions were recorded, such as that of בנות צלפחד, because the petition of shevet Yosef was not successful, and was still recorded. However, the Gemara responds that perhaps the Torah would only record successful protests, and shevet Yosef’s complaint was recorded because עצה טובה קא משמע לן – it teaches us good advice, דאיבעי ליה לאיניש לאיזדהורי מעינא בישא – that a person should beware an evil eye. Yehoshua told them, “If you are such a numerous people, go up to the forest.” The Gemara explains he meant: לכו והחבאו עצמכם ביערים – go hide yourselves in the forest, שלא תשלוט בכם עין רע – so the evil eye of others should not affect you.
- Shevet Yosef is not subject to עין הרע
Shevet Yosef responded to Yehoshua’s advice to “ascend to the forest” to avoid עין הרע, that they are descendants of Yosef, דלא שלטא ביה עינא בישא – over whom the evil eye has no power, because the passuk describes Yosef as "בן פורת עלי עין" – a charming son to the eye, which Rebbe Abahu darshens as "עולי עין" – those who rise over the eye. Rebbe Yose son of Rebbe Chanina quoted another source. Yaakov blessed Yosef’s sons saying: וידגו לרוב בקרב הארץ – and may they multiply like fish within the land, comparing them to fish: מה דגים שבים – just as fish in the sea, מים מכסים עליהם ואין העין שולטת בהם – water covers them and the eye therefore has no power over them, אף זרעו של יוסף אין העין שולטת בהם – so too, regarding Yosef’s descendants, the evil eye has no power.
- Yehoshua and Calev received מרגלים's portions, machlokes about "מתלוננים" and עדת קרח
A Baraisa states that Yehoshua and Calev received the portions in Eretz Yisroel of the מרגלים. Ulla explains that the passuk says about Yehoshua and Calev: חיו מן האנשים ההם – they lived from among those men. It cannot be saying that they literally survived them, because that it already stated in another passuk. Rather, it is teaching: שחיו בחלקם – that they lived in [the spies’] portions.
The Baraisa also states that the "מתלוננים" – complainers and עדת קרח had no portion in Eretz Yisroel. The Gemara asks that another Baraisa teaches that Yehoshua and Calev took their portions and explains that they argue if the מתלוננים are compared to the מרגלים through a hekesh, which would indicate that Yehoshua and Calev received their portions, or if they are not compared to the מרגלים, and received no portion at all. According to the opinion that Yehoshua and Calev received their portions, it cannot refer to all those who “complained” in the מדבר, in which case Yehoshua and Calev would have received nearly all of Eretz Yisroel; rather, it refers to the מתלוננם שבעדת קרח – the complainers of Korach’s assembly.
