Bava Batra 117A

גמ׳ תנן כמאן דאמר ליוצאי מצרים נתחלקה הארץ –

Talmud: The Talmud comments: In the Mishnah that teaches that Zelophehad and Hepher were entitled to portions in Eretz Yisrael, we learned in accordance with the opinion of the one who says: Eretz Yisrael was divided among those who left Egypt.

דתניא, רבי יאשיה אומר: ליוצאי מצרים נתחלקה הארץ, שנאמר: ״לשמות מטות אבתם ינחלו״. אלא מה אני מקיים ״לאלה תחלק הארץ בנחלה״? ״לאלה״⁠ – כאלה, להוציא את הטפלים.

The Talmud cites a baraita that presents 3 opinions as to how Eretz Yisrael was divided. As it is taught in a baraita that R' Yoshiya says: Eretz Yisrael was divided among those who left Egypt, as it is stated: “According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they should inherit” (Numbers 26:55), which teaches that the Jewish people would inherit Eretz Yisrael according to the names of their fathers, i.e., those who left Egypt. R' Yoshiya continues: But how do I realize the meaning of the verse: “to these the land should be divided for an inheritance” (Numbers 26:53), which indicates that the land was to be divided among those recently counted in the wilderness, i.e., those who would enter Eretz Yisrael? He answers: “to these” teaches that the land will be divided among those who are like these people who were counted, in that they were adults above the age of 20, to exclude the children, who were not entitled to a portion in Eretz Yisrael, as they were not of age at the time of the Exodus.

רבי יונתן אומר: לבאי הארץ נתחלקה הארץ, שנאמר: ״לאלה תחלק הארץ בנחלה״. אלא מה אני מקיים ״לשמות מטות אבתם ינחלו״? משונה נחלה זו מכל נחלות שבעולם; שכל נחלות שבעולם ⁠– חיין יורשין מתים, וכאן ⁠– מתים יורשין חיין.

The baraita presents a second opinion. R' Yonatan says: Eretz Yisrael was divided among those who entered Eretz Yisrael, as it is stated: “to these the land should be divided for an inheritance” (Numbers 26:53). But how do I realize the meaning of the verse: “According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they should inherit” (Numbers 26:55)? This teaches that this inheritance is different from all other inheritances in the world, for in all other inheritances in the world, the living inherit from the dead, but here, the dead inherit from the living. In other words, the portions of land received by those who entered Eretz Yisrael were transferred to their fathers who left Egypt, and then inherited by the current generation, as the Talmud will now explain.