Study Bava Batra folio 117B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
לאלו ולאלו נתחלקה הארץ, כדי לקיים שני מקראות הללו – הא כיצד? היה מיוצאי מצרים – נוטל חלקו עם יוצאי מצרים, היה מבאי הארץ – נוטל חלקו עם באי הארץ, מכאן ומכאן – נוטל חלקו מכאן ומכאן.
Eretz Yisrael was divided to these and to those, so as to uphold these two verses. How so? If one was from among those who left Egypt, he takes his portion along with those who left Egypt. If one was from among those who entered Eretz Yisrael, he takes his portion along with those who entered Eretz Yisrael. If one was from both here and there, i.e., he was among those who left Egypt and also entered Eretz Yisrael himself, he takes his portion from here and there, as he is entitled to two portions.
מרגלים – יהושע וכלב נטלו חלקם. מתלוננים ועדת קרח – לא היה להם חלק בארץ; הבנים נטלו בזכות אבי אביהן, ובזכות אבי אמותיהן.
The baraita continues: With regard to the 12 spies sent to survey Eretz Yisrael prior to the Jewish people’s entry into the land, Joshua and Caleb took all of the spies’ portions of the land. Additionally, the protesters and the assembly of Korah did not have a portion of Eretz Yisrael. Nevertheless, their sons took portions of the land in the merit of their paternal grandfathers and in the merit of their maternal grandfathers if they were among those who left Egypt. This concludes the Talmud’s citation of the baraita.
מאי משמע דהאי: ״לשמות מטות אבתם״ – ביוצאי מצרים כתיב? דלמא לשבטים קאמר לה! דכתיב: ״ונתתי אתה לכם מורשה אני ה׳״ – ירושה היא לכם מאבותיכם; וליוצאי מצרים קאמר להו.
The Talmud asks: From where may it be inferred that this verse, which states: “According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they should inherit” (Numbers 26:55), is written with regard to those who left Egypt; perhaps the verse was stated in reference to the progenitors of the tribes, and teaches that the land should be divided among the 12 tribes? The Talmud answers: The inference is from a verse, as it is written: “And I will bring you in to the land, concerning which I lifted up My hand to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage: I am YHWH” (Exodus 6:8). This verse states that Eretz Yisrael is an inheritance for you from your forefathers, and this verse was told to those who left Egypt, indicating that those who left Egypt inherit the land.