Bava Batra 118A

אלא למאן דאמר לבאי הארץ, מאי ״לרב תרבו נחלתו״? קשיא.

But according to the one who says that Eretz Yisrael was divided among those who entered Eretz Yisrael, what does the verse: “To the more you should give the more inheritance” teach? It is obvious that larger families will receive more land due to their greater numbers. The Talmud concludes: This poses a difficulty to one who holds that opinion.

ואמר ליה רב פפא לאביי: בשלמא למאן דאמר ליוצאי מצרים, היינו דקא צווחן בנות צלפחד. אלא למאן דאמר לבאי הארץ, אמאי צווחן? הא ליתיה דלשקול!

The Talmud presents the second question. And Rav Pappa said to Abaye: Granted, according to the one who says that Eretz Yisrael was divided among those who left Egypt, this is why the daughters of Zelophehad cried out in protest of the fact that they would be denied their father’s portion, to which he was entitled as one who left Egypt. But according to the one who says that Eretz Yisrael was divided among those who entered Eretz Yisrael, why did they cry out in protest; after all, Zelophehad was not there to take his portion, so his daughters should have no claim to the land?

אלא לחזרה, וליטול בנכסי חפר.

Abaye answers: Rather, according to this opinion, the protest of Zelophehad’s daughters was in reference to the returning of the portions from the generation that entered Eretz Yisrael to the generation that left Egypt, as described in the baraita above. And accordingly, Zelophehad’s daughters demanded to take their portion in the property of their grandfather Hepher, who received land posthumously through his children, their uncles.

בשלמא למאן דאמר ליוצאי מצרים, היינו דקא צווחן בני יוסף ⁠– דכתיב: ״וידברו בני יוסף״. אלא למאן דאמר לבאי הארץ, מאי קא צווחי? כולהו שקול!

The Talmud presents Rav Pappa’s third question: Granted, according to the one who says that Eretz Yisrael was divided among those who left Egypt, this is why the descendants of Joseph cried out in protest of the fact that they would receive an inadequate portion of land due to the fact that they had proliferated greatly in the wilderness. As it is written: “And the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying: Why have you given me but one lot and one part for an inheritance, seeing I am a great people, because YHWH has blessed me thus” (Joshua 17:14). But according to the one who says that Eretz Yisrael was divided among those who entered Eretz Yisrael, what is the reason they were crying out? They were all entitled to take their own portion of land and should have had no cause for complaint.