THE CRY OF THE LAST GENERATION
Masei
Tzelofchad passed away without leaving any sons to inherit him. As a result of the claim raised by Tzelofchod’s daughters, Moshe turned to Hashem and was instructed a new Halacha; when a father dies without any sons, his daughters should inherit him.
This new Halocha disturbed the members of the tribe of Yosef to whom Tzelofchod belonged. Should these daughters marry into any other tribe, the land that they inherited would be transferred to the tribe of their husbands. The share of their tribe in the Holy Land would be diminished.
Relaying Hashem’s words, Moshe declares that the tribe of Yosef are correct in their claim. Moshe instructed that the Bnos Tzelofchod would only be allowed to marry within their own tribe. He explained the reason for this;
וְלֹֽא־תִסֹּ֤ב נַחֲלָה֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִמַּטֶּ֖ה אֶל־מַטֶּ֑ה כִּ֣י אִ֗ישׁ בְּנַחֲלַת֙ מַטֵּ֣ה אֲבֹתָ֔יו יִדְבְּק֖וּ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
So that no inheritance of Bnei Yisroel may transfer from tribe to tribe, for Bnei Yisroel must cleave each man to the portion of his tribe.
The Parsha continues by extending this Halacha to any woman who inherits the land of her father, that she too may only marry within her own tribe. The Torah repeats the reasoning;
וְלֹֽא־תִסֹּ֧ב נַחֲלָ֛ה מִמַּטֶּ֖ה לְמַטֶּ֣ה אַחֵ֑ר כִּי־אִישׁ֙ בְּנַ֣חֲלָת֔וֹ יִדְבְּק֕וּ מַטּ֖וֹת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
So that no inheritance of Bnei Yisroel may transfer from one tribe to another tribe, for the tribe of Bnei Yisroel should cleave each man to his portion.
These two Pesukim seem practically identical and the commentaries question the unnecessary repetition. The Tiferes Shlomo of Radomsk explains that these Pesukim are teaching us about how we should yearn deeply for Eretz Yisroel, the city of Yerushalaim and for the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash.
From this episode we see how important it was for each ancestral portion to remain with its tribe. The land could not even pass to another Jew if they were from another Tribe.
If so, how much more severe it is when the Holy Land is removed entirely from Jewish hands and sits in the hands of non-Jews. This thought should rend our hearts and lead us to cry out to Hashem to return us to Eretz Yisroel with the coming of Moshiach and the ingathering of the Exiles.
He explains that the first Posuk “so that no portion should transfer from tribe to tribe” refers to the transfer from one tribe of Israel to another. The second Posuk adds the word אַחֵ֑ר, meaning ’another’. This alludes to the loss of Eretz Yisroel to those who are completely foreign i.e non-Jews.
By reflecting on the Torah’s concern in the first verse, this should lead us to cry out for the fulfillment of the subsequent verse that no inheritance of Bnei Yisroel may transfer from one tribe to ‘another’.
The Tribe of Yosef were deeply pained that part of their share in the Holy land would be lost. It was this genuine feeling that elicited the new Halacha that would fulfil their request.
So too, when we feel true pain on being in Golus and cry out with a powerful yearning for Moshiach, this itself will arouse Hashem’s mercy on High and hasten the Geulah. The Third Beis Hamikdash is ready on High, waiting for us to genuinely cry out for it.
In our Shemoneh Esrei we refer to the Beis Hamikdash as דביר ביתך. The word דביר is related to the word דבור, meaning speech. This alludes to how we must verbalise our demand for the Beis Hamikdash.
Our sages teach that one who truly mourns for the loss of the Temple and the destruction of Yerushalim will surely be comforted by seeing it rebuilt.
Towards the end of Sefer Devorim, the Torah foretells; ואמר הדור האחרון בניכם אשר יקומו מאחריכם... על מה עשה ה' ככה לארץ הזאת. And the last generation will say… on account of what did Hashem do this (destruction) to this Land? Why does the Torah say that this question will be asked in the last generation?
Tiferes Shlomo explains: the generation that will be truly pained by the destruction of Eretz Yisroel and the Beis Hamikdash, and turn to Hashem and cry out “Why?”, they will certainly be ‘the last generation’ - because Hashem will surely hear their pain and see their yearning and will send Moshiach to restore us to our Land and the Holy Temple to its rightful place.
This new Halocha disturbed the members of the tribe of Yosef to whom Tzelofchod belonged. Should these daughters marry into any other tribe, the land that they inherited would be transferred to the tribe of their husbands. The share of their tribe in the Holy Land would be diminished.
Relaying Hashem’s words, Moshe declares that the tribe of Yosef are correct in their claim. Moshe instructed that the Bnos Tzelofchod would only be allowed to marry within their own tribe. He explained the reason for this;
וְלֹֽא־תִסֹּ֤ב נַחֲלָה֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִמַּטֶּ֖ה אֶל־מַטֶּ֑ה כִּ֣י אִ֗ישׁ בְּנַחֲלַת֙ מַטֵּ֣ה אֲבֹתָ֔יו יִדְבְּק֖וּ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
So that no inheritance of Bnei Yisroel may transfer from tribe to tribe, for Bnei Yisroel must cleave each man to the portion of his tribe.
The Parsha continues by extending this Halacha to any woman who inherits the land of her father, that she too may only marry within her own tribe. The Torah repeats the reasoning;
וְלֹֽא־תִסֹּ֧ב נַחֲלָ֛ה מִמַּטֶּ֖ה לְמַטֶּ֣ה אַחֵ֑ר כִּי־אִישׁ֙ בְּנַ֣חֲלָת֔וֹ יִדְבְּק֕וּ מַטּ֖וֹת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
So that no inheritance of Bnei Yisroel may transfer from one tribe to another tribe, for the tribe of Bnei Yisroel should cleave each man to his portion.
These two Pesukim seem practically identical and the commentaries question the unnecessary repetition. The Tiferes Shlomo of Radomsk explains that these Pesukim are teaching us about how we should yearn deeply for Eretz Yisroel, the city of Yerushalaim and for the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash.
From this episode we see how important it was for each ancestral portion to remain with its tribe. The land could not even pass to another Jew if they were from another Tribe.
If so, how much more severe it is when the Holy Land is removed entirely from Jewish hands and sits in the hands of non-Jews. This thought should rend our hearts and lead us to cry out to Hashem to return us to Eretz Yisroel with the coming of Moshiach and the ingathering of the Exiles.
He explains that the first Posuk “so that no portion should transfer from tribe to tribe” refers to the transfer from one tribe of Israel to another. The second Posuk adds the word אַחֵ֑ר, meaning ’another’. This alludes to the loss of Eretz Yisroel to those who are completely foreign i.e non-Jews.
By reflecting on the Torah’s concern in the first verse, this should lead us to cry out for the fulfillment of the subsequent verse that no inheritance of Bnei Yisroel may transfer from one tribe to ‘another’.
The Tribe of Yosef were deeply pained that part of their share in the Holy land would be lost. It was this genuine feeling that elicited the new Halacha that would fulfil their request.
So too, when we feel true pain on being in Golus and cry out with a powerful yearning for Moshiach, this itself will arouse Hashem’s mercy on High and hasten the Geulah. The Third Beis Hamikdash is ready on High, waiting for us to genuinely cry out for it.
In our Shemoneh Esrei we refer to the Beis Hamikdash as דביר ביתך. The word דביר is related to the word דבור, meaning speech. This alludes to how we must verbalise our demand for the Beis Hamikdash.
Our sages teach that one who truly mourns for the loss of the Temple and the destruction of Yerushalim will surely be comforted by seeing it rebuilt.
Towards the end of Sefer Devorim, the Torah foretells; ואמר הדור האחרון בניכם אשר יקומו מאחריכם... על מה עשה ה' ככה לארץ הזאת. And the last generation will say… on account of what did Hashem do this (destruction) to this Land? Why does the Torah say that this question will be asked in the last generation?
Tiferes Shlomo explains: the generation that will be truly pained by the destruction of Eretz Yisroel and the Beis Hamikdash, and turn to Hashem and cry out “Why?”, they will certainly be ‘the last generation’ - because Hashem will surely hear their pain and see their yearning and will send Moshiach to restore us to our Land and the Holy Temple to its rightful place.