Chapter 17 continues the division of the land, this time the inheritance of the tribe of Menashe: the portion of Machir on the eastern side of the Jordan, the inheritance of the daughters of Tzelofchad, the boundaries of the inheritance within the land, and the cities that they did not manage to conquer. The chapter closes with a fascinating account: the claim of the sons of Yosef before Yehoshua that the inheritance they received was too small, and Yehoshua's response to them.
וַיְהִי הַגּוֹרָל לְמַטֵּה מְנַשֶּׁה כִּי־הוּא בְּכוֹר יוֹסֵף לְמָכִיר בְּכוֹר מְנַשֶּׁה אֲבִי הַגִּלְעָד כִּי הוּא הָיָה אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה וַיְהִי־לוֹ הַגִּלְעָד וְהַבָּשָׁן׃ - And the lot fell for the tribe of Menashe, for he was the firstborn of Yosef; for Machir the firstborn of Menashe, the father of Gilad, because he was a man of war, and he had Gilad and Bashan.
Now comes the turn of the tribe of Menashe in the division. "For he was the firstborn of Yosef" - Menashe is the firstborn, and Ephraim the younger; and Machir was the firstborn of Menashe. "Because he was a man of war" - it was Machir's might that caused the inheritance in Gilad to be his. For the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuven requested that inheritance because they had much livestock and the place was a grazing place, but the half tribe of Menashe did not have much flock. If so, why did they go there? Because of Machir's might, for he captured that land. And from where did this merit come to him? Because his father was the firstborn of Yosef and he himself was the firstborn of Menashe, and therefore he received this portion first. This is what Moshe hinted at in his blessing: "His firstborn ox, majesty is his, and his horns are the horns of a wild ox; with them he shall gore the peoples together, the ends of the earth" - the firstborn of Yosef is Menashe, and the firstborn from him is Machir, the mighty one who gores with his horns the ends of the earth.
The Metzudat David explains the opposite: "For he was the firstborn" - even though he was the firstborn. His very being the firstborn should have guaranteed that he would receive his portion first, yet you see that he was delayed until Ephraim took his portion first, and only afterward did the lot fall for the tribe of Menashe. And why? Because Yaakov Avinu gave precedence to Ephraim over Menashe, "and he too shall be great," and he crossed his hands. In contrast, "for Machir the firstborn of Menashe" - among the sons of Menashe themselves there was no reason to give precedence to the younger over the firstborn, and here indeed the firstborn, Machir, received first.
And what is "the father of Gilad"? The Metzudat David brings two explanations: one, that his son was named Gilad and therefore he is the father of Gilad. The second, that it refers to his end - the ruler of Gilad, since in the end he inherited Gilad.
The Malbim explains that the verse comes to clarify why the portion of Menashe was divided into two halves. Because he was the firstborn of Yosef he was important, he had a name among the mighty, and he was numerous in population; therefore Machir his firstborn, who was a man of war, received Gilad and Bashan. And Chazal expound on the very matter that the tribe of Menashe was divided in two: we do not find another tribe whose half is in Gilad and half within the holy land. And why specifically the tribe of Menashe? Because Yosef caused the tribes to tear their garments, and therefore it was decreed that one of his sons would have his inheritance torn. And why not Ephraim, who is also the son of Yosef? To this the verse responds: "for he was the firstborn of Yosef" - it was enough to punish the firstborn, and there was no need to punish through Ephraim as well.
וַיְהִי לִבְנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה הַנּוֹתָרִים לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לִבְנֵי אֲבִיעֶזֶר וְלִבְנֵי־חֵלֶק וְלִבְנֵי אַשְׂרִיאֵל וְלִבְנֵי־שֶׁכֶם וְלִבְנֵי־חֵפֶר וְלִבְנֵי שְׁמִידָע אֵלֶּה בְּנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה בֶן־יוֹסֵף הַזְּכָרִים לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם׃ - And there was a portion for the remaining sons of Menashe according to their families: for the sons of Aviezer, and for the sons of Chelek, and for the sons of Asriel, and for the sons of Shechem, and for the sons of Chefer, and for the sons of Shemida; these are the male children of Menashe the son of Yosef according to their families.
The inheritance within the land was given to the remaining ones - six fathers' houses of males, and this is "the male children according to their families." But besides them there were also females who inherited, and them the verse counts immediately, as is already mentioned in the Torah.
וְלִצְלָפְחָד בֶּן־חֵפֶר בֶּן־גִּלְעָד בֶּן־מָכִיר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁה לֹא־הָיוּ לוֹ בָּנִים כִּי אִם־בָּנוֹת וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֹתָיו מַחְלָה וְנֹעָה חָגְלָה מִלְכָּה וְתִרְצָה׃ - And Tzelofchad the son of Chefer, the son of Gilad, the son of Machir, the son of Menashe, had no sons, but only daughters; and these are the names of his daughters: Machlah and Noah, Chaglah, Milkah, and Tirtzah.
וַתִּקְרַבְנָה לִפְנֵי אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן וְלִפְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן־נוּן וְלִפְנֵי הַנְּשִׂיאִים לֵאמֹר יְהֹוָה צִוָּה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה לָתֶת־לָנוּ נַחֲלָה בְּתוֹךְ אַחֵינוּ וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם אֶל־פִּי יְהֹוָה נַחֲלָה בְּתוֹךְ אֲחֵי אֲבִיהֶן׃ - And they came near before Elazar the Kohen, and before Yehoshua the son of Nun, and before the princes, saying: Hashem commanded Moshe to give us an inheritance among our brothers. So according to the word of Hashem He gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father.
The daughters of Tzelofchad come before Elazar the Kohen, Yehoshua bin Nun and the princes, and remind them of what had already been established before Moshe. There Moshe said that he would listen to what Hashem would command, and the Holy One, blessed be He, answered: "Rightly do the daughters of Tzelofchad speak" - their words are true, and it shall be done as they say. Now they come and demand that the divine command be fulfilled and that they be given an inheritance among their father's brothers.
Chazal say that besides the inheritance of Tzelofchad himself, who was among those who left Egypt (and therefore it comes to them as his sole heirs, for the land was divided among those who left Egypt), they also took a portion in the inheritance of Chefer together with Tzelofchad's brothers, for the division was according to the fathers, and to Chefer, Tzelofchad's father, a portion was due. In total the place was divided into ten portions, and they received four of them.
וַיִּפְּלוּ חַבְלֵי־מְנַשֶּׁה עֲשָׂרָה לְבַד מֵאֶרֶץ הַגִּלְעָד וְהַבָּשָׁן אֲשֶׁר מֵעֵבֶר לַיַּרְדֵּן׃ - And ten portions fell to Menashe, apart from the land of Gilad and the Bashan, which are across the Jordan.
The portions of Menashe within the land were ten: six for the six fathers' houses, and four for the daughters of Tzelofchad. The Malbim enumerates the ten districts: from the Michmetat to Ein Tapuach; the land of Tapuach to the brook Kanah; from the brook Kanah northward to the sea; Beit She'an and its towns; Yivle'am and its towns; Dor and its towns; Ein Dor and its towns; Ta'anach and its towns; Megiddo and its towns; the three regions. Here you have ten districts, each of which had its own portion and measure (a designated location and a certain size), and these they divided among themselves.
כִּי בְּנוֹת מְנַשֶּׁה נָחֲלוּ נַחֲלָה בְּתוֹךְ בָּנָיו וְאֶרֶץ הַגִּלְעָד הָיְתָה לִבְנֵי־מְנַשֶּׁה הַנּוֹתָרִים׃ - For the daughters of Menashe inherited an inheritance among his sons, and the land of Gilad belonged to the remaining sons of Menashe.
The verse explains why such an extensive division into ten portions was needed: so that the daughters of Tzelofchad too would receive their four portions. And the land of Gilad belonged to the remaining sons of Menashe, that is, the half of the tribe of Menashe that inherited in the eastern side of the Jordan.
The Malbim, in his manner, is precise about the difference between "notarim" (left over) and "nish'arim" (remaining): "nish'ar" is something I left over intentionally, while "notar" is the surplus, the secondary. According to this you will understand why above he called the rest of the sons of Menashe "hanotarim" - because in recognition of his might he took his portion first, and the rest of the brothers are considered secondary to him. Yet here he calls the sons of Machir "hanotarim," because they were few compared to the six fathers' houses that inherited within the land, and therefore they are the secondary ones. It emerges: with regard to might, those within the land are the notarim; and with regard to quantity, the sons of Machir across the Jordan are the notarim, for they are the fewer.
וַיְהִי גְבוּל־מְנַשֶּׁה מֵאָשֵׁר הַמִּכְמְתָת אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי שְׁכֶם וְהָלַךְ הַגְּבוּל אֶל־הַיָּמִין אֶל־יֹשְׁבֵי עֵין תַּפּוּחַ׃ - And the boundary of Menashe was from Asher, the Michmetat, which is before Shechem, and the boundary went to the right, to the inhabitants of Ein Tapuach.
לִמְנַשֶּׁה הָיְתָה אֶרֶץ תַּפּוּחַ וְתַפּוּחַ אֶל־גְּבוּל מְנַשֶּׁה לִבְנֵי אֶפְרָיִם׃ - To Menashe belonged the land of Tapuach, but Tapuach itself, at the boundary of Menashe, belonged to the sons of Ephraim.
וְיָרַד הַגְּבוּל נַחַל קָנָה נֶגְבָּה לַנַּחַל עָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לְאֶפְרַיִם בְּתוֹךְ עָרֵי מְנַשֶּׁה וּגְבוּל מְנַשֶּׁה מִצְּפוֹן לַנַּחַל וַיְהִי תֹצְאֹתָיו הַיָּמָּה׃ - And the boundary went down to the brook Kanah, southward of the brook. These cities of Ephraim were among the cities of Menashe, and the boundary of Menashe was on the north side of the brook, and its ends were at the sea.
נֶגְבָּה לְאֶפְרַיִם וְצָפוֹנָה לִמְנַשֶּׁה וַיְהִי הַיָּם גְּבוּלוֹ וּבְאָשֵׁר יִפְגְּעוּן מִצָּפוֹן וּבְיִשָּׂשכָר מִמִּזְרָח׃ - To the south it was Ephraim's and to the north it was Menashe's, and the sea was its boundary; and they touch Asher on the north and Yissachar on the east.
Here the verse characterizes the neighbors of Menashe on its sides: Asher is the neighbor to the north, and Yissachar the neighbor to the east.
וַיְהִי לִמְנַשֶּׁה בְּיִשָּׂשכָר וּבְאָשֵׁר בֵּית־שְׁאָן וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ וְיִבְלְעָם וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ וְאֶת־יֹשְׁבֵי דֹאר וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ וְיֹשְׁבֵי עֵין־דֹּר וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ וְיֹשְׁבֵי תַעְנַךְ וּבְנֹתֶיהָ וְיֹשְׁבֵי מְגִדּוֹ וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ שְׁלֹשֶׁת הַנָּפֶת׃ - And within Yissachar and within Asher, Menashe had Beit She'an and its towns, and Yivle'am and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Ein Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Ta'anach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, the three regions.
What does "within Yissachar and within Asher" mean? We will see later in the chapter that Menashe received part of the inheritance of Yissachar and Asher, and there it will be explained why. Here the verse introduces this by listing these cities.
וְלֹא יָכְלוּ בְּנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה לְהוֹרִישׁ אֶת־הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיּוֹאֶל הַכְּנַעֲנִי לָשֶׁבֶת בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת׃ - But the children of Menashe were not able to dispossess these cities, and the Canaanite chose to dwell in this land.
The verse introduces this by informing us: even though Yehoshua later gave them these portions, in the end the children of Menashe did not succeed in dispossessing them. "Vayo'el" - Rashi explains: he desired, from the language of wanting; the Canaanite wanted and dwelt in this land.
וַיְהִי כִּי חָזְקוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶת־הַכְּנַעֲנִי לָמַס וְהוֹרֵשׁ לֹא הוֹרִישׁוֹ׃ - And it came to pass, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanite to forced labor, but they did not utterly dispossess him.
Even when they grew strong they did not go to dispossess him, but were content to collect taxes and left him in his place.
וַיְדַבְּרוּ בְּנֵי יוֹסֵף אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֵאמֹר מַדּוּעַ נָתַתָּה לִּי נַחֲלָה גּוֹרָל אֶחָד וְחֶבֶל אֶחָד וַאֲנִי עַם־רָב עַד אֲשֶׁר־עַד־כֹּה בֵּרְכַנִי יְהֹוָה׃ - And the children of Yosef spoke to Yehoshua, saying: Why have you given me as an inheritance one lot and one portion, seeing that I am a numerous people, for until now Hashem has blessed me?
Here we enter the matter of the request of the children of Yosef to enlarge their inheritance. On the face of it this is puzzling: they did receive two portions, Ephraim received a place and Menashe received a place, so what does "one lot and one portion" mean? The reason for their request is that they are a numerous people.
Rashi says on "for until now Hashem has blessed me": until you saw that its count increased from the first census to the second by 20,500, matching the numerical value of "koh" (until now). And the calculation: in the first census in Sefer Bamidbar Menashe numbered 32,200, and in Parashat Pinchas 52,700, and the difference is 20,500. It emerges that they come with a claim: see how much we have grown since then, and the land is divided according to those who left Egypt as was set in the days of Moshe, whereas now we are a numerous people and need additional space.
Rashi brings another explanation: "for until now" - the blessing that was said to Avraham, "so shall your seed be" (koh yihyeh zar'echa), was fulfilled through me; I have reached that blessing, for they nearly doubled themselves. And according to the plain meaning "for until now" means: until such an extent, that is, up to as much as you see before you.
The Radak explains that those speaking before Yehoshua are the sons of Menashe. Efrayim had no grounds to cry out, for when they left Egypt they were more numerous than when they entered the Land. In Menashe there was increase, and in Efrayim decrease; therefore Efrayim has no legitimate claim that a division based on the parameters of that time is irrelevant today. Only the sons of Menashe, whose number upon entering the Land was greater than it was at the Exodus, can make such a claim. For they take a portion corresponding to the fathers, since the Land was divided according to the fathers at the time of the Exodus, as it says "according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit," and their claim is that this division is insufficient for their present numbers.
The Malbim asks: it was already explained above that two lots were cast for Efrayim and Menashe, so how can they say "one lot"? Rather, the meaning is that they received one region within one territory divided into two. Quantitatively it is one lot: although you divided it into two, it is a portion equal in value to what every other tribe received, and in our case a single portion must suffice for two tribes. The Malbim already explained in chapter 14 that the lot merely showed where the tribe's territory would be, this one inherits in the Galil, this one in the south, this one in the north, while the precise boundaries were set by Yehoshua according to the size of the tribe. The sons of Yosef were as numerous as the population of two tribes, in order to fulfill "Efrayim and Menashe shall be to me as Reuven and Shimon," and yet he gave them both only one region and one lot. "And I am a numerous people" - according to the count of heads he should have doubled the portion I received.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אִם־עַם־רַב אַתָּה עֲלֵה לְךָ הַיַּעְרָה וּבֵרֵאתָ לְךָ שָׁם בְּאֶרֶץ הַפְּרִזִּי וְהָרְפָאִים כִּי־אָץ לְךָ הַר־אֶפְרָיִם׃ - And Yehoshua said to them: If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzi and the Refaim, since Mount Efrayim is too narrow for you.
The Malbim explains Yehoshua's answer: to add to you outside your territory I cannot, for everything is divided according to Hashem, and Yehoshua is not permitted to take the territory of another tribe. Rather, what then? "If you are a numerous people" - since you are a numerous people, you lack no manpower; take axes, go up to the forest and cut down its trees, and in place of the forest trees there will be fields of grain and a place of settlement for your tribe.
"And you shall clear for yourself there" - from the Malbim it seems the word is expounded in two senses: cutting and uprooting from the root, and also from the language of creation, you shall create a new land for yourself there. "Since Mount Efrayim is too narrow for you" - "atz" is a term of hastening, like "and he did not hasten to come for a whole day": the mountain hastens and awaits you to come and uproot the forest from there in order to settle it. And some interpret "atz lekha" as "tzar lekha" (too narrow for you): since Mount Efrayim is too narrow for you, go to the forest and conquer the place so there will be room for your tribe.
The Radak interprets "uveireta" as cutting, as it says in Yechezkel "and they shall stone them with the stone of the assembly and cut them down with their swords," that is, cut them down with swords. And the Targum renders "and you shall prepare a place for yourself there," that is, from the language of creation: you shall create and prepare a place there for your use. He brings a third interpretation, that it is from the language of choosing, like "choose for yourselves a man," you shall select: "uveireta lekha" - you shall select for yourself a place there for your dwelling.
And Chazal expound "go up to the forest" - hide yourselves in the forests so that the evil eye should not have power over you. That is, he said to them: you have multiplied beyond the natural way, go and conceal yourselves in the forest so that the evil eye should not have power over you. And they answered him: we do not fear the evil eye, for "Yosef is a fruitful son, a fruitful son by a spring" - we are sons of Yosef, and we are above the eye, and the eye has no power over us.
וַיֹּאמְרוּ בְּנֵי יוֹסֵף לֹא־יִמָּצֵא לָנוּ הָהָר וְרֶכֶב בַּרְזֶל בְּכָל־הַכְּנַעֲנִי הַיֹּשֵׁב בְּאֶרֶץ־הָעֵמֶק לַאֲשֶׁר בְּבֵית־שְׁאָן וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּעֵמֶק יִזְרְעֶאל׃ - And the sons of Yosef said: The mountain will not be enough for us, and there are chariots of iron among all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley, those in Beit She'an and its dependencies, and those in the Valley of Yizreel.
They have two claims. The first: "the mountain will not be enough for us" - what you say, that we should clear the mountain, meaning that we should cut down its forest to make it a place of settlement, will not help us; it will not suffice for the numbers we have, even if we uproot the entire mountain.
And the second: "and there are chariots of iron among all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley" - beyond the mountain dwell the Canaanites with chariots of iron. The Malbim explains their intent: the mountain and the forest form a barrier and protection against the Canaanites and their chariots, since it is difficult for iron chariots to pass through forests. If so, it is better that a separating fence remain between us and them, ensuring that the Canaanites with their chariots will not enter our territory. On the contrary, it is preferable to leave the forest in place, for if we clear it we will draw close to the Canaanites and endanger ourselves.
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל־בֵּית יוֹסֵף לְאֶפְרַיִם וְלִמְנַשֶּׁה לֵאמֹר עַם־רַב אַתָּה וְכֹחַ גָּדוֹל לָךְ לֹא־יִהְיֶה לְךָ גּוֹרָל אֶחָד׃ - And Yehoshua said to the house of Yosef, to Ephraim and to Menashe, saying: You are a numerous people and you have great strength; you shall not have only one lot.
Yehoshua sees that there is no choice, and that he must add to their portion. And how? He adds cities to them from Asher and from Yissachar, and this is what was stated above in verse 11: "And Menashe had within Yissachar and within Asher Beit She'an and its towns and Yivle'am and its towns." There we hinted that we would see later how Yehoshua gives the children of Menashe a portion that belongs to Yissachar and a portion that belongs to Asher.
Yehoshua tells them: you have two virtues. The first, "you are a numerous people" - in terms of quantity. And the second, "you have great strength" - in terms of quality and power. And what does strength have to do with adding to the inheritance? This the next verse explains.
כִּי הַר יִהְיֶה־לָּךְ כִּי־יַעַר הוּא וּבֵרֵאתוֹ וְהָיָה לְךָ תֹּצְאֹתָיו כִּי־תוֹרִישׁ אֶת־הַכְּנַעֲנִי כִּי רֶכֶב בַּרְזֶל לוֹ כִּי חָזָק הוּא׃ - For a mountain shall be yours; for it is a forest, and you shall clear it, and its outer reaches shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanite, though he has chariots of iron, though he is strong.
Corresponding to your being a numerous people - the mountain shall be yours, the mountain for your needs, and it is a forest, and you shall clear it: after you cut down its trees you will make there a place of settlement. And corresponding to your being of great strength - "and its outer reaches shall be yours": I grant you even what lies beyond the boundary of the mountain, namely the valley, which are the cities in the portion of Asher and Yissachar.
And if you ask: how does Yehoshua take a portion from one tribe and give it to another tribe? To this he answers: Asher and Yissachar do not object to my reducing their inheritance. And why? Because the Canaanite has chariots of iron, and they cannot drive him out; they suffer no loss in an inheritance that they cannot conquer in any case. But you, who are a numerous people and have great strength, you are mighty men - you can receive this portion and also conquer it. It turns out that one benefits and the other loses nothing: Asher and Yissachar lose nothing, and on the contrary, they will rejoice that you will drive out the Canaanite from there. For no one wants a Canaanite neighbor; no one wants a neighbor of a people with chariots of iron who poses a constant threat to him. No one wants to live in the west of Yerushalayim while on the other side lies the east and harm arrives regularly. The reality is that they will be glad that you come and clear the Canaanites out from there, and it is better for them to have a neighbor like Menashe, even if he receives part of their land, than a Canaanite neighbor who threatens their very existence. And this is the explanation of what we saw above, "And Menashe had within Yissachar and within Asher": since they themselves could not drive out the Canaanite, at least Menashe is the one who will drive out that place.
Chapter 17 opens with the inheritance of Machir the firstborn of Menashe, who by virtue of his might and by virtue of his firstborn status merited the Gilad and the Bashan, and with the explanation of why specifically the tribe of Menashe was divided in two - a punishment for Yosef having caused the tribes to tear their garments. Afterward Scripture counts the six father's houses and the four portions of the daughters of Tzelofchad, ten regions in all, and is precise in the wording "remaining" - the subordinate ones, once from the aspect of might and once from the aspect of quantity. Following this the boundaries of Menashe and the cities he did not drive out are described. The chapter concludes with the request of the children of Yosef to expand their inheritance: Yehoshua answers that he has no power to take from the territory of another tribe, but rather they should go up to the forest and clear a place for themselves, and according to the exposition of Chazal - they should hide themselves from the evil eye, and they answered that the eye has no power over the seed of Yosef. And finally, when they argued that the mountain is not enough and that it shields them from the chariots of iron, Yehoshua adds to them the cities of Asher and Yissachar, for only they, in their great numbers and their great strength, are able to drive out the Canaanite from there, and consequently their neighbors suffer no loss but gain.