The Wilderness Years

Then the daughters of Tz'lof'chad the son of Hefer, the son of Gil'ad, the son of Machir, the son of M'nasheh, of the families of M'nasheh, the son of Yosef, approached. These were the names of his daughters: Machlah, No'ah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirtzah.

They stood in front of Moshe, El'azar the cohen, the leaders and the whole community at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said,

"Our father died in the desert. He wasn't part of the group who assembled themselves to rebel against ADONAI in Korach's group, but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons.

Why should the name of our father be eliminated from his family just because he didn't have a son? Give us property to possess along with the brothers of our father."

Moshe brought their cause before ADONAI.

ADONAI answered Moshe,

"The daughters of Tz'lof'chad are right in what they say. You must give them property to be inherited along with that of their father's brothers; have what their father would have inherited pass to them.

Moreover, say to the people of Isra'el, 'If a man dies and does not have a son, you are to have his inheritance pass to his daughter.

If he doesn't have a daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers.

If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers.

If his father doesn't have brothers, give his inheritance to the closest relative in his family, and he will possess it. This will be the standard for judgment to be used by the people of Isra'el, as ADONAI ordered Moshe.'"

ADONAI said to Moshe, "Climb this mountain in the 'Avarim Range, and look out at the land which I have given the people of Isra'el.

After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, just as Aharon your brother was gathered;

because in the Tzin Desert, when the community was disputing with me, you rebelled against my order to uphold my holiness by means of the water, with them looking on." (This was M'rivat-Kadesh Spring, in the Tzin Desert.)

Moshe said to ADONAI,

"Let ADONAI, God of the spirits of all human beings, appoint a man to be over the community,

to go out and come in ahead of them, to lead them out and bring them in, so that ADONAI's community will not be like sheep without a shepherd."

ADONAI said to Moshe, "Take Y'hoshua the son of Nun, a spiritual man, and lay your hand on him.

Put him in front of El'azar the cohen and the whole community, and commission him in their sight.

Delegate to him some of your authority, so that the entire community of Isra'el will obey him.

He is to present himself to El'azar the cohen, who is to find out by means of the urim what ADONAI's will is for Y'hoshua's decisions. Then, at his word they will go out, and at his word they will come in, both he and all the people of Isra'el with him, the whole community."

Moshe did as ADONAI had ordered him. He took Y'hoshua, put him before El'azar the cohen and the whole community,

laid his hands on him, and commissioned him, as ADONAI had said through Moshe.

ADONAI said to Moshe,

"Give an order to the people of Isra'el. Tell them, 'You are to take care to offer me at the proper time the food presented to me as offerings made by fire, providing a fragrant aroma for me.'