Conquer And Divide

Mazel tov to all those who finished Zevachim this week!

On daf 119b in Zevachim, the Gemara discusses the words “nachalah” and “menuchah” in the verse “For you have not yet come to the Menuchah—resting place or Nachalah—the inheritance.” According to one opinion, both words are prophetic references to the Mishkan in Shiloh. How is the term “resting place” appropriate to the time that the Mishkan was in Shiloh? All of Eretz Yisrael had not yet been conquered! Rashi (Yehoshua 18:1) states that after the Mishkan was erected in Shiloh it was easy to conquer the remaining parts of Eretz Yisrael. It can therefore be deemed a resting place in contrast to the years before the Mishkan was built.

The Gemara further explains that the term nachalah is appropriate because Shiloh was the place that Yehoshua divided the land using a lottery. This seems difficult to understand since the Gemara clearly stated on an earlier daf that K’lal Yisrael spent seven years dividing Eretz Yisrael while the Mishkan was in Gilgal. The answer lies in a pasuk in Yehoshua (18:2). The pasuk states that only seven tribes took part in the lottery at Shiloh. Rashi explains that Reuvain, Gad, and half the tribe of Menashe already took their portion in TransJordan during the lifetime of Moshe Rabbeinu. During the earlier division of Eretz Yisrael proper, Yehuda, Ephraim, and half of Menashe took their portion. Hence, there were still seven tribes remaining that needed to take part in the lottery at Shiloh to receive their portion of land.

If there is an argument in shul over who should be the chazzan or get an aliyah, is it proper to use a goral to determine a winner? Tosfos in Shabbos quotes a Sifri that says that the use of lotteries is a form of divination that is forbidden by the Torah. The Shevet HaLevi says that Tosfos is only discussing attempting to use a lottery to determine what the future will hold. Using a lottery to settle a dispute on the other hand is appropriate. Further, the parties would not have to make a kinyan to signify their acceptance of the results. The winner of the goral would automatically have the halachic right to daven for the amud or get the aliyah.