[Avodah] Moshe Rabenu got rich from the shivrei luchos

Micha Berger micha at aishdas.org
Wed Apr 7 07:26:35 PDT 2021


On Wed, Apr 07, 2021 at 12:41:52AM -0400, Zev Sero via Avodah wrote:
> He had no *land*, being a Levi.  There's no implication that he had no
> money, and he must surely have left it to them, because what else could he
> have done with it?

The medrash RMP points us to, that cited by R Amnon Bazak in "Moshe's
Family" fn 6, is Tanchuma Pinchas #11 (see
<https://www.sefaria.org/Midrash_Tanchuma%2C_Pinchas.11>). It explains
why the parashah of appointing Yehoshua as the successor follows that
of Benos Tzelafchad.

The implication Moshe draws in that medrash is that if girls can inherit
"benichsei avihem" then Moshe's children should be allowed to inherit
his kavod. There is no mention of land in particular. Given that the
starting point is "seder nachalos" (as the medrash puts it), the shift
from nachalah to nechasim may be more significant.

But I also don't see any implication that Moshe had nothing else to leave
them. Just that he wanted to leave them his kavod. Which many people,
not just a Moshe Rabbeinu, would consider the most prescious thing he
could leave them even if he were rich.

And then HQBH answers with the pasuq in Mishlei -- "notzeir te'einah
yochal piryahh." Some things have to be earned, not inherited.

(Why does the Tanchuma say "nichsei avihem", not "avihen"?)

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Today is the 10th day, which is
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   1 week and 3 days in/toward the omer.
Author: Widen Your Tent      Tifferes sheb'Gevurah: When does strict
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF                judgment bring balance and harmony?


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