יהושע, פרק י״ד, פסוק א׳

The permanent distribution of lands and cities to the Israelites in the Promised Land marks a historic milestone, representing the moment when the leadership officially settled the tribes in their designated homes. These territories were located in the land of Canaan, specifically the region west of the Jordan River [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת דוד]. The responsibility of passing the land down to the people rested on a dedicated spiritual and practical committee [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This group was led by Eleazar the Priest, Joshua, and the heads of the tribes [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The leadership structure highlights the high status of the priesthood by placing Eleazar ahead of Joshua. This arrangement directly fulfills the command given by God through Moses, which required Joshua to stand before Eleazar the Priest [אברבנאל]. The process overseen by Joshua and Eleazar closely parallels the earlier distribution conducted by Moses east of the Jordan River. In both instances, the Tribe of Levi did not receive a portion of land, being given only cities to live in. To maintain the total number of land-owning tribes at twelve, the Tribe of Joseph was split into two distinct tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh [אברבנאל].

The method of dividing the land reveals a careful balance between divine guidance and human judgment. The leaders did not assign territories based on their personal preferences; instead, the assignments were directed by a lottery, exactly as God commanded [אברבנאל]. However, the lottery's role was limited to determining the general region for each tribe. Once a broader area was established by the lottery, Joshua and the tribal leaders stepped in to divide the specific plots of land within that region based on population size. A tribe with a larger population received a greater amount of land, while a smaller tribe received less. The exact borders and sizes of these specific plots were determined by the practical judgment of the leaders rather than the lottery itself [מלבי״ם].