במדבר, פרק כ״ו, פסוק נ״ד

Distributing the Promised Land among the Israelites was not a simple technical task, but a complex process that blended demographic reality, economic fairness, and Divine providence. The primary approach among commentators is that the instruction to provide a larger inheritance to a larger group and a smaller one to a smaller group applies directly to the tribes themselves. A populous tribe received a larger territory, while a smaller tribe received less land [רש"י, רבנו בחיי, הטור הארוך]. Conversely, another perspective suggests that the land was initially divided into twelve strictly equal physical portions for the tribes. The mandate to adjust the size of the inheritance was then applied internally within each tribe, distributing the land among the various families according to their specific sizes [רמב"ן].

To bridge these concepts and establish true equality, the distribution was measured by economic value rather than physical area alone. A large tribe was granted a vast expanse of standard, less fertile land, whereas a small tribe received a limited but highly premium and fruitful area. In this system of fairness, a small amount of excellent land held the exact same value as a large amount of lesser quality land [ספורנו, העמק דבר].

Although the allocation carefully considered population size, it did not rely on standard human measurement. Instead, it was accompanied by an open miracle through a lottery guided by the Holy Spirit. Eleazar the Priest foresaw through the Urim and Thummim exactly which region would fall to each tribe. When the lots were drawn from two separate boxes, the lottery itself miraculously spoke out, declaring its match for the corresponding tribe [רש"י, ריב"א, שפתי חכמים]. Some explain that this miraculous lottery only determined the general region where a tribe would settle. The precise borders and exact size of the territory within that region were practically measured and assigned by Joshua and the tribal leaders based on the actual number of people [מלבי"ם].

Eligibility for a direct portion in the land was strictly defined. The right to an inheritance was granted exclusively to confirmed males aged twenty and older. Women, minors, and individuals of undefined gender did not receive an independent allocation, but were instead included within their father's inheritance [חזקוני, תורה תמימה, רלב"ג]. Furthermore, an eligible man did not receive land merely as a solitary individual, but as a representative of his father's house and the family he stood for [רש"ר הירש, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The calculation of these family portions involved a complex historical balancing act. The distribution bridged the gap between the generation that originally left Egypt and the generation actually entering the land. For instance, if a family had ten sons when leaving Egypt but only five survived to enter the land, or vice versa, the allocation was carefully adjusted. This ensured that the final division accurately reflected the original inheritance rights of the fathers alongside the practical number of sons inheriting the land [אור החיים, תורה תמימה, מזרחי].