במדבר, פרק ל״ד, פסוק י״ח

Moving from a wandering lifestyle to establishing permanent homes requires careful planning and an organized distribution of land. To guarantee a fair and efficient process, a dedicated official is selected from every tribe [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. While appointing a leader is not normally a strict requirement for every public issue, it becomes an absolute obligation when the community prepares to take possession of the land [העמק דבר].

These representatives act as full proxies for their people, taking possession of the property and dividing it on their behalf [רש״י]. Their primary responsibility is not to determine the broad borders of the general tribal territory. Instead, they are tasked with taking their tribe's designated region and managing its internal division among individual families and people [מזרחי].

Beyond its historical significance, the authority given to these leaders establishes a fundamental legal precedent. Because the leader acts with complete legal backing on behalf of the tribe, his decisions are entirely binding. If an individual prefers a different plot of land, such as a valley rather than a mountain, the leader's initial allocation remains valid and cannot be undone. Based on this model, the Sages establish the rules for a court-appointed guardian for young orphans. Just as the tribal leaders act as proxies for their people, a guardian is fully authorized to conduct legal and financial affairs for the benefit of orphans, and these actions carry complete legal validity [תורה תמימה על התורה].