Toward the end of a lengthy chapter 26, we find verses pertaining to the allotment of Canaan to the
twelve tribes. Biblical commentators struggled with the subject of how the land was apportioned to the
twelve tribes. Was the “pie” cut into twelve equal slices, regardless of the individual tribe’s population?
Such a proposition, so fundamentally off, would fly in the face of divine justice and fairness. Moreover, it
ignores our verse.
“And God spoke to Moses saying. Among them the land shall be divided
by inheritance, by their names. To the more you populous, apportion
more for their birthright and for the lesser [population], decrease their
birthright. Each one [gets] according to their numbers.”
Later in Numbers, those commentators face more challenges: “And you shall inherit the land
according to a lottery system by families. The more people the larger portion of land, the fewer
people a diminished portion.” Larger tribal populations are due a bigger slice of Canaan, smaller
populations a smaller slice. Evidently, the Holy Land was not “one size fits all.”
What happens if we attempt to say that divvying up Israel is only a function of population size?
Then, Abravanel points out, we face trouble when considering Jacob’s blessing to Joseph.
“Ephraim and Menasseh are like Ruben and Simon—they are mine.” The patriarch promised
Joseph a double portion of land. Yet, if all twelve tribes get the same land mass, it would result
in Joseph getting no more than his brothers, something Jacob did not desire.
Just one more point to make the issue crystal clear. We find: “This is the land that you shall
inherit according to a lottery system that God commands…”
Abravanel rethinks the subject and arrives at a plausible arrangement. When analyzing the
issue of land apportionment, two tests emerge. One, we must identify the precise region that
each tribe gets as an everlasting inheritance. Two, we need to take into account the quantity of
the land mass. What were its latitude and longitude or length and breadth? In a word, we are
speaking about quality and quantity of land mass.
Addressing the first point, Abravanel puts forth that the area and quality in question earmarked
for any of the tribes, had been determined by Above (read: divine lottery system). This
deflected potential claims of cronyism and the like. No tribe would be able to complain about
receiving perceived inferior property. Yet, to be sure, not all regions within Israel are identical.
Alluding to the comparatively disparate real estate values, the Talmud asserts that one dunam
of property in Judah held more worth than five in the Galilee.
Abravanel next tackles the quantity allotted to each tribe. That is, within their respective
geographic markers, how much did each tribe’s land measure? Tellingly, the lottery system did
not insert itself here and curtailed its jurisdiction, per se. Instead, Joshua and Eleazar the priest
would later be entrusted with it. They worked collaboratively with each tribal chief. Of course,
these leaders drew up criteria. Key considerations included a tribe’s population. The greater the
population, the more land they received.
In shorthand, we have showed how Abravanel tackles the delicate matter of the allotment of
territories to the twelve tribes.
