Pinchas 26:55 · unit 2 — the land was divided by lot and by Urim ve-Tumim

Parashas Pinchas · Passuk 26:55

The Complete Passuk

אַךְ־בְּגוֹרָל יֵחָלֵק אֶת־הָאָרֶץ לִשְׁמוֹת מַטּוֹת־אֲבֹתָם יִנְחָלוּ׃

But by lot shall the land be divided; according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.

Chabad.org — 26:55

Source Citation

Torah Temimah: Bava Basra 122a

Sefaria — Bava Basra 122a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן, אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא נִתְחַלְּקָה אֶלָּא בְּגוֹרָל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אַךְ בְּגוֹרָל יֵחָלֵק, וְלֹא נִתְחַלְּקָה אֶלָּא בְּאוּרִים וְתוּמִּים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עַל פִּי הַגּוֹרָל.

English: Our Rabbis taught: the Land of Yisrael was divided only by lot, as it is said “but by lot shall it be divided,” and it was divided only by Urim ve-Tumim, as it is said “according to the lot.”

Type of Learning

Dual mechanism of the division.

What Is Learned

Lottery and Urim ve-Tumim operated together in apportioning the land.