Why does the Torah repeat "al-Pi ha'Goral ... "?
Rashi: To teach us that the Goral actually spoke, 1 thereby demonstrating that the lots worked via Ru'ach ha'Kodesh.
Ramban and Seforno: To teach us that also the families of each tribe received their portion of land via a Goral. 2
Bava Basra, 122a: To teach us that Eretz Yisrael was distributed by means of the Urim ve'Tumim. 3
"al-Pi be'Goral Techalek es ha?Aretz ". What was the main purpose of the Goral?
R. Bachye #1: The Goral determined who received better-quality land and who received inferior-quality land, and the former had to pay the latter the difference. 1
R. Bachye: #2: It prevented quarrels among the tribes as to who should receive what, 2 and that no-one would covet the other one?s portion, but would acknowledge that it comes from Hashem. 3
See R. Chavel?s footnotes, who equates this with the opinion of Rashi.
As the Pasuk writes in Mishlei 18:18 ?Medanim Yashbis ha?Goral, u?Vein Atzumim Yafrid?. See R. Bachye.
R. Bachye: As the Pasuk writes in Mishlei 16:33 ?be?Cheik Yutal es ha?Goral u?me?Hashem Kol Mishpato!?
What are the connotations of the words "Bein Rav li'Me'at"?the fact that Eretz Yisrael
Ramban: It implies that a larger tribe received a larger portion, and a smaller tribe, a smaller portion.
Sifri: It teaches us that the land was divided by assessment - a Beis Kur (of poor-quality land) against a Beis Sa'ah (of superior-quality land). 1
Oznayim la'Torah (citing the Ha'amek Davar): In the event that two people of equal standing inherited two pieces of land which could be divided in two ways, the Goral decided how to divide it.
Bava Basra, 122a: It teaches us that each tribe received its portion according to the Goral, irrespective of whether it received a large portion - because it was small in number - or whether it received a small portion - because it was large in number - a proof that the Eretz Yisrael was divided according to the tribes and not according to the people. 2
Yerushalmi Yoma, 4:1: It teaches us that - besides the fact that Eretz Yisrael was divided via Goralos and the Urim ve'Tumim, it was also divided via money (taking into aount the vakue of the land) - inasmuch as someone who lived closer to Yerushalayim received a smaller portion of land than someone who lived far from Yerushalyim - 'One Beis Sa'ah in Yehudaah was equivalent to five Beis-Sa'ah in the Galil'. 3


