Parsha discussion

Question:  34:14-15 Why the repetition that the 2.5 tribes took portions on the East Bank? Approach: It appears that the first פסוק in intended to explain why the land was to be apportioned only between 9.5 tribes. And the second פסוק explains that the allocation of the 2.5 tribes was not done by גורל, as was to be with the other 9.5 tribes - rather, they "took" their portions, as described at the end of פרשת מטות/

Question:  Why is the one-fiftieth of the spoils given to the people not spelled out in number format (in contrast to the 1/500th of the soldiers)? Approach: it would seem that the initial numbers of the spoils are deliberately rounded to the nearest hundred. Therefore the 1/500th of the half of the soldiers works out as presented. But perhaps the 1/50th of the people’s half was actually slightly different as the rounding differences would not work out when rounded to hundreds and tens.

Question:  The instructions to יהושע are not the same as what משה requested. Why? Approach: it would seem that the request of משה encompassed both the duties of the leader as well as their personality (אשר יצא לפניהם ואשר יבוא לפניהם). Whilst יהושע could be commanded to carry out his duties, his personality would need to be worked on and not something that can be given straight out.

Question:  In the last prophecy, why does בלעם preface it by telling בלק that it’s just about what בני ישראל will do to מואב, when it is far more encompassing? Approach: We can suggest that this is what בלעם had intended to say initially, and this is the first part of the prophecy. And the other prophecies were then inspired by the vantage point that בלעם had as he tried to look away from מואב to other lands, so as to perhaps mitigate the strength of the blessing to בני ישראל.