## Sforno on Numbers Chapter 27

###### Sforno on Numbers 27:3:1
[Sforno on Numbers 27:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/27:3:1)

**וְהוּא לֹא הָיָה בַּעֲדַת קֹרַח.** שֶׁהָיָה דִּינָם שֶׁיֹּאבַד מְמוֹנָם בְּחֵרֶם, שֶׁהֶחֱרִימָם מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ בְּאָמְרוֹ ״סוּרוּ נָא מֵעַל אָהֳלֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים הָרְשָׁעִים הָאֵלֶּה וְאַל תִּגְּעוּ בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם פֶּן תִּסָּפוּ״ (במדבר טז:כו). וְכֵן נִדּוֹנוּ בְּדִינֵי שָׁמַיִם, כְּאָמְרוֹ ״וְאֵת כָּל הָרְכוּשׁ״ (במדבר טז:לב).

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
והוא לא היה, he was not a member of the rebellious people who had made common cause with Korach. Those people had been banished by Moses, i.e. disinherited by him, deprived not only of potential property but even of all their actual belongings, as we have been told in Numbers 16,26. The words כל הרכוש in verse 32 of that chapter make clear that they had forfeited all claims to anything.


###### Sforno on Numbers 27:3:2
[Sforno on Numbers 27:3:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/27:3:2)

**כִּי בְחֶטְאוֹ מֵת.** לֹא הָיָה עֹנֶשׁ חֶטְאוֹ אֶלָּא שֶׁיָּמוּת, לֹא שֶׁיֹּאבַד מָמוֹנוֹ מִן הַיּוֹרְשִׁים.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
כי בחטאו מת, he died on account his personal sin, something that did not involve the claims of his heirs to his estate. [The daughters by saying this did not mean to malign their father; rather they meant to say that their father had completely atoned for his sin by his premature judicial execution. Gottlieb]


###### Sforno on Numbers 27:17:1
[Sforno on Numbers 27:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/27:17:1)

**אֲשֶׁר יֵצֵא לִפְנֵיהֶם.** בְּעִנְיַן הַמִּלְחָמָה.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
אשר יצא לפניהם, when they would go to war;


###### Sforno on Numbers 27:17:2
[Sforno on Numbers 27:17:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/27:17:2)

**וַאֲשֶׁר יוֹצִיאֵם.** בְּעִנְיְנֵי הַנְהָגַת הַמְּדִינָה.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ואשר יוציאם, This refers to political management of the affairs of the people.


###### Sforno on Numbers 27:18:1
[Sforno on Numbers 27:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/27:18:1)

**אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר רוּחַ בּוֹ.** מוּכָן לְקַבֵּל אוֹר פְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ חַיִּים, כָּעִנְיָן ״וּבְלֵב כָּל חֲכַם לֵב נָתַתִּי חָכְמָה״ (שמות לא:ו).

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
איש אשר רוח בו; someone who is ready and worthy to be presented to the King of Kings. We have a similar expression in Exodus 31,6 ובלב כל חכם לב נתתי חכמה, where the Torah speaks about people equipped, endowed with the necessary amount of Holy Spirit to enable them to perform the tasks allocated to them.


###### Sforno on Numbers 27:19:1
[Sforno on Numbers 27:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/27:19:1)

**וְצִוִּיתָה אוֹתוֹ לְעֵינֵיהֶם.** תְּמַנֶּה אוֹתוֹ לְנָגִיד עֲלֵיהֶם לְעֵינֵיהֶם, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּקַבְּלוּהוּ וְיִשְׁמְעוּ בְּקוֹלוֹ, כִּי יֵאָמֵר צִוּוּי עַל הַמִּנּוּי, כְּמוֹ ״וְצִוְּךָ לְנָגִיד״ (שמואל א כה:ל), וּ״לְמִן הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי שֹׁפְטִים״ (שמואל ב ז:יא).

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
וצויתה אותו לעיניהם, you appoint him as leader in their very presence so that they will accept his authority willingly and will be obedient to his directives. The expression צווי meaning appointment is not unique; we find it in Samuel I 25,30 וצוך לנגיד, “He will appoint you as leader.” (Avigail speaking to David) We find it also in Samuel II 7,11 למן היום אשר צוותי שופטים, “from the day I have appointed Judges, etc.” (G’d giving a message to the prophet Nathan for David)


###### Sforno on Numbers 27:20:1
[Sforno on Numbers 27:20:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/27:20:1)

**וְנָתַתָּה מֵהוֹדְךָ עָלָיו.** הוֹד מַלְכוּת תֵּן לוֹ אֵיזֶה שְׂרָרָה בְּחַיֶּיךָ, שֶׁיַּתְחִילוּ לִנְהוֹג בּוֹ כָּבוֹד.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ונתתה מהודך עליו, you are to confer upon him some of the aura of your regal authority while you are still alive, so that the people will get into the habit of treating him with respect.


###### Sforno on Numbers 27:20:2
[Sforno on Numbers 27:20:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/27:20:2)

**לְמַעַן יִשְׁמְעוּ.** וְטַעַם הַמִּנּוּי לְעֵינֵיהֶם וּנְתִינַת הַהוֹד בְּחַיֶּיךָ, הוּא לְמַעַן יִשְׁמְעוּ בְקוֹלוֹ כָּל הָעֵדָה, שֶׁהֵם הַסַּנְהֶדְרִין וְזִקְנֵי הָעָם.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
למען ישמעו, the reason why you are to appoint him in full view of the people is so that the whole עדה, i.e. the Supreme Court, the leaders of the nation, will get into the habit of listening to what he has to say with reverence.