What is the Torah referring to when it writes "la'Rav Tarbeh Nachlaso ... "?
Rashi #1 (citing the Sifri), Trgum Onkelos and Targum Yonasan: It is referring to the distribution of the land among the tribes ? to teach us that the size of the area of land that each tribe received was commensurate with the size of the tribe; 1 a larger tribe received more, a smaller tribe, less. 2
Rashi #2 (in Bereishis 48:6): The land was divided into equal portions ? every person, apart from the firstborn, received an equal-size area of land, so that the larger the tribe, the larger of land it received.
Ramban #1 (citing Sifri and Bava Basra, 122a): All the tribes received an equal-size portion of land, 3 and the Torah writes "la'Rav Tarbeh Nachlaso ... " with reference to the distribution of each tribe among its members, with the result that each member received an equal portion of land. 4
Ramban #2 (citing the Sifri): It is written with reference to those who were over twenty when they left Egypt. 5 If, for exsample, they numbered ten in a family, they received ten portions, even if they numbered only five when they entered Cana'an, and if they numbered five when they left Egypt, then they received five portions, even if their numbers had risen to ten by the time they entered Cana'an.
Ramban #3: Each family shall receive its portion depending on the size of the family.
Seforno: The land was divided into twelve 6 different-size portions of equal value, and each tribe received a portion commensurate with its size. 7
Malbim (on Yehoshua 14:1, based on the Ra'avad in Shitah Mekubetzes Bava Basra 117b): The lottery determined the T'chum (region in which each tribe inheritd), Yehoshua then adjusted the size of its inheritance according to its size. Also Rashi holds like this; the Meforshim misunderstood his words.
See Ramban, who maintains that, according to the Gemara in Bava Basra 122a there must be a printing error in the Sifri.
Rashi (Ibid.): Not entirely, since some areas are better quality land than others. Consequently, taking the value of the land into consideration, they reckoned one inferior Beis-Kur against one superior Beis-Sa'ah (thirty Sa'ah = one Kur).
Ramban: As is evident from Pesukim 55 & 56.
See Oznayim la'Torah, who elaborates.
Ramban: According to the opinion that the numbers were determined according to those who left Egypt. See also Torah Temimah, note 7 and refer to 26:55:3:3 and Torah Temimah, note 13.
See 26:54:1:1*:
Seforno: With Efrayim and Menasheh each receiving a portion, since Yosef was the Bechor ? as the Pasuk writes in Bereishis 48:22 and in Divrei ha'Yamim 1, 5:1. See Seforno. (It seems that '12' denotes all the Shevatim, but it is not precise; refer to 26:55:2:1*. Why does the 'half' of Menasheh receive like a full Shevet? (Really, three quarters were in Eretz Yisrael ? refer to 32:33:3:1*.) A Midrash says that they did not ask to inherit in Ever ha'Yarden (refer to 32:33:2:2). We find that Menasheh complained (Yehoshua 17:14) that their land was too small for them! ? PF)
What are the connotations of "Ish le'Fi Fekudav" coming to teach us?
Rashi (on Pasuk 62): It means those who had reached the age of twenty.
Ramban #1: It teaches us that it is only those who had reached the age of twenty at the time of counting when they left Egypt 1 who were eligible to receive a portion, but not those who turned twenty afterwards. 2
Ramban #2: It teaches us that each family shall receive its portion according to its numbers. 3
Or when they entered Eretz Yisrael - according to thos who maimtin that Eretz Yisrael was distributed according to those who entered Eretz Yisrael.
Ramban: And this explains why the tribe of Menasheh, which almost doubled in size between the first and second censuses, complained to Yehoshua (See Yehoshua, 17:14) that their territory was inadequate.
Why does the Torah insert the (otherwise superfluous) word "Ish"?
