Rashi on TanakhNumbers 26

It was after the plague, etc. This is compared to a shepherd whose flock was infiltrated by wolves, who killed some of them. He counted them, to ascertain the number of those remaining. Another interpretation: When they left Egypt and were entrusted to Moshe, they were given to him with a reckoning; now that he neared death, and the return of his sheep, he returned them with a reckoning.

According to their paternal house. Their relationship follows the paternal tribe, rather than the maternal.

Moshe and Elozor the kohein spoke with them. They spoke with them concerning this — that the Omnipresent had commanded to count them.

Saying. They said to them, ”You must be counted.”

[Count those] twenty years of age and above, as [Adonoy] commanded, etc. That they be counted from the age of twenty and above, as it is said, “everyone passing by to be counted, etc.”

The Chanochite family. Because the gentiles disparaged them, saying, ‘what, they trace their lineage to their tribes? They think that the Egyptians had no control over their mothers? If they ruled over their bodies, then certainly over their wives!’ Therefore, the Holy One, Blessed is He, attached His Name to them, the ה' on one side, and the י' on the other, to say, ‘I bear witness, concerning them, that they are the sons of their fathers.’ This is stated clearly by Dovid, “the tribes of God as a testimony to Israel.” This Name testifies for them concerning their tribes. Therefore, Scripture states, with all of them, הַחֲנוֹכִי, “the Chanochite,” הַפַּלּוּאִי, “the Paluite.” But with יִמְנָה, it was unnecessary to say מִשְׁפַּחַת הַיִּמְנִי, “the Yimnite family,” since the Name is fixed in it, the י' at the beginning and the ה' at the end.

Who incited Israel against Moshe.

When they incited. The people against God.

Incited. They misled the Israelites into quarreling with Moshe. This is the causative form.

They became a symbol. A symbol and a reminder, so that no outsider would ever again come forward to dispute the kehunah.

But the sons of Korach did not die. They were involved in the conspiracy at first, but during the dispute, they repented in their hearts. Therefore, an elevated area was secured for them in gehinom, where they remained.

From Zerach. This was Tzochar, meaning the same as “Tzohar,” illumination. However, the family of Ohad became extinct. Also, five [families] of the tribe of Binyamin, as he had descended to Egypt with ten sons, yet here only five are counted. Also, Etzbon, of Gad — so there are seven families. I found, in the Talmud Yerushalmi, that when Aharon died the clouds of glory departed, and the Canaanites came to wage war against Israel. They (Bnei Yisroel) resolved to return to Egypt, and went back eight journeys, from Mount Hor to Moserah, as it is said, “Bnei Yisroel journeyed from Be’eros Bnei Yaakon to Moserah, where Aharon died.” Now did he not die at Mount Hor? And from Moserah to Mount Hor there are eight journeys going back. But, they returned, and the Levites pursued them to bring them back, killing seven of their families. And four Levite families fell; The families of Shim’i and Uzieli. Of the sons of Yitzhar, none are counted here, except for the Korachite family. I do not know the identity of the fourth. R’ Tanchuma expounded, that they died in the plague at the affair of Bil’am — however, according to the loss suffered by the tribe of Shimon in this counting, as compared with the first counting at the Sinai desert, it appears that all twenty four thousand fell from the tribe of Shimon.

From Ozni. I say that this was the family of Etzbon, but I do not know why his family was not called by his name.

From Yashuv. This is Yov, mentioned among those who went down to Egypt, as all of the families were called by the names of those who went down to Egypt. As for those who were born afterward, none of the families were called by their names, except for the families of Efrayim and Menashe, all of whom were born in Egypt, and Ard and Na’aman, the sons of Bela, the son of Binyamin. I found, in the commentary of R’ Moshe Hadarshan, that their mother went down to Egypt when she was pregnant with them, and they were, therefore, divided into separate families, like Chetzron and Chamul, who were Yehudah’s grandsons, and Chever and Malkiel, who were Asher’s grandsons. If this is from the Aggadah, fine, but if not, then I say that Bela had a great many grandchildren, and from those two, Ard and Na’aman, respectively, large families emanated. The descendants of the other children were called by Bela’s name, while the descendants of those two were called by their names. I say the same about the sons of Machir, who were divided into two families, one called by his name, and one called by the name of his son, Gil’ad. Five families are missing from the sons of Binyamin. Here, his mother’s prophecy was partially fulfilled — she called him בֶּן אוֹנִי, “son of my sorrow.” With the concubine of Givah, it was completely fulfilled. I found this in the commentary of R’ Moshe Hadarshan.

These are the sons of Shuselach, etc. The descendants of the other sons of Shuselach were called by the name Shuselach, but from Eiran a large family emanated, so it was called by his name. Thus, the sons of Shuselach were considered two families. Go and calculate, and you will discover, in this chapter, fifty seven families, and eight from the sons of Levi — hence, sixty five. This is [the meaning of] what is said, כִּי אַתֶּם "הַמְעַט" וְגוֹ', “for you are the least, etc. “ הֵ"א מְעַט, “five less.” You are five less than all the gentile families, as they are seventy. This, too, I understood from the commentary of R’ Moshe Hadarshan, but I had to subtract and add to his words.

From Achiram. This is Eichi, who went down to Egypt. Because he was named to commemorate Yoseif, who was his brother and was exalted over him, he was called Achiram.

From Shfufam. This is Mupim, to commemorate Yosef’s being humbled among the nations.

From Shucham. This is Chushim.

The name of Asher’s daughter was Serach. Because she remained alive, he counted her here.

The land shall be apportioned among these. But not among those below the age of twenty, even if they reach twenty before the apportioning of the land. Indeed, the conquest lasted seven years, and the apportioning seven, yet no one received a portion in the land except for these six hundred and one thousand. If one of them had six sons, they received nothing but their father’s portion.

To the large [tribe], increase their inheritance. To the tribe with the greater populace, they gave a larger portion. Although the portions were unequal, as everything was assigned according to the size of the tribe, they implemented the apportioning solely by lots, and the lottery was inspired by the Sacred Spirit, as stated explicitly in Bava Basra. Elozor the kohein was clothed in the Urim veTumim, and said, with the Sacred Spirit, “If tribe so-and-so is drawn, then border so-and-so will be drawn with it.” The [names of the] tribes were written on twelve notes, and the twelve boundaries on twelve notes. They were mixed into a container, and the leader placed his hand into it and removed two notes. There appeared, in his hand, the note with the name of his tribe, and the note with the boundary specified for it. The lot itself would cry out, exclaiming, “I am the lot drawn for the so-and-so boundary, belonging to tribe so-and-so,” as it is said, “by word of the lottery.” The land was not apportioned dimensionally, since some boundaries were superior to others, but by assessed value. A poor Kor area was equivalent to a superior Seah area, all according to the value [of the soil.]

According to the names of their fathers’ tribes. This refers to those who left Egypt. Scripture deviates, with this inheritance, from all the others in the Torah. With every inheritance, the living inherit the dead, but here, the dead inherit the living. How is this? Two brothers among those who left Egypt had sons who entered the land, one had one son, the other, three. The single son received one portion, the three, three portions, as it is said, “the land shall be apportioned to these.” Their inheritance reverted to their grandfather, and they then shared everything equally. This is [the meaning of] what is said, “according to the names of their fathers’ tribes, they shall inherit” — after the sons received it, they reapportioned it according to the fathers who left Egypt. But if they had apportioned it originally among those numbered in the exodus from Egypt, the four would have received only two portions, whereas they now received four portions.

Only by lot. This excludes Yehoshua and Kalev. And similarly it says, “they presented Kalev with Chevron, as Moshe had said.” And it says, “by the word of God they gave him the city which he requested.”

Of their fathers’ tribes. This excludes proselytes and [gentile] slaves.

By word of the lottery. The lots spoke, as I explained above. This informs us that it was apportioned by the inspiration of the Sacred Spirit. This is why it is said, “By the word of God.”

These are the families of Levi. There are missing, here, the families of Shim’i and Ozieili, and part of Yitzhari.

Whom [her mother] bore to Levi in Egypt. Her birth was in Egypt, but she was not conceived in Egypt. As they were entering the wall, she bore her, and she completed the total of seventy. For, in enumeration, you will only find sixty-nine.

They were not counted among Bnei Yisroel. To have been counted from the age of twenty. What’s the reason? Since no inheritance was given to them. Whereas those who were counted from the age of twenty were qualified to receive the inheritance, as it is said, “each person, according to his number, shall be given his inheritance.”

Among this [census] there was no man, etc. However, against the women, the decree of the spies was not issued, since they cherished the land. The men said, “let us appoint a leader and we will return to Egypt”! while the women said, “give us possession”! This is why the chapter of the daughters of Tzelofchad is adjacent here.