Bava Batra

that merit  is brought about by means of the meritorious  and punishment for guilt  by means of the guilty.  Now, if it be assumed [that] the land of Israel was [regarded as being even before the conquest] in the possession [of those who came out of Egypt]. why was he  in doubt?  — He was in doubt on this very [question]:  It is written, and I will give it you for a heritage,  I am the Lord,  [does this mean]. 'it is for you an inheritance from your fathers'  or perhaps [it means] that they  would transmit [it] but would not [themselves] he heirs?  And it was made clear to him [that the text implies] both: 'It is an inheritance for you from your fathers; yet you would [only] transmit, and not [yourselves] inherit [it].' And this accounts for the Scriptural text, Thou bringest them in, and plantest them in the mountain of thine inheritance.  It is not written, 'Thou bringest us in', but 'Thou bringest them in'; this teaches that they prophesied  and knew not what they prophesied. And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the princes and all the congregation.  Is it possible that they stood before Moses etc. and they did not say anything to them [so that] they [had] to stand before the princes and all the congregation? But, the verse is to be turned about and expounded;  Is these are the words of R. Josiah. Abba Hanan said in the name of R. Eliezer: They  were sitting in the house of study and these came and stood before all of them. Wherein  lies their dispute?  — [One] master  is of the opinion [that] honour may he shown to a disciple in the presence of the master,  and the other  is of the opinion that it is not to he shown.  And the law is [that honour is] to be shown. And the law is [that honour is] not he shown. Surely this is a contradiction between one law and the other!  — There is no contradiction: The one  [refers to the case] where his master shows him  respect; the other,  where his master does not. It was taught: The daughters of Zelophehad were wise women, they were exegetes, they were virtuous. They [must] have been wise, since they spoke at an opportune moment; for R. Samuel son of R. Isaac said: [Scripture] teaches that Moses our master was sitting and holding forth an exposition on the section of levirate marriages, as it is said, If brethren dwell together.  They said unto him:  'If we are [to he as good] as son[s],  give us an inheritance as [to] a son; if not,  let our mother be subject to the law of levirate marriage!' And Moses, immediately. brought their cause before the Lord. They [must] have been exegetes, for they said: 'If he had a son we would not have spoken'.  But was it not taught: 'a daughter'?  — R. Jeremiah said: Delete, 'daughter', from here.  Abaye said: [The explanation is that they said]: 'Even if a son [of his] had a daughter. we would not have spoken'. They were virtuous, since they were married to such men only as were worthy of them. R. Eliezer b. Jacob taught: Even the youngest among them was not married under forty years of age.  But can this he so? Surely, R. Hisda said: [One who] marries under twenty years of age beget till sixty; [at] twenty, begins till forty. [at] forty, does not beget any more!  — Since, however, they were virtuous, a miracle happened in their case  as [in that of] Jochebed.  As It is written, And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi;