lo tisov nachala l'mateh acheir -- keeping the land ours

The leaders of Menashe complained to Moshe that giving land to Bnos Tzelafchad opened the door to the possibility of their tribe losing territory.  Were Bnos Tzelafchad to marry outside their sheivet, then their husbands from another sheivet might inherit their property.  In response, Hashem commanded, "V'lo tisov nachala l'Bnei Yisrael mi'mateh el mateh..." (36:7) that the Bnos Tzelafchad or any bas yoreshes should marry only within their own sheivet.  The parsha then continues, "V'lo tisov nachala mi'mateh el mateh acheir...," (36:9) almost word for word a repetition of the earlier pasuk.  Why reiterate the same point?

When Bnos Tzelafchad came before Moshe in Parshas Pinchas to request their father's portion of land, the Torah introduces them as "Bnos Tzelafchad ben Cheifer ben Gilad ben Machir ben Menashe l'mishpachas Menashe ben Yosef." (27:1)  Rashi explains that the Torah traces their lineage all the way back to Yosef because they were following in the footsteps of Yosef who  also exhibited great love for Eretz Yisrael. Yosef demanded that Bnei Yisrael promise to remove his bones from Mitzrayim and carry them with them to Eretz Yisrael when they would leave.

The complaint of the leaders of Menashe stemmed also from this great love of Eretz Yisrael that was built into the DNA of the offspring of Yosef.  Their story is a parallel to the story of Bnos Tzelafchad: the complaint that they would lose a portion of land, and Hashem's response with a law that had not yet been revealed to Moshe.

(Interesting that if you count Matos-Masei as one unit, this is the 9th parsha we will read in BaMidbar.  The Ishbitzer in Mei HaShiloach in P' Balak writes that the 9th pasuk of any parsha contains a deeper meaning al derech sod (see also Mei HaShiloach on next week's parsha of Devarim).  Nine is the midah of yesod which corresponds to Yosef ha'tzadik, who hid his tzidkus while outwardly acting like an Egyptian viceroy.  So perhaps the ninth parsha contains the sod of Yosef ha'tzadik as well in the form of Yosef's love of Eretz Yisrael while living in galus.)

The Radomsker in Tiferes Shlomo writes that just like the complaint of  "lamah nigara" gave rise to the laws of Pesach Sheni and the opportunity to bring a korban even after the fact, so  too, the complaints of Bnos Tzelafchad and the leaders of Menashe is what gave rise to Hashem giving these halachos that would ensure they receive their portion.  It's the desire for the land, it's the strength of the claim one advances, which itself gives rise to Hashem's response of giving the land and guaranteeing its possession.

 "V'lo tisov... mi'mateh el mateh," is talking about the inter-sheivet transfer of land.  But the parsha is also telling us something else, writes the Radomsker.  When our love for Eretz Yisrael is so great that we are not willing to give up any portion of what should be ours, then "lo tisov... mi'mateh el mateh acheir," then Hashem will ensure that the land remains ours and never is taken by an "acheir," an outsider.  You want to see a Jewish Yerushalayim, not a Jewish quarter, or a Jewish Chevron, or to again have a Jewish Gush Katif?  Then increase your love of Eretz Yisrael and demand it.

"Sha'alu shlom Yerushalayim yishlayu ohavayich" (Teh 122:6)  Radomsker explains that it's cause and effect: when will it be that we will live in shalvah, tranquility, in our land?  When we are "sha'alu shlom...," when we ask Hashem to give us our land back, when we complain loudly enough about it not being ours. 

It's no coincidence that these themes come up during the three weeks.  Sefas Emes in P' Pinchas writes that we read the parshiyos of korbanos at this time of year because it reminds us that we need to aspire to have a Mikdash back where we can do avodah.  Perhaps here too, the episode of Bnos Tzelafchad, of Menashe, reminds us that we need to cherish Eretz Yisrael and demand a return to our Land.