Pinehas, the grandson of Aaron, is rewarded for his zeal in dealing summarily with the idolatry of Baal-peor by having the priesthood become the possession of his descendants for all time in this portion. Preparations now turn to the conquest of the Promised Land. Moses takes a census of the generation born in the wilderness to determine the number of fighting men and the number of families who would share in the division of the land. God gives Moses instructions for apportioning the land, and we learn of a decision affirming the right of daughters to inherit property when there are no sons. Moses is told to ascend the mountain to prepare to die and to designate Joshua as his successor. The reading concludes with a calendar of the festivals of the year and the public sacrifices that are to be offered daily and on every Shabbat and festival after the Israelites have entered the land. Maintaining this calendar is to be a means of tying together God, the land and the People of Israel.
