Moses’ Wilderness Lotteries and the Prophecy of Eldad and Medad in Numbers 3 and 11 (Sanhedrin 17a)

This sugya opens with the biblical problem of selecting seventy elders (Numbers 11:16) and explores the difficulties Moses faced in carrying out God’s command. With twelve tribes, any method of choosing an even 70 risked unfairness: six from each tribe would total 72, five from each only 60, and a mixed allotment would provoke jealousy.

The Talmud asserts that Moses resolved this dilemma by nominating 72 candidates, preparing 70 slips inscribed “Elder” and two left blank, and conducting a lottery. Those who drew the inscribed slips were confirmed as chosen by Heaven, while those who drew blanks were told that God had not desired them.

The text then draws a parallel to the redemption of the firstborn (Numbers 3:45–47).¹ Just as there were more firstborns (22,273) than Levites (22,000), Moses again faced the problem of allocating the redemption fairly. To prevent disputes, he prepared slips: 22,000 marked “Levite” and 273 marked “Five shekels.” Each firstborn drew his fate directly, so no one could contest the outcome.

This background leads into the special case of Eldad and Medad in Numbers 11:27-29.² According to one tradition, their names simply did not emerge from the lottery; but R’ Shimon asserts that they deliberately stayed back, declaring themselves unworthy of such honor. God rewarded this humility with a unique gift: whereas the seventy elders experienced prophecy only briefly, Eldad and Medad continued prophesying beyond the others.

Finally, the Talmud records different traditions about the content of their prophecy. One view holds that they foretold Moses’ death and Joshua’s leadership. Another, from Abba Ḥanin in the name of R. Eliezer, says they prophesied the coming of quail. Rav Naḥman links their prophecy to the eschatological war of Gog and Magog, interpreting Ezekiel’s “many years” (shanim) as “two” (shenayim) prophets speaking the same vision.

Thus, this sugya intertwines questions of fair leadership selection, divine justice through lottery, humility rewarded with lasting prophecy, and the far-reaching content of prophetic vision.

Outline

Intro

The Passage - Moses’ Wilderness Lotteries and the Prophecy of Eldad and Medad in Numbers 3 and 11 (Sanhedrin 17a)

1. The Problem of Selecting 70 Elders (Numbers 11:16)

   1. The difficulty Moses faced when told to appoint 70 Elders

   2. Moses’ solution was to nominate 72, prepare 72 slips, 70 inscribed “Elder” and 2 left blank, and hold a lottery

   3. Those who drew “Elder” were confirmed, while those who drew blanks were told that God did not desire them

2. Parallel Case of the Firstborn Redemption (Numbers 3:45–47)

   1. Moses again used a lottery: 22,000 slips marked “Levite” and 273 marked “5 shekels”

   2. Each firstborn drew his outcome directly

3. Eldad and Medad’s Humility and Reward (Numbers 11:26)

4. The Content of Eldad and Medad’s Prophecy

   1. One tradition: They foretold that Moses would die and Joshua would bring Israel into the land

   2. Abba Ḥanin citing R' Eliezer - They prophesied about the quail (שליו)

   3. Rav Naḥman: They prophesied about Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38:17)

The Passage

Sanhedrin.17a.4-16

The Problem of Selecting 70 Elders (Numbers 11:16)

תנו רבנן:

״וישארו שני אנשים במחנה״.

יש אומרים:

בקלפי נשתיירו.

§ Apropos the appointment of the Elders by Moses, the Talmud discusses additional aspects of that event. There were 72 candidates for Elder but only 70 were needed. They were chosen by lots with their names put into a box.

A baraita states:

The verse states: “And there remained two men in the camp; the name of one was Eldad and the name of the other Medad, and the spirit rested upon them, and they were among those who were written but who did not go out to the tent, and they prophesied in the camp” (Numbers 11:26).

Where did they remain?

Some say

this means they, i.e., their names, remained excluded from those selected from the lots in the box.

The difficulty Moses faced when told to appoint 70 Elders

The baraita takes a step back to explain the difficulty Moses faced when told to appoint 70 Elders:

With 12 tribes, choosing 6 per tribe would yield 72, 2 too many; choosing 5 would leave 10 too few. Selecting unevenly would create jealousy between tribes.

שבשעה שאמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא למשה: ״אספה לי שבעים איש מזקני ישראל״,

אמר משה:

כיצד אעשה?

1. אברור ששה מכל שבט ושבט –

   1. נמצאו שנים יתירים.

2. אברור חמשה חמשה מכל שבט ושבט –

   1. נמצאו עשרה חסרים.

3. אברור ששה משבט זה, וחמשה משבט זה –

   1. הריני מטיל קנאה בין השבטים.

The baraita explains:

At the time that God said to Moses: “Gather for Me 70 men of the Elders of Israel” (Numbers 11:16),

Moses said:

How shall I do it?

1. If I select 6 from each and every tribe,

   1. there will be a total of 72, which will be 2 extra.

2. But if I select 5 from each and every tribe,

   1. there will be a total of 60, lacking 10.

3. And if I select 6 from this tribe and 5 from that tribe,

   1. I will bring about envy between the tribes, as those with fewer representatives will resent the others.

Moses’ solution was to nominate 72, prepare 72 slips, 70 inscribed “Elder” and 2 left blank, and hold a lottery

מה עשה?

בירר ששה ששה,

והביא שבעים ושנים פיתקין.

על שבעים כתב ״זקן״,

ושנים הניח חלק.

What did he do?

He selected 6 from every tribe

and he brought 72 slips [pitakin].

On 70 of them he wrote: “Elder”

and he left 2 of them blank.

Those who drew “Elder” were confirmed, while those who drew blanks were told that God did not desire them

בללן ונתנן בקלפי.

אמר להם: בואו וטלו פיתקיכם!

• כל מי שעלה בידו ״זקן״,

  • אמר: כבר קידשך שמים.

• מי שעלה בידו חלק,

  • אמר: המקום לא חפץ בך, אני מה אעשה לך?!

He mixed them and placed them in the box.

He then said to the 72 chosen candidates: Come and draw your slips.

• Everyone whose hand drew up a slip that said: “Elder”

  • he said to him: Heaven has already sanctified you.

• And everyone whose hand drew up a blank slip,

  • he said to him: God does not desire you; what can I do for you?!³

Parallel Case of the Firstborn Redemption (Numbers 3:45–47)

The Talmud draws a parallel to the redemption of the firstborns. Since there were 22,273 firstborns but only 22,000 Levites, 273 had to redeem themselves with 5 shekels.

כיוצא בדבר אתה אומר:

״ולקחת חמשת חמשת שקלים לגלגלת״.

אמר משה:

כיצד אעשה להן לישראל?

אם אומר לו: תן לי פדיונך וצא,

יאמר לי: כבר פדאני בן לוי.

The Talmud comments: You can say something similar to this to explain the verse about the redemption of the firstborn by the Levites:

“Take the Levites in place of all of the firstborn of the children of Israel…and as for the redemption of the 273 of the firstborn of the children of Israel who are in excess over the number of the Levites…you shall take five shekels per head” (Numbers 3:45–47).

It can be explained that Moses said:

How shall I do this for the Jews?

If I say to one of the firstborns: Give me money for your redemption and you may leave, as you are among the 273 extra firstborns,

he will say to me: A Levite already redeemed me; what is the reason you think that I am among those who were not redeemed?

Moses again used a lottery: 22,000 slips marked “Levite” and 273 marked “5 shekels”

מה עשה?

הביא עשרים ושנים אלפים פיתקין,

וכתב עליהן ״בן לוי״,

ועל שלשה ושבעים ומאתים כתב עליהן ״חמשה שקלים״.

What did he do?

He brought 22,000 slips (see Numbers 3:39),

and he wrote on them: “Levite”

and on 273 additional ones he wrote: “5 shekels”

Each firstborn drew his outcome directly

בללן ונתנן בקלפי.

אמר להן: טלו פיתקיכם.

• מי שעלה בידו ״בן לוי״,

  • אמר לו: כבר פדאך בן לוי.

• מי שעלה בידו ״חמשת שקלים״,

  • אמר לו: תן פדיונך וצא.

He mixed them up and placed them in a box.

He said to them: Draw your slips.

• Everyone whose hand drew up a slip that said: “Levite”,

  • he said to him: A Levite already redeemed you.

• Everyone whose hand drew up a slip that said: “Five shekels”,

  • he said to him: Pay your redemption money and you may leave.

Eldad and Medad’s Humility and Reward (Numbers 11:26)

Two men, Eldad and Medad, “remained in the camp.” One view holds their names were excluded in the lottery. R' Shimon states they deliberately stayed back, saying they were unworthy of the office.

God rewarded their humility by granting them enduring prophecy. Unlike the other Elders, who prophesied only briefly, they continued prophesying.

רבי שמעון אומר: במחנה נשתיירו.

בשעה שאמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא למשה ״אספה לי שבעים איש״,

אמרו אלדד ומידד: אין אנו ראויין לאותה גדולה.

R' Shimon says: Eldad and Medad remained in the camp, as they did not want to come to the lottery for the Elders.

At the time that God said to Moses: “Gather for me 70 Elders”,

Eldad and Medad said: We are not fitting for that level of greatness; we are not worthy of being appointed among the Elders.

אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא:

הואיל ומיעטתם עצמכם,

הריני מוסיף גדולה על גדולתכם.

ומה גדולה הוסיף להם?

• שהנביאים כולן —

  • נתנבאו ופסקו,

• והם —

  • נתנבאו ולא פסקו.

God said:

Since you have made yourselves humble,

I will add greatness to your greatness.

And what is the greatness that he added to them?

• It was that all of the prophets, meaning the other Elders, who were given prophecy —

  • prophesied for a time and then stopped (פסקו) prophesying,

• but they —

  • prophesied and did not stop.

The Content of Eldad and Medad’s Prophecy

ומה נבואה נתנבאו?

Apropos Eldad and Medad being prophets, the Talmud asks:

And what prophecy did they prophesy?

One tradition: They foretold that Moses would die and Joshua would bring Israel into the land

אמרו:

משה מת,

יהושע מכניס את ישראל לארץ.

They said:

Moses will die,

and Joshua will bring the Jewish people into Eretz Yisrael.

Abba Ḥanin citing R' Eliezer - They prophesied about the quail (שליו)

אבא חנין אומר, משום רבי אליעזר:

על עסקי שליו הן מתנבאים:

“עלי שליו, עלי שליו”

Abba Ḥanin says in the name of R' Eliezer:

They prophesied about the matter of the quail that came afterward (Numbers 11:31–33),

saying: “Arise quail,⁴ arise quail”, and then the quail came.

Rav Naḥman: They prophesied about Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38:17)

רב נחמן אמר:

על עסקי גוג ומגוג היו מתנבאין,

Rav Naḥman says:

They were prophesying about the matter of Gog and Magog,

שנאמר:

״כה אמר ה׳ אלהים:

האתה הוא אשר דברתי בימים קדמונים

ביד עבדי נביאי ישראל

הנבאים בימים ההם שנים להביא אתך עליהם וגו׳״.

אל תיקרי ״שנים״

אלא ״שנים״.

אילו הן שנים נביאים שנתנבאו בפרק אחד נבואה אחת?

הוי אומר: אלדד ומידד.

as it is stated with regard to Gog and Magog:

“So says YHWH God:

Are you the one of whom I spoke in ancient days (ימים קדמונים),

through my servants, the prophets of Israel,

who prophesied in those days for many years [shanim] that I would bring you against them?” (Ezekiel 38:17).

Do not read it as: “Years [shanim]”;

rather, read it as: Two [shenayim].

And who are the two prophets who prophesied the same prophecy at the same time?

You must say: Eldad and Medad.

1. See the summary in Wikipedia, “Bemidbar (parashah)“, section “Sixth reading—Numbers 3:40–51“:

[…] God instructed Moses to record every firstborn male of the Israelites aged one month old and upwards, and they came to 22,273.

God told Moses to take the 22,000 Levites for God in exchange for all the firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites' cattle in exchange for the Israelites' cattle.

To redeem the 273 Israelite firstborn over and above the number of the Levites, God instructed Moses to take five shekels a head and to give the money to the priests.

Our sugya posits that a lottery was used to decide the 273 that needed to pay.

2. See Wikipedia, “Eldad and Medad“:

Eldad […] and Medad […] are mentioned in the Book of Numbers, and are described as having prophesied among the Israelites, despite the fact that they had remained in the camp, while 70 elders had gone to the tabernacle outside the camp to receive the ability to prophesy from God.

According to the narrative, Joshua asked Moses to forbid Eldad and Medad from prophecy, but Moses argued that it was a good thing that others could prophesy, and that ideally all the Israelites would prophesy.

In rabbinical tradition (=our sugya), there are a number of opinions as to what Eldad and Medad prophesized.

3. Compare the Talmud’s discussion of divination by casting of lots (גורל - goral; i.e. cleromancy) in the biblical story of Joshua and Achan, in my “Pt1 The Confession, Punishment, and Atonement of Achan in Joshua 7 (Sanhedrin 43b-44b)“, sections “Achan Challenges the Validity of Cleromancy (Joshua 7:16–18): Achan is Chosen by Cleromancy; Achan Questions the Evidence; Critique of Cleromancy's Reliability“ and “Joshua Defends Cleromancy (Numbers 26:55): Joshua Pleads with Achan; Future Implications for undermining apportioning by lot in Eretz Yisrael“.

4. עלי שליו.

Using the same literary form (commanding “arise! / go up!”, in grammatical feminine) as the biblical poem about the well in Numbers.21.17:

אז ישיר ישראל את־השירה הזאת:

עלי באר

Then Israel sang this song:

“Arise, well!”