A short Insight into Joshua, Chapter 21 By Rabbi Nisson Dov Miller

The Mei'am Lo'eiz gives us an insight into the focus of our chapter. He explains that Sheivet Levi felt a need to speak up about the cities that they were to receive. They were concerned that the rest of the Jewish people might claim that they had given up their right to have cities designated for themselves. After all, they did not speak up at the time of the conquering of the lands in Eivar Hayardein. Subsequently, after the conquests of B'nei Yisroel in Eretz Yisroel, Sheivet Levi thought that now was the proper time to make sure they would be receiving their forty two cities. Nonetheless, why was this the appropriate time for their request – only after much of the land had been conquered and the Mishkan was set up in Shiloh?