Medrash Masei: Eldad & Meidad Are Back Again, This Time On The Way To Eretz Yisroel
In Parshas Masei the pasukim (35:20-28) list the names of the Nesi'im who will head each Shevet during the process of dividing and inheriting Eretz Yisroel for their the Shevatim. Two of those Nesi'im, were Eldad and Meidad, named Elidad ben Kislon and Kemuel ben Shiftam, respectively, says the Medrash Tanchuma says in Bahalosecha.
The Medrash says that since Eldad and Meidad acted modestly and did not feel they were worthy of being part of the 70 zekeinim they were zocheh to a number of things that the other zekeinim were not zocheh to. One of them being that they went into Eretz Yisroel and the other zekeinim did not.
Interestingly, according to this medrash Eldad was from Binyomin and Meidad was from Efraim. This means that they were not brothers as some meforshim learn. Moreover they could not have been half brother's of Moshe and Aharon and the son of Yocheved and Elitzafan ben Parnach (see Revach article - The Real Identiy of Eldad and Meidad), since Elitzafan ben Parnach is listed as the Nasi of Shevet Zevulun.
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