Sforno on Numbers 27/ספורנו על במדבר כ״ז

1והוא לא היה, he was not a member of the rebellious people who had made common cause with Korach. Those people had been banished by Moses, i.e. disinherited by him, deprived not only of potential property but even of all their actual belongings, as we have been told in Numbers 16,26. The words כל הרכוש in verse 32 of that chapter make clear that they had forfeited all claims to anything.

2כי בחטאו מת, he died on account his personal sin, something that did not involve the claims of his heirs to his estate. [The daughters by saying this did not mean to malign their father; rather they meant to say that their father had completely atoned for his sin by his premature judicial execution. Gottlieb]

1אשר יצא לפניהם, when they would go to war;

2ואשר יוציאם, This refers to political management of the affairs of the people.

1איש אשר רוח בו; someone who is ready and worthy to be presented to the King of Kings. We have a similar expression in Exodus 31,6 ובלב כל חכם לב נתתי חכמה, where the Torah speaks about people equipped, endowed with the necessary amount of Holy Spirit to enable them to perform the tasks allocated to them.

1וצויתה אותו לעיניהם, you appoint him as leader in their very presence so that they will accept his authority willingly and will be obedient to his directives. The expression צווי meaning appointment is not unique; we find it in Samuel I 25,30 וצוך לנגיד, “He will appoint you as leader.” (Avigail speaking to David) We find it also in Samuel II 7,11 למן היום אשר צוותי שופטים, “from the day I have appointed Judges, etc.” (G’d giving a message to the prophet Nathan for David)

1ונתתה מהודך עליו, you are to confer upon him some of the aura of your regal authority while you are still alive, so that the people will get into the habit of treating him with respect.

2למען ישמעו, the reason why you are to appoint him in full view of the people is so that the whole עדה, i.e. the Supreme Court, the leaders of the nation, will get into the habit of listening to what he has to say with reverence.