Pinchas: Zelophehad’s Daughters
Plaut p. 1079
Source Sheet by Yair Robinson
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(1) The daughters of Zelophehad, of Manassite family—son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh son of Joseph—came forward. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.(2) They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the chieftains, and the whole assembly, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and they said,(3) “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not one of the faction, Korah’s faction, which banded together against the Eternal, but died for his own sin; and he has left no sons.(4) Let not our father’s name be lost to his clan just because he had no son! Give us a holding among our father’s kinsmen!”(5) Moses brought their case before the Eternal.(6) And the Eternal said to Moses,(7) “The plea of Zelophehad’s daughters is just: you should give them a hereditary holding among their father’s kinsmen; transfer their father’s share to them. |
(א) וַתִּקְרַ֜בְנָה בְּנ֣וֹת צְלָפְחָ֗ד בֶּן־חֵ֤פֶר בֶּן־גִּלְעָד֙ בֶּן־מָכִ֣יר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁ֔ה לְמִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת מְנַשֶּׁ֣ה בֶן־יוֹסֵ֑ף וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ שְׁמ֣וֹת בְּנֹתָ֔יו מַחְלָ֣ה נֹעָ֔ה וְחָגְלָ֥ה וּמִלְכָּ֖ה וְתִרְצָֽה׃(ב) וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֜דְנָה לִפְנֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֗ה וְלִפְנֵי֙ אֶלְעָזָ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְלִפְנֵ֥י הַנְּשִׂיאִ֖ם וְכָל־הָעֵדָ֑ה פֶּ֥תַח אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֖ד לֵאמֹֽר׃(ג) אָבִינוּ֮ מֵ֣ת בַּמִּדְבָּר֒ וְה֨וּא לֹא־הָיָ֜ה בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעֵדָ֗ה הַנּוֹעָדִ֛ים עַל־יהוה בַּעֲדַת־קֹ֑רַח כִּֽי־בְחֶטְא֣וֹ מֵ֔ת וּבָנִ֖ים לֹא־הָ֥יוּ לֽוֹ׃(ד) לָ֣מָּה יִגָּרַ֤ע שֵׁם־אָבִ֙ינוּ֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֔וֹ כִּ֛י אֵ֥ין ל֖וֹ בֵּ֑ן תְּנָה־לָּ֣נוּ אֲחֻזָּ֔ה בְּת֖וֹךְ אֲחֵ֥י אָבִֽינוּ׃(ה) וַיַּקְרֵ֥ב מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־מִשְׁפָּטָ֖ן לִפְנֵ֥י יהוה׃ (ס)(ו) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃(ז) כֵּ֗ן בְּנ֣וֹת צְלָפְחָד֮ דֹּבְרֹת֒ נָתֹ֨ן תִּתֵּ֤ן לָהֶם֙ אֲחֻזַּ֣ת נַחֲלָ֔ה בְּת֖וֹךְ אֲחֵ֣י אֲבִיהֶ֑ם וְהַֽעֲבַרְתָּ֛ אֶת־נַחֲלַ֥ת אֲבִיהֶ֖ן לָהֶֽן׃ |
The news out of Israel is mostly terrible these days, as it is in most places, but there was one brief, bright moment. The Supreme Court of Israel ruled after a nearly six-year case, that the Chief Rabbinate–that is, the Orthodox rabbinate–must allow women candidates to sit for the exams for ordination as rabbinic/halakhic judges. While we can joke about how it’s nice for them to catch up to 1972, when we first started ordaining women, we can still rejoice. And that this happens on this week, with this Torah portion, is very powerful.
This week, the daughters of Zelophehad petition to make sure that they, too, will have a share in the land they are about to enter. This is an economic concern, of course, but about memory, to keep their father’s name from being forgotten. Not only is his name remembered, but their names as well: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Their petition is not only heard but accepted, their cause described as just.
The daughters’ willingness to step forward and challenge authority becomes a model of courageous and conscientious objection to unjust behavior. After all, how many people came before them–men and women–and objected to this or that ruling by Moses, only to be called a rebel and die? They even mention that explicitly in their plea: their father wasn’t one of the spies, they say, or part of Korach’s rebellious band. They know what the consequences are, yet they speak up anyway. It is also a reminder for us in this moment when we may feel paralyzed and stuck: how should we take action against all the injustice we see around us in the world–to our people, to immigrants, to the poor and vulnerable? What can we do, what can we say? We must act as the daughters did, as the petitioners in Israel did. Though it may take time, and we may find ourselves in discomfort, we must raise our voices, protect those we can, and call out the injustice we see in our midst. May we be as brave as they were.