Parshas Shoftim: Seige

 

Dedicated to the refuah shelaima of Moshe Aaron ben Necha Itta, Binyamin ben Simcha, Chaya Sara bas Esther Leah, and Sharon bas Shoshana.

 

One of the discoveries I made when I began studying Torah as an adult was that war was not something contradictory to Torah - that it is something which the Torah actually commands of us, at appropriate times. To be honest, I remember the first time I truly paid attention to the final chapters of Megilas Esther and realized just how many people were killed and I was truly taken aback. War, it seems, is a human condition that Hashem does not expect people will live without.

 

Why this is so is, perhaps, an impossible question to answer. And there are many life-realities that are discussed in the Torah that we today find difficult to swallow – such as the fact that slavery is not only not prohibited but is regulated within Torah law. It is the tendency of every generation, of course, to believe that they have reached the pinnacle of civilized thought, that they know better then those who came before them, and that they will be able to live differently then the “barbaric” ways of former generations.

 

If only that were so. And if only the world did not see, time and time again, that the Torah’s dictates and boundaries are astonishingly prescient of the needs of the Jewish people

 

War is the subject of the final aliyah of Parshas Shoftim, and it is disturbingly appropriate for the final weeks of 5785. Devarim 20, verses 10-21, discuss some of the most direct laws of warfare. Before attacking a city not within the area which Hashem specifically instructed Bnei Yisrael to conquer, the Israelite army must offer terms of peace. If they do not accept peace and subjugation, the Israelite army should lay siege. In foreign towns, the innocents (women and children) were to be allowed to live, while in the cities of the land, total conquest was warranted “lest they lead you into doing all the abhorrent things that they have done for their gods and you stand guilty before Hashem your God.”  The section concludes with the law not to cut down fruit trees when besieging a city, but trees that do not produce fruit might be cut down.

 

It seems unnecessary to point out the relevance of the laws of siege to current history. However, we might need to remember that the goal of siege is for there to be less warfare and more surrender, and today we have both siege and warfare.

 

Perhaps though, the most important part of Parshas Shoftim is that which comes before the last aliyah, in the first 10 verses of Perek 20. Before the Israelite army goes to war, they are to be addressed by a kohein, who shall say: “Hear, O Israel! You are about to join battle with your enemy. Let not your courage falter. Do not be in fear, or in panic, or in dread of them. For it is Hashem your God who marches with you to do battle for you against your enemy, to bring you victory.” He then calls forth those who can be exempted from armed service, allowing those who are afraid or lacking in faith, to slip away.

 

The first section of Perek 20 drives home several important points. Critical to how we behave is remembering our relationship with Hashem. Our strength comes from our belief in Hashem. Additionally, not forgetting that bein adam l’chavero is almost always as important as bein adam l’Makom, and whether a comrade fights alongside or goes home to his freshly planted vineyard, he is still part of the nation.

 

Here in the month of Elul, as we reflect on that which is important heading into the Days of Awe, we can remember that Am Yisrael’s strength – no matter whether in Israel or in chutz l’aretz – is putting Hashem first in our vision and respecting our brethren.

 

Wishing you a good Shabbas.

 

 

Parshas Re'eh: The World's Delight

 A common discussion among those who are just exploring religious observance is whether Judaism follows asceticism, denying oneself worldly pleasures in an effort to achieve holiness. Judaism, however, has a very positive view of worldly things, meaning that Jewish philosophy encourages us to use the physical to uplift ourselves and the world. Bless the food that you are enjoying. Use your home to hosts guests. Enjoy the beauty of nature as a means of praising the Artist. There have, of course, been individuals or groups that have taken upon themselves extra fasting or that which might appear like asceticism, but the underlying philosophy has never been that the physical is bad.

 This week's parsha, Parshas Re'eh, includes a section on the laws of kosher animals. "A-ha!" a skeptical person might argue noting that Judaism frames the physical world in good and bad this way. However, this, again, is only when one looks at Torah through an outside perspective. The non-kosher animals are not bad, they just have roles in the world other than food.

 Because aspects of the physical world are our tools for elevating ourselves, we do not label them good or bad. All of the world is Hashem’s creation; therefore, none of it is bad. However, just because something is good (or isn’t bad) doesn’t mean that it is good for us. This is one of the biggest and most important concepts that we have in Judaism. Just because you can do/have/take something, doesn’t mean you should.

 We are not able to truly understand the chok that underlies the laws of kashrut – why cows are fine to eat but not rabbits – because we are unable to witness the spiritual ramifications of our diet. (Unlike eating cakes and candies without limit, which we do see the results of.)

 Interestingly, the laws of kashrus recorded in Devarim 14 are followed by the commandment to set aside a tenth of all one’s yield from the field and to consume it “in the presence of Hashem your God, in the place where [God] will choose to establish the divine name, so that you may learn to revere Hashem your God forever” (14:24). If, however, a person deems himself too far to bring his tithe, the Torah states: “You may convert them into money. Wrap up the money and take it with you to the place that Hashem your God has chosen, and spend the money on anything you want—cattle, sheep, wine, or other intoxicant, or anything you may desire. And you shall feast there, in the presence of Hashem your God, and rejoice with your household” (14:26-27).

 It is almost easy to miss those words, uvchol asher tishalacha naphshecha – anything that your soul desires. Take the financial value of your tithe, go to this holy place, and enjoy the fruits of your labor – whatever you like (obviously kosher) – and do it with Me (Hashem).

 Hashem gave Adam and Chava dominion over the world and all that is in it. Hashem gave humankind bechira so that we can choose to have a relationship with Him, and one of the ways Hashem shows His love to us is through giving us a physical world with pleasure. We, in return, demonstrate our love and respect for Hashem by taking those gifts in the manner that best enhances our spiritual selves.

 This week, as we enter the last month of the year – the month in which we proclaim that Hashem, the King, is “in the field,” nearby and ready to hear our petitions – let us demonstrate our joy in this relationship by rejoicing in His full Creation.

 Have a good Shabbas.

 

Parshas Eikev: Emunah Now

 It seems to be that this year there has been a surge in the publication of works on Emuna, on faith, and Bitachon, trust in Hashem. The works, both old and new, line display tables of the Jewish bookstores, and it is impossible not to recognize the tremendous need that Jews today feel for connecting to our True Source.

 The topic of emunah in the 21^st century can be complicated. Those of us raised in the mixture of western society know that emunah means far more than faith or belief, even as we live surrounded by a society in which faith and belief are the end goals of religion. Indeed, even in the most recent of movements of wokeism, what you believe is what defines truth. That is not emunah.

 Emunah takes work. That work is defined almost succinctly by Devarim 10:12: “And now, Israel, what does Hashem your God ask from you all, just that you fear with awe Hashem your God to walk in His path and to love Him and to serve Hashem your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Neither Moshe nor the Torah define this as Emuna, but our tradition teaches us that true emunah and bitachon (faith and trust) in Hashem means knowing that all that Hashem does is for the good and therefore trying to do everything in the way that Hashem wants.

 If the Torah makes clear what we need to do to serve Hashem, why do we need so many books on emunah? Perhaps part of that answer comes from our very human desire to ignore the idea that Hashem created and runs the world on a concept of consequences, on cause and effect. Hashem controls every aspect of the universe (as the parsha also notes: Behold, the heavens to their uttermost reaches belong to your God Hashem, the earth and all that is on it!) but He set that universe up to specific parameters and then set even more specific parameters for the Jewish people.

 This week’s parsha, which talks so much about what Bnei Yisrael must do and feel, is parshas Eikev. which opens: “And it will be the consequence if you obey these rules and observe them carefully, your God Hashem will maintain faithfully for you the covenant made on oath with your fathers” (7:12). Eikev, consequence, that which comes from an action… this is how Hashem created the world. The world has consequences. Emunah has consequences. In the Shaar Habitachon it is pointed out that if a person is determined to believe in the power of money or avodah zarah or even himself, then Hashem allows him to live life with that delusion, allows him to experience the consequence of that false faith.

 When one lives with emunah and bitachon, however, the consequences result not in a demonstration of wealth and glory but in the symbiotic relationship in which a person truly  lives to love and serve Hashem and therefore feels the constant wealth of Hashem’s blessing.

 We today publish so many books on emunah because in the age of technology and in an era of hedonism, those consequences are harder and harder to witness. We live in a time where things seem to be going so very wrong and yet understanding how it is wrong is a critical part of emunah and bitachon. Even in the darkest moments, Bnei Yisrael must hold fast to the fact that “Yet it was to your ancestors that Hashem was drawn out of love for them, so that you, their lineal descendants, were chosen from among all peoples—as is now the case” (10:15).

 This Shabbas, or whenever you can throughout your days, take a moment and think about that most critical relationship. Start with gratitude, with the recognition of what Hashem has provided, and take the steps to let your emunah grow. (There are probably several books I might suggest!)

 We are all works in progress on emuna and bitachon. It’s a journey; it’s work – But it’s worth it.

 Wishing you an uplifting Shabbas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parshas Va’eschanan: Moshe’s Message Even Today

This Shabbas is known as Shabbas Nachamu after the opening words of the Haftarah, which is a message of comfort after the disheartening observance of Tisha B’Av. Shabbas Nachamu always coincides with the reading of Parshas Va’etchanan, a parsha whose second aliyah is particularly apt for this time of year as it is an emotional roller coaster that is both frightening and comforting at the same time.

 

Va’etchanan continues Moshe’s parting words to Bnei Yisrael, and one can see within his words his deep love for the people he has led. The second aliyah, which is Devarim 4:5-40, begins with a statement of the greatness of Klal Yisrael – a statement that is meant to be an eternal warning and inspiration: “See, I have imparted to you laws and rules, as my God Hashem has commanded me, for you to abide by in the land that you are about to enter and occupy. Observe them faithfully, for that will be proof of your wisdom and discernment to other peoples, who on hearing of all these laws will say, ‘Surely, that great nation is a wise and discerning people’” (Devarim 4:5-6)

 

The chukim and mishpatim of Bnei Yisrael were Divinely unique in their path to set the nation on track both civilly, morally, and spiritually. The laws were designed to address bein adam l’chavero, bein adam l’atzmo, and bein adam l’Makom. And the laws were given to help Bnei Yisrael become a unique example that people would wish to emulate.

 

Moshe needed the people to know that it is a path of greatness and that it is a path that requires great effort: “But take utmost care and watch yourselves scrupulously, so that you do not forget the things that you saw with your own eyes and so that they do not fade from your mind as long as you live. And make them known to your children and to your children’s children” (4:9).

 

These verses may seem like a continuation of previous admonishments in the Torah, but they are unique because these are not Hashem’s words, these are Moshe’s. The verses within this section of the parsha weave between “I”s and “You”s. When Moshe is telling the people what they should and should not do, it is not a rebuke but a testament of his love for them, his love that came at a tremendous personal cost.

 

“Now Hashem was angry with me on your account and swore that I should not cross the Jordan and enter the good land that your God Hashem is assigning you as a heritage” (4:21). Moshe hurts, emotionally, because he cannot enter the land with the people. But this is not Moshe complaining. This is Moshe trying to make certain that the people before him and the generations to come receive the most important message. Hashem keeps His word, always. Indeed, numerous commentaries discuss why, at the opening of the parsha and here, Moshe claims his punishment is “on your account.”

As summarized on Aish.com: “The Ohr HaChaim takes this same approach to its inescapable conclusion: Had Moshe entered the Land, the Temple would have been built – and could never have been destroyed; such was the spiritual power of Moshe. Had the Jews sinned despite this spiritual center, God would have destroyed the people, while the building [the temple] would have remained standing, intact and unscathed. God did not allow Moshe to enter the Land so that He could take out his "anger" on the building, on the stone and mortar of the Beit haMikdash, rather than on the people who had transgressed. The people would be exiled, not annihilated. Thus, Moshe rightly explains, his own punishment was ‘for your sakes.’”

 

Moshe’s punishment is “on your account” looking forward, not backward. And looking forward, Moshe knows: “When you have children and grandchildren, and are long-established in the land, and you become corrupt and make a sculpted image, the likeness of anything, and do evil in the eyes of God, your God, provoking Him to anger. I call heaven and earth this day to witness against you that you shall soon perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess; you shall not long endure in it but shall be utterly wiped out from it” (4:25-26).

 

Note the use of the personal pronoun “I.” This is Moshe speaking. This is not Moshe conveying Hashem’s words, but Moshe passionately telling the people that he knows that they will go down wrong paths. He knows because he loves them enough to know that they are not yet where they need to be and he is willing to tell them. It is a statement not a rebuke.

 

Indeed, it is not for no reason that the first five verses of the perek – part of the first aliyah – describe the death of those who sinned and fell to idolatry and immorality at Baal Peor. If even those in the generation of the Midbar could be waylaid… future generations must gird themselves with the knowledge Moshe was imparting that day. The most significant part of which was that even as they falter they must know:

 “But if you search there, you will find your God Hashem, if only you seek with all your heart and soul— when you are in distress because all these things have befallen you and, in the end, return to and obey your God Hashem. For your God Hashem is a compassionate God, who will not fail you nor let you perish; [God] will not forget the covenant made on oath with your fathers.  You have but to inquire about bygone ages that came before you, ever since God created humankind on earth, from one end of heaven to the other: has anything as grand as this ever happened, or has its like ever been known?” (4:29-32)

 

There are so many traps in the world to lead us off our path both as individuals and as a nation. Moshe specifically warns about idolatry because idolatry is cutting ourselves off from our relationship with Hashem, from the deeply personal connection that Moshe is telling us we have. This is why he states: “For your own sake, therefore, be most careful—since you saw no shape when Hashem spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire” (4:15).

 

Parshas Va’etchanan is a parsha that resonates with relatability even in our time. We are no longer in an era of idolatry. We don’t think of statues or stars as divine beings. We do, however, chase after ideas and -isms, unseen idealizations that are equally man made. Hashem may not have appeared in a visible shape, but His presence at Har Sinai was unquestionable. These isms speak of justice and righteousness, but within them is human pretext.

 

More and more we are seeing Jews around the world realizing that something is wrong, that something isn’t working. Those others to whom they turned for guidance still see us as part of a different nation, still want us to earn the title of “great nation is a wise and discerning people,” which Moshe here points out can only be achieved but observing the laws faithfully.

 

It is no small task, but it is a task that Moshe, our greatest teacher, knew every generation would be up for. It is a task – perhaps the task- that must balance our fight for the physical land that we love.

Parshas Devarim – No One Wants War

 

Parshas Devarim – No One Wants War

 

Dedicated to a refuah shelaima for Moshe Aaron ben Necha Itta, Binyamin ben Simcha, Chaya Sarah bas Esther Leah, and Sharon bas Shoshana

 

Parshas Devarim begins Moshe’s presentation of the events that transpired to the Jewish people and the travels they made. It may see strange since that which he describes in the second half of the parsha took place within the last few years, but it is objectively difficult to understand the significance of the times one is living through. Moshe is, therefore, reframing the events – the wars and interactions with the nearest neighbors of the Promised Land – to strengthen the faith of the people before him and to clarify history for the generations to follow.

 

Given that Bnei Yisrael have not yet entered the Promised Land, there is an impressive amount of conquest that occurs in Parshas Devarim. Specifically, Moshe goes into great detail about the wars with the Amorites and the Bashonites, specifically about how powerful they were and how they resided in the lands of giants. Indeed, Moshe even states that the bed of Og, King of Bashan, was “nine cubits long and four cubits wide according to the cubit of the man” (Devarim 3:11). While the detailing of these tremendous victories may have been an excellent pep talk before entering the Promised Land, anyone reading the parsha cannot fail to note that these nations were wiped out completely, “At that time we captured all his towns, and we doomed every town—men, women, and children —leaving no survivor” (2:34). And there is no denying, from a 21^st century perspective, that this is shocking turn of events. It is so shocking a statement that it is easy to forget that Bnei Yisrael did not attack the Amorites, but, rather, they requested safe passage. The response was a full out attack, and the results were as stated above.

 

Bnei Yisrael was not then, nor is it now, a bellicose nation. There is no instance in the Torah before they arrive at the Land of Israel where Bnei Yisrael specifically set out to conquer land. In fact, Hashem was very specific with them about not attacking land that He had promised to other nations such as Edom, Amon, and Moav. It was only once the Amorites and Bashanites attacked that Hashem gave the enemy “into their hands.” And it was only once these nations had been defeated that it was determined to be acceptable for two tribes, upon their own request, to settle there. What Parshas Devarim makes clear is that Bnei Yisrael had one goal, and that was the land that had been promised to and surveyed by Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov.

 

Underlying everything that is occurring in Parshas Devarim is the idea of the Divine promise of land. It is a foundational belief of Judaism that Hashem owns the world and determines the specific lands of the nations. Thus, the area of Har (Mount) Seir is specified for Edom and etc..

 

It is nearly impossible to come to Parshas Devarim for a second time during Israel’s current state of war and not use this as an opportunity to make grave political statements about the situation. There is no desire for the atrocities of war – in the wars above and in future wars, utter destruction only came at the command of Hashem. War in the Torah has a goal, and that goal – except for the directives against Amalek – is twofold the protection of the people (thus the Midianites, Amorites, and etc) and settlement of the Promised Land. And even in the wars of conquest yet to come, there were instructions on the means of avoiding utter cruelty.

 

The current situation is incredibly complex. War is a terrible thing, and it is always most cruel and devastating to the one’s least involved in the war itself. We do not have, today, a Divine voice telling us how to finish this war, and so we are left in the human quagmire. What we do know is that defending ourselves to our full strength against one who attacks us is as well-documented in Jewish tradition as the preciousness of the Promised Land.

 

This Shabbas is Shabbas Chazon, the Shabbas preceding, immediately in this year’s case, the observance of Tisha B’Av. On Tisha B’Av, we mourn the loss of the Beis Hamikdash – we mourn the fact that we have to fight for our homeland. We mourn that fact that not only are we at war with another nation, but that that war is a source of battle among ourselves, and divisiveness within ourselves led to the destruction of Bayis Sheini. On Tisha B’Av, we mourn the fact that what we are truly missing in our lives, due to our own foibles, is that clear and precise guidance from Hashem. Beyond peace, beyond returning to our homeland, beyond anything else – this is our greatest sorrow.

 

May this be the last of our years of mourning.

Parshas Matos-Masai: Lessons in Communication

 Warning: This Dvar Torah may upset people with strong feminist views.

 Parshas Matos-Masai begins with a topic that, on first read, might seem troubling to a modern-day woman. After one verse (30:3) stating that a man who makes a vow is required to uphold that vow, the Torah goes into a rather detailed explanation of the vows of women and, some might say, how easily those vows can be nullified.

 Bamidbar 30:4 begins with basic terminology: v’eesha ki tidor neder – If a woman makes a vow… but the first example is quickly explained to be a woman still living in her father’s house for reason of her youth. This woman, living in her father’s house, can make a vow or a self-imposed obligation and must keep it…unless her father objects (30:6) that day. If she has taken it upon herself while single and then gets married, her new husband can nullify that vow (30:9). Verses 11-17 describe the similar rules that apply to a married woman making a vow or a self-imposed obligation but in more detail, details that offer us great insight into the importance of communication in marriage.

 The husband of a woman who makes a vow has the ability to nullify the vow of his wife, but only if he does so within the day of hearing of her vow. This, it should be pointed out, is an interesting use of language. The nullification does not have to occur on the day the vow was made, but rather on the day that her husband learns of the vow. She is not, it appears, under an obligation to tell her husband about her vow, which allows her time to lay down the foundations for him to understand her actions so that when he does learn of them, he will not object.

 The Torah is then very explicit: “If her husband offers no objection from that day to the next, he has upheld all the vows or obligations she has assumed: he has upheld them by offering no objection on the day he found out” (30:15).

 The Torah goes to great length stressing that the husband has one day to object to the vow or self-imposed obligation. If he objects two weeks later, or even two days later, he shall bear the guilt for every time his wife does something contrary to her vow or obligation.

 The Torah wants marriage and family to succeed. It recognizes a dynamic in the pairing of male and female for him to seek a sense of being respect and her to seek affection and “protection” (yes, this is a broad generalization and a far more complicated discussion). The husband is given the role of head of the house because he needs that respect. That role does not mean he is greater/she is lesser. It is practical in that, until most recent history, a man’s role was to be protector and provider. He needed a strong sense of importance to do his job well, a sense of others depending on him. This need has not changed, even in the world of white-collar jobs and two income families. Torah philosophy consistently defines the masculine as the giver, and the giver thrives on being needed and respected for his efforts.

 The feminine, on the other hand, is the receiver and thus the one who feels fulfilled by being given to. These definitions create the dynamic brought to fruition in halacha for a “Head of the Household.” This dynamic is precisely the issue at play in the question of vows, and the unstated solution to a sense of restriction is communication.

 It is easy to see the subject in these pasukim as seconding women, except that there are some very specific words that show it is not about women per se but about a woman’s place in her family. The first halacha stated above is for a woman living in her father’s household due to her youth. This may set off concern to the modern-day reader, but the actuality is clarified in the Shulchan Aruch: “After six months of adulthood (physical maturity as defined by halacha), she is fully independent, and the father no longer has authority over her vows” (Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 234:1). One could see the time when the father can restrict her vows as the tumultuous time period of early adolescence, which to many parents might make sense.

 Bamidbar 30:10, set in-between the young bride whose husband nullifies vows she made in her youth and the vows of a wife, states: “The vow of a widow or of a divorced woman, however, whatever she has imposed on herself, shall be binding upon her” (30:10). They are the same category as a woman not living under her father’s household.

 A woman is not seen as less capable or less reliable than a man in determining her future. Rather, the Torah is here recognizing that the role of Baal HaBayit (Head of the House) is given to the man. He is set as the captain of the ship so that he may best fulfill his role of giver, as protector and provider. To maintain this dynamic, the Torah restricts ways in which a woman might undermine her husband but, at the same time, limits the ways in which a man might manipulate his wife. And this leaves us at a critical juncture in which reading deeper provides a valuable lesson. If a wife wants to make a vow that will affect the household (and that covers most things since each member of a household is a cog in its functioning), she should discuss it with the head of that household. If a husband does not like changes made by his wife by having taken a vow, he cannot just nullify it once it has been accepted; rather, he must speak to her in order that she agrees to nullify it for herself.

 And, thus, we come to the age old lesson on the importance of communication.

 I wish you all a beautiful Shabbas.  

 

 

 

 

Parshas Pinchas – The Power of Standing Up

 Dedicated to a Refuah Shelaima for Moshe Aaron ben Necha Itta, Binyamin ben Simcha, Chaya Sarah bas Esther Leah, and Sharon bas Shoshana

 

Parshas Pinchas is a parsha that focuses on bravery and heroism, on stepping forward in order to ensure that the correct path is followed. The greatest heroics in Parshas Pinchas, however, are not the remembrance of Pinchas’ act of casting his spear at the unabashed Zimri and Cosbi. Rather, the greatest act of bravery came from Machla, Noa, Chagla, Milca, and Tirza.

 

The story of the daughters of Tzelafchad is well-known. They requested of Moshe that they inherit their father’s portion in the upcoming allotments of the Promised Land. Moshe asked Hashem what to do. Hashem not only stated that the sisters were correct but set out the laws of inheritance to include daughters when there is no male heir. 

 

The sages note that these women were “wise, they are interpreters [of verses], and they are righteous. [That] they are wise [can be seen from the fact] that they spoke in accordance with the moment, (they presented their case at an auspicious time). As Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Yitzḥak says: Tradition teaches that Moshe our teacher was sitting and interpreting in the Torah portion about men whose married brothers had died childless, as it is stated: “If brothers dwell together, [and one of them dies…]” (Bava Batra 119b:).

 

Bamidbar Rabbah 21:11 states: “What was their wisdom? It is that they spoke at that moment when Moshe was engaged in the portion of the inheritances: ‘To these the land shall be distributed’ (Bamidbar 26:53). They said to him: If we are like a son, let us inherit. If not, let our mother be subject to levirate marriage.” If a woman who bore a daughter did not need to go into a levirate marriage, then one could understand that a daughter had rights to inheritance like a son when there is no son.

 

Their claim was not a fancy or a whim but a complex aspect of halacha. Their goal was similar to the goal of the levirate Marriage – that the name of their family would not be lost to history.

 

We don’t often think of something like a legal assertion as being heroic, but what happened with the daughters of Tzelaphchad was as brave as that which happened with Pinchas. Pinchas knew the law and carried out that law by killing Zimri (and Cosbi). The daughters of Tzelaphchad knew the law and stood up to declare that it need to be enforced. 

 

They did something incredibly difficult and brave. They stood up and spoke out for themselves. 

 

This may not seem like such a brave thing, but it is something which should not be dismissed. The other recorded times in the Torah when someone approached Moshe with a challenge or a request things didn’t turn out so well (the spies, Korach, the complainers). The Or HaChaim notes that the Zohar in Parshas Balak comments that the daughters confronted Moshe with others around because they were worried that he would hold a bias against them. He writes: “Why would [women] who have been described as righteous by the Talmud assume that Moshe had hatred in his heart against them or their late father? … It is possible that they were afraid that just as with the people who had complained in Parshat Beha-a-lotcha, as well as the spies who had forfeited their inheritance in the land because they had raised their voices against Moshe and against G'd, Moshe would rule similarly against them on account of the sin of their late father” (Or HaChaim on Numbers 27:2:3).

 

The real bravery was not overcoming their fear of bias, however. Rather it was that these women saw that the law needed to be clarified and they did not leave it for someone else to speak up. Whether we like to discuss it or not, approaching the assembly and appealing to Moshe was entering the realm of the man’s world. In the Jewish world, halacha and its discernment is very much in the man’s realm. They didn’t let that stop them. They knew what their rights were, and they didn’t fall back to thinking of themselves as just helpless maidens or insignificant women. They stood up and put halacha first.

 

Little is known about the individual sisters. However, Hebrewversity .com had this interesting understanding of their names:

“Machla – like the Hebrew verb ‘Le-Cholel’ - which means ‘to move’ (and ‘to dance’ in Modern Hebrew). Noha -like the Hebrew verb ‘La-Nua’ - which means ‘to move’ as well. Choglah  – like the Hebrew verb ‘La-Chug’ – which means ‘to circle.’ Milcah – like the Hebrew verb ‘La-Lechet’ - which means ‘to walk.’ And Tirzah – like the Hebrew verb ‘La-Rutz’ – which means ‘to run.’

As you probably noticed they ALL have something to do with the concept of ‘moving’ naturally but in Hebrew ALL of these verbs are also connected to the concept of ‘initiating’ or simply ‘be active’ and that was precisely what the daughters of Zelophehad symbolized. (Hebrewversity .com)

 

The daughters of Tzelaphchad  - Machla, Noa, Chagla, Milca, and Tirza – moved Klal Yisrael. They refused to be complacent when they knew of a wrong that needed to be righted. They longed to move forward and have their descendants flourish uniquely among the burgeoning nation. And so they took action and Hashem said Kain- yes.

 

May we all have the strength to stand up when it is right and to present our needs calmly and respectfully and may our actions move us and all of Klal Yisrael ever forward.