Speaking Truth: The Daughters of Zelophehad

(64) Among those [who were counted in the census in the desert] there was not a man of them that were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, when they recorded the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai. (65) For the LORD had said of them: ‘They shall surely die in the wilderness.’ Not a man was left of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

(1) Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph came forward. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. (2) And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the chieftains and all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, saying: (3) "Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the faction that gathered together against the LORD in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. (4) Why should the name of our father be lost from among his family, just because he had no son? Give us a possession amongst our father’s kinsmen!" (5) And Moses brought their case before the LORD. (6) And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: (7) ’The daughters of Zelophehad speak justly: you should surely give them possession of an inheritance among their father’s kinsmen; and you shall transfer the inheritance of their father to them. (8) And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: If a man dies without having son, then you shall assign his inheritance to his daughter. (9) And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance unto his brothers. (10) And if he have no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance unto his father’s brothers. (11) And if his father have no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance unto his closest relative and he shall inherit it. This shall be for the children of Israel a law of judgement, as the LORD commanded Moses.’

(1) And the family heads in the tribe of the children of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasheh, one of the tribes of Joseph, came forward and spoke before Moses, and before the chieftains, the family heads of the Israelites; (2) and they said: ‘The LORD commanded my lord [Moses] to assign the land for inheritance by lot to the Israelites; and my lord was commanded by the LORD to assign the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. (3) Now, if they marry any of the sons of the other Israelite tribes, their inheritance will be taken away from their ancestral portion, and will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they shall married; thus our portion of inheritance will be diminished. (4) And even when the Israelites observe the jubilee, their inheritance be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they shall married; thus our portion of inheritance will be diminished. (5) So Moses instructed the Israelites according to LORD's word, saying: ‘The tribe of the sons of Joseph speaks justly. (6) This is what the LORD has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: They may marry anyone they wish, provided they marry only into the family of the tribe of their father. (7) No inheritance of the Israelites may pass from tribe to tribe; but the Israelites shall remain bound every one to the ancestral portion of his tribe. (8) Every daughter among the Israelite tribes who inherits a share must marry someone of the tribe of her father, in order that every Israelite be keep his ancestral share. (9) Thus no inheritance will pass from tribe to tribe; for the Israelite tribes of shall each be bound to its own portion.’ (10) Just as the LORD commanded Moses, the daughters of Zelophehad did. (11) For Mahlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married unto their father’s brothers’ sons. (12) They married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father's clan.

(1) Our Rabbis taught: "The wood-gatherer was Zelophehad, and so it is said (Num. 15:32) "And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, and they found a man gathering wood on the Sabbath," and it is further said (Num. 27:3) "Our father died in the wilderness." We deduce this from the similar word Midbar (wilderness) which is found in both places. Just as the first text refers to Zelophehad, so the wood-gatherer was also Zelophehad." This is the opinion of Rabbi Akiba. Rabbi Judah ben Beteira then said to him: "Akiba! Whether your opinion be true or false, you will have to account for it [at the time of Divine Judgment]; for if your words are true, you disclosed the name of a man whom the Torah shielded; and if your opinion is not correct you have slandered an upright person."

(5) “And Moses brought their case.” This topic should have been written by Moses, but the daughters of Zelophehad merited and it was written by them.

It was taught: The daughters of Zelophehad were exceedingly wise, knew well how to expound Scripture, and were perfectly virtuous. They were exceedingly wise since they chose to speak at the right time; for just then ... They were also perfectly virtuous, since they married only men who were worthy of them."