Ephraim Moshe Lilien (1874 - 1925), print from E.M. Lilien, Sein Werk mit einer Einleitung von Stefan Zweig, Berlin: Schuster & Loeffler, 1903, p. 207. The digitized book can be viewed on this webpage.
(מו) וְשֵׁ֥ם בַּת־אָשֵׁ֖ר שָֽׂרַח׃
(46) The name of Asher’s daughter was Serah.—
And when they [the sons of Jacob] went on until they approached their houses, they met Serach coming towards them, and the damsel was exceedingly beautiful and wise, and a skilled player on the harp; and they called her...And they took her and gave her a harp saying unto her: Go, we pray thee, before our father and sit down before him and strike this harp and speak unto him according to these words....And she sang and she played beautifully upon the harp, and she sang in the sweetness of her voice: Joseph my uncle is alive and he reigneth over all the land of Egypt; he is not dead....And Jacob blessed Serach for singing these words before him, and he said: My daughter, may death never prevail against thee forever, for thou hast reviled my spirit, only repeat thou this song once more before me, for thou hast caused me gladness with thy words. And she sang once more the same words and Jacob listened, and he was pleased and he rejoiced, and the spirit of God came over him.
(א)ושם בת אשר שרח. לְפִי שֶׁהָיְתָה קַיֶּמֶת בְּחַיֶּיהָ מְנָאָהּ כָּאן (סדר עולם):
(1) ושם בת אשר שרה AND THE NAME OF THE DAUGHTER OF ASHER WAS SERAH — Because she still remained alive after all these long years (Sotah 13a) it exceptionally mentions her here (Seder Olam 89).
ומנין היה יודע משה רבינו היכן יוסף קבור אמרו סרח בת אשר נשתיירה מאותו הדור הלך משה אצלה אמר לה כלום את יודעת היכן יוסף קבור אמרה לו ארון של מתכת עשו לו מצרים וקבעוהו בנילוס הנהר כדי שיתברכו מימיו הלך משה ועמד על שפת נילוס אמר לו יוסף יוסף הגיע העת שנשבע הקב"ה שאני גואל אתכם והגיעה השבועה שהשבעת את ישראל אם אתה מראה עצמך מוטב אם לאו הרי אנו מנוקין משבועתך מיד צף ארונו של יוסף
The Gemara asks: And from where did Moses our teacher know where Joseph was buried? The Sages said: Serah, the daughter of Asher, remained from that generationthat initially descended to Egypt with Jacob. Moses went to her and said to her: Do you know anything about where Joseph is buried? She said to him: The Egyptians fashioned a metal casket for him and set it in the Nile [Nilus] River as an augury so that its water would be blessed. Moses went and stood on the bank of the Nile. He said to Joseph: Joseph, Joseph, the time has arrived about which the Holy One, Blessed be He, took an oath saying that I, i.e., God, will redeem you.And the time for fulfillment of the oath that you administered to the Jewish people that they will bury you in Eretz Yisrael has arrived. If you show yourself, it is good, but if not, we are clear from your oath. Immediately, the casket of Joseph floated to the top of the water.
שעה נכנסו בחייהם בגן עדן. ואלו הן:
חנוך בן ירד, ואליהו, ומשיח, ואליעזר עבד אברהם, וחירם מלך צור, ועבד מלך הכושי, ויעבץ בנו של רבי יהודה הנשיא, ובתיה בת פרעה, וסרח בת אשר. ויש אומרים הוצא מלך צור והוכנס תחתיו ר' יהושע בן לוי.
Derech Eretz Zuta 1:
Nine entered the Garden of Eden when they were still alive, and they are: Enoch (Chanoch) the son of Jared, Elijah Messiah, Eliezer the bondsman of Abraham, Hirom the king of Zor, Ebed-melech the Cushi [Jer. xxxviii. 7], and Jabetz the son of R. Jehudah the Prince, Bothiah the daughter of Pharaoh and Serech the daughter of Ascher, and, according to others, also R. Jehoshua b. Levi.
בְּהֵיכָלָא אַחֲרָא, אִית סֶרַח בַּת אָשֵׁר, וְכַמָה נָשִׁין רִבּוֹא וְאַלְפִין בַּהֲדָהּ. תְּלַת זִמְנִין בְּיוֹמָא מַכְרִיזִין קַמֵּה, הָא דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּיוֹסֵף צַדִּיקָא אָתָא, וְאִיהִי חַדָּאת, וְנַפְקַת לְגַבֵּי פַּרְגּוֹדָא חֲדָא דְּאִית לָהּ, וְחָמָאת נְהִירוּ דְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּיוֹסֵף, וְחַדָּאת, וְסָגִידַת לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְאָמָרְת, זַכָּאָה הַאי יוֹמָא, דְּאִתְּעָרִית בְּשׂוֹרָה דִּילָךְ לְגַבֵּי סָבָאי. לְבָתַר אַהֲדְרַת לְגַבֵּי שְׁאַר נָשִׁין, וּמִשְׁתַּדְּלִין בְּתוּשְׁבְּחָן דְּמָארֵי עָלְמָא, וּלְאוֹדָאָה שְׁמֵיהּ. וְכַמָּה דּוּכְתִּין וְחֵידוּ, אִית לְכָל חֲדָא וַחֲדָא. וּלְבָתַר אֲהְדְרָן לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּפִקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, וּבְטַעְמַיְיהוּ.
Zohar 3:167b5:
In another chamber, Serach bat Asher comes, and so many thousands and thousands of women who merit to be with her. Three times a day, the announcement comes: The likeness of Yosef the tzadik is coming! With joy she goes out, to that curtained area which is dedicated to her, and observes light with the likeness of Yosef. With joy she bows before it, saying, "Happy was that day, when I gave the tidings before my grandfather [that you were still alive]!" Then she returns to the rest of the women, and they delve into the praises of the Ruler of the world, and praise the Name. How many places and joys, that each and everyone of them had! Then they return and delves into the precepts of Torah, along with their meanings.
Connections and Commentaries:
For more info on Serah bat Asher, see Miriam Anzovin's source sheet Memory is a Woman: Exploring the Song of Serach and her Passover Story and the companion video:
Iris Wexler, oil paint on stretched canvas, 2008. Read more about Iris Wexler and the story behind the painting on her website.
(א) וַתִּקְרַ֜בְנָה בְּנ֣וֹת צְלָפְחָ֗ד בֶּן־חֵ֤פֶר בֶּן־גִּלְעָד֙ בֶּן־מָכִ֣יר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁ֔ה לְמִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת מְנַשֶּׁ֣ה בֶן־יוֹסֵ֑ף וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ שְׁמ֣וֹת בְּנֹתָ֔יו מַחְלָ֣הנֹעָ֔ה 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׃(ח) וְאֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל תְּדַבֵּ֣ר לֵאמֹ֑ר אִ֣ישׁ כִּֽי־יָמ֗וּת וּבֵן֙ אֵ֣ין ל֔וֹ וְהַֽעֲבַרְתֶּ֥ם אֶת־נַחֲלָת֖וֹ לְבִתּֽוֹ׃(ט) וְאִם־אֵ֥ין ל֖וֹ בַּ֑ת וּנְתַתֶּ֥ם אֶת־נַחֲלָת֖וֹ לְאֶחָיו׃(י) וְאִם־אֵ֥ין ל֖וֹ אַחִ֑ים וּנְתַתֶּ֥ם אֶת־נַחֲלָת֖וֹ לַאֲחֵ֥י אָבִֽיו׃(יא) וְאִם־אֵ֣ין אַחִים֮ לְאָבִיו֒ וּנְתַתֶּ֣ם אֶת־נַחֲלָת֗וֹ לִשְׁאֵר֞וֹ הַקָּרֹ֥ב אֵלָ֛יו מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתּ֖וֹ וְיָרַ֣שׁ אֹתָ֑הּ וְֽהָ֨יְתָ֜ה לִבְנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לְחֻקַּ֣ת מִשְׁפָּ֔ט כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יהוה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ (ס)
(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 LORD, 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 LORD.(6) And the LORD 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.(8) “Further, speak to the Israelite people as follows: ‘If a man dies without leaving a son, you shall transfer his property to his daughter.(9) If he has no daughter, you shall assign his property to his brothers.(10) If he has no brothers, you shall assign his property to his father’s brothers.(11) If his father had no brothers, you shall assign his property to his nearest relative in his own clan, and he shall inherit it.’ This shall be the law of procedure for the Israelites, in accordance with the LORD’s command to Moses.”
Enjoy Miriam Anzovin's brilliant commentary on Parashah Pinchas: Shalom, friends! Welcome to #parshareactions Pinchas! In which we meet five NAMED WOMEN (!) in the #Torah (Mahlah, Noa, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah), here to file a Title IX complaint about inheritance law.
כיון ששמעו בנות צלפחד שהארץ מתחלקת לשבטים, לזכרים ולא לנקבות, נתקבצו כולן זו לזו ליטול עצה. אמרו: לא כרחמי בשר ודם רחמי המקום (הקב"ה) – בשר ודם רחמיו על הזכרים יותר מן הנקבות, אבל מי שאמר והיה העולם אינו כן, אלא רחמיו על הזכרים ועל הנקבות...
When the daughters of Zelophehad heard that the land of Israel was to be divided according to tribes, according to the males and not the females, they gathered together to make a plan. They said, God’s mercy and compassion is not like the compassion of mankind. Humankind favors men over women. God is not like that. God's compassion extends to men and women alike...
תנא בנות צלפחד חכמניות הן דרשניות הן
צדקניות הן
צדקניות הן - שלא נישאו אלא להגון להן תני רבי אליעזר בן יעקב אפילו קטנה שבהן לא נשאת פחותה מארבעים שנה
§ The Sages taught: The daughters of Zelophehad are wise, they are interpreters of verses, and they are righteous.
That they are righteous can be seen from the fact that they did not rush to marry, but rather waited to marry those fit for them. Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov teaches: Even the youngest to be married among them was not married at less than forty years of age.
The Eternal One spoke to Moses, saying, "Phinehas, son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the Israelites by displaying among them his passion for Me, so that I did not wipe out the Israelite people in My passion." - Numbers 25:10-11
- Pinchas is rewarded for killing the Israelite and the Midianite woman who cursed God. (25:10–15)
- Israel fights a war against the Midianites. (25:16-18)
- A second census is taken. (26:1–65)
- The daughters of Zelophehad force a change in the laws of property inheritance. (27:1–11)
- Joshua is chosen to be Moses' successor. (27:15–23)
- The sacrificial ritual for all festival occasions is described in detail. (28:1–30:1)