This week, Moses' death is introduced in conjunction with a strange detour into the story of five daughters who do something highly unusual: They demand a hearing from Moses and all the leaders of the Children of Israel regarding their inheritance of their father's land.
Today we will discuss the relationship between Moses' impending death and the plea of the Daughters of Tzelofhad. How does the story of the Daughters function in a capacity that is similar to the blessings bestowed on the Children of Israel by Balaam? What role in the history of Jewish knowledge and Jewish law is given to these daughters? How does the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua engage with the story of the Daughters? Finally, where do women fit into this final preparation for entering the land?
(ו) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ז) כֵּ֗ן בְּנ֣וֹת צְלׇפְחָד֮ 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 לְאֶחָֽיו׃ (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 יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ {פ}
(יא) דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַתִּקְרַבְנָה בְּנוֹת צְלָפְחָד וגו', גְּדֻלָּה לָהֶן וּגְדֻלָּה לַאֲבִיהֶן, גְדֻלָּה לְמָכִיר וּגְדֻלָּה לְיוֹסֵף שֶׁכָּךְ יָצְאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ נָשִׁים חֲכָמוֹת וְצִדְקָנִיּוֹת, מָה חָכְמָתָן, שֶׁלְּפִי שָׁעָה דִּבְּרוּ, שֶׁהָיָה משֶׁה עוֹסֵק בְּפָרָשַׁת נַחֲלוֹת, (במדבר כו, נג): לָאֵלֶּה תֵּחָלֵק הָאָרֶץ, אָמְרוּ לוֹ אִם כְּבֵן אָנוּ נִירַשׁ כְּבֵן וְאִם לָאו תִּתְיַבֵּם אִמֵּנּוּ, מִיָּד (במדבר כז, כה): וַיַּקְרֵב משֶׁה אֶת מִשְׁפָּטָן לִפְנֵי ה', צִדְקָנִיּוֹת הָיוּ שֶׁלֹא נִשְֹּׂאוּ אֶלָּא לְהָגוּן לָהֶם, וְלָמָּה זִמְנָן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה, שֶׁלֹא יִרְאֶה משֶׁה עַצְמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשׁ מִן הָאִשָּׁה אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, הוֹדִיעוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּאֵלּוּ לוֹמַר הֲרֵי הַנָּשִׁים שֶׁלֹא נִצְטַוּוּ לֹא נִשְֹּׂאוּ אֶלָּא לְהָגוּן לָהֶם.
(11) 11 Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:1): “Then came forward [the daughters of Zelophehad [ben Hepher ben Gilead ben Machir ben Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh ben Joseph]”: [Their action was] an honor to them. [It was also] an honor to their father, an honor to Machir and an honor to Joseph that such righteous and wise women had issued from him. But what was their wisdom? They [only] spoke up at the proper time, when Moses was busy with the parashah about inheritance (in accordance with Numb. 26:53), “To these shall you apportion the land [for an inheritance].” They said to him, “If we are like a son, let us inherit; but if not, let our mother perform levirate marriage (marry her husband's brother).” Immediately (in Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause before the Lord.” They were righteous, In that they had never been married to someone unworthy of them. Then why did they meet with Moses at the end [of the forty years]? So that he would not [put on airs] over having abstained from his wife for forty years. The Holy One, blessed be He, informed him through these [women], saying, “Here are women who without being commanded [remained unmarried] for forty years, until they were married to someone worthy of them.”
אמר רב יהודה אמר רב בשעה שעלה משה למרום מצאו להקב"ה שיושב וקושר כתרים לאותיות אמר לפניו רבש"ע מי מעכב על ידך אמר לו אדם אחד יש שעתיד להיות בסוף כמה דורות ועקיבא בן יוסף שמו שעתיד לדרוש על כל קוץ וקוץ תילין תילין של הלכות אמר לפניו רבש"ע הראהו לי אמר לו חזור לאחורך הלך וישב בסוף שמונה שורות ולא היה יודע מה הן אומרים תשש כחו כיון שהגיע לדבר אחד אמרו לו תלמידיו רבי מנין לך אמר להן הלכה למשה מסיני נתיישבה דעתו
Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: When Moses ascended on High, he found the Holy One, Blessed be He, sitting and tying crowns on the letters of the Torah. Moses said before God: Master of the Universe, who is preventing You from giving the Torah without these additions? God said to him: There is a man who is destined to be born after several generations, and Akiva ben Yosef is his name; he is destined to derive from each and every thorn of these crowns mounds upon mounds of halakhot. It is for his sake that the crowns must be added to the letters of the Torah. Moses said before God: Master of the Universe, show him to me. God said to him: Return behind you. Moses went and sat at the end of the eighth row in Rabbi Akiva’s study hall and did not understand what they were saying. Moses’ strength waned, as he thought his Torah knowledge was deficient. When Rabbi Akiva arrived at the discussion of one matter, his students said to him: My teacher, from where do you derive this? Rabbi Akiva said to them: It is a halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai. When Moses heard this, his mind was put at ease, as this too was part of the Torah that he was to receive.