בנות צלפחד- The Models for Implementing Essential Change

תִּקְרַ֜בְנָה בְּנ֣וֹת צְלׇפְחָ֗ד בֶּן־חֵ֤פֶר בֶּן־גִּלְעָד֙ בֶּן־מָכִ֣יר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁ֔ה לְמִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת מְנַשֶּׁ֣ה בֶן־יוֹסֵ֑ף וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ שְׁמ֣וֹת בְּנֹתָ֔יו מַחְלָ֣ה נֹעָ֔ה וְחׇגְלָ֥ה וּמִלְכָּ֖ה וְתִרְצָֽה׃ וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֜דְנָה לִפְנֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֗ה וְלִפְנֵי֙ אֶלְעָזָ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְלִפְנֵ֥י הַנְּשִׂיאִ֖ם וְכׇל־הָעֵדָ֑ה פֶּ֥תַח אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֖ד לֵאמֹֽר׃ אָבִ֘ינוּ֮ מֵ֣ת בַּמִּדְבָּר֒ וְה֨וּא לֹא־הָיָ֜ה בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעֵדָ֗ה הַנּוֹעָדִ֛ים עַל־יְהֹוָ֖ה בַּעֲדַת־קֹ֑רַח כִּֽי־בְחֶטְא֣וֹ מֵ֔ת וּבָנִ֖ים לֹא־הָ֥יוּ לֽוֹ׃ לָ֣מָּה יִגָּרַ֤ע שֵׁם־אָבִ֙ינוּ֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֔וֹ כִּ֛י אֵ֥ין ל֖וֹ בֵּ֑ן תְּנָה־לָּ֣נוּ אֲחֻזָּ֔ה בְּת֖וֹךְ אֲחֵ֥י אָבִֽינוּ׃

Numbers 27:1-5

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. They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the chieftains, and the whole assembly, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and they said, “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. 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!” Moses brought their case before the LORD.

Timing and Halachik Basis:

בבא בתרא קי״ט ב

תָּנָא בְּנוֹת צְלָפְחָד חַכְמָנִיּוֹת הֵן דַּרְשָׁנִיּוֹת הֵן צִדְקָנִיּוֹת הֵן חַכְמָנִיּוֹת הֵן שֶׁלְּפִי שָׁעָה דִּבְּרוּ דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר רַב יִצְחָק מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיָה מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ יוֹשֵׁב וְדוֹרֵשׁ בְּפָרָשַׁת יְבָמִין שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כִּי יֵשְׁבוּ אַחִים יַחְדָּו אָמְרוּ לוֹ אִם כְּבֵן אָנוּ חֲשׁוּבִין תְּנָה לָנוּ נַחֲלָה כְּבֵן אִם לָאו תִּתְיַבֵּם אִמֵּנוּ! מִיָּד וַיַּקְרֵב מֹשֶׁה אֶת מִשְׁפָּטָן לִפְנֵי ה׳ דַּרְשָׁנִיּוֹת הֵן שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרוֹת אִילּוּ הָיָה לוֹ בֵּן לֹא דִּבַּרְנוּ וְהָתַנְיָא בַּת אָמַר רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה סְמִי מִכָּאן בַּת אַבָּיֵי אָמַר אֲפִילּוּ הָיָה בַּת לַבֵּן לֹא דִּבַּרְנוּ צִדְקָנִיּוֹת הֵן שֶׁלֹּא נִישְּׂאוּ אֶלָּא לְהָגוּן לָהֶן

Bava Batra 119b

§ The Sages taught: The daughters of Zelophehad are wise, they are interpreters of verses, and they are righteous. The Gemara proves these assertions. That they are wise can be seen from the fact that they spoke in accordance with the moment, i.e., they presented their case at an auspicious time. As Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Yitzḥak says: Tradition teaches that Moses 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, and has no child, the wife of the dead shall not be married abroad to one not of his kin; her husband’s brother shall come to her, and take her for him as a wife” (Deuteronomy 25:5). The daughters of Zelophehad said to Moses: If we are each considered like a son, give us each an inheritance like a son; and if not, our mother should enter into levirate marriage. Immediately upon hearing their claim, the verse records: “And Moses brought their cause before the Lord” (Numbers 27:5). That they are interpreters of verses can be seen from the fact that they were saying: If our father had had a son, we would not have spoken; but because he had no son, we are filling the role of the heir. The Gemara asks: But isn’t it taught in a baraita: They would say, if he had had a daughter, we would not have spoken? Rabbi Yirmeya said: Delete from the baraita here the word: Daughter. As they were themselves daughters, this cannot have been their claim. Abaye said that the baraita need not be emended, and should be understood as follows: Even if there was a daughter of a son of Zelophehad, we would not have spoken, for she would have been the heir. 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.

במדבר כ״ז:ה׳

(ה) וַיַּקְרֵ֥ב מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־מִשְׁפָּטָ֖ן לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃ {פ}

Numbers 27:5

(5) Moses brought their case before the LORD.

Patience and Humility :

מדרש תנחומא, פנחס ט׳:א׳

דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיַּקְרֵב מֹשֶׁה אֶת מִשְׁפָּטָן. רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ אָמַר, יוֹדֵעַ הָיָה מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ אֶת הַדִּין הַזֶּה, אֶלָּא בָּאוּ לִפְנֵי שָׂרֵי עֲשָׂרוֹת תְּחִלָּה. אָמְרוּ לָהֶן, דִּין שֶׁל נַחֲלָה הוּא וְאֵין זֶה שֶׁלָּנוּ אֶלָּא שֶׁל גְּדוֹלִים מִמֶּנּוּ. בָּאוּ אֵצֶל שָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים. רָאוּ שֶׁכִּבְּדוּ אוֹתָם שָׂרֵי עֲשָׂרוֹת, אָמְרוּ שָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים, אַף אָנוּ יֵשׁ גְּדוֹלִים מִמֶּנּוּ. וְכֵן לְשָׂרֵי מֵאוֹת, וְכֵן לְשָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים, וְכֵן לַנְּשִׂיאִים, הֵשִׁיבוּ כֻּלָּן כָּעִנְיָן הַזֶּה, שֶׁלֹּא רָצוּ לִפְתֹּחַ פֶּה לִפְנֵי מִי שֶׁגָּדוֹל מֵהֶם. הָלְכוּ לִפְנֵי אֶלְעָזָר. אָמַר לָהֶם: הֲרֵי מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ. בָּאוּ אֵלּוּ וְאֵלּוּ לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה. רָאָה מֹשֶׁה שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד כִּבֵּד אֶת מִי שֶׁגָּדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ. אָמַר מֹשֶׁה, אוֹמַר לָהֶם אֶת הַדִּין וְאֶטֹּל אֶת גְּדֻלָּתָם. אָמַר לָהֶם: אַף אֲנִי יֵשׁ גָּדוֹל מִמֶּנִּי.

Midrash Tanchuma, Pinchas 9:1

Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: R. Simeon ben Laqish said, “Our master Moses knew this judgment, but they first came before chiefs of tens. They said to them, ‘It is a judgment concerning inheritance, and this is not for us but for those greater than us.’ They came before the chiefs of fifties. [When] they saw that the chiefs of ten had shown them honor, the chiefs of fifty said, ‘[In our case] also there are those greater than us.’ So also [they came before] the chiefs of hundreds, the chiefs of thousands, and the princes. They all responded to them in a similar way, because they did not want to open their mouths before one who was greater than them. Moses said, ‘If I tell them the decision, I shall be appropriating all their dignity.’ He said to them, ‘In my case also there is One greater than I.’ Therefore (in Numb. 27:5), ‘Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].’” He answered him with (in vs. 7), “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, acknowledged their utterance. (Numb. 27:7, cont.:) “You shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father].” Give them [also] chattel and their father's birthright in the assets of Hepher. They took three portions: The portion of their father, who was among those who had come out from Egypt; his portion with his brothers in the assets of Hepher; and since he was the first born, he took two portions. Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: After they [already] received [their share] on the other side of the Jordan, they came before Joshua in the land of Canaan, as stated (in Josh. 17:4), “Now they (i.e., the daughters of Zelophehad) came before Elazar the priest, Joshua ben Nun, and the princes [and said, ‘The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with our male kin’].” Moreover, our ancestor Jacob also knew that they were receiving [an inheritance] on this side [of the Jordan] as well as on that side, since it is stated (in Gen. 49:22), “daughters step over a wall.” This [wall] is the Jordan, which became a wall [for Moses] so that he would not enter the land. Thus Jacob said to Joseph, “Your daughters shall receive a share on this [side of the Jordan] as well as on that [side].” (Numb. 27:7, cont.:) “And you shall transfer to them the inheritance of their father.” With reference to [standard] inheritance it is stated (in vs. 9), “and you shall give,” but with reference to a daughter, [it says (in vs. 8),] “and you shall transfer.” Thus she may transfer an inheritance from tribe to tribe. (Numb. 27:11:) “And it shall be a statutory judgment for the Children of Israel.” [The word judgment] teaches that inheritances [can only] be carried out through judges. (Numb. 27:12:) “Then the Lord [said] unto Moses, saying, ‘Go up on this mountain of Abarim.’” What reason did he have [for it] to be written after the parashah about inheritance? It was simply that when Moses heard from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, (in Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them,” he thought that the Holy One, blessed be He, had been reconciled to him. He said, “Here I am entering with Israel.” [Hence] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “My decree remains in place; (Numb. 27:12-13) ‘Go up into the mountain of Abarim […] and you shall be gathered to your people…’ You are no better than your brother [in this].’”

Persistance and Fighting forJustice :

ילקוט שמעוני, במדבר, כ"ז, ב'

אמר משה: אי אפשר לבת לירש

אמרו לו: למה?

אמר להם: שאתם נקבות

אמרו לו: וכה אמרת משה רבינו הואיל שהזכר יורש תתייבם אמנו לאחי אבינו שתוליד זכר שיירש

אמר להן משה: אי אפשר להתייבם הואיל שיש לה בנות

אמרו לו: מה הוא זה שאתה עושה משה רבינו שנירש את אבינו אין אנו בנים שתתייבם אמנו אנו בנים?

אותה שעה סלקו את משה כיון ששמע משה כן מיד "ויקרב משה את משפטן לפני ה' "

Yalkut Shimoni, Bamidbar 27:2

[Daughters: Give us a portion of the land along with our father’s brothers.]

Moshe: It is impossible for a daughter to inherit.

Daughters: Why?

Moshe: You are women.

Daughters: Then let our mother enter into yibbum (levirate marriage—as is the law with the wife of a person who died “without seed”) and conceive an inheritor that way.

Moshe: Impossible. Once there are children, yibbum is not possible.

Daughters: You are contradicting yourself, Moshe. Either we are not “seed” and the obligation of yibbum applies to our mother, or we are “seed” and can inherit the land ourselves.

In that moment they convinced Moshe. When he heard the justice of their complaint, he immediately presented their case before G‑d.

Righteous Intentions :

במדבר רבה כ״א:י׳

כִּי אָמַר ה' לָהֶם מוֹת יָמֻתוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר וְלֹא נוֹתַר מֵהֶם אִישׁ כִּי אִם כָּלֵב בֶּן יְפֻנֶּה, אִישׁ וְלֹא אִשָּׁה, עַל מַה שֶׁלֹא רָצוּ לִכָּנֵס לָאָרֶץ, אֲבָל הַנָּשִׁים קָרְבוּ לְבַקֵּשׁ נַחֲלָה בָּאָרֶץ, לְכָךְ נִכְתְּבָה פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ סָמוּךְ לְמִיתַת דּוֹר הַמִּדְבָּר, שֶׁמִּשָּׁם פָּרְצוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים וְגָדְרוּ הַנָּשִׁים.

במדבר כ״ז:ו׳-י״א

(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׃ ....... וְֽהָ֨יְתָ֜ה לִבְנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לְחֻקַּ֣ת מִשְׁפָּ֔ט כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ {פ}

Numbers 27:6-11

(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.”

ילקוט שמעוני על התורה תשע״ג:י״א

ותקרבנה בנות צלפחד כיון ששמעו בנות צלפחד שהארץ מתחלקת לשבטים אבל לא לנקבות נתקבצו כולן זו על זו ליטול עצה, אמרו לא כרחמי ב"ו רחמי המקום, ב"ו רחמיו על הזכרים יותר מן הנקבות, אבל הקב"ה אינו כן אלא על הזכרים ועל הנקבות רחמיו על הכל שנאמר נותן לחם לכל בשר נותן לבהמה לחמה ואומר טוב ה' לכל:

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 773:11

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מכילתא (20:16:1)
"ויאמר ה' אלי הטיבו אשר דברו". אשרי בני אדם שהמקום הודה לדבריהם. וכן הוא אומר (במדבר כז ז) "כן בנות צלפחד דוברות",(במדבר לו ה)

במדבר ל״ו:ב׳-י״ב

וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ אֶת־אֲדֹנִי֙ צִוָּ֣ה יְהֹוָ֔ה לָתֵ֨ת אֶת־הָאָ֧רֶץ בְּנַחֲלָ֛ה בְּגוֹרָ֖ל לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַֽאדֹנִי֙ צֻוָּ֣ה בַֽיהֹוָ֔ה לָתֵ֗ת אֶֽת־נַחֲלַ֛ת צְלׇפְחָ֥ד אָחִ֖ינוּ לִבְנֹתָֽיו׃ ........ ׃ זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֞ר אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֣ה יְהֹוָ֗ה לִבְנ֤וֹת צְלׇפְחָד֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לַטּ֥וֹב בְּעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם תִּהְיֶ֣ינָה לְנָשִׁ֑ים אַ֗ךְ לְמִשְׁפַּ֛חַת מַטֵּ֥ה אֲבִיהֶ֖ם תִּהְיֶ֥ינָה לְנָשִֽׁים׃ וְלֹֽא־תִסֹּ֤ב נַחֲלָה֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִמַּטֶּ֖ה אֶל־מַטֶּ֑ה כִּ֣י אִ֗ישׁ בְּנַחֲלַת֙ מַטֵּ֣ה אֲבֹתָ֔יו יִדְבְּק֖וּ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ וְכׇל־בַּ֞ת יֹרֶ֣שֶׁת נַחֲלָ֗ה מִמַּטּוֹת֮ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ לְאֶחָ֗ד מִמִּשְׁפַּ֛חַת מַטֵּ֥ה אָבִ֖יהָ תִּהְיֶ֣ה לְאִשָּׁ֑ה לְמַ֗עַן יִֽירְשׁוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אִ֖ישׁ נַחֲלַ֥ת אֲבֹתָֽיו׃ וְלֹֽא־תִסֹּ֧ב נַחֲלָ֛ה מִמַּטֶּ֖ה לְמַטֶּ֣ה אַחֵ֑ר כִּי־אִישׁ֙ בְּנַ֣חֲלָת֔וֹ יִדְבְּק֕וּ מַטּ֖וֹת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֑ה כֵּ֥ן עָשׂ֖וּ בְּנ֥וֹת צְלׇפְחָֽד׃ ׃

Numbers 36:2-12

They said, “The LORD commanded my lord to assign the land to the Israelites as shares by lot, and my lord was further commanded by the LORD to assign the share of our kinsman Zelophehad to his daughters. Now, if they marry persons from another Israelite tribe, their share will be cut off from our ancestral portion and be added to the portion of the tribe into which they marry; thus our allotted portion will be diminished. And even when the Israelites observe the jubilee, their share will be added to that of the tribe into which they marry, and their share will be cut off from the ancestral portion of our tribe.” So Moses, at the LORD’s bidding, instructed the Israelites, saying: “The plea of the Josephite tribe is just. This is what the LORD has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: They may marry anyone they wish, provided they marry into a clan of their father’s tribe. No inheritance of the Israelites may pass over from one tribe to another, but the Israelites must remain bound each to the ancestral portion of his tribe. Every daughter among the Israelite tribes who inherits a share must marry someone from a clan of her father’s tribe, in order that every Israelite may keep his ancestral share. Thus no inheritance shall pass over from one tribe to another, but the Israelite tribes shall remain bound each to its portion.” The daughters of Zelophehad did as the LORD had commanded Moses: Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, Zelophehad’s daughters, were married to sons of their uncles, marrying into clans of descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph; and so their share remained in the tribe of their father’s clan.