“The Daughters of Tzelofchad Speak Truth”
Whatever it is in life that you hope to obtain or become, you have to really be committed to it in order to succeed. This is true of success in Torah also. The best Torah student does not only listen and record careful and accurate notes. She needs to listen, record notes, think about what she has learned and ask questions, investing herself in the process of learning and taking ownership of the knowledge. Pondering questions and seeking out answers to the issues that aren’t satisfactorily resolved. This is a message which we find transmitted in this weeks’ Parsha, through five sisters, known as the daughters of Tzelofchad. The Torah tells how they understood that the portions of Eretz Yisrael were being divided among the males. However, they had no father or brothers and were therefore about to lose their portion in the land. More so, their father’s name would have no remembrance. The daughters approached Moshe as it is written:
“Why should the name of our father be lost from among his family, for he has no sons? Give us therefore a possession among the brothers of our father.” (Bamidbar 27:4)
Rather than accept their fate they came to ask Moshe Rabeinu to help them. Moshe Rabeinu, the leader of the nation listened to them and did not know what to answer. And so we read:
“And Moshe brought their case before Hashem.” (Bamidbar 27:5)
Rashi there makes the following comment:
This matter was worthy of being uttered by Moshe, like all the rest of the Torah, but [the daughters of Tzelofchad] merited having it revealed through them, for merit is brought about through one who is meritorious.
According to thisexplanation found in Rashi (based on a Gemara in Mesechet Sanhedrin Daf 8) the laws concerning the inheritance of a family with only daughters should have been written by Moshe Rabeinu and could have been conveyed earlier. The law is in fact pretty straightforward: women have a right to inherit from their fathers just like men do. But Hashem chose to write it through the daughters of Tzelofchad and only as a result of their making their request. Why? Why did the daughters of Tzelofchad have to make their request in order for this law to be taught? Why didn’t Hashem teach this law directly to Moshe without him having to wait to be asked?
The Maharal (Be’er HaGolah, Be’er 4) explains that Hashem wants to share His Torah with Am Yisrael but that Torah can only be received by students who truly seek to learn it. Am Yisrael must learn to be the kind of eager students who are always seeking more knowledge and understanding. This is the lesson of the daughters of Tzelofchad whose respectful approach, commitment to their father’s honor and deep love for Eretz Yisrael was expressed in their questioning Moshe. We can learn that good honest questions that are asked in a sincere and appropriate manner are wanted by Hashem. Hashem’s response was unequivocal:
“The Daughters of Tzlofchad speak truth, you shall surely give them a possession among their father’s brothers and transfer their father’s portion to them.” (Bamidbar 27:7)
The lesson we can take from them is that Torah is not just received but rather it is something we must work for. It is not enough to passively listen to Torah classes, though that too is important. But we must take ownership of it by always searching deeper, asking questions and seeking to find answers that make the Torah always relevant to us and our lives. When we do not understand and it does not seem to make sense, we should seek the wisdom of those who know more to explicate it. While this is a part of life when you are a student at Midreshet Moriah, the challenge is to keep seeking out teachers who can help us to continue in this quest, in this active relationship with the Torah, throughout our lives. May we be inspired by the Bnot Tzelofchad to both ask the questions and seek out answers as we continue to grow in our Torah learning.