In commemoration of the 5th yahrzeit of our father and Zaidie, Cecil A. Labow – Zisse Alexander ben Yisrael Meir HaLevi Z”L, on the 3rd of Av
Martin S. Labow and Devorah Bat Sheva Abenhaim
Chapter 36 concludes the Book of Bamidbar. We are told that “the heads of the fathers of the family of the children of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, of the families of the children of Joseph, approached and spoke before Moses and before the princes, the heads of the fathers of the Children of Israel”. A very long and detailed description which will set the tone for a discussion which we were first introduced to when learning about the laws of inheritance in chapter 27 of Parshat Pinchas. We were told of Zelophehad was the son of Hefer, who was a descendant of Manasseh, and who died in the wilderness without male issue(Bamidbar 26:33) “Lo hayoo lo banim, ki im banot”. His daughters requested of Moses that they be recognized as female heirs, and granted their father’s inheritance of the land. After all, they said, although he died in the wilderness, he was not “among the assembly that was gathering against Hashem in the assembly of Korach”(27:3). In fact Sifrei 133 explains that not only did he distance himself from “Adat-Korach”, he was not guilty of any other sin which caused others to sin. Mose’s did not have an answer….that it why we read “And Moses’s brought their case before Hashem”(27:5). Rashi tells us that this is a rare instance in which Moses had to actually ask Hashem for an answer before the halachah was revealed to him. The fact that he had to do so here indicates that the law had purposely been concealed from him(Gur Aryeh). Aggadah tells us that that the question of inheritance was very complex in that both Zelophehad and his father were among those who Moses had led out of Egypt. As the first born , Zelophehad was entitled, not to two portions, but to THREE, two as the first born, and one in his own right. This is probably why he had to defer to Hashem’s Divine decree, not knowing whether or not the daughters were entitled to the three portions! “And Moses’s commanded the Children of Israel according to the word of Hashem, saying “the tribe of the children of Joseph speaks properly”(36:5). The daughters of Zelophehad were given freedom of choice within their own tribe, to ensure that “an inheritance of the Children of Israel should not be redirected from tribe to tribe, rather the Children of Israel shall cleave every man to the inheritance of the tribes of his fathers”(36:7) We read that they, namely Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah became wives to the sons of their uncles. “To cousins from the families of the children of Manasseh, son of Joseph, did they become wives, and their inheritance remained with the tribe of the family of their father”(37:12)
Chazak! Chazak! Venitchazeik- Be strong! Be strong! And may we be strengthened!
Prepared by: Martin S. Labow and Devorah Abenhaim
