Sifrei Bamidbar 133

¹(Bamidbar 27:1) "And there drew near the daughters of Tzelofchad": When the daughters of Tzelofchad heard that the land was to be apportioned to the tribes and not to females, they gathered together to take counsel, saying: Not as the mercies of flesh and blood are the mercies of the L-rd. The mercies of flesh and blood are greater for males than for females. Not so the mercies of He who spoke and brought the world into being. His mercies are for males and females (equally). His mercies are for all! As it is written (Psalms 145:9) "The L-rd is good to all, and His mercies are upon all of His creations." "the son of Chefer, the son of Gilad, the son of Machir, the son of Menashe": Scripture apprises us that just as Tzelofchad was a first-born, so, were all of the others first-born, and to apprise us that they (the daughters) were worthy daughters of a worthy man. For all whose deeds and the deeds of whose fathers are veiled and who Scripture traces (to their forbears) for praise are righteous ones the seed of righteous ones; and all whose deeds and the deeds of whose fathers are veiled and who Scripture traces (to their forbears) for denigration are evildoers the seed of evildoers. R. Nathan says: It is written above (26:65) "For the L-rd had said of them: They will surely die in the desert. And there was left not a man of them, etc.", followed by "And there drew near the daughters of Tzelofchad, etc." What is the connection? Scripture comes to teach us that the strength of the women in that generation was greater than that of the men, the men saying (Bamidbar 14:4) "Let us make a leader and return to Egypt, and the women saying (Ibid. 27:4) "Give us a holding, etc." ²Likewise, (Ovadiah 1:1) "The vision of Ovadiah: Thus has said the L-rd G-d to Edom: We have heard a report, etc." Why did Ovadiah prophesy against Edom? To apprise us of the greatness of a tzaddik, who grew up in the lap of an evildoer but did not emulate his deeds, and how great the wickedness of an evildoer, who grew up between two righteous ones and did not emulate their deeds. Esav (Edom) grew up between two righteous ones, Isaac and Rivka, and did not emulate their deeds. Ovadiah grew up between two wicked ones, Achan and Izevel, and did not emulate their deeds. Let Ovadiah come, who grew up between two wicked ones and did not emulate their deeds, and prophecy against Esav, who grew up between two righteous ones, Isaac and Rivka, and did not emulate their deeds. Thus — "The vision of Ovadiah: Thus has said the L-rd G-d to Edom, etc." "of the families of Menasheh the son of Joseph." Just as Joseph held Eretz Yisrael dear (viz. Bereshit 50:25), so did the daughters of Tzelofchad. "And these are the names of his daughters: Machlah, Noah, Choglah, Milkah, and Tirtzah." — But perhaps all who are first in Scripture are first in worth? It is, therefore, written (Bamidbar 36:11) "And Machlah, Tirtzah, Choglah, Milkah, and Noah, the daughters of Tzelofchad, etc." (the order being changed to teach us that they were all of equal worth.) ³(Bamidbar 27:2) "And they stood before Moses and before Elazar the Cohein": Scripture hereby apprises us that they stood there only (after) the fortieth year (of the exodus) after Aaron had died, viz. (Ibid. 33:38) "And Aaron the Cohein went up to Hor Hahar by the 'mouth' of the L-rd, and he died there in the fortieth year, etc." "before Moses and before Elazar the Cohein": If Moses did not know (how to answer them), could Elazar know? Invert the verse (i.e., first Elazar, then Moses,) and expound it. These are the words of R. Yoshiyah. Abba Channan says in the name of R. Eliezer: They were (all) in the house of study and they came and stood before (all of) them. R. Akiva says: It is written here (27:3) "desert," and elsewhere (Ibid. 15:32) (in respect to a man gathering wood on the Sabbath) "desert." Just as the man here is Tzelofchad, so, the man there. "And he was not in the midst of the congregation": the cavilers (viz. Shemot 16:2). "who gathered against the L-rd": the congregation of the spies. "(nor in) the congregation of Korach." "but he died in his own sin": without inciting others (to sin) with him. "and he left no sons": for if he had a son, we would make no claim. ⁴(Bamidbar 27:4) "Why should the name of our father be withheld from his family because he has no son?" R. Yehudah says: It is written here "name," and elsewhere (Devarim 28:6). "Just as "name" here connotes inheritance, so, "name" there. And just as "name" here connotes seed, so, "name" there. "because he has no son": Why is this written? Is it not already written (3) "and he left no sons"? They were sage women and were expounding: But if there were a daughter of a son, we would make no claim. R. Chidka said: Shimon Hashikmoni was a colleague of mine from the disciples of R. Akiva. He said: Moses knew that daughters inherit. Where was the question? As to whether they inherit what is fit to be inherited (in Eretz Yisrael) as well as what is already in their possession. The section on inheritance was fit to be stated by Moses, but the daughters of Tzelofchad merited that it be stated through them. "Merit is effected through the meritorious and liability through the liable."