(א) וַתִּקְרַ֜בְנָה בְּנ֣וֹת צְלָפְחָ֗ד בֶּן־חֵ֤פֶר בֶּן־גִּלְעָד֙ בֶּן־מָכִ֣יר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁ֔ה לְמִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת מְנַשֶּׁ֣ה בֶן־יוֹסֵ֑ף וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ שְׁמ֣וֹת בְּנֹתָ֔יו מַחְלָ֣ה נֹעָ֔ה וְחָגְלָ֥ה וּמִלְכָּ֖ה וְתִרְצָֽה׃ (ב) וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֜דְנָה לִפְנֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֗ה וְלִפְנֵי֙ אֶלְעָזָ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְלִפְנֵ֥י הַנְּשִׂיאִ֖ם וְכָל־הָעֵדָ֑ה פֶּ֥תַח אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֖ד לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ג) אָבִינוּ֮ מֵ֣ת בַּמִּדְבָּר֒ וְה֨וּא לֹא־הָיָ֜ה בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעֵדָ֗ה הַנּוֹעָדִ֛ים עַל־יְהוָ֖ה בַּעֲדַת־קֹ֑רַח כִּֽי־בְחֶטְא֣וֹ מֵ֔ת וּבָנִ֖ים לֹא־הָ֥יוּ לֽוֹ׃ (ד) לָ֣מָּה יִגָּרַ֤ע שֵׁם־אָבִ֙ינוּ֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֔וֹ כִּ֛י אֵ֥ין ל֖וֹ בֵּ֑ן תְּנָה־לָּ֣נוּ אֲחֻזָּ֔ה בְּת֖וֹךְ אֲחֵ֥י אָבִֽינוּ׃ (ה) וַיַּקְרֵ֥ב מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־מִשְׁפָּטָ֖ן לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ (ס) (ו) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ז) כֵּ֗ן בְּנ֣וֹת צְלָפְחָד֮ דֹּבְרֹת֒ נָתֹ֨ן תִּתֵּ֤ן לָהֶם֙ אֲחֻזַּ֣ת נַחֲלָ֔ה בְּת֖וֹךְ אֲחֵ֣י אֲבִיהֶ֑ם וְהַֽעֲבַרְתָּ֛ אֶת־נַחֲלַ֥ת אֲבִיהֶ֖ן לָהֶֽן׃
(1) 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. (2) They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the chieftains, and the whole assembly, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and they said, (3) “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. (4) 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!” (5) Moses brought their case before the LORD. (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.
What do we learn about Zelophechad's daughters?
Why, in the beginning, are they called the daughters of Zelophad (צלפחד) and only later are they each mentioned by name? This is due to the shadow (צל) and the fear (פחד) that they had in the beginning. For at the start, they were in the shadow of their father, and they were afraid to go in front of the assembly. As they drew closer together, this one to the other, they became confident and were thus called by their names, as it is written, "The daughters of Zelophad ... and these are the names of his daughters." (Midrashim of the Daughter's of Zelophad by Rivka Lovitz)
A few chapters before this, we learn of Korach and his rebellion where he challenges Moses and God swallows him. If the daughters of Zelophechad are also challenging Moses, why do they not succumb to the same demise?
"...Resh Lakish* suggests that the word ותקרבנה (vatikravnah, "came near") in this passage (Num. 27:1) suggests that the daughters had gone through all the proper channels. First they drew near to one another, then they consulted with their tribal chiefs, and so on up the appropriate chain of command until they reached Moses. To show appreciation of the respect that they had shown him, Moses honored them by bringing their case before God." (Cook, Alan. "Pinchas." Voices of Torah. 2006, page 441)
*Shimon ben Lakish, or Reish Lakish, (c. 200-c. 275) was a Rabbi who is quoted in the Talmud frequently. He lived in the current area of Syria and Israel.
*Shimon ben Lakish, or Reish Lakish, (c. 200-c. 275) was a Rabbi who is quoted in the Talmud frequently. He lived in the current area of Syria and Israel.
"...The daughters do not make their request out of greed. Rather, they express concern about their father's name being lost to history, and they express a desire to inherit land in Israel." (Cook, Alan. "Pinchas." Voices of Torah. 2006, page 441)
What can we learn from the daughters of Zelophechad?
We can learn that even though sometimes we may try to hide in the shadows out of fear or hide behind the shadow of someone else, we must step forward and stand up for what we believe is right. In order to be heard and taken seriously, we have to do it in the right order and the right way. May we all come near to one another to make the world a better place by working through the fear and standing up for what is right.