Context: This picture is of a street sign in the Talpiyot neighborhood in Jerusalem. It is named after a city on the border of the tribe of Benjamin and the tribe of Judah (just inside the Benjamin side), near where the Jordan River meets the Dead Sea. The city is mentioned in Joshua 15:6, 18:19, and 18:21.
What is the connection between this street sign and the Daughters of Tzlofchad?
The Daughters of Tzlofchad "on one foot":
This is a Biblical story from the Torah about women seeking change.
Prologue
(כח) בְּנֵ֥י יוֹסֵ֖ף לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם מְנַשֶּׁ֖ה וְאֶפְרָֽיִם׃ (כט) בְּנֵ֣י מְנַשֶּׁ֗ה לְמָכִיר֙ מִשְׁפַּ֣חַת הַמָּכִירִ֔י וּמָכִ֖יר הוֹלִ֣יד אֶת־גִּלְעָ֑ד לְגִלְעָ֕ד מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַגִּלְעָדִֽי׃ (ל) אֵ֚לֶּה בְּנֵ֣י גִלְעָ֔ד אִיעֶ֕זֶר מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הָאִֽיעֶזְרִ֑י לְחֵ֕לֶק מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַֽחֶלְקִֽי׃ (לא) וְאַ֨שְׂרִיאֵ֔ל מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הָאַשְׂרִֽאֵלִ֑י וְשֶׁ֕כֶם מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַשִּׁכְמִֽי׃ (לב) וּשְׁמִידָ֕ע מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַשְּׁמִידָעִ֑י וְחֵ֕פֶר מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַֽחֶפְרִֽי׃ (לג) וּצְלׇפְחָ֣ד בֶּן־חֵ֗פֶר לֹא־הָ֥יוּ ל֛וֹ בָּנִ֖ים כִּ֣י אִם־בָּנ֑וֹת וְשֵׁם֙ בְּנ֣וֹת צְלׇפְחָ֔ד מַחְלָ֣ה וְנֹעָ֔ה חׇגְלָ֥ה מִלְכָּ֖ה וְתִרְצָֽה׃ (לד) אֵ֖לֶּה מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת מְנַשֶּׁ֑ה וּפְקֻ֣דֵיהֶ֔ם שְׁנַ֧יִם וַחֲמִשִּׁ֛ים אֶ֖לֶף וּשְׁבַ֥ע מֵאֽוֹת׃ {ס}
(28) The sons of Joseph were Manasseh and Ephraim—by their clans. (29) Descendants of Manasseh: Of Machir, the clan of the Machirites.—Machir begot Gilead.—Of Gilead, the clan of the Gileadites. (30) These were the descendants of Gilead: [Of] Iezer, the clan of the Iezerites; of Helek, the clan of the Helekites; (31) [of] Asriel, the clan of the Asrielites; [of] Shechem, the clan of the Shechemites; (32) [of] Shemida, the clan of the Shemidaites; [of] Hepher, the clan of the Hepherites.— (33) Now Tzelophchad son of Hepher had no sons, only daughters. The names of Tzelophechad’s daughters were Machlah, Noa, Choglah, Milcah, and Tirtzah.— (34) Those are the clans of Manasseh; men enrolled: 52,700.
Context: This is from the Biblical Book of Numbers. This is in the middle of a census that Moses takes after wandering in the desert for 40 years so that there’s an updated list of how many people will be taking part in the transition into the Land of Israel. For our purposes, here’s the genealogy of interest: Abraham > Isaac > Jacob > Joseph > Manasseh > Machir > Gilead > Hepher > Tzelophchad > 5 daughters.
Act 1
(1) The daughters of Tzelophchad, 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 Machlah, Noa, Choglah, Milcah, and Tirtzah. (2) They stood before Moses, Elazar 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 יהוה, 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!”
Context: This is from the Biblical Book of Numbers, right after the census. The issue is that only sons could inherit land at that point, so if a man didn’t have any sons then his land would disappear from the family. Note that this is not only an ancient topic -- in the 1960s in the United States, married women could not open a credit card account on their own.
In the Talmud, Rabbi Akiba tries to connect Tzlofchad, who died for unspecified reasons, with the unnamed man who was killed for gathering sticks on Shabbat (Numbers 15:32-36, right before the Vayomer paragraph) (Shabbat 96b:19) (this is like "Disney Midrash" where people try to connect Disney movies: https://screenrant.com/disney-theory-frozen-tarzan-tangled-related/).
1. History (and stories) is not inevitable; people (and authors) make choices. At what points could this part of the story have turned out differently?
2. How might the daughters of Tzlofchad have felt as they stood before Moses and everybody else to make their claim?
3. How might G-d feel, being told that G-d is wrong and making decisions that hurt people?
Act 2
(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׃ (ט) וְאִם־אֵ֥ין ל֖וֹ בַּ֑ת וּנְתַתֶּ֥ם אֶת־נַחֲלָת֖וֹ לְאֶחָֽיו׃ (י) וְאִם־אֵ֥ין ל֖וֹ אַחִ֑ים וּנְתַתֶּ֥ם אֶת־נַחֲלָת֖וֹ לַאֲחֵ֥י אָבִֽיו׃ (יא) וְאִם־אֵ֣ין אַחִים֮ לְאָבִיו֒ וּנְתַתֶּ֣ם אֶת־נַחֲלָת֗וֹ לִשְׁאֵר֞וֹ הַקָּרֹ֥ב אֵלָ֛יו מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתּ֖וֹ וְיָרַ֣שׁ אֹתָ֑הּ וְֽהָ֨יְתָ֜ה לִבְנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לְחֻקַּ֣ת מִשְׁפָּ֔ט כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ {פ}
(5) Moses brought their case before יהוה. (6) And יהוה said to Moses, (7) “The plea of Tzelophchad’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 householder 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, who shall inherit it.’ This shall be the law of procedure for the Israelites, in accordance with יהוה’s command to Moses.”
Context: This is the next part of the story. This is one of two times when humans get G-d to change an unfair law; the other is Numbers 9:1-14 when some Israelites were ritually impure on Passover and G-d agreed to offer a "second chance Passover" (Pesach Sheini) a month later.
1. At what points could this part of the story have turned out differently?
2. Korach also makes a claim against Moses. He does so angrily, with 250 men to back him up, and he ends up getting swallowed by the earth. How are these situations different, and how is this applicable today?
3. Do you foresee any issues with this solution?
Act 3
(1) The family heads in the clan of the descendants of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh, one of the Josephite clans, came forward and appealed to Moses and the chieftains, family heads of the Israelites. (2) They said, “יהוה commanded my lord to assign the land to the Israelites as shares by lot, and my lord was further commanded by יהוה to assign the share of our kinsman Tzelophchad to his daughters. (3) Now, if they become the wives of 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 become [wives]; thus our allotted portion will be diminished. (4) And even when the Israelites observe the jubilee, their share will be added to that of the tribe into which they become [wives], and their share will be cut off from the ancestral portion of our tribe.” (5) So Moses, at יהוה’s bidding, instructed the Israelites, saying: “The plea of the Josephite tribe is just. (6) This is what יהוה has commanded concerning the daughters of Tzelophchad: They may become the wives of anyone they wish, provided they become wives within a clan of their father’s tribe. (7) No inheritance of the Israelites may pass over from one tribe to another, but the Israelite [heirs]—each of them—must remain bound to the ancestral portion of their tribe. (8) Every daughter among the Israelite tribes who inherits a share must become the wife of someone from a clan of her father’s tribe, in order that every Israelite [heir] may keep an ancestral share. (9) Thus no inheritance shall pass over from one tribe to another, but the Israelite tribes shall remain bound each to its portion.” (10) The daughters of Tzelophchad did as יהוה had commanded Moses: (11) Machlah, Tirtzah, Choglah, Milcah, and Noa, Tzelophchad’s daughters, became the wives of their uncles’ sons, (12) becoming wives within clans of descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph; and so their share remained in the tribe of their father’s clan. (13) These are the commandments and regulations that יהוה enjoined upon the Israelites, through Moses, on the steppes of Moab, at the Jordan near Jericho.
Context: This is a few chapters later in the Biblical Book of Numbers. It is at the very end of the Book of Numbers, and historians say that at one point this was the end of the Torah. The land has been apportioned to each tribe, and now there’s a problem. If women can inherit land, but then they marry somebody from another tribe, their land passes into that tribe’s domain. So, a trailer bill is needed.
1. At what points could this part of the story have turned out differently?
2. What would be the reasons to agree to the tribe’s request? What would be the reasons not to agree? How would you decide between the pros and cons, and how would you handle this issue today?
3. In the Talmud (Ta’anit 30b:9-10), Rav Yehudah says that Shmuel says that this rule about only marrying within your Israelite tribe was repealed on the 15th of Av, and that’s why Tu B’Av becomes a day of love (https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/247590?lang=bi). How can you show love to someone today?
Epilogue
(1) And this is the portion that fell by lot to the tribe of Manasseh—for he was Joseph’s first-born. Since Machir, the first-born of Manasseh and the father of Gilead, was a valiant warrior, Gilead and Bashan were assigned to him. (2) And now assignments were made to the remaining Manassites, by their clans: the descendants of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. Those were the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, by their clans. (3) Now Tzelophchad son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh had no sons, but only daughters. The names of his daughters were Machlah, Noa, Choglah, Milcah, and Tirtzah. (4) They appeared before the priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the chieftains, saying: “GOD commanded Moses to grant us a portion among our male kinsmen.” So, in accordance with GOD’s instructions, they were granted a portion among their father’s kinsmen. (5) Ten districts fell to Manasseh, apart from the lands of Gilead and Bashan, which are across the Jordan. (6) Manasseh’s daughters inherited a portion in these together with his sons, while the land of Gilead was assigned to the rest of Manasseh’s descendants.
Context: This is from the Biblical Book of Joshua. It shows that what was agreed upon actually happened.
Context: This is a G-dcast parasha video (later BimBam) for Parashat Pinchas from 2009.
This 2016 song was written by Alicia Jo Rabins as part of her "Girls in Trouble" series. Lyrics are here: https://www.girlsintroublemusic.com/songs/new-arithmetic/
Appendix: The Daughters of Tzlofchad as Readers’ Theatre
Prologue
Narrator 1: The sons of Joseph were Manasseh and Ephraim—by their clans. Descendants of Manasseh: Of Machir, the clan of the Machirites.—Machir begot Gilead.—Of Gilead, the clan of the Gileadites. These were the descendants of Gilead: Of Iezer, the clan of the Iezerites; of Helek, the clan of the Helekites; of Asriel, the clan of the Asrielites; Shechem, the clan of the Shechemites; Shemida, the clan of the Shemidaites; Hepher, the clan of the Hepherites.—
Narrator 2: Now Tzelophchad son of Hepher had no sons, only daughters. The names of Tzelophechad’s daughters were Machlah, Noa, Choglah, Milcah, and Tirtzah.— Those are the clans of Manasseh; men enrolled: 52,700.
Act 1
Narrator 1: The daughters of Tzelophchad, 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 Machlah, Noa, Choglah, Milcah, and Tirtzah.
Narrator 2: They stood before Moses, Elazar the priest, the chieftains, and the whole assembly, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
Daughters: Our father died in the wilderness. He was not one of the faction, Korah’s faction, which banded together against G-d, 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!
Act 2
Narrator 1: Moses brought their case before G-d, and G-d gave him an response.
G-d: The plea of Tzelophchad’s daughters is just: you should give them a hereditary holding among their father’s kinsmen; transfer their father’s share to them. Further, speak to the Israelite people as follows: “If a householder dies without leaving a son, you shall transfer his property to his daughter. If he has no daughter, you shall assign his property to his brothers. If he has no brothers, you shall assign his property to his father’s brothers. If his father had no brothers, you shall assign his property to his nearest relative in his own clan, who shall inherit it.” This shall be the law of procedure for the Israelites, in accordance with יהוה’s command to Moses.”
Act 3
Narrator 2: The family heads in the clan of the descendants of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh, one of the Josephite clans, came forward and appealed to Moses and the chieftains, family heads of the Israelites.
Family Heads: G-d commanded my lord to assign the land to the Israelites as shares by lot, and my lord was further commanded by G-d to assign the share of our kinsman Tzelophchad to his daughters. Now, if they become the wives of 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 become wives; 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 become wives, and their share will be cut off from the ancestral portion of our tribe.
Narrator 1: At G-d’s bidding, Moses instructed the Israelites.
Moses: The plea of the Josephite tribe is just. This is what G-d has commanded concerning the daughters of Tzelophchad: They may become the wives of anyone they wish, provided they become wives within a clan of their father’s tribe. No inheritance of the Israelites may pass over from one tribe to another, but the Israelite heirs—each of them—must remain bound to the ancestral portion of their tribe. Every daughter among the Israelite tribes who inherits a share must become the wife of someone from a clan of her father’s tribe, in order that every Israelite heir may keep an ancestral share. Thus no inheritance shall pass over from one tribe to another, but the Israelite tribes shall remain bound each to its portion.
Narrator 2: The daughters of Tzelophchad did as G-d had commanded Moses: Machlah, Tirtzah, Choglah, Milcah, and Noa, Tzelophchad’s daughters, became the wives of their uncles’ sons, becoming wives within clans of descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph; and so their share remained in the tribe of their father’s clan.
Epilogue
Narrator 1: And this is the portion that fell by lot to the tribe of Manasseh—for he was Joseph’s first-born. Since Machir, the first-born of Manasseh and the father of Gilead, was a valiant warrior, Gilead and Bashan were assigned to him. And now assignments were made to the remaining Manassites, by their clans: the descendants of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. Those were the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, by their clans.
Narrator 2: Now Tzelophchad son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh had no sons, but only daughters. The names of his daughters were Machlah, Noa, Choglah, Milcah, and Tirtzah. They appeared before the priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the chieftains.
Daughters: G-d commanded Moses to grant us a portion among our male kinsmen.
Narrator 1: So, in accordance with GOD’s instructions, they were granted a portion among their father’s kinsmen. Ten districts fell to Manasseh, apart from the lands of Gilead and Bashan, which are across the Jordan.
Narrator 2: Manasseh’s daughters inherited a portion in these together with his sons, while the land of Gilead was assigned to the rest of Manasseh’s descendants.