(א) וַתִּקְרַבְנָה בְּנוֹת צְלָפְחָד בֶּן חֵפֶר בֶּן גִּלְעָד בֶּן מָכִיר בֶּן מְנַשֶּׁה לְמִשְׁפְּחֹת מְנַשֶּׁה בֶן יוֹסֵף וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֹתָיו מַחְלָה נֹעָה וְחָגְלָה וּמִלְכָּה וְתִרְצָה. (ב) וַתַּעֲמֹדְנָה לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה וְלִפְנֵי אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן וְלִפְנֵי הַנְּשִׂיאִם וְכָל הָעֵדָה פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֵאמֹר. (ג) אָבִינוּ מֵת בַּמִּדְבָּר וְהוּא לֹא הָיָה בְּתוֹךְ הָעֵדָה הַנּוֹעָדִים עַל יְהוָה בַּעֲדַת קֹרַח כִּי בְחֶטְאוֹ מֵת וּבָנִים לֹא הָיוּ לוֹ. (ד) לָמָּה יִגָּרַע שֵׁם אָבִינוּ מִתּוֹךְ מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ כִּי אֵין לוֹ בֵּן תְּנָה לָּנוּ אֲחֻזָּה בְּתוֹךְ אֲחֵי אָבִינוּ. (ה) וַיַּקְרֵב מֹשֶׁה אֶת מִשְׁפָּטָן לִפְנֵי יְהוָה. (ו) וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר. (ז) כֵּן בְּנוֹת צְלָפְחָד דֹּבְרֹת נָתֹן תִּתֵּן לָהֶם אֲחֻזַּת נַחֲלָה בְּתוֹךְ אֲחֵי אֲבִיהֶם וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ אֶת נַחֲלַת אֲבִיהֶן לָהֶן.
(1) Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. (2) And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the tent of meeting, saying: (3) ’Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not among the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. (4) Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he had no son? Give unto us a possession among the brethren of our father.’ (5) And Moses brought their cause before the LORD. (6) And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: (7) ’The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.
Yalkut, Pinchas 773.
"And they stood before Moses," (Num 27:2) Each of the five daughters presented one of the five pleas. The first said, "Our father dies in the wilderness," the second said, "He was not one of the faction of Korach.," The third said, "but he died in his own sin." The fourth: "He had no sons." The fifth: "Why should our father's name be lost to his family."
(תנא: בנות צלפחד חכמניות הן דרשניות הן צדקניות הן חכמניות הן - שלפי שעה דברו. דא"ר שמואל בר רב יצחק מלמד שהיה משה רבינו יושב ודורש בפרשת יבמין שנאמר (דברים כה, ה) כי ישבו אחים יחדו אמרו לו אם כבן אנו חשובין תנה לנו נחלה כבן, אם לאו תתיבם אמנו. מיד "ויקרב משה את משפטן לפני ה'". דרשניות הן - שהיו אומרות אילו היה [לו] בן לא דברנו. והתניא "בת" אמר ר' ירמיה: סמי מכאן בת, אביי אמר אפילו היה בת לבן לא דברנו. צדקניות הן - שלא נישאו אלא להגון להן.
(NaN) It was taught: The daughters of Zelophehad were exceedingly wise, knew well how to expound Scripture, and were perfectly virtuous. They were exceedingly wise since they chose to speak at the right time; for just then ... Moses our teacher was engaged in interpreting the section on levirate marriage. So they said, "If in levirate marriage our status is like that of sons [ie, it is only relevant if a father dies without sons or daughters], , then give us, like a son a possession in the land. If not, then our Mother should be subjected to a levirate marriage. At once, "Moses brought their cause before the Lord." The daughters also knew well how to expound Scripture [learn from the Torah] for they said, "If our father had a son, we would not have spoken, or even if that son had a daughter, we would not have spoken." They were also perfectly virtuous, since they married only men who were worthy of them."
Tanhuma Pinchas, 8-9
R. Simeon ben Lakish differed: Moses our teacher did know this law, but first the women came before the chiefs of tens, who said, "This being a case concerning inheritance, is not in our jurisdiction; it belongs to our superiors." Then the women came to the chiefs of fifties, who, seeing the chiefs of tens had shown them deference, said, "We too have those who are superior to us in knowledge.: A like reply was given by the chiefs of hundreds, the chiefs of thousands and the princes ... So the daughters if Zelophehad went to Eleazar, who told them, there is Moses our teacher, [go to him]. ... When Moses realized that each dignitary had shown deference to his superior he said: If I tell them the law, I shall be snatching eminence not properly mine. So he said, "I too have a superior." Hence," Moses brought their cause before the Lord."
Sifra Numbers 133
"Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad," When the daughters of Zelophehad heard that the Land was about to be divided among the tribes - but only for males, not for females - they gathered to take counsel. They decided that the mercies of flesh and blood are not like the mercies of Him who is everywhere. Flesh and blood is apt to be more merciful to males than to females. But He who spoke and the world came into being is different - His mercies are for males as well as females, His mercies being for all: "The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works,: (Ps.145:9)