04 Jul THE DAUGHTERS’ PLEA

Bnei Yisroel’s days in the desert were
coming to a close. It would soon be time
to enter Eretz Yisroel. This is the
backdrop to the story of Tzelafchad’s
daughters, found in this week’s parsha of
Pinchas.
The five daughters of Tzelafchad –
Machla, Noa, Chogla, Milka, and Tirtza
– approached Moshe with a request.
They shared their tragic story. Their
father died in the desert. They were five
sisters without any brothers. They knew
Eretz Yisroel would be divided into
territories amongst the tribes. Being that
they didn’t have any brothers, what
would become of their father’s territory?
Would a portion of the land still be
allocated to them?
They mentioned that their father did not
participate in Korach’s rebellion, “…ki
v’cheto meis, but he died as a result of
his own sins”. (Bamidbar 27:3) In doing
so, they tried to strengthen their

argument. Rashi explains that they
acknowledged their father’s wrongdoing,
but stressed that he died as an individual,
unlike the uprising of Korach that
brought others to sin. They questioned
Moshe, “Lama yigora shem avinu, Why
should the name of our father be
omitted?” (Bamidbar 27:4)
Five sisters. They spoke to Moshe as a
team, all on the same page. Their plea
was poignant. They wanted to perpetuate
their father’s name. Why should it be lost
and forgotten just because he didn’t have
a son. While acknowledging that he
wasn’t perfect, they were concerned
about the continuation of his name. To
the sisters, that was of utmost importance.
To give his neshama an aliya both in this
world and in the World to Come. While
they no longer had their father, they
could do tikkun – a correction, a repair
for the soul. This wasn’t a fight over an
inheritance, a plea for money or
possessions, but a strong desire for what
they could do for their father’s neshama.
The sisters loved Eretz Yisroel and

understood the importance of doing
mitzvos in the land. As devoted
daughters, what greater tikkun could
they give their father’s neshama than by
living and doing mitzvos on the territory
that was to be his. How powerful!
When speaking to Moshe, the sisters
used the word “yigora – lose out”, a
term not commonly found in the
Chumash, yet it sounded familiar to me.
Not so long ago, we read in parshas
Beha’aloscha about Pesach Sheini. A
group of people who were not able to
perform the mitzva of Korbon Pesach
approached Moshe asking why should
they lose out. They too used the words
“lama nigora, why should we be
deprived” of the mitzva of Korban
Pesach. Perhaps, just as their desire was
pure, so too were the words of
Tzelafchad’s daughters pure, without
any ulterior motives.
The daughters asked Moshe, “Te’na
lanu achuza, Give us a portion.” The
Torah mentions their lineage going all
the way back to Yosef. Rashi questions
the need for this elaborate description,
and answers beautifully that it was to
point out that they were descendants of
Yosef who also loved Eretz Yisroel,
and that his very last request was to be
buried in the Holy Land.
Rashi tells us that Moshe was stumped
by the request of Tzelafchad’s
daughters and approached HaShem on
their behalf. The posuk tells us “Kein
Bnos Tzelafchad dovros, The daughters
of Tzelafchad speak correctly, Nosson
titein lahem achuzas nachala, You shall
surely give them a portion as an
inheritance.” HaShem fully agreed
with their argument. The Midrash tells
us “Ashrei odom sheh’HaShem modeh
lidvarav, Praised is the person whom
HaShem consents to his words.” What
greater testimony can there be to the
sincerity and purity in the motives of
Tzelafchad’s daughters.
The story of Bnos Tzelafchad follows
the Torah’s mentioning that the
generation that left Egypt died out in
the desert, except for Calev and
Yehoshua, the only two of the twelve
miraglim, the scouts who spoke
favorably of Eretz Yisroel. This is to
contrast the story of Tzelafchad
daughters’ deep love for Eretz Yisroel
with the other ten scouts who spoke
negatively about the land.

From where did Tzelafchad’s daughters
derive their courage to speak up to the
leader of Klal Yisroel? They, like the
women of their generation, were
fortunate to have had Miriam as a mentor,
a role model who was able to inspire
them to have emunah and bitachon, faith
and trust in HaShem, and a love for Eretz
Yisroel.
“Shem avinu, Our father’s name.” My
mother, Rebbetzin Esther bas HaRav
Avraham HaLevi a”h, would often write
and speak about my grandparents and my
father. Each time my mother would
mention their names, HaRav Avraham
ben HaRav Yisroel HaLevi, Rebbetzin
Miriam bas HaRav Tzvi Hersh
HaKohein, HaRav Meshulem ben HaRav
Asher Anshil HaLevi. My mother would
explain that she does so to give an aliyas
neshama, to make sure that the names of
our ancestors are not forgotten. We have
the power with both our words and our
actions to perpetuate a loved one’s name,
to have the z’chus of bringing an aliyas
neshama both in this world and in the
Heavens above.
Let’s learn from the daughters of
Tzelafchad. “Why should our father’s
name be lost.” Let’s learn from my
mother to constantly remember and to
honor the souls of loved ones by
mentioning their names and doing
mitzvos that bring them nechama,
comfort in the Eternal World.