Dear Friend,

Moses divided up the Land of Israel by lottery. Each family received a land allotment upon which they built their home and farmed the land. The land was transferred from father to son. Tribal affiliation passed via the paternal line, therefore, the land remained within the jurisdiction of each tribe.

There was a family of the tribe of Menashe. The father died in the desert, leaving his five daughters landless, for they had no brother to inherit their father’s land. These women were determined to have their part in the land of Israel. They formed the feminist movement of their time, they staged a protest, speaking their truth to Moses, demanding that they not be cast aside.

G-d instructed Moses to change the laws of inheritance because of these five brave women. They changed Jewish law and history forever. From that time forward, if there were no sons to inherit, the daughters would inherit their father’s land instead.

Is it possible that G-d omitted this law on purpose? May we suggest that this portion of Torah was left out so that these holy sisters could uncover it?

There is precedent for this just a few years earlier when the Jewish people were in the desert. The first Passover celebration in the desert was one filled with gratitude to G-d for redeeming them from slavery. There were a few people who were in a state of impurity from having come in contact with a corpse. They were unable to partake in the ritual Passover sacrifice and were utterly devastated. They went to Moses and demanded that they not be left out, that they, too, be given a chance to show their gratitude towards G-d and partake in the Passover sacrifice. In this case as well, Moses approached G-d with their complaint and was instructed to permit them a second chance, one month after Passover, to bring their sacrifice.

From these stories a picture becomes clear. G-d does not want us to follow His commandments blindly. He wants to hear from us, He desires that we discover our portion in Torah, our place within the puzzle of creation. He wants to see us brazenly  defending our Land, overcoming obstacles with the iron-clad will-power of the Jewish spirit.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Zushe Cunin