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Torah Portion
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A Precedent Is Set
For Rights Of Women
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tomed to searching for women's sto-
ries, and particularly for their voices
between the lines of the Torah text,
but here, the woman's story is
absolutely explicit. The case is
brought to the fore of the entire com-
muniry.
Most importantly, a seemingly
xtraordinary things can
impartial opinion with regard to gen-
happen to ordinary pe - .pie!
der is finally rendered. Truly, it is an
In Pinchas, five women,
extraordinary passage in which the
Mahlah, Noa, Hoglah,
entire community of Israel supports
Milcah, and Tirzah, come before the
the rights and welfare of the woman.
entire community of Israel — includ-
The Torah seems to look at the com-
ing Moses, Eleazar the high priest,
plete situation, and not sim-
and all the chieftains of the
ply at gender in making a
community — to plead their
decision. And yet, there is
case.
that irritating little stipula-
It is a scene that we might
tion that the later text
imagine akin to a town
throws at us — that women
meeting or a court of law.
may inherit only if they
Seemingly undaunted or
marry the right kind of
afraid, these five women —
man.
sisters — present their situa-
It is difficult to balance
tion. Their father,
their victory of inheritance
Zelophehad has died, leaving
RABBI MARLA with the limitation of mar-
no sons. As the law stands,
riage-choice that is placed
HORN STEN
as women, they are not enti-
on
them. Still, through their
Sp ecia / to the
tled to their father's inheri-
actions,
the Torah depicts
Jewish News
tance. Therefore they come
our heroines as brave,
before this assembly to
strong, assertive women
request their proper share of land.
who were unwilling to accept the sta-
It is not an unfair request; and rec-
tus quo. They took their future into
ognizing this, but seemingly unwilling
their own hands, risking humiliation
to decide for himself, Moses brings
and failure.
their appeal before God. God con-
Ultimately what their story teaches
curs, the request is just; and conse-
is that it is important to be assertive
quently, new laws of inheritance are
in order to affect change. Yet at the
established: Property shall go to sons
same time, we need to be willing to
first, if there are no sons, then to
compromise. The fact is, in real life,
daughters. If the deceased has no chil-
societal limits and norms exist.
dren, then the land goes to his broth-
In this case, the decision was made
ers, and after that, to the nearest rela-
to the woman's benefit, but it was
tive.
made within existing boundaries. In
The decision is a victory for all the
the end, Mahlah, Noa, Hoglah,
women of Israel. We might imagine
Milcah, and Tirzah marry within their
that these five are not the on! ones in
tribe, as God requested. They didn't
this predicament, just the only ones
pursue this point because they real-
willing to risk c.)ming before this
ized that by bringing their case to
assembly. Unfortunately, the celebra-
Moses and the community, ultimately
don is short-lived. The story of our
they had won, and they affected
five sisters is examined in the Torah
change for all women ever after. ❑
text again several chapters later
(Numbers 36: 5-13).
The outcome is the same, but with
a caveat. The daughter may inde d
inherit land from her father, but she
Who are some of the assertive
must marry within her tribe.
female figures in Jewish history
Accordingly, a woman may own land
that have affected change in our
as lona b as it is retained within her
lives? What distinguishes zealots
father's original tribe.
from fanatics? Is violence ever a
Surely there are many things going
justified
resolution of a conflict?
on here. First and foremost in my
mind, is that we are generally accus-
Shabbat Pinchas:
Numbers 25:10-30:1;
Jeremiah 1:1-2:3.
or
Conversations
Marla Hornsten is a rabbi at Temple
Israel.