When Faith Grows (Pinchas)

Many think that change is the opposite of tradition, but actually, the beauty of Judaism, the beauty of Torah itself, is that change is part of the sacred process. It’s not a modern response to tradition that leads to change; rather, the Torah demonstrates the capacity for growth and learning, even on a theological level. Though this might sound strange, God has emotions and responds, discovers things. I know that doesn’t sound like what we’ve been taught to think about God, but in the Torah’s text God grows and respects humanity enough to partner with and even learn from us sometimes. (Of course, in the text, we are humbled and learn from God as well.)

An important case study for this claim occurs toward the end of Parashat Pinchas:

“The daughters of Tzelophehad, of Manassite family — son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh son of Joseph — came forward…(Num. 27:1a)”

(Notice how many times the text said “son of.” The Torah doesn’t waste words. These are Tzelophehad’s male ancestors, but given that we’re about to hear about the daughters, this detailed male lineage is significant.)

The text continues:

“…The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the chieftains, and the whole assembly, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and they said, ‘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. 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!’ (Num. 27:1b-4)”

This is a very important moment in the Torah. Prior to this, inheritance laws didn’t include women. But the five daughters of Tzelophehad confront to Moses and say, in effect:

“This is not right. Why should our family’s name be erased just because there are no sons? We are daughters. Don’t women have the right to continue the legacy of a people?”

Moses’ response is deeply important, and instructional to those who aspire to leadership: Moses brought their case before God (v. 5). How important to read this text carefully. A few aspects deserve extra attention:

· The challenge to the way things have been is important.

· Organizing in order to make a claim — all five of them show up together, unity in the family to make a claim.

· The women go to Moses, and Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our teacher), does not answer the question immediately. He hears their claim and, in effect, says, “I don’t know.” This is a magnificent attribute of a leader — to know when you don’t know.

Moses turns to God, and God responds, “The plea of Tzelophehad’s daughters is just. You should give them a hereditary holding among their father’s kinsmen; transfer their father’s share to them. (v. 7)” Further, God instructs, “If a householder dies without leaving a son, you shall transfer his property to his daughter. (v. 8)”

Not only do the daughters of Tzelophehad organize and present their case to Moses, but Moses has the humility to say, “I don’t know,” and turns to God for an answer. God not only affirms their plea but also sets a new precedent based on their case. When those who pursue change utilizing a strategy that shows respect for the process, everyone benefits, even and especially future generations.

I bless us with a little bit of hope that things might change, that when we organize and press for change, we shows humility and respect for the systems that define community. There are those who believe that the system needs to be torn down, but that’s not the way to make things better. Nihilist activism is not the way. What a gift it is to read in this week’s Parasha the possibilities alive within God’s own process and within faith itself. Nothing in this reflection has been midrash; all of it is within the biblical text.

What a blessing it is to know that things can change and that we can grow, even at our most ancient layer, the biblical text itself. How much more so as students of that text, as children of God, one and all.

So, the blessing I wish for us this Shabbat is to remember that things can change for the better, that when we work together with humble, fierce spirits, things can change for the better. Look what we can do. Look what our matriarchs showed us. Look at what’s possible. We can grow.

Let’s reaffirm the capacity we have as a community that has come together to learn, to comfort, to heal, to grow. How lucky we are to have Torah and each other. How happy we should feel that this is our portion.

Let us pray that one day soon, our family will be made whole, that peace might one day still be possible, and that the world could have a better day tomorrow than it did yesterday.

Shabbat Shalom.