Pinchas

Parshas Pinchas

The passuk states, “בנות צלפחד… בן מנשה למשפחות מנשה בן יוסף, daughters of Tzelophchod… the son of Menashe to the offspring of Menashe, Yosef’s son.” Rashi is bothered; it states explicitly “בן מנשה, son of Menashe,” why does it repeat “מנשה בן יוסף, Menashe, Yosef’s son?” Rashi answers this teaches that Yosef cherished Eretz Yisrael, as he said “and you shall bring up my bones from here with you,” and so too his daughters cherished Eretz Yisrael likewise, as it states “give us an inheritance.”

The daughters of Tzelophchod came before Moshe and requested to receive inheritance. They said, “למה יגרע שם אבינו מתוך משפחתו” which Onkelos translates as “Why should the name of our father be held back from within his offspring?” Moshe brought their claim before Hashem who responded, “כן בנות צלפחד דוברות” which Onkelos translates as “The daughters of Tzelophchod are speaking well.” Rashi explains this Parsha is written before Me in the heaven. This teaches that their eyes saw what Moshe’s eye was unable to see. They requested well (יאות), and claimed well; indeed, they should be given inheritance in place of their father.

The passuk states, “ובאלה לא היה איש מפקודי משה ואהרן הכהן” which Onkelos translates as “and with these there was no man (גבר) from the counting of Moshe and Aharon the Kohen.” Rashi explains the decree of the spies was only on men, there was no decree against women, since they cherished the land and were not part of the sin of the spies. The men said, “Let us appoint a head and we will return to Mitzrayim,” and the women said, “Give us inheritance.” Therefore, the Parsha about the daughters of Tzelophchod is next to the Parsha about inheritance. The Maharal explains this is inferred since the passuk states איש, man. Rabbi Hartman shlita adds, it does not state “ולא נותר אחד, and there was not one remaining” as it states by the makah of arov, “לא נשאר אחד, not one remained.” איש, man, proves that only men were decreed to die because of the sin of the spies, not women.

The following passuk states “ולא נותר מהם איש,” which Onkelos translates and there was no person (אנש) remaining from them, only Caleiv and Yehoshua. Why does Onkelos translate איש in the previous passuk as man, whereas in this passuk as person? The Nefesh HaGer answers that ובאלה לא היה איש refers to the men (גבר) who were counted which Hashem decreed for them to die in the Midbar. Whereas ולא נותר מהם איש refers to the totality of people (אנש) who were counted; there was not one of those people remaining, since they all died out because of the sin of the spies.

There is another reason why the decree against the spies was only on men and not on women. In Parshas Beshalach it states, “ותצאן כל הנשים אחריה בתפים ובמחולות, and all the women went out after her with symbols and with circular dances.” Rashi explains the women trusted in Hashem that He would perform for them miracles, so they took out musical instruments from Mitzrayim to celebrate. We see that the women had complete faith in Hashem that He would take Bnei Yisrael out and perform miracles. So too by the sin of the spies; it was clear to the women that Hashem would bring them into Eretz Yisrael, with no doubt. When the spies spoke bad about Eretz Yisrael the women did not accept or join whatsoever, and they were not part of it. Therefore, there was no decree against them not to enter Eretz Yisrael.

Let us strengthen our belief in Hashem, and may He return us to the cherished Eretz Yisrael.