WOMEN AND THE LAND OF ISRAEL
One common thread in the story of Helena and the young girl is that they both are deeply rooted in the Land of Israel. Helena leaves her kingdom of Adiabene to settle in the Land. Conversely, the young girl who was exiled and taken captive in Aram, holds fast to her ancestral land, acclaiming its sanctity. One wonders given that she is young, how much she remembers from her native land. Yet she heralds the spiritual uniqueness of her country and dares to send royal emissaries there for assistance.
As Naaman points out: “Are not Amanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? I could bathe in them and be purified! And he stalked off in a rage.” ( IIKings, 5:13)
The young girl appreciates that it is spiritual quality not quantity that will single out the Jordan above the great rivers of Aram.
The unique connection of women to the Land of Israel is something to behold! From the earliest of times, women established an unprecedented bond with the Land of Israel. Even the women of the exodus, before they even arrived in the Promised Land faithfully pledged their allegiance to it.
OUR LAND IS NOT NEGOTIABLE
Classically, we are told that there were two sins that prevented the Israelites (the generation of the Exodus) from entering the holy land – the sin of the golden calf and the sin of the spies who after a reconnaissance mission maligned the Holy Land. It is the latter that sealed their fate and barred them from entering the land of promise. Notably, the rabbis suggest that women were not part of that equation.
In that generation the women would repair what the men had destroyed.
For Aaron told them “Remove your golden rings”(Exodus, 32:2), and the women did not want to. And who was it referring to? To their husbands, as it is written: “And the entire nation broke off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.” (Exodus, 32:3).
And the women did not join in the making of the golden calf. And so is the case with the spies, who slandered and returned and complained, and they were the ones who received the decree not to enter the land, for they said “We cannot attack that people; for it is stronger than we.” (Numbers, 13:31). But the women were not in agreement with them, for it is written “Not one man of them survived” (Numbers 26:65)- a man and not a woman, since they did not want to enter the Land. But the women, brought themselves closer, and requested an estate, “Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad…” (Numbers 27:1), and this is the reason that this story is written adjacent to Miriam’s death, for from here the men destroyed and the women repaired.
(Midrash Tanhuma, Pinhas, Chapter 7)
Rabbi Ephraim Lunshitz, in his commentary Keli Yakar, suggests that Moses, in fact made a tactical error not sending women as spies. Had women been sent, the generation of the desert sojourn would have entered the land, insofar as they would not have been willing to forfeit their right to the land of Israel:
‘You send men’: …a reason for specifying men, for our Rabbis of blessed memory said that the men hated the Land [of Israel] and said, let’s return to Egypt, and the women were lovers of the Land [of Israel], and said: ‘Give us an estate.’ Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He said: “According to what I see in the future, it would have been better to send women, who love the Land and wouldn’t defame it. But, go ahead, according to your opinion, since you think they are worthy and you think that the land is beloved to them, send men.” And that is the meaning of the words “You send”- according to your opinion, men, but according to My opinion, it would have been better to send women, as stated above. (Keli Yakar, Numbers, 13:1)
THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD
The women referred to in the above passage, those who said: “Give us an estate” are the daughters of Zelophehad, from the tribe of Menashe. These women were five sisters- Mahlah, Noa, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah- who had no brothers. Zelophehad, their father, died during the time the Israelites were wandering in the desert. The daughters came to Moses and raised the case of a woman’s right and obligation to inherit property in the absence of a male heir.
The story is found in Numbers, Chapter 27:
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 the Lord, 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!”
Moses brought their cause before the Lord.
And the Lord said to Moses, “The plea of Zelophehad’s daughters is just: you should give them a heredity holding among their father’s kinsmen; transfer their father’s share to them. Further, speak to the Israelite people as follows: If a man dies without leaving a son, you shall transfer his property to his daughter…”
(Numbers, 27:2-8)
Tami Biton the founder of the womens’ Torah study institute Be’er, located in the city of Yerucham, highlights the unprecedented connection demonstrated by the daughters of Zelophehad; as well as their ingenuity.
The courage and initiative in requesting a portion of their father’s inheritance was spectacular. Inheritance of property was traditionally reserved only for sons. Since Zelophehad had none, they daringly made their request. What is even more impressive is that the request of the daughters was granted. The question is: Why?
Tami Biton suggests that what made it happen, first and foremost, was that they presented a united front. To substantiate this claim, she cites a Midrash that creatively connects the biblical verse – “The judgments of the Lord are true, righteous altogether” (Ps. 19:10) to the daughters of Zelophehad, who alighted upon the truth of the Lord’s judgments and were together in their righteousness.
Furthermore, we are told that the five daughters, Mahlah, Noa, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah were wise educated, ingenious and righteous. As women they were outstanding and ahead of their time.
Imagine in the biblical period women setting legal precedent and impacting upon social welfare! The Rabbis actually declare about the daughters of Zelophehad: “yafeh koach nashim m’koach anashim”; “The power of women exceeded the power of men”.
Tami Biton asserts that their aim was to achieve permanence, stability, and continuity. However, their names Noa, Hoglah, Mahlah, Tirzah and Milka reflect dynamism. Noa means movement. Hoglah is associated with the word hagigah meaning celebration. Biton connects Mahlah to dance, as in the Hebrew word mahol. Tirzah is linked to the word razon meaning desire. And Milkah relates to the word malkah meaning majesty. Building a society requires stability and clear boundaries. It, on the one hand, necessitates togetherness but on the other, it must contain dynamic vistas of movement, desire, passion, development, and flexibility.
A modern example of the daughters of Zelophehad can be found in the development down of Yerucham. Five young women, education officers in the Israeli defense forces, established a precedent. Elisheva Levy, Racheli Errera, Gil Zruia, Adi Yagel, and Maayan Milgrom began their service to their country and their people by studying for a year in the Be’er Torah institute. They then served as education officers in the Galilee teaching new immigrant soldiers about their country and their heritage. They also worked with converts and soldiers from all walks of life, Jewish, Christian, Druse, native Israelis and foreigners who cast their lot with the Land and the people. Rather than completing their army service on schedule, they extended their three year term to return to Beer to study Torah and work in the community, with the children of Yerucham and with unemployed, new Russian immigrants, and Bedouins, and to help them learn English and complete their high school education. Compassionately reading the map of life and being in tune with Israeli social welfare needs, their dedication was a true case of “truth will sprout forth from the earth” (Psalms, 85:12).
These young women are the modern day Noa, Hoglah, Mahlah, Tirzah and Milkah; setting precedents of women of valor as we are told: “Her mouth is full of wisdom; Her tongue with kindly teaching.” (Proverbs, 31:26)