236:
Israelites may pass over from one tribe to another, but the
Israelite —each of them—must remain bound to the ancestral portion of their tribe. 8 Every daughter among the Israelite tribes who inherits a share must become the wife of someone from a clan of her father’s tribe, in order that every Israelite may keep an ancestral share. 9 Thus no inheritance shall pass over from one tribe to another, but the Israelite tribes shall remain bound each to its portion.” 10 The daughters of Zelophehad did as יהוה had commanded Moses: 11 Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, Zelophehad’s daughters, became the wives of their uncles’ sons, 12 becoming wives within clans of descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph; and so their share remained in the tribe of their father’s clan.
596:, and other rabbinical commentators, extrapolated this into the conclusion that, if they exist, then sons and their descendants are the heirs of an individual, but if they do not it would be any daughters or their descendants, and if these do not exist then it would be the individual's father, and if he is no longer alive then the rule concerning heirs applies to him - the father's sons (the individual's brothers) and their descendants have priority, followed by the father's daughters (the individual's sisters), followed by the father's father (the individual's grandfather), and so on. However, although this was how the
261:
530:
643:, to which Zelophehad had belonged. The narrative continues by stating that Hashem gave Moses a response to give to the elders, namely that the daughters must each marry someone from the Gilead clan, but they are otherwise unrestricted in their choice; the narrative also states that the general case was to be applied - that inheritances cannot pass between tribes, but instead any female that inherits land is compelled to marry someone from the same clan as her father. The narrative's coda mentions that the daughters each marry one of the sons of their uncles; the
20:
623:, in which the father claims that he is indebted to his daughter for a certain sum of money, and that this debt is due by him and his heirs, and then makes a formal agreement that this debt is to be paid upon his death, either in cash or as a proportion of his estate equal to half the share of one of the sons; by this legal mechanism, the daughter would either gain a share in her father's estate, or a sum of money equal to its value.
227:, then their share would be lost to the tribe of Manasseh and be added to the portion of the tribe into which they married. So Moses, at God's bidding, instructed the Israelites that the plea of the tribal leaders was just and that Zelophehad's daughters could marry anyone they wished, but only among the men of the tribe of Manasseh.
585:
to rule on the issue; the Zohar argues that Moses had presented the case to Hashem, rather than deciding it himself, because Moses was modest. The biblical account continues by stating that Moses was told by Hashem that the daughters should be considered their father's heirs, and that the general
235:
bidding, instructed the
Israelites, saying: “The plea of the Josephite tribe is just. 6 This is what יהוה has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: They may become the wives of anyone they wish, provided they become wives within a clan of their father’s tribe. 7 No inheritance of the
216:. Zelophehad's daughters argued that were they not to inherit, then Zelophehad's name would be lost to his clan. Moses took their case to God. God told Moses that the plea of Zelophehad's daughters was just, and that they should be granted their father's hereditary holding.
248:(who by then had assumed leadership from Moses), and the chieftains, reminding them that God had commanded Moses to grant them a portion among their kinsmen, and Zelophehad's daughters received a portion in the holdings of Manasseh, probably on the east side of the
508:
Legal advice, concerning the inheritance rights and obligations of the daughters of
Zelophehad, is given twice in the Biblical account. On the first occasion, the topic is about inheritance when there are no male children, while the topic of the second occasion is
471:, literally meaning "shadow from terror"; many of these scholars interpret this as referring to the shadow created by a shelter, and so interpret the name as "protection from terror", but others interpret it as meaning "the bringer of terror is shadowed".
394:
According to
Shammai Feldman, Zelophehad and his daughters are a fiction created simply to illustrate some of the legal rules of inheritance; Jewish textual scholars regard the accounts concerning Zelophehad's daughters as accretions added to the earlier
517:, where they are simply portrayed as being given land in the territory of Manasseh, to which their inheritance entitled them; the text is unclear in regards to which part of Manasseh's territory they were granted land, except that it was not in
318:
said that
Zelophehad's daughters drew near to Moses in the presence of Eleazar and all the chieftains because they were afraid of Moses' anger at Zelophehad and thought that it might be contained in a public forum. According to the
586:
case holds - if there are no sons, the daughter (or daughters) should inherit - and if there are no children at all, the inheritance should pass to the man's brothers, and if there are no brothers it should pass to the
383:, and therefore merely a descendant of Manasseh. Both of these genealogies record Zelophehad as being a member of the tribe of Manasseh. The apparent contradictions have been addressed by naming Zelophehad as a
574:, opinions vary as to whether this means that the daughters petitioned all of these groups at the same time, with them gathered together, or if it means that the daughters first petitioned the
647:
states that the daughters had demonstrated their righteousness in doing so, as these men were fitting for them, and had not married earlier as they were waiting for suitable husbands.
666:
had been divided between the tribes, and had therefore become redundant, especially as the laws concerning the territory were in abeyance anyway, owing to the destruction of
604:
argued that if there were only female descendants of an individual's sons, and the sons themselves were dead, then the individual's daughters had the right to inherit.
363:, and they argued for their inheritance by analogy to that law. The daughters also demonstrated their righteousness by marrying men who were fitting for them.
611:, which textual scholars date to the fourth century BCE, states in its epilogue that Job's daughters were given equal inheritance rights to his sons, and the
345:. Another baraita taught that Zelophehad's daughters were equal in merit, and that is why the order of their names varies in the text. According to the
548:
was to be inherited by heirs who were male, but the daughters were the only children of their now deceased father, and so they came to the door of the
1071:
435:
read it at one time too. The number five, five daughters—or to be exact, five dowries—is the same number God also bestowed on Sholem
Aleichem.
1300:
635:
petitioned Moses and the tribal chieftains for advice, because they were concerned that if
Zelophehad's daughters married men from another
1325:
639:, the property that the daughters had inherited the right to would become the property of the other tribe, and would be lost from the
169:
The biblical text tells little of
Zelophehad himself, save that he died during the 40 years when the Israelites were wandering in the
260:
1305:
1024:
282:
the reference to
Zelophehad having "died in his own sin" is used to equate him with the man executed for gathering sticks on
240:
Zelophehad's daughters did as God had commanded in the instructions conveyed to Moses, and each married a son of an uncle,
529:
1330:
538:
376:
513:, and property inheritance remaining within a clan (not the tribe). The daughters are mentioned a third time, in the
1310:
212:. Zelophehad's daughters noted that their father Zelophehad had not taken part in Korah's rebellion, but only died
223:
appealed to Moses and the chieftains, arguing that if
Zelophehad's daughters married men from another Israelite
1315:
607:
Evidently the regulations preferring male descendants may have come to be disregarded in some respects, as the
380:
299:
interpreted that they petitioned first the assembly, then the chieftains, then Eleazar, and finally Moses, but
1000:
949:
349:, they demonstrated their wisdom by raising their case in a timely fashion, just as Moses was expounding the
1320:
308:
854:
45:
1265:
632:
612:
379:. in other places where his genealogy is mentioned, he is listed as a son of Hepher, who was the son of
241:
1254:
1243:
1232:
1175:
1137:
1335:
1115:
1103:
707:
550:
534:
304:
1164:
1141:
1012:
1276:
1126:
667:
459:
term meaning "first rupture", in the sense of being a first-born son. Most scholars, following the
423:
244:. When the Israelites entered the land, Zelophehad's daughters appeared before Eleazer the priest,
910:
403:
659:
407:
372:
300:
1077:
640:
510:
354:
205:
158:
19:
711:
418:
406:
group. The presence of Zelophehad and his daughters in the earlier census is marked by the
181:
does not in any case cite the tribe of Manasseh as being involved in the rebellion against
720:
697:
456:
428:
396:
126:
60:
36:
514:
452:
209:
431:
presumably read the story of Zelophehad's five daughters and it is highly likely that
421:
makes a connection from the five daughters of Zelophehad to Tevye's five daughters in
1294:
620:
342:
232:
142:
138:
311:
that Zelophehad's daughters stood before all of them as they were sitting together.
730:
619:
it came to be a tradition to evade the inequality between daughters and sons via a
563:
432:
296:
249:
197:
123:
570:, for advice on what was to be done, as there were no obvious male heirs; in the
323:, Moses presented the case to God instead of deciding it himself out of modesty.
758:
616:
608:
288:
150:
1152:
928:
871:
755:
636:
593:
460:
201:
170:
146:
134:
130:
882:
842:
831:
820:
809:
798:
787:
776:
762:
178:
735:
601:
597:
496:
474:
In regard to the names of the daughters, scholars largely are in agreement;
444:
1155:
119b; Rabbi Eliezer supports the former, Rabbi Joshua supports the latter
702:
687:
671:
545:
494:
means "circling/dancing" (though for this reason it is also the word for
1081:
692:
675:
651:
559:
338:
327:
283:
189:
725:
663:
644:
582:
571:
518:
359:
346:
331:
273:
245:
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578:, then the chieftains, then Eleazar, and finally petitioned Moses.
715:
655:
555:
528:
400:
335:
278:
224:
193:
182:
174:
18:
631:
Later in the narrative of the Book of Numbers, the elders of the
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In the Biblical account, earlier regulations had specified that
161:, had five daughters but no sons, and therefore no male heirs.
772:
770:
371:
Two genealogies are given for Zelophehad by the Bible; in the
350:
219:
Later, the family heads of the clan of Manasseh's grandson
25:
Bible and Its Story Taught by One Thousand Picture Lessons
467:, believe that the name was derived from the Hebrew term
455:, some scholars suspect that the name is derived from a
264:
The Daughters of Zelophehad (illustration from the 1897
23:
The Daughters of Zelophehad (illustration from the 1908
674:, women are allowed to marry whom they wish, including
985:
983:
981:
979:
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always gave daughters the same rights as sons. By the
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argued that the rule only applied to the period that
1023:
Shammai Feldman, "Biblical motives and sources" in "
50:
967:
965:
963:
944:
942:
940:
938:
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678:, whether they have gained an inheritance or not.
145:and who raised before the Israelite community the
533:Casting lots for tribal inheritance, woodcut for
443:Linguistic scholars are divided in regard to the
200:, and the whole assembly, at the entrance of the
16:Figures mentioned in the Biblical Book of Numbers
650:The biblical prohibition of heiresses to commit
905:
903:
901:
899:
229:
1189:
1187:
1185:
1183:
670:. Thus in all forms of Judaism following the
153:in the absence of a male heir in the family.
8:
738:: comparable custom in Ancient Greek society
114:
101:
88:
75:
525:Inheritance when there are no male children
173:, and explicitly that he played no part in
581:The biblical text states that Moses asked
188:Zelophehad's daughters petitioned Moses,
1070:Huttner, Jan Lisa (September 18, 2014).
330:taught that Zelophehad's daughters were
292:says that it cannot be known if he was.
259:
748:
399:narrative by writers from the same pro-
208:to inherit his property rights in the
1073:Tevye's Daughters: No Laughing Matter
415:Tevye's Daughters: No Laughing Matter
266:Bible Pictures and What They Teach Us
149:of a woman's right and obligation to
7:
627:Endogamous and exogamous inheritance
710:discussing Zelophehad's daughters:
115:
102:
89:
76:
64:
40:
600:saw the biblical implication, the
14:
1060:usually with brackets or italics
410:as having dubious authenticity.
1025:Journal of Near Eastern Studies
911:"Zohar, Vayakhel 15:206-17:218"
451:. Following the reading of the
654:was repealed by the classical
141:as they prepared to enter the
1:
588:nearest relative in his clan
463:'s rendering of the name as
1301:Jewish courts and civil law
1076:. New York, NY: FF2 Media.
375:, he is listed as a son of
51:
1352:
1326:Women in the Hebrew Bible
129:. They lived during the
33:Daughters of Zelophehad
1306:Book of Numbers people
1222:daughter in jewish law
566:, and the rest of the
541:
269:
242:first cousin marriages
238:
55:) were five sisters –
28:
708:Weekly Torah portions
532:
263:
256:Rabbinical commentary
122:) – mentioned in the
22:
1104:Encyclopedia Biblica
1001:1 Chronicles 7:14–15
535:Die Bibel in Bildern
305:Eliezer ben Hurcanus
303:said in the name of
1331:Gender in the Bible
1218:Jewish Encyclopedia
1194:Jewish Encyclopedia
1037:Jewish Encyclopedia
990:Jewish Encyclopedia
950:"Bava Batra 119b:8"
424:Fiddler on the Roof
1101:Cheyne and Black,
542:
539:Joshua, Chapter 14
490:means "pleasing",
482:means "movement",
478:means "forgiven",
408:King James Version
373:Book of Chronicles
270:
268:by Charles Foster)
29:
872:Numbers 36:10–11.
641:tribe of Manasseh
564:tribal chieftains
511:levirate marriage
404:religio-political
355:levirate marriage
175:Korah's rebellion
159:Tribe of Manasseh
49:
41:בְּנוֹת צְלָפְחָד
1343:
1280:
1274:
1268:
1266:Numbers 36:10–11
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1252:
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1011:for example, in
1009:
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855:"Numbers 36:5-6"
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419:Jan Lisa Huttner
165:Biblical account
151:inherit property
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105:
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92:
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44:
42:
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971:Bava Batra 120a
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909:
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859:www.sefaria.org
853:
852:
848:
843:Numbers 36:5–6.
841:
837:
832:Numbers 36:1–3.
830:
826:
821:Numbers 27:6–7.
819:
815:
808:
804:
797:
793:
788:Numbers 27:2–4.
786:
782:
775:
768:
754:
750:
745:
698:Book of Numbers
684:
637:Israelite tribe
629:
551:Tent of Meeting
527:
506:
486:means "queen",
441:
429:Sholem Aleichem
397:priestly source
387:rather than as
369:
367:Scholarly views
295:In the Talmud,
258:
231:5 So Moses, at
202:Tent of Meeting
167:
157:, a man of the
127:Book of Numbers
52:Bənōṯ Ṣəlāfəḥāḏ
17:
12:
11:
5:
1349:
1347:
1339:
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1321:Sibling groups
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1311:Women's rights
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1303:
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1287:External links
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1269:
1258:
1255:Numbers 36:7–9
1247:
1244:Numbers 36:5–6
1236:
1233:Numbers 36:1–4
1225:
1210:
1201:
1179:
1176:Numbers 27:5–9
1168:
1157:
1145:
1138:Numbers 26:1–2
1130:
1119:
1108:
1094:
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1053:
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993:
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929:Numbers 15:32.
927:Sifri Zuta on
920:
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633:clan of Gilead
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526:
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515:Book of Joshua
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453:Masoretic Text
440:
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368:
365:
257:
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214:in his own sin
210:Land of Israel
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13:
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1142:Numbers 27:4.
1139:
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1123:
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1117:
1116:Joshua 17:3–6
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883:Josh. 17:4–6.
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810:Numbers 27:5.
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799:Numbers 27:4.
795:
792:
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777:Numbers 27:3.
773:
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756:Numbers 26:33
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143:Promised Land
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1171:
1165:Numbers 27:5
1160:
1148:
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1102:
1097:
1085:. Retrieved
1072:
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1036:
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1019:
1013:Numbers 17:3
1007:
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849:
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827:
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783:
763:Joshua 17:3.
751:
731:Hebrew Bible
649:
630:
606:
592:
587:
580:
576:congregation
575:
568:congregation
567:
549:
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507:
504:Legal issues
495:
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447:of the name
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433:Joseph Stein
422:
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297:Rabbi Josiah
294:
287:
277:
271:
265:
250:Jordan River
239:
230:
218:
213:
206:their rights
187:
168:
154:
119:
110:
106:
97:
93:
84:
80:
71:
67:
56:
32:
30:
24:
1336:Inheritance
1198:Inheritance
1127:Joshua 17:6
1027:" 22 (1962)
893:Shabbat 96b
676:exogamously
617:Middle Ages
609:Book of Job
389:the second
289:Sifri Zutta
1295:Categories
1153:Bava Batra
1087:3 November
1082:B00NQDQCTG
743:References
668:the Temple
594:Maimonides
554:and asked
461:Septuagint
449:Zelophehad
385:descendant
301:Abba Hanan
179:Numbers 16
171:wilderness
155:Zelophehad
147:legal case
131:Israelites
1208:Job 42:15
736:Epikleros
602:Sadducees
598:Pharisees
497:partridge
445:etymology
417:, author
343:righteous
46:romanized
703:Oral law
688:Endogamy
682:See also
672:Oral Law
613:Karaites
546:property
537:, 1860,
469:salpahad
377:Manasseh
339:students
276:and the
124:biblical
103:מִלְכָּה
1277:Ta'anit
721:Numbers
712:Pinchas
693:Exogamy
652:exogamy
560:Eleazer
465:salpaad
401:Aaronid
328:baraita
284:Shabbat
272:In the
190:Eleazar
116:תִרְצָה
109:), and
90:חָגְלָה
65:מַחְלָה
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1080:
726:Tanakh
664:Canaan
660:Rabbah
656:rabbis
645:gemara
583:Hashem
572:Talmud
562:, the
519:Gilead
492:Hoglah
488:Tirzah
484:Milcah
476:Mahlah
457:Syriac
381:Gilead
360:yibbum
347:Gemara
341:, and
309:Judaea
286:, but
274:Talmud
246:Joshua
233:יהוה’s
221:Gilead
196:, the
194:priest
135:Exodus
111:Tirzah
98:Milcah
85:Hoglah
61:Hebrew
57:Mahlah
37:Hebrew
716:Masei
556:Moses
439:Names
357:, or
336:Torah
321:Zohar
316:Zohar
279:Zohar
225:tribe
183:Moses
139:Egypt
137:from
120:Tīrṣā
107:Mīlkā
94:Ḥoglā
77:נֹעָה
68:Maḥlā
1089:2014
1078:ASIN
759:27:3
714:and
480:Noah
332:wise
314:The
204:for
192:the
81:Nōʿā
31:The
1279:30b
500:).
353:of
351:law
307:of
96:),
83:),
72:Noa
70:),
1297::
1220:,
1196:,
1182:^
1140:,
1039:,
976:^
962:^
952:.
935:^
913:.
898:^
857:.
769:^
761:,
658:;
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558:,
521:.
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391:.
334:,
326:A
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