A Word of Torah: Strong women of Judaism

Parshat Pinchas

By Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort

CARLSBAD, California — This week’s Torah portion is named after a decisive, passionate, and exceedingly brave man, Pinchas the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the (High) Priest. Last week’s portion concluded with the horrific sin carried out by a leader of the Tribe of Shimon whose name was Zimri. He publicly sinned with a Midianite Princess, Cozbi. When Pinchas saw the debauchery he followed the letter of the law and killed the sinners. He did so at great personal risk, as Zimri’s fellow tribesmen felt outraged that Pinchas would take the law into his own hands. Despite the imminent danger posed to his person Pinchas plunged forward and did what needed to be done.

Zimri was not the only person to sin with the Midianites, in fact a large number of people, particularly from the Tribe of Shimon participated. Due to their audacious sinfulness a terrible plague broke out and many thousands died. Pinchas’ quick actions lessened the extent of the plague and actually saved the lives of many people. It is for this reason that Pinchas was blessed with being made a Kohen (Priest) despite the fact that he had not been born one.

If we take a step back and review the story of the Jewish people after leaving Egypt we find several uplifting events, but we also see several failures. Some of the failures were quite dramatic and had far-reaching consequences for not only that generation, but for the future of the entire Jewish people in perpetuity. It can be argued that some of their decisions then impact us until today.

This week when thinking about these catastrophes I couldn’t help but think about the triumph of one particular segment of the Jewish people; Jewish women. The major failures that come to mind include the story of the Golden Calf, the Spies, the Rebellion of Korach and his cohorts, and consorting with the Midianites. The lack of participation by the Jewish women is in stark contrast to their Jewish brethren. Time and again the men failed – to the extent that the generation that left Egypt was destined to die in the desert rather than enter the Holy Land. We see disastrous plagues pummel the Jewish people. In fact during their 40-year sojourn in the desert their numbers decreased! But through it all the woman stayed strong and true, always remaining loyal adherents to the Torah.

In the portion of Pinchas we are reintroduced to the five daughters of Tzalafchad. Their father had died previously due to a sin. The rabbis discuss which specific sin he committed; it was either gathering wood on Shabbat or trying to conquer the land after G-d had already said not to – due to the sin of the spies. Tzalafchad had no sons, only daughters. When the laws of inheritance were first shared no provision was made for daughters who were in a family where there were no sons. That is until the daughters of Tzalafchad spoke up.

They firmly but respectfully pointed out a seeming inconsistency in the Torah regarding the status of a widowed woman who has no sons, only daughters, and the fact that no levirate marriage applies to her. If daughters count to negate levirate marriage, why should they not count to inherit land? Moshe was stumped by their question. He was also moved by it, so he presented the question to Almighty G-d, and prayed that G-d would respond positively. Indeed that is exactly what happened. In the merit of the Daughters of Tzalafchad the laws of inheritance were amended.

Strong women is a hallmark of Judaism. Jews have always been fiercely insistent on the need to give women the best Jewish educational opportunities. When contemporaries of the early Hebrews were treating their women as possessions, Jewish law made sure that the Jewish woman would be treated with the dignity and respect she deserves. And the Torah clearly spells out who remained righteous during the most difficult times and by whose merit we continue to exist till this very day.

It is for these very reasons that I cringe when people say that traditional Judaism treats women as second class citizens. It is absolutely ignorant and patently false to claim so.

May our righteous Jewish women lead us to the speedy arrival of the righteous Moshiach!

Wishing everyone an uplifting, joyous, and HEALTHY Shabbos!

*

Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort is Director of Coastal Chabads and Chabad at La Costa. Rabbi Eilfort welcomes readers’ comments and questions and may be reached at RabbiE@ChabadatLaCosta.com.