In last week’s portion we delved into the question as to what gave Pinchas the strength to stand up and act alone when everyone else, including Moses, were unable to act. In this week’s portion we could ask a similar question regarding the daughters of Tzelophchad who approached Moses and respectfully, but forcefully, requested a portion in the land of Israel, as their father had no sons. From where did the daughters of Tzelophchad gather the courage to ask for something which at least on the surface seemed unattainable?
Earlier in the portion the laws of inheritance and the division of the land of Israel is discussed and no where is there any mention of women receiving a portion of land. This is one of four places where Moses brought the question to God as he had no clear answer. God responds positively by instructing Moses to grant their request and further explains how women may inherit land as well.
In the verse where it states that Moses brought their cause before God, the word used for cause is mishpatan, literally “their judgment,” and the last letter, a nun, is written large. We are taught that anytime a letter appears large or small in the Torah it contains an additional alluded to meaning.
There are five letters when coming at the end of a word that appear in a different “final” form. Interestingly enough there were five daughters of Tzelophchad who approached Moses together. The shape of the nun at the end of the word is an elongated line descending below the line, looking very much like a staff or spear.
Returning again to our discussion of Pinchas’ deed in the portion of Balak we saw how his act in the moment was transformed into eternity. In addition, we saw that it was accomplished through his taking a ramach, a spear, in order to accomplish what he had to do. We further learned that the word ramach equals 248 and symbolizes his ability to totally unite his 248 physical limbs with his intellectual, emotional and psychological being in order to act in complete and concentrated focus. The ramach, shaped like a final nun, and the embodiment of his courage and sense of purpose became symbolically a source of strength and encouragement for the daughters of Tzelophchad to also step forward and plead their case. This accounts for the nun being written large as if to alert us to the source of their strength.
The fact that the word in which the final nun appears is mishpatan, “”their judgment” contains even further allusions to the underlying meaning of their action. The five “final” letters – mem, nun, tzadi, peh and kaf – equal 280 and in Kabbalah are associated with forces of judgment. In the structure of the sefirot, feminine energy is placed on the left side of the model, which is associated with judgment and contraction. Although judgment is many times associated with harshness, as a pure energy it is not negative at all. It serves as a perfect compliment to the right side of the sefirot, which are primarily associated with loving kindness and giving. Either energy when not properly balanced by its compliment may manifest in a negative manner.
The numerical value of the letter nun is 50. According to Kabbalah there are 50 gates of understanding, binah, which is the highest of the sefirot of the left side and primarily relates to feminine energy. The Talmud states that an extra measure of understanding was given to women. The five daughters of Tzelophchad represent the energy of judgment when it is clarified and united with the consciousness of binah, understanding. They showed dignity, wisdom and respect in pleading their cause forcefully before Moses. The fact that God agreed to their request shows the full command of understanding that they had reached.
According the Kabbalah, one of the last rectifications needed to be made before the time of the Mashiach is called tikun Chava, the rectification of Eve. At that time the role and status of women will change radically and a certain imbalance inherent in creation will be rectified. The “fall” of Eve is connected to the diminished light of the moon in relation to the sun on the fourth day of creation when the moon complained that two kings could not wear the same crown. As a result, the light of the moon was diminished.
The action of the five daughters of Tzelophchad alludes to this much needed rectification in the world. The large letter nun, along with the other four “final’ letters, hints to the final rectification before Mashiach. It symbolizes women receiving a portion of the land of Israel, the focal point from which the consciousness of Mashiach will spread to the entire world. At that time all the judgments will be sweetened in their source and the fifty gates of understanding will be open to all.
