What Great Women Teach Us

This week's Parsha, Mattos Maasei, ends with the Daughters of Tzelafchad, keeping the words of Hashem, marrying into their father's tribe, Menashe.

The Torah here mentions them by name for the third time, an honor which is bestowed on very few. Not only that, Hashem chooses to close the book of Bamidbar, Numbers, with them. This clearly indicates that there is something about them that is central to the book of Bamidbar.

Machla, Tirtza, Chagla, Milka and Noa.

What are we meant to learn from these great women? How does it highlight the central theme of the book of Bamidbar?

The first thing to know about the daughter's of Tzelafchad is that they were selfless. In the case they brought before the Jewish people, they did not ask for any personal gain but rather that the Torah law be fulfilled, that their father have a portion of the holy land named for him.

They were holy, righteous learned and wise, they were patient and waited until the fortieth year in the desert to make their case. They never took there eye off the goal, to get their father, his rightful part in the holy land.

The book of Bamidbar is all about making our way to the Holy Land. Which for us means not simply living in Israel but living there under Torah rule, with the coming of Moshiach.

How do we accomplish this? First, by being learned and having the wisdom to understand our purpose. To be patient and do the necessary steps to bring it about. Keeping our focus on our purpose and finally, to stand before Hashem, now in the last moments of this exile and demand that justice be served, that He send Moshiach. Not for our personal gain but because it is what Hashem wants and what the Jewish people rightfully earned.

Hashem, being proud of the daughters of Tzelafchad, mentions them three times. If we act like them he will surely be proud and send Moshiach. The time has come.