The Complexity of Human Rights By Britain's Former Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

The book of Bamidbar comes to a close that is very strange indeed. Earlier in the parsha of Pinchas we read of how the five daughters of Tzelophehad came to Moses with a claim based on justice and human rights.1 Their father had died without sons. Inheritance – in this case, of a share in the land – passes through the male line, but here there was no male line. Surely their father was entitled to his share, and they were his only heirs. By rights that share should come to them: “Why should our father’s name be disadvantaged in his family merely because he did not have a son? Give us a portion of land along with our father’s brothers” (Num. 27:4). Moses had received no instruction about such an eventuality, so he asked God directly. God found in favour of the women. “The daughters of Tzelophehad are right. You shall give them possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers and transfer the inheritance of their father to them.” He gave Moses further instructions about the disposition of inheritance, and the narrative then passes on to other matters.