I miss being in class with you! As I have studied the books of Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua, I have thought many times, "I would love to be discussing this material as a class." There is so much to learn. I know that in your homes and in your Sunday School discussions you will cover the great stories of Moses and Joshua. You will discuss the conquests of the Children of Israel along with the accompanying miracles. I don't want to miss two stories that might be easy to gloss over. Once again, we see women acting with great courage and foresight.
DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD
The narrative of the daughters of Zelophehad is found in Numbers 27:1-11 and 36:1-13. These five women belonged to the tribe of Manasseh. Their father had died in the wilderness; they had no brother or husband. They requested to be given the land that would have been assigned to their father. Moses sought Jehovah and was told, "What Zelophehad's daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father's relatives and give their father's inheritance to them." (NIV, Numbers 27: 7)
Insights from a Jewish website:
"Let’s analyze what this text reflects about these women. First, note that these women know their law and history. They use the fact that their father was not involved in Korach‘s rebellion (Numbers 16) as evidence to support his–and their–claim to the land. They know that the continuity of family name depends on inheritance of the land, and they realize that the current law is not adequate, for it does not take into account the unusual circumstances of a man without sons. They possess the acumen to recognize this omission in God’s law! But because they consider God’s law to be just, or to aim to be just, they show no hesitation in pointing out the unfair nature of the present situation with complete confidence and supporting their claim with compelling arguments.
According to the Talmud (BT Bava Batra 119b), Zelophehad’s daughters were wise (chachamot), astute interpreters (darshanyiot), and pious (rachmanyiot): “wise” because they spoke in the precise moment when the decision was issued; “interpreters” because they in essence said, “If our father had a son, we would not have spoken–because he would have the inheritance”; and “pious” because they did not want to marry men who were not worthy.
The achievement of Zelophehad’s daughters was a landmark in women’s rights regarding the inheritance of land, from those days up to now. In addition, however, the story of these five women offers a compelling lesson for all those who believe that their destiny is fixed or that divine justice has abandoned them. It encourages us to think differently— and provides a message of hope for all those faced with obstacles. Perhaps the most important legacy of Zelophehad’s daughters is their call to us to take hold of life with our own hands, to move from the place that the others have given us–or that we have decided to keep because we feel immobile–and to walk, even to the most holy center, to where nobody seems to be able to go.
After all, nothing is more sacred than life itself and the fight for what we believe is worthy. Thus, this parashah inspires us to discover that we too have the ability to know what is right for ourselves and what our rights ought to be. When we believe in our capacity to shape our history, to the point of being able to change even a law that came from the Revelation at Sinai, then we pay a tribute to Zelophehad’s daughters."
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-daughters-of-zelophehad-power-and-uniqueness/
Author and scholar Julie M. Smith draws some interesting conclusions about what this story might teach us: (Thanks to Kim for sending me the link)
"And here’s why this story is important:
(1) sustaining Church leaders is a difficult concept to teach and to live in a world where we don’t trust (and probably shouldn’t trust) any secular authority or experts. My generation gets on the net for a second opinion if a doctor tells us we are sick, we second guess teachers, politicians, lawyers, and everyone else who claims to any authority. This is probably for the best, except then we show up at Church with no experience whatsoever in sustaining leaders. How do we do it? Does it mean that we never question what they say?
Numbers 27 provides an excellent example of handling disagreements with Church leaders, especially when you compare this story with Numbers 12, where Miriam is given leprosy for speaking against Moses. In each case, a person has a problem with the actions of a Church leader. But the outcome is so different. Why? Because Miriam spoke to others, the daughters of Z. spoke to Moses. Speaking behind or around is not helpful, open communication is. By the same token, the d. of Z. did not squelch, ignore, or ‘learn to live with’ their problem. They addressed it openly. Our model here is simple: when you have a problem with a Church leader, you speak to that person open and directly.
But this story is also a model for leaders. Did Moses tell them that the issue was already settled by the Law so go away? Did he castigate them for questioning the Lord? Did he chastize them for approaching a prophet? Read verse 5 again; he took their concern to the Lord. Moses recognized that he was not the head of the Church–he was the Lord’s mouthpiece. He sought the will of the Lord in prayer.
The story also teaches an important lesson about the Law: it is subject to change. The next time some hostile anti-Mormon asks why the WoW prohibits wine when Jesus began his ministry by turning water into wine, send ’em to Numbers 27."
https://www.timesandseasons.org/index.php/author/julie-m-smith/
RAHAB
Rahab's story is easy to dismiss and might be uncomfortable to discuss. She acts as a savior for Israel and is the first non-Israelite to declare that Jehovah has given this land to the Children of Israel. She is a Canaanite and Yael a Kenite. The scriptures paint her as a prostitute. Some Biblical scholars say she was an innkeeper. Whatever her position, she defies the orders of her king and hides the two Israelite spies who have come into her place of business. Her story can be found in Joshua 2, 6:17, 22-25, Hebrews 11: 31 and James 2:25. She asks for kindness to be shown to her family and protection when the armies invade. The word translated as kindness in Joshua 2:12 is the Hebrew word hesed. She is asking for covenantal love and acceptance. The spies promise to protect her and her family. They must stay in their home and hang a scarlet cord from the window. We see reflections to the story of the Passover in these arrangements.
Author and Jewish scholar Tikva Fryer-Kensky provides greater understanding:
"Rahab is a familiar anti-type in folklore, the prostitute with the heart of gold. She has faith in God’s might, adopts the Israelites as her own, and rescues them. But at the beginning, Rahab is a triply marginalized woman. From Israel’s point of view, she is an outsider; from Canaan’s point of view, she is a woman; and even from the Canaanite woman’s point of view, she is a prostitute, outside normal family life. Rahab is smart, proactive, tricky, and unafraid to disobey and deceive her king. Her allegiance to God and Israel make her one of Israel’s early saviors."
"Rahab begins by declaring her faith in God’s intentions and might, I know that YHWH has given you this land. With this statement, the would-be savior acknowledges God and becomes the oracle of Israel’s occupation of Canaan, the first of the female oracles who appear throughout the historical books. Rahab is also the first of the inhabitants of the land to declare her allegiance to God, and she is the first to join Israel."
"Rahab’s persona has many of Israel’s classic hero themes. She is a female savior, like the mothers of the Exodus. She is a trickster outsider, like Jacob in Laban’s house, one who survives by her wits and comes to God by her faith. Rahab the whore is also the outsider’s outsider, the most marginal of the marginal. She is the quintessential downtrodden with whom Israel identifies. Just as her pious behavior reverses expectations of how prostitutes act, so her elevation is a reversal of the normal expectations for a prostitute’s future. YHWH interrupts normative societal expectations by exalting the prostitute just as YHWH interrupted expectations by choosing the younger sons and freeing the slaves. The saving of Rahab is part of and an example of God’s nature and Israel’s mission."
Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible (p. 44). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
There will be many more treasures to discover in our study of the Old Testament!
