Parshat Matot- Maasei; Numbers 30:2 – 36:13 by Rabbi Denise L. Eger

This is a double portion this week. It begins with a discussion of vows in particular the vows of a woman. The parasha goes into great detail to explain when a woman’s vow can and must be honored and when her father or husband can abrogate her vow. Women don’t have independent status in the Biblical world. They are attached to a male head of house –father, brother or husband. But rarely in the TaNaCH are women independent; Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi being some of the few exceptions.

The vows made by a woman if in her father’s house shall be honored if he offers no objection. But he can set her vow aside without penalty from God. So too her husband can set a vow of his wife or bride aside if he objects when he learns of it. But a divorced woman or widow’s vow is binding upon her.

So women as a separate class of people don’t have authority to make independent decisions as it relates to vows. This makes the end of the double parasha even more interesting because Zelphochad’s daughters had a case that came before Moses (see Numbers 27) and is referenced here again.

Moses has begun to divide the Promised Land up into the tribal sections by lots and thus the boundaries of the tribal lands are set. The daughter’s of Zelophechad pleaded not to be shut out of their rightful portion of land merely because Zelophechad had only daughters not sons. Moses had brought this case before God and God ruled that their plea was just and that their father’s holdings and share should be transferred to them.

While on the one hand the Torah view of women is that they are not independent of their father or husband, the Torah in this case can see women, the daughters of Zelophechad as independent enough to inherit their family holdings. This case begins to shape a new kind of reality in the Israelite mindset of the place of women.

Now it is true that are parasha goes on to detail the limitations placed on Zelophechad’s daughters when it came to marrying. Because their land portions must be maintained within their tribe –keeping the balance of the tribal lands in proportion as it was laid out. Nevertheless, not only does the parasha reinforce the fairness of the case, but uplifts their independence as individuals entitled to owning and holding land! The Torah even mentions their names- Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah. So many women are not named in the Bible (for example –Lot’s wife who turned into a pillar of salt, or Noah’s wife who accompanied him on the Ark!)

So our hats are off to Zelophechad’s daughters who help our tradition begin its long trek toward an true sense that women can be independent and that our Jewish tradition should be egalitarian in every sense.

Posted by Lee at July 24, 2006 08:39 AM