As the Jewish people were approaching the Promised Land and were poised to divide the land as an inheritance, the Torah relates: “The daughters of Tzelophechad… drew near… and they stood before Moses… saying: ‘Our father died in the wilderness… and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be omitted from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers.’”
Four Levels of Interpretation
It is axiomatic in Judaism that every story recorded in the Torah can be understood on many levels. In addition to the simple, straightforward level, known as p’shat, there are also three other levels of interpretation:
Remez (allusion), where the Torah’s words and letters hint at other ideas. This includes allegorical approaches, where the text alludes to seemingly unrelated concepts. Also included in this approach is gematria, numerology.
Drush, which involves probing beneath the surface to extract deeper meanings and messages.
Sod, where mystical, kabbalistic ideas are discovered embedded in the text.
The following is an adaptation of an allegorical interpretation of the daughters of Tzelophechad’s plea, authored by Rabbi Pinchas Aryeh in his 19th-century Chassidic work, Cheshev Ho’ephod.
(It should be noted that each of these four levels of interpretation is not merely an exercise in academic inquiry. They must also provide instruction and inspiration, consistent with the meaning of the word Torah, which translates as “instruction.”)
The Allegorical Meaning of Their Plea
The name Tzelophechad is a composite of two words: Tzeil – shadow and Pachad – fear. These terms refer to the two primary modes of Divine service: love and fear (awe). The term “shadow” is used to describe the love Israel has for G-d in Song of Songs (2:3): “As an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. Under its shadow I delighted to sit, and its fruit was sweet to my taste.” This verse, describing sitting in the shadow, is seen as a metaphor for the reciprocal love between G-d and the Jewish people. The second part of the name, pachad, refers to the fear, awe, and reverence we have for G-d.
Thus, the daughters of Tzelophechad serve as a metaphor for our souls, which are often referred to as "daughters" in mystical texts. The soul serves G-d with both love and awe.
Interpreting Their Complaint
How then do we interpret their complaint to Moses?
“Our father died in the wilderness… and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be omitted from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers.”
In this allegory, when they referred to their father, they were referring to our Father in Heaven.
At this point, some clarification is in order. If “father” refers to G-d, how can we explain the words “our father died in the wilderness”? How can we associate the word "death" with G-d in any form?
The answer may be found in the Zohar, which states that when someone descends from their former position of greatness, it is considered a form of death. Similarly, when G-d’s presence is diminished in our lives, it is metaphorically referred to as death. This is consistent with the Sages’ teaching that G-d too suffers in exile, for in exile He is in a state of concealment.
Sons and Brothers
Although our souls crave a relationship with our Father in Heaven, there are two ways in which that relationship manifests itself: The superior level is that of a son. The more accessible, yet inferior level, is that of a brother.
When the daughters said that their father left no sons, they alluded to the idea that, despite our soul’s relationship with G-d, something is missing. We do not enjoy the closeness of a son who naturally basks in the light and love of his father. The plea of the soul, then, is that it does not feel G-d’s overarching presence and the intense, revealed love of a son.
The Concealment of Divine Light
The soul’s sense of absence and distance is alluded to in the word mishpachto ("his family"), which has the numerical value of 828. This equals the word ohr ("light," gematria 207) multiplied by four, alluding to G-d’s light associated with the four letters of His name (the Tetragrammaton).
The plea of the soul is that it has been denied that light, which would have rendered it totally attached to G-d, its Father.
Kol Yaakov: Another Dimension
The work Kol Yaakov adds an additional nuance. When the daughters of Tzelophechad spoke of: “Why should the name of our father be omitted,” they were also alluding to the pronunciation of G-d’s name. Whenever we recite G-d’s essential name (referred to as the Name Havayeh), we are forbidden to pronounce it as it is written. This reflects the fact that G-d’s essence is presently hidden from us during the time of exile.
This omission will be rectified in the Messianic Era, when the verse declares: “On that day, G-d will be one and His name will be one.” (Zechariah 14:9)
Hence, their complaint was: Why must we still omit the true pronunciation of G-d’s name, a reflection of His concealment?
The problem with G-d’s concealment is that it prevents us from attaining the lofty level of serving G-d as a “son.”
A Plea for Brotherhood
The daughters of Tzelophechad then added: “Give unto us a possession among the brethren of our father.”
What is the deeper meaning of the added words “among the brethren”? It could have simply said, “Give unto us a possession.”
Cheshev Ho’ephod explains that the term "brethren" refers to the inferior level of attachment to G-d — that of a brother rather than a son. As mentioned, there are two basic levels of Divine service:
1. The first, and rare, level — described in the Talmud as applying to “the few” — is for those in whom G-d’s presence is fully revealed. This Divine intimacy engenders intense feelings of love, so much so that one naturally follows G-d’s ways. Just as a child is genetically connected to his father and naturally shares his desires and interests, so too does one who enjoys this closeness to G-d emulate His ways without external prompting.
2. The second, more common level is called "brother." These are individuals who do not feel G-d’s presence acutely. Their souls are not aflame with passion, but they are motivated to emulate G-d’s ways because they crave attachment to Him. The term brother in Hebrew implies attachment. When we emulate G-d’s ways, we become attached to Him, even if our spiritual passion is not as intense as that of those who serve G-d as sons.
A Cry from the Depths of Exile
Thus, the daughters of Tzelophechad echoed the plea of the soul that G-d should give us an inheritance in His land — that we should at least be inspired to serve Him as a brother, if not yet as a son.
Cheshev Ho’ephod adds another point, especially relevant to our situation in these last days of exile: The Hebrew words "lama nigara" (“Why should [the name of our father] be omitted?”) have a numerical value of 358, the same as Moshiach.
These words, spoken by the daughters of Tzelophechad over 3,300 years ago, represent the cry of every Jewish soul in exile:
Why don’t You bring us Moshiach?
With his coming, we will certainly be inspired to follow in G-d’s ways — at least on the level of a brother. Moreover, when Moshiach comes, the entire world will bask in G-d’s light, and we will all be elevated to the higher level of son, whose attachment to G-d is total.
The Rebbe’s Assurance
The Lubavitcher Rebbe remarked that just as the plea of the daughters of Tzelophechad for an inheritance in the land was answered with a promise of fulfillment, so too will our heartfelt prayers for the Final Redemption bear fruit — with the imminent coming of Moshiach!