A Love of the Land

The Torah relates that Tzelofchad left no sons to inherit his portion in the Land of Israel.

Driven by their love of the Land, his five daughters overcame their sense of modesty and appeared before Moses with a claim that they should be their father’s heirs. G-d agreed and commanded Moses to write this into Jewish law.

The women stepped out of their comfort zone for the sake of the Land. The word for land, eretz, is related to the word ratzon, a desire to fulfill G-d’s will. By forfeiting their will for G-d’s, the sisters acted as role models inspiring the Jewish people to serve G-d with selfsacrifice.

By forgoing his own will and nature, a Jew sacrifices his very self to the mission of making this world a dwelling place for G-d.