Torah Readings
Numbers 36:1-13 - Daughters of Zelophchad granted inheritance
or
Numbers 35:9-36:13 - Cities of refuge for accidental homicide
Haftarah Reading
Jeremiah 2:4-28, 3:4, 4:1-2 - Second haftarah of rebuke preceding Ninth of Av
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Isn't it typical that a great moment in our texts that we can feel good about and be inspired by is immediately undermined? Last week, we saw the story of the daughters of Zelophchad and how they not only stood up for their right to inherit as women, but were granted that right. Before we get too excited, though, the very next Parashah sees the story of the daughters return...
You see, their inheritance causes a knock-on issue which is raised by a figure from their tribe. He has no problem with them inheriting a portion in the land, but with what might happen next. If any of the daughters were to marry a man (and at this point, it can only be a man) from another tribe, then the next generation inheriting that land would belong to the other tribe - with tribal allegiance passing through the male line.
The division of the Promised Land was very carefully done to ensure the tribes would get an equitable share, so this route to having a tribe essentially losing part of their possession was concerning. Especially as this wasn't an isolated case - the solution for the daughters was a precedent to be applied more generally. Clearly a solution was needed for this, but the one we got is perhaps not what we would have hoped for.
Moses relayed the ruling that the daughters "may marry anyone they wish". Good so far, except it came with strings attached - "provided they marry into a clan of their father's tribe". So whilst women may inherit, it comes with the incredible restriction that they may not then marry whoever they wish to marry. They get the inheritance, but at a cost. The daughters are reported to have accepted this and go on to marry their cousins.
Martin Luther King Jr. said that "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice". We are very familiar over history with the idea that a positive development for justice is met with a reaction. Two steps forward lead to one step back. Our tradition is no different and in reflecting this reality, prepares us for our own task in bending that arc. It won't be a smooth road, but we should never desist from it.
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Make sure to check out our podcasts, including "Rabbiting On" with Rabbis Debbie Young-Somers, Miriam Berger and Robyn Ashworth-Steen discussing events in their lives, the Jewish world and the wider world, and "Progressively Jewish", our weekly podcast in conjunction with Liberal Judaism.
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The month of Av is about to start, and with it the build-up to the fast of Tisha B'Av - the fast of the ninth of Av. This fast is primarily associated with the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, but additionally with other calamities in Jewish History. The Mishnah records five reasons - the return of the twelve spies from the promised land, the destruction of the first temple, the destruction of the second temple, the ending of the Bar Kochba revolt and the flattening of the Temple site. Later events have also been connected with the date, including the expulsion of Jews from England in 1290 and the initiation of the Nazi "Final Solution" for the Jewish population. Rabbi Josh Levy reflected on the relationship Reform Jews have with the date, especially the focus on the temple. Rabbi Alex Kress in LA put together some materials on Tisha B'Av in Reform Jewish thought.
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Many of our communities are sharing their events and inviting you to join. Have a look at the listings on RJ Communities TV to see which events might appeal to you.
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RSY-Netzer, the youth movement of Reform Judaism, is currently accepting registration for Shemesh, their summer camps. We're sure all of our young people are even more keen than usual to have a fun adventure this summer, so please share the details with your communities.
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It will soon be Eid for Muslims and Druze who celebrate this festival. You may be wondering "didn't Eid happen back in May?" and you would be right - there are two holidays of Eid al-Fitr (held at the end of Ramadan, which fell in May this year) and the upcoming Eid al-Adha, which you can learn more about here. This festival is a particularly interesting one from an interfaith perspective as it translates to the "feast of the sacrifice" and marks the story of Abraham being willing to sacrifice his son - the story we know as the binding of Isaac. In the Muslim tradition, however, it is Abraham's other son Ishmael who he is willing to offer up. It provides an excellent opportunity to share perspectives between our traditions - as a Rabbi and an Imam did here. In the past this festival has coincided with Yom Kippur - leading to reflections on how to use opportunities to find commonalities in our traditions. It is a good time to remember how much we share and take the chances we have to build bridges of understanding across faith groups.
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