In this week’s parshah, the five daughters of Tzelofchad approach Moshe Rabbeinu, asking whether they can inherit their father’s portion in Eretz Yisrael. The Torah tells us that Moshe “brought their case before Hashem.” Rashi notes that while Moshe did not know what Hashem’s response would be, the Bnos Tzelofchad did: “Their eyes saw what Moshe’s eyes did not.”
The Azor Eliyahu, a talmid of the Kotzker Rebbe, explains that since Tzelofchad’s daughters were nashim tzidkoniyos—righteous women, their feelings were aligned with ratzon Hashem. When they experienced such a deep-seated yearning for an inheritance in Eretz Yisrael, they realized that it must be Hashem’s will that they receive their father’s portion. Moshe, however, could not see this great yearning and so he had to ask Hashem for His answer.
Even though Bnos Tzelofchad knew that they would indeed inherit a portion in Eretz Yisrael, they still took steps to bring this to fruition — they didn’t just wait for it to transpire. Similarly, when we are attuned to ratzon Hashem, we “know” that things will work out, that Hashem’s plan for the world and for each and every one of us will come to pass; and still, that doesn’t mean that we sit back and let it happen.
Another lesson that we learn from Bnos Tzelofchad is that of humility. They knew that in Shamayim, it had already been decreed that they would inherit Eretz Yisrael, and that Moshe Rabbeinu could not see this until Hashem revealed it to him. And yet, they still approached him with a question rather than a statement. They were ready to accept whatever answer they were given.
For those of us not privy to what has been decreed in Shamayim, it’s certainly good advice to remember that even when we are one-hundred-percent sure that we “know” something and that “anyone” would see it that way, other people may see things differently and they could even be right. If we approach our relationships with humility and a true desire to fulfill ratzon Hashem, we will merit a great deal of siyatta diShmaya.
