Justice and Mercy
住驻专讬 讘诪讚讘专 驻讬住拽讗 拽诇讙
拽诇讙) 讜转拽专讘谞讛 讘谞讜转 爪诇驻讞讚, 讻讬讜谉 砖砖诪注讜 讘谞讜转 爪诇驻讞讚 砖讛讗专抓 诪转讞诇拽转 诇砖讘讟讬诐 诇讝讻专讬诐 讜诇讗 诇谞拽讘讜转 谞转拽讘爪讜 讻讜诇谉 讝讜 注诇 讝讜 诇讬讟讜诇 注爪讛 讗诪专讜 诇讗 讻专讞诪讬 讘砖专 讜讚诐 专讞诪讬 讛诪拽讜诐 讘砖专 讜讚诐 专讞诪讬讜 注诇 讛讝讻专讬诐 讬讜转专 诪谉 讛谞拽讘讜转 讗讘诇 诪讬 砖讗诪专 讜讛讬讛 讛注讜诇诐 讗讬谞讜 讻谉 讗诇讗 专讞诪讬讜 注诇 讛讝讻专讬诐 讜注诇 讛谞拽讘讜转 专讞诪讬讜 注诇 讛讻诇 砖谞讗诪专 (转讛诇讬诐 拽诇讜 讟) 讟讜讘 讛’ 诇讻诇 讜专讞诪讬讜 注诇 讻诇 诪注砖讬讜.
Sifre Numbers, 133
When the daughters of Zelophehad heard that the Land was about to be divided among the tribes鈥攂ut only for males, not for females鈥攖hey gathered to take counsel. They decided that the mercies of flesh and blood are not like the mercies of God who is everywhere. Flesh and blood is apt to be more merciful to males than to females. But God who spoke and the world came into being is different鈥擥od’s mercies are for males as well as females, God’s mercies being for all: “The Lord is good to all, and God’s tender mercies are over all God’s works.” (Psalms 145:9)
The feminist in me adores this midrash: a tannaitic (first- or second-century CE) work acknowledging misogyny and extolling the women in this week’s parashah who appeal to a gender-blind God for mercy. With ever-present news stories of the gender-based gap in wages and job retention, the plea of the daughters of Zelophehad is still relevant.
Beyond the feminist angle, however, is a gender-neutral truth. This midrash echoes in feel the line from II Samuel that leads the Tahanun section of the daily liturgy: “Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for great is God’s compassion; but let me not fall into the hands of mortals.” We humans are hard on one another鈥攓uick to judge and full of harsh opinions. In calling upon the “God who spoke and the world came into being,” we appeal to one who is full of mercy for all, and remember that kindness and justice are not always, or even often, at odds.
