ותקרבנה בנות צלפחד (במדבר כז א). אותו הדור היו הנשים גודרות מה שהאנשים פורצין, שכך אתה מוצא שאמר להם אהרן, פרקו נזמי הזהב (שמות לב ב), ולא רצו הנשים ומיחו בבעליהן, שנאמר ויתפרקו כל עם את נזמי הזהב אשר באזניהם (שם שם ג), והנשים לא נשתתפו במעשה העגל, וכן במרגלים שהוציאו דיבה וישובו וילנו עליו [את] כל העדה (במדבר יד לו), עליהם נגזרה גזירה, שאמרו לא נוכל לעלות (שם יג לא), אבל הנשים לא היו עמהם בעצה, מה כתיב למעלה מן הענין, כי אמר ה' להם מות ימותו במדבר ולא נותר מהם איש (שם כו סה), [איש] ולא אשה, על מה שלא רצו להכנס לארץ, אבל הנשים קרבו לבקש נחלה בארץ, לכך נכתבה פרשת מדין לפרשה זו, שמה שפרצו האנשים גדרו הנשים.
(Numb. 27:1:) THEN CAME FORWARD THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD. In that generation the women were fencing in <the Law>,27On raising a fence about the Law, see Avot 1:1. which the men were breaking down.28Tanh., Numb. 8:7; Numb. R. 21:10. Accordingly you find that Aaron said to them (i.e., the men in Exod. 32:2): TAKE OFF THE GOLD RINGS <THAT ARE IN THE EARS OF YOUR WIVES … >; but the women were unwilling and tried to stop their husbands. Thus it is stated (in vs. 3): SO ALL THE PEOPLE TOOK OFF THE GOLD RINGS THAT WERE IN THEIR29Since their is masculine, there is an immplication that the women did not cooperate. EARS. Thus the women did not take part in making the <golden> calf. So also in the case of the spies who had spread slander (according to Numb. 14:36): WHEN THEY RETURNED, THEY MADE THE WHOLE CONGREGATION MURMUR AGAINST HIM. A decree was issued against them, because they had said (in Numb. 13:31): WE ARE UNABLE TO GO UP <AGAINST THIS PEOPLE FOR THEY ARE STRONGER THAN WE>. The women, however, were not with them in their counsel. What is written above on the matter (in Numb. 26:65)? BECAUSE THE LORD HAD SAID TO THEM: THEY SHALL SURELY DIE IN THE WILDERNESS, NOT A MAN OF THEM REMAINED. <Note that Scripture speaks of> [A MAN] and not of "a woman." Why? Because they (i.e., the men) did not want to enter the land, but the women came forward to ask for an inheritance in the land. Therefore the parashah (which contains Numb. 26:65) was written next to this parashah, because what the men broke down the women fenced in.
ותקרבנה בנות צלפחד (במדבר כז א). אותו הדור היו הנשים גודרות מה שהאנשים פורצין, שכך אתה מוצא שאמר להם אהרן, פרקו נזמי הזהב (שמות לב ב), ולא רצו הנשים ומיחו בבעליהן, שנאמר ויתפרקו כל עם את נזמי הזהב אשר באזניהם (שם שם ג), והנשים לא נשתתפו במעשה העגל, וכן במרגלים שהוציאו דיבה וישובו וילנו עליו [את] כל העדה (במדבר יד לו), עליהם נגזרה גזירה, שאמרו לא נוכל לעלות (שם יג לא), אבל הנשים לא היו עמהם בעצה, מה כתיב למעלה מן הענין, כי אמר ה' להם מות ימותו במדבר ולא נותר מהם איש (שם כו סה), [איש] ולא אשה, על מה שלא רצו להכנס לארץ, אבל הנשים קרבו לבקש נחלה בארץ, לכך נכתבה פרשת מדין לפרשה זו, שמה שפרצו האנשים גדרו הנשים.
(Numb. 27:1:) THEN CAME FORWARD THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD. In that generation the women were fencing in <the Law>,27On raising a fence about the Law, see Avot 1:1. which the men were breaking down.28Tanh., Numb. 8:7; Numb. R. 21:10. Accordingly you find that Aaron said to them (i.e., the men in Exod. 32:2): TAKE OFF THE GOLD RINGS <THAT ARE IN THE EARS OF YOUR WIVES … >; but the women were unwilling and tried to stop their husbands. Thus it is stated (in vs. 3): SO ALL THE PEOPLE TOOK OFF THE GOLD RINGS THAT WERE IN THEIR29Since their is masculine, there is an immplication that the women did not cooperate. EARS. Thus the women did not take part in making the <golden> calf. So also in the case of the spies who had spread slander (according to Numb. 14:36): WHEN THEY RETURNED, THEY MADE THE WHOLE CONGREGATION MURMUR AGAINST HIM. A decree was issued against them, because they had said (in Numb. 13:31): WE ARE UNABLE TO GO UP <AGAINST THIS PEOPLE FOR THEY ARE STRONGER THAN WE>. The women, however, were not with them in their counsel. What is written above on the matter (in Numb. 26:65)? BECAUSE THE LORD HAD SAID TO THEM: THEY SHALL SURELY DIE IN THE WILDERNESS, NOT A MAN OF THEM REMAINED. <Note that Scripture speaks of> [A MAN] and not of "a woman." Why? Because they (i.e., the men) did not want to enter the land, but the women came forward to ask for an inheritance in the land. Therefore the parashah (which contains Numb. 26:65) was written next to this parashah, because what the men broke down the women fenced in.