How Old Were Tzlafchad’s Daughters?

Parshat Pinchas

By Rabbi Avi Billet

One of the tales in the parsha concerns the daughters of Tzlafchad and their request to be given their father’s portion in the land. Much of this is discussed in the Gemara of Baba Basra – around pages 116-120, along with the Talmud’s varied tangents. 

While it certainly seems from the context that the event of the daughters of Tzlafchad took place in the 40th year (which makes sense for many reasons), there is a slight possibility that the Torah is not presented in a chronological order, and that the events here could have happened at any time prior… it is just told to us at this point, at the cusp of the people entering the land. 

How could that be the case? Simple! Upon their father’s death, knowing there is no chance he’d have a son now, they were worried about their own prospects of where to live once the people arrived at the holy land. This was a judgment they could have wanted Moshe to make – no matter what might happen - whether to Moshe (should he not make it to the land) or to them (should they not make it, for whatever reason). It could also be that they are making the claim shortly after the incident of the Spies and Korach (from whom they dissociate their father). 

To prove they are veering more kinds of attention from their father, the Talmud tells us (Baba Basra 118b), “Our father died in the wilderness,” this refers to Tzlafchad. “And he was not among the assembly,” this refers to the assembly of the spies. “That gathered themselves together against the Lord,” those are the protesters (מתלוננים). “And the assembly of Korach,” this follows its regular meaning. 

The implication of the Talmud is that the 3 groups they referenced were not entitled to a portion of the land, and since Tzlafchad wasn’t part of all (any of the) 3 groups, he was entitled to a portion, which should go to his daughters. 

How old was Tzlafchad when he died? We don’t know. Most are of the opinion that he was over 20 at the time of the Exodus. The Seridei Aish quotes the Chasam Sofer (in a passage I don’t have access to) who suggested that Tzlafchad was under 20 at the time of the Exodus. Chizkuni says this on 27:3 as well. This would imply that he was not subject to the decree against the people who were 20 at the time of the Spies, and that he was most assuredly entitled to his own portion in the Land, just as much as he was assured to make it to the land, had he not died for some other reason or on account of an unclear “cause.” Seridei Aish rejects the Chasam Sofer’s view as he feels their claims align much more with their father having been one of those who left Egypt over the age of 20. 

In my own homework over the years, I have found the following suggestions as to Tzlafchad’s identity, or the cause of his death. The Wood Gatherer (R’ Akiva); one of the Ma’apilim (R Yehuda Ben Beteira); a victim of snake bites (Zohar); in the battle with the King of Arad – Chapter 21 (R Shimon in various Midrashim); something else not identifiable, though perhaps connected to hisnot having sons (R’ Yehuda HaLevi, quoted by Ibn Ezra, Rabbenu Bachaye, Ramban, etc). 

Of those options, we can only be sure that the Maapilim took place around the time of the Spies. Otherwise, each possibility likely happened much later, with the exception of the Wood Gatherer, which we have no way of knowing when it took place. Rashi (Bamidbar 15:41 - right between the tales of the Spies and Korach) asks why the episode of the “wood gatherer” is presented next to a discussion about the dangers of idolatry, indicating its appearance has a thematic connection to its context, rather than a chronological one. 

Thus, the possibility of Tzlafchad dying later in the wilderness journey, and his daughters being younger when talking to Moshe Rabbenu is statistically more probable. 

In the Talmud (Baba Basra 119b) we are told Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov’s opinion that even the youngest of Tzlafchad’s daughters didn’t marry until she was over 40. This would presumably suggest they were born before the Exodus as well, that they were likely children at the time of the Exodus. 

Rabbi Shimon (Yalkut, Sifrei 15:32) suggests the unlikelihood that the daughters of Tzlafchad waited 40 years to get married, which is why he is of the opinion that Tzlafchad died in one of the battles of Parshas Chukas, in the 40th year. In the Midrash Tanchuma, however, following in the tails of the Talmud, the suggestion is made that their existing in 40 years of celibacy, on par with the existence of Moshe Rabbenu (tradition has him separated from his wife, which we know of based on the comments of Miriam in Bamidbar 12), made their case even more appealing to Moshe, because they did it voluntarily while Moshe did it out of a sense of the gravity of his position. 

The Talmud (Baba Basra 119) notes in the name of Rav Chisda that a woman who marries under the age of 20 will have children until she is 60, one who married at 20 will have children until 40, one who married at 40 will never give birth! However, since they were righteous, a miracle happened to them on par with what happened to Yocheved in that her old skin became soft and she was able to give birth to Moshe, thus they too were able to have children despite waiting for marriage into their 40s. 

B’chor Shor’s comments on the Talmud compare the daughters instead to Sarah, who “reexperienced youthfulness” within her. (This is a semantic - preferring the miracle of Sarah giving birth at 90 rather than Yocheved, who may have been as old as 130 when she gave birth to Moshe!)

In conclusion – I don’t know! Both arguments are compelling for different reasons. Their possibly waiting 40 years until the time to enter the land makes them “superwomen” in my eyes. The possibility of their father dying in the 40th year, however, makes much more sense to me. 

His being under 20 at the time of the Exodus, his not being part of any group who were undeserving, his dying, as Abravanel puts it, in his own sin that has nothing to do with anyone else and was not subject to a death penalty meted out by anyone, makes his death a tragedy for his family, but not one subject to any kind of fallout, repercussion or punishment, beyond that he died – which should be a kapparah for his soul in the event that he died as they say “in his own חטא (whatever thatword means), and he did not have sons.” 

Both approaches can be inspiring to the reader. The notion of patience, waiting for your moment with undying faith and trust that things will work out for you can inspire those who spend their lives figuring out what the purpose or meaning of their life might be. 

The notion of trying to get to the truth of your circumstance when tragedy befalls you in the final hour of what you had been looking forward to… shows how a person can gather broken pieces and try to put the best foot forward to achieve a desired outcome. 

The daughters of Tzlafchad are generally viewed as wise and righteous (per the Talmud), and have an excellent reputation either way. 

May we merit to conduct ourselves in a manner that presents ourselves as wise and righteous, so we too can have excellent reputations.