Dear Friends,
In our Torah portion this week, we read about the five daughters of Tzelafchad. Their father passed away before he had the chance to receive a portion of the promised land through the allotment process. Also, he had no sons to receive allotments. By tradition, his daughters were to be left without anything. The daughters of Tzelafchad, going against societal norms, petitioned Moses for their father’s share. They were not only granted rights to land, they changed the law of the land, setting a precedent for future cases of inheritance and for women’s rights.
One of the things that we learn from Tzelafchad’s daughters is that it is not always easy to stand up for yourself, advocating for change. But unless we are willing to step up and speak out, nothing will change. This is one of the earliest examples we have of a legally marginalized group of society successfully standing up for themselves and advocating for equality and fair treatment, and it continues to serve as an example for all of us today.
San Diego’s Pride celebration will be very different this year in response to COVID-19. But once again we at Tifereth Israel will be coming together to celebrate and support the LGBTQ community, and it’s journey toward equality and acceptance, both legally and culturally in our hearts and minds.
Please join us, Friday, July 16th, at Mission Bay, as we gather together with other congregations in San Diego for a special Friday Night Shabbat Service. More details can be found here, on our website.
Together we will celebrate the progress we have made, with an eye toward the work we still have to do, as we learn from the daughters of Tzelafchad the importance of standing up and advocating for change and progress.
Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Josh Dorsch
