The Secret of the Root of the Souls of the Daughters of Tzelafchad: Why Was Moshe Rabbeinu in Doubt?
Class No. 7 | 12 Iyar 5755 - Continued from number 6 / 14 Iyar 5755 - Melaveh Malkah / 14 Iyar 5755 - Continued in number 8
Why did Moshe Rabbeinu, who received the entire Torah, need to ask Hashem regarding the judgment of the daughters of Tzelafchad? A profound discourse explaining the immense virtue of the souls of the tzaddikim who are called 'living,' and the secret of the root of the souls of the daughters of Tzelafchad in the Supernal Gevuros (Divine Severities).
Do tzaddikim impart ritual impurity after their passing?
Eliyahu HaNavi teaches us a tremendous foundational principle: tzaddikim, even after their histalkus (passing away) from the world, do not impart ritual impurity. We see that Rabbi Akiva, even though he had a physical body, did not impart impurity. This is also the custom in Ara Kadisha (the Holy Land), as the 'Bnei Yissaschar' brings down, that in any place where there are no other graves around, the Kohanim have a custom to walk upon the graves of tzaddikim.
Regarding the Cave of Machpelah, the matter is slightly different and raises a question, since there are additional coffins there. It is known that on the lower floor, beneath the place where we pray, coffins of many Jews who wanted to be buried there were brought in over the generations, and even non-Jews, priests, and monks requested to be buried there with Star of David symbols. Because of those foreign skeletons located there, a Kohen is not permitted to enter the Cave of Machpelah. However, at the graves of tzaddikim like Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, where there are no foreign graves around, the custom in the Land of Israel is that Kohanim ascend to the tziyon (gravesite), because tzaddikim in their death are called living.
Based on this principle, a question arose during the carrying of the coffin of Yosef the tzaddik. After all, Mishael and Eltzafan the sons of Uziel carried Nadav and Avihu, and not the coffin of Yosef. And why? Because they said: "Yosef is alive!" He is in the aspect of being alive, and does not impart impurity. They saw in him literally a "human soul," a living soul, the aspect of Adam HaRishon (the First Man). If the tzaddikim are alive and enduring, why should they impart impurity?
Indeed, Rashi explains that regarding the dry halachah (Jewish law), even if they are "living dead" and are greater in their death than in their lives, ultimately the body does not move, and therefore according to halachah they do impart impurity. But in the depth of the matter, there is an aspect of eternal life here.
Moshe's Doubt Regarding the Daughters of Tzelafchad
From these concepts, we come to understand the depth in the portion of the daughters of Tzelafchad. The Torah relates that Moshe Rabbeinu was in doubt regarding their judgment and brought their case before Hashem. Seemingly, this is baffling: after all, Moshe Rabbeinu was on Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights and received the entire Torah. The halachah of "If a man dies and has no son, you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter" (Numbers 27) should have been known to him. If so, what new doubt suddenly arose regarding the daughters of Tzelafchad?
Rather, the Holy Ari explains in 'Shaar HaPesukim' that the doubt was not a regular halachic one, but stemmed from their lofty soul root. The daughters of Tzelafchad were exceptionally unique souls; their root was from the Supernal Gevuros (Divine Severities).
It is known that the Leviim (Levites) do not have an inheritance in the Land of Israel. Why? Because the Kohanim are the aspect of Chasadim (Divine Kindness), whereas the Leviim come from the trait of Gevurah (Severity), from the Supernal Gevuros. Since they belong to a high spiritual stratum of Gevurah, it is not fitting for them to have a portion in the physical land. Behold, the daughters of Tzelafchad also belonged to the trait of Gevurah. The name "Tzelafchad" hints at "Tzel-Pachad" (Shadow of Fear), the aspect of "Pachad Yitzchak" (the Fear of Isaac), which is the root of Gevurah.
The Light of the Gevuros in Malchus
The Holy Ari reveals to us that they were five daughters corresponding to the five Gevuros (Severities) in the secret of 'Zeir Anpin' (the Kabbalistic configuration representing the emotional attributes). There are Gevuros that descend into Malchus (Kingship, the lowest Sefirah, which corresponds to the Land of Israel), and there are Gevuros that remain above in Yesod (Foundation) and do not descend.
The Land of Israel, the Sefirah of Malchus, is characterized by humility and lowliness ("it has nothing of its own"). Moshe Rabbeinu saw that the daughters of Tzelafchad originated from such a lofty root of the five Supernal Gevuros, to the point that he was in doubt: Do such souls, which are above Malchus, even belong to an inheritance in the land? Perhaps their law is like the Leviim who have no portion in the land due to the exaltedness of their root?
This was Moshe's profound doubt: On one hand, they are Supernal Gevuros that do not descend below. On the other hand, they are requesting an inheritance. Hashem answered him: "The daughters of Tzelafchad speak properly." It is true that their root is from the Gevuros that do not descend, but they illuminate within Malchus. Their light shines throughout the entire Land of Israel, and therefore it is fitting for them to take a portion in the land.
We therefore learn that all the doubts of Moshe Rabbeinu were not from a lack of knowledge, Heaven forbid, but rather these were new halachos that were innovated out of a deep spiritual vision of the roots of the souls. And as it is written in the Midrash, every single day a halachah is innovated, and every person must merit to see the halachah that is innovated for him, until we merit the complete Geulah (Redemption) speedily in our days, Amen.
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