R’ Shim’on ben Lakish makes a startling claim: Pinhas is Eliahu! Yes, Pinhas, the zealous priest who took action to stop the plague, is none other than the prophet Elijah, who will herald the coming of the messianic age. How can this be?
The Yalkut Shimoni tells us that God said to Pinhas, "You have made peace between Israel and Me in this world. Even in the next world, you are the one who will make peace between My children and Me." This is based on the verse in Malachi (3:23-24), "Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the day of the Lord ... He shall reconcile parents with children.” So, Pinhas, through his act of zealousness, earned the role of peacemaker, a role he will continue to fulfill as Elijah, reconciling us with God in the future. It’s a powerful connection, isn't it? This idea of one soul taking on different roles across generations is a recurring theme in Jewish mystical thought.
Now, let's shift gears to the daughters of Zelophehad. Remember them? They were the women who bravely approached Moses to ask for their father's inheritance since he had no sons. In Numbers 27:1, we read, "From the families of Menashe son of Yosef..." The Yalkut Shimoni sees in this a reflection of Yosef’s own love for the land. Just as Yosef was deeply connected to the land of Egypt (eventually providing for his entire family there), so too, his descendants, including these daughters, possessed a similar attachment. They understood the importance of having a stake in the land.
But what about the order in which the daughters are named? The Torah says, "The names of the daughters were Mahlah etc." (Numbers 27:1). One might assume the first-named daughter, Mahlah, was somehow superior or more accomplished. However, the Yalkut Shimoni points out that in Numbers 36:11, the order of the names is slightly different: "they were Mahlah, Tirzah etc." This subtle shift teaches us that all five sisters were equally righteous. No one was greater than the other in deeds. It's a beautiful reminder that everyone's contribution is valuable, regardless of their perceived status.
Finally, the Yalkut Shimoni offers a deeper insight into the timing of the daughters' request. The text says, "They stood in front of Moshe" (Numbers 27:2), and from this, we learn that they didn't present their case until they were forty years old. Why forty? The text links this to the death of Aharon, the High Priest. As Numbers 33:38 says, "and Aharon the priest went up etc." The death of Aharon, a great leader and teacher, created a void. Perhaps the daughters of Zelophehad felt empowered to speak up only after his passing, stepping into a space where they knew their voices needed to be heard.
So, what do we take away from all this? The Yalkut Shimoni, through these seemingly small details, reveals profound connections – between people, between generations, and between this world and the next. It reminds us to look beyond the surface, to see the hidden links that bind us together, and to recognize the enduring power of righteousness and the importance of every voice.