1. The Conclusion of Chumash Bamidbar and Transition to Mishneh Torah
The Parsha of Massei comes almost at the very end of Chumash Bamidbar, which essentially concludes the main narrative of the Torah. After Massei, we begin Mishneh Torah, which is a repetition and review of the Torah’s teachings. However, the actual Torah as it was first given ends with this portion—Massei is the final section of Bamidbar before entering Sefer Devarim.2. Inheritance Laws and Tribal Boundaries
Earlier in the Parsha, the Torah discusses what happens when a man passes away without leaving behind any sons. In such cases, his daughters inherit his portion. This raises a potential issue: if these daughters marry outside their tribe, their inherited land could transfer to another tribe through their husbands, causing a shift in tribal boundaries and assets. To prevent this, Hashem commanded that for that generation, daughters who inherited land were required to marry within their own tribe. This ensured that each tribe’s nachalah—inheritance—would remain within its original boundaries and not be transferred to another tribe.3. The Daughters of Tzlafchad and Their Marriages
Towards the end of Parshas Massei—just three pesukim—verses—before the conclusion—the Torah recounts how the daughters of Tzlafchad responded to this command. These five women—Machlah, Tirtzah, Choglah, Milkah, and No’ah—had previously become well-known for approaching Moshe with their claim for a share in Eretz Yisroel’s land. Here, they are described as marrying their cousins: “Vateyena bnos Tzlafchad livnei dodeihem lenashim”—they became wives to their uncles’ sons (their cousins), specifically from the families of Menashe ben Yosef. This ensured that their inheritance remained within their father’s tribe.4. The Changing Order of the Daughters’ Names
An interesting detail emerges regarding how the Torah lists these five sisters’ names. In this passage, they are named as Machlah, Tirtzah, Choglah, Milkah, and No’ah—but in previous passages they appear in a different order. Rashi notes this change and explains that here, when discussing marriage, they are listed according to age: the older sisters married first, followed by the younger ones. In contrast, earlier passages list them according to wisdom.5. Rashi’s Commentary on Wisdom and Equality
Rashi further comments that in other places where their names appear in a different order—sometimes starting with No’ah—it reflects an order based on wisdom rather than age. Rashi adds an intriguing note: “magid she-shkulos zu k’zu”—this teaches us that they were all equal. This raises a question: if one was wiser than another (for example, No’ah being listed first due to her wisdom), how can they all be considered equal? Rashi seems bothered by this apparent contradiction.6. Reconciling Wisdom Acquired by Effort Versus Experience
The Rebbe addresses this issue by distinguishing between two types of wisdom: one acquired through intellectual effort and study (chokhmah) and another gained through life experience over time. No’ah may have been youngest but had achieved greater intellectual wisdom through her efforts or perhaps was granted extra intellect by Hashem. However, her older sisters possessed wisdom gained from years of experience—what we might call “life smarts” as opposed to “book smarts.” The Pesach says “yomim yedabru v’rov shanim yodiu chokhmah”—days speak and many years teach wisdom.7. Achieving Equality Through Different Paths
Thus, while No’ah excelled in acquired wisdom despite her youth, her sisters balanced this with experiential wisdom gained from age and life experience. In totality—when considering both forms of chokhmah—the sisters were indeed equal (shkulos zu k’zu). Their different strengths complemented each other so that none was truly greater than another overall.8. Further Study Suggested by the Rebbe
The Rebbe notes that for a deeper understanding of how exactly we know this equality from the text—and how Rashi derives it—it is worthwhile to look up the full sichah. While much makes sense on its own (age order for marriage versus wisdom order elsewhere), Rashi’s assertion about equality invites further exploration into how both types of wisdom are valued equally in Torah perspective.