Tzlofchad’s Daughters

Numbers / Bamidbar 26:1 (translation mostly from the JPS in Sefaria.org).	When the plague was over, G-d said to Moses and to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest,	וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי הַמַּגֵּפָה {פ} וַיֹּאמֶר ה’ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן־אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן לֵאמֹר׃
26:2	“Take a census of the whole Israelite company [of fighters] from the age of twenty years up, by their ancestral houses, all Israelite males able to bear arms.”	שְׂאוּ אֶת־רֹאשׁ  כׇּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם כׇּל־יֹצֵא צָבָא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל׃
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26:9	The sons of Eliab … who agitated against Moses and Aaron as part of Korah’s band when they agitated against G-d.	וּבְנֵי אֱלִיאָב … אֲשֶׁר הִצּוּ עַל־מֹשֶׁה וְעַל־אַהֲרֹן בַּעֲדַת־קֹרַח בְּהַצֹּתָם עַל־ה’׃
26:10	Whereupon the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with Korah—when that band died, when the fire consumed the two hundred and fifty men—and they became an example.	וַתִּפְתַּח הָאָרֶץ אֶת־פִּיהָ וַתִּבְלַע אֹתָם וְאֶת־קֹרַח בְּמוֹת הָעֵדָה בַּאֲכֹל הָאֵשׁ אֵת חֲמִשִּׁים וּמָאתַיִם אִישׁ וַיִּהְיוּ לְנֵס׃
26:11	The sons of Korah, however, did not die.	וּבְנֵי־קֹרַח לֹא־מֵתוּ׃ {ס}
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26:33	Now Tzlofchad son of Hepher had no sons, only daughters. The names of Tzlofchad’s daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.—	וּצְלׇפְחָד בֶּן־חֵפֶר לֹא־הָיוּ לוֹ בָּנִים כִּי אִם־בָּנוֹת וְשֵׁם בְּנוֹת צְלׇפְחָד מַחְלָה וְנֹעָה חׇגְלָה מִלְכָּה וְתִרְצָה׃
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26:52	G-d spoke to Moses, saying,	וַיְדַבֵּר ה’ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר׃
26:53	“Among these shall the land be apportioned as shares, according to the listed names:	לָאֵלֶּה תֵּחָלֵק הָאָרֶץ בְּנַחֲלָה בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת׃
26:54	with larger groups increase the share, with smaller groups reduce the share. Each is to be assigned its share according to its enrollment.	לָרַב תַּרְבֶּה נַחֲלָתוֹ וְלַמְעַט תַּמְעִיט נַחֲלָתוֹ אִישׁ לְפִי פְקֻדָיו יֻתַּן נַחֲלָתוֹ׃
26:55	The land, moreover, is to be apportioned by lot; and the allotment shall be made according to the listings of their ancestral tribes.	אַךְ־בְּגוֹרָל יֵחָלֵק אֶת־הָאָרֶץ לִשְׁמוֹת מַטּוֹת־אֲבֹתָם יִנְחָלוּ׃
26:56	Each portion shall be assigned by lot, whether for larger or smaller groups.”	עַל־פִּי הַגּוֹרָל תֵּחָלֵק נַחֲלָתוֹ בֵּין רַב לִמְעָט׃ {ס}
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26:63	These are the males enrolled by Moses and Eleazar the priest who registered the Israelites on the steppes of Moab, at the Jordan near Jericho.	אֵלֶּה פְּקוּדֵי מֹשֶׁה וְאֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן אֲשֶׁר פָּקְדוּ אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעַרְבֹת מוֹאָב עַל יַרְדֵּן יְרֵחוֹ׃
26:64	Among these there was not one of those enrolled by Moses and Aaron the priest when they recorded the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai.	וּבְאֵלֶּה לֹא־הָיָה אִישׁ מִפְּקוּדֵי מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן אֲשֶׁר פָּקְדוּ אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִדְבַּר סִינָי׃
26:65	For G-d had said of them, “They shall die in the wilderness.” Not one of them survived, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.	כִּי־אָמַר ה’ לָהֶם מוֹת יָמֻתוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר וְלֹא־נוֹתַר מֵהֶם אִישׁ כִּי אִם־כָּלֵב בֶּן־יְפֻנֶּה וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן־נוּן׃ {ס}
26:66	The daughters of Tzlofchad, of Manassite family—son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh son of Joseph—came forward. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.	וַתִּקְרַבְנָה בְּנוֹת צְלׇפְחָד בֶּן־חֵפֶר בֶּן־גִּלְעָד בֶּן־מָכִיר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁה לְמִשְׁפְּחֹת מְנַשֶּׁה בֶן־יוֹסֵף וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֹתָיו מַחְלָה נֹעָה וְחׇגְלָה וּמִלְכָּה וְתִרְצָה׃
26:67	They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the chieftains, and the whole assembly, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and they said,	וַתַּעֲמֹדְנָה לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה וְלִפְנֵי אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן וְלִפְנֵי הַנְּשִׂיאִם וְכׇל־הָעֵדָה פֶּתַח אֹהֶל־מוֹעֵד לֵאמֹר׃
26:68	“Our father died in the wilderness. He was not one of the faction, Korah’s faction, which banded together against G-d, but died for his own sin; and he has left no sons.	אָבִינוּ מֵת בַּמִּדְבָּר וְהוּא לֹא־הָיָה בְּתוֹךְ הָעֵדָה הַנּוֹעָדִים עַל־ה’ בַּעֲדַת־קֹרַח כִּי־בְחֶטְאוֹ מֵת וּבָנִים לֹא־הָיוּ לוֹ׃
26:69	Let not our father’s name be lost to his clan just because he had no son! Give us a holding among our father’s kinsmen!”	לָמָּה יִגָּרַע שֵׁם־אָבִינוּ מִתּוֹךְ מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ כִּי אֵין לוֹ בֵּן תְּנָה־לָּנוּ אֲחֻזָּה בְּתוֹךְ אֲחֵי אָבִינוּ׃
26:70	Moses brought their case before G-d.	וַיַּקְרֵב מֹשֶׁה אֶת־מִשְׁפָּטָן לִפְנֵי ה’׃ {פ}
26:71	And G-d said to Moses,	וַיֹּאמֶר ה’ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר׃
26:72	“The plea of Tzlofchad’s daughters is just: you should give them a hereditary holding among their father’s kinsmen; transfer their father’s share to them.	כֵּן בְּנוֹת צְלׇפְחָד דֹּבְרֹת נָתֹן תִּתֵּן לָהֶם אֲחֻזַּת נַחֲלָה בְּתוֹךְ אֲחֵי אֲבִיהֶם וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ אֶת־נַחֲלַת אֲבִיהֶן לָהֶן׃
26:73	“Further, speak to the Israelite people as follows: ‘If a householder dies without leaving a son, you shall transfer his property to his daughter.	וְאֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּדַבֵּר לֵאמֹר אִישׁ כִּי־יָמוּת וּבֵן אֵין לוֹ וְהַעֲבַרְתֶּם אֶת־נַחֲלָתוֹ לְבִתּוֹ׃
26:74	If he has no daughter, you shall assign his property to his brothers.	וְאִם־אֵין לוֹ בַּת וּנְתַתֶּם אֶת־נַחֲלָתוֹ לְאֶחָיו׃
26:75	If he has no brothers, you shall assign his property to his father’s brothers.	וְאִם־אֵין לוֹ אַחִים וּנְתַתֶּם אֶת־נַחֲלָתוֹ לַאֲחֵי אָבִיו׃
26:76	If his father had no brothers, you shall assign his property to his nearest relative in his own clan, who shall inherit it.’ This shall be the law of procedure for the Israelites, in accordance with G-d’s command to Moses.”	וְאִם־אֵין אַחִים לְאָבִיו וּנְתַתֶּם אֶת־נַחֲלָתוֹ לִשְׁאֵרוֹ הַקָּרֹב אֵלָיו מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ וְיָרַשׁ אֹתָהּ וְהָיְתָה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְחֻקַּת מִשְׁפָּט כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה’ אֶת־מֹשֶׁה׃ {פ}

Ingredients as Shown:

• 6 mini bear-shaped animal crackers
• Fruit leather (1 or more colors, can be shared)
• 7 mini marshmallows

Tools:

• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Snap ears off of 5 of the bear-shaped crackers (so the “hair” fits better). Cut a piece of fruit leather to desired size to make “hair” for 5 of the bear-shaped crackers, or, alternatively, to make headscarves, as you desire.

2. Fold and press fruit leather, sticky side touching the cracker, so to desired shape.

3. Repeat so that you have 5 women.

4. Take one mini marshmallow. Cut off a thin part of one end, poke a hole to form a “mouth,” and press onto the remaining bear-shaped cookie. Cut off a thin part of the other end and press on to the head to form a head covering.

5. Taking one mini marshmallow at a time, cut each in half and press the sticky part on either side of a character so that they stand. Repeat until each character can stand upright.