PINCHAS —
“It’s not fair” is a refrain we often hear from children. A child may be jealous of what a friend has or may think he or she should have been chosen for a position on a sports team. Although most of us eventually stop whining, deep down we do think in terms of what is fair.
In this week’s Torah portion we meet Zelophehad, who died before the Jews arrived in the land of Israel. His four daughters were concerned that his portion of the land would be lost because he had no sons. They objected, saying it’s unfair that women cannot inherit their father’s land. Moses asked God what to do, and God felt the women’s request was fair. Thousands of years ago the entire section of Jewish inheritance law was changed to reflect fairness and dedicated to the daughters of Zelophehad.
Much of our engagement with the world around us arises from our sense of fairness. It is because we believe in fairness that we expect our hard work to translate into success. We often choose to step in to correct something that we believe is wrong, either by getting involved in a charitable cause or in community activism. It’s our sense of fairness telling us that the world can be a better place.
TALK TO YOUR KIDS about being open to fairness and how it makes a better world.
CONNECT TO THEIR LIVES:
- Is it fair that some people are tall and some short?
- What is the difference between fairness and equality?
- Describe something around you that seems unfair.
- How does fairness help create a better world?
By Rabbi Moshe Becker
Values & Ethics—Through a Jewish Lens is created by Fred and Joyce Claar to bring the wisdom of Judaism into family discussions.
