A Taste of Torah - Pinchas

This week's Torah portion, Parashat Pinchas, includes the case of the daughters of Zelophehad, who are Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah. When their father dies, the five of them bring their case before Moses to see if in spite of the fact that they don't have brothers, that they should be able to inherit their father's land. Up until this point, only men could inherit from their families when others died. Moses, not sure of what to do, brings their case before God. God sides with Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah and says that they should be able to inherit.

Because of the daughters of Zelophehad, there is a step in the right direction towards equality among men and women in Jewish tradition. Since them, more has been done, but there's still a lot to do. There are still ways in which we need to ensure equality among men and women, even in Reform Judaism.