Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 23:37:28 EDT
From: Nhlazl@aol.com

Rabbi Samet's discussion of the story of Bnot Tzelofchad, and the ensuing 
responses, were most insightful.  But there are are two underlying issues 
that do not seem to have been dealt with by any of the medieval commentators: 

1.  What if Tzelofchad's daughters had not asked the question?  What would 
the halacha have been?  There is one other time - dealing with the notion of 
Pesach Sheni - where Moshe is confronted with a challenge to an apparent 
inequity in the law.  What would have happened if members of Bnei Yisroel had 
questioned Moshe on other areas of the law (e.g., aguna)? 

2.  What is the significance of the story?  The halacha, cited at the end of 
the episode, could have easily been stated in an affirmative way, without the 
necessity of describing the process by which the halacha was determined?  
What, if anything, does the story tell us about the nature of halacha?

I would appreciate any thoughts or comments on these questions.

Nathan Lichtenstein
Skokie, Illinois

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I would suggest that the answer to both questions is implicit in the 
question. The development of Torah by question and answer, investigation 
and deduction, is essential to Torah. While Torah she-bichtav is God's 
direct word, it too shares with Torah she-baal peh the nature of a 
dialogue, and these two stories illustrate that.

Ezra Bick

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Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 12:50:38 -0400
From: richard_wolpoe@ibi.com

re:

>>1.  What if Tzelofchad's daughters had not asked the question?  What would 
>>the halacha have been?  There is one other time - dealing with the 
>>notion of 
>>Pesach Sheni - where Moshe is confronted with a challenge to an apparent 
>>inequity in the law.  What would have happened if members of Bnei 
>>Yisroel had questioned Moshe on other areas of the law (e.g., aguna)? 

>>Nathan Lichtenstein
>>Skokie, Illinois
>>=================================================================
>>I would suggest that the answer to both questions is implicit in the 
>>question. The development of Torah by question and answer, investigation 
>>and deduction, is essential to Torah. While Torah she-bichtav is God's 
>>direct word, it too shares with Torah she-baal peh the nature of a 
>>dialogue, and these two stories illustrate that.

>>Ezra Bick


Note that the same verb "Yigara" (or nigara) appear in Bonot Zlaphchad and 
Pesach Sheni.

Almost a "remez" that the Torah itself would have been "incomplete"  w/o 
this dialogue

Rich Wolpoe