עיצה טובה

The Book of Bamidbar ends with an amendment to the claim of the daughters of צלפחד. After they were granted a portion to the Land of Israel, since there were no male heirs, other tribal members, filed a complaint.

They felt that should these women marry outside of their tribe, their inheritance could end up going to another tribe, and the size of that tribe would diminish.

The Gemara in בבא בתרא clarifies that although the daughters of צלפחד did choose to marry within their tribe, they were not obligated to do so.

The ruling was considered עצה טובה, good advice, in order to maintain the peace within the family. There was no actual prohibition to marry outside the tribe.

We see from here why בנות צלפחד were seen as righteous women. Not only did they display a great love for the Land of Israel, but they also showed a sensitivity to the feelings of their extended family.

The concept of שלום בית, is not a small thing. It is important to go to great lengths to maintain the peace. There are often what appears to be small incidental points in the Torah, but they carry very important lessons.