בנות צלפחד

There is an interesting Midrash of the ספרי, related to the daughters of צלפחד. When they heard that the land was being divided to the male members of the tribe, and not the females, they said the following:

“The mercy of בשר ודם, flesh and blood, is not like the mercy of Hashem. The nature of flesh and blood favors the males more than the females. But the mercy of Hashem is upon everyone, as it is written, “ורחמיו על כל מעשיו״,” and His mercy is on all of his creation.

The תורה תמימה elaborates by saying that they were referring to several laws. If there is a situation of saving a man or a woman, the man comes first. Man is sanctified with more Mitzvot than a woman. And it’s also written, “Happy is the man whose sons are male.”

It looks as though בנות צלפחד were the first women to protest apparent inequality between men and women. This is only a Midrash but could be emphasizing the importance of understanding that men and women are equal in Hashem’s eyes. It’s only that he has given different roles for each of them. These roles do not mean superiority for either one.