Later this summer, Jews around the world will be learning about Parshat Pinchas. While it would be better for me to comment on this parsha in July, Isi Leibler’s recent column denouncing the Jewish Agency for having “sidelined aliya from being a primary objective” makes it impossible for me to wait.

In the parsha, the five daughters of Zelophehad appeal to G-d to allow them to receive their rightful inheritance, even though they were women and, also, Moses did not hold their father in the highest esteem. Nevertheless, G-d looked at the daughters’ case objectively and decided in their favor, indicating that neither their status as women nor any misdeeds of their father should prevent them from obtaining what was rightfully theirs. Read more