Parashat: Pincus

Parashat: Pincus
Numbers 25:10–30:1

“The name of Asher’s daughter was Serach”

— Numbers 26:46

This verse is in the middle of a chapter that is a second census of the Israelites, this time of the new generation ready to go into the land. Every name mentioned except in this verse is a male name, a leader of a clan of the Israelites. The inclusion of a female name here stands out and makes one wonder what her extraordinary merit was. A midrash says that she merited her long life because she was the one who knew how to tell her grandfather Jacob that Joseph was, indeed, still alive, and do so in a way that didn’t kill him. Her soft tone and sing song voice gave him news that while happy on its surface was bound to stir up deep emotions and even anger. The ability to share such news in a way that was kind, but truthful, is a quality the Torah wishes us to emulate by continuing to include her name in this list.

— Rabbi Daniel Plotkin