On one hand, living in a country that has had its independence now for two and a half centuries, it can be hard to even understand the meaning of that independence when it was first gained. But on the other hand, breaking free from governing systems that have lacked basic participation and representation of the people being governed has been an ongoing journey for the entirety of our country’s history. Huge swaths of the population of the US have had to fight from the beginning for basic rights to participate in shaping our policies and legal systems. This ongoing fight for inclusion, equality and full implementation of democratic principles is not an anomaly of our history but a defining part of it.
Judaism too is an ongoing, ever-developing practice and system based on principles that are not always fully implemented. In parashat Pinchas, which we read this week, a man has died, leaving five daughters and no sons. (Numbers 27:1-11) Since the inheritance laws in operation at the time in the story deny women the right to inherit their family’s land, the women and their descendants face the possibility of losing their family’s land altogether. So the daughters confront Moses and the other men in leadership of the community to demand a change in policy to address their situation. Moses brings the case to God, who agrees with the daughters – this despite that God and Moses are the source of the original framework. This ability to change is central to our ability to survive and thrive as a people and a system of communal practice and policy.
As we enter July 4th weekend, parashat Pinchas reminds us that the unfolding of communal change is not something to view only as spectators. Jewish life and life in our great and troubled country both demand fresh thought and the fulfillment of responsibility, even as they offer us the fulfillment that goes with them.
Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller
Pinchas (Numbers 25:10-30:1) Torah Reading July 4, 2026
July 10, 2026 by Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller • D'var Torah, Julie Saxe-Taller
On one hand, living in a country that has had its independence now for two and a half centuries, it can be hard to even understand the meaning of that independence when it was first gained. But on the other hand, breaking free from governing systems that have lacked basic participation and representation of the people being governed has been an ongoing journey for the entirety of our country’s history. Huge swaths of the population of the US have had to fight from the beginning for basic rights to participate in shaping our policies and legal systems. This ongoing fight for inclusion, equality and full implementation of democratic principles is not an anomaly of our history but a defining part of it.
Judaism too is an ongoing, ever-developing practice and system based on principles that are not always fully implemented. In parashat Pinchas, which we read this week, a man has died, leaving five daughters and no sons. (Numbers 27:1-11) Since the inheritance laws in operation at the time in the story deny women the right to inherit their family’s land, the women and their descendants face the possibility of losing their family’s land altogether. So the daughters confront Moses and the other men in leadership of the community to demand a change in policy to address their situation. Moses brings the case to God, who agrees with the daughters – this despite that God and Moses are the source of the original framework. This ability to change is central to our ability to survive and thrive as a people and a system of communal practice and policy.
As we enter July 4th weekend, parashat Pinchas reminds us that the unfolding of communal change is not something to view only as spectators. Jewish life and life in our great and troubled country both demand fresh thought and the fulfillment of responsibility, even as they offer us the fulfillment that goes with them.
Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller