Thought for the Week: Holding On, Letting Go
There are moments in life that ask us to hold on and to let go at the very same time.
Inheritance and succession are two powerful themes woven through this week’s Torah portion, Parashat Pinchas.
As Moses prepares to divide the Land among the tribes and families of Israel, he is approached by the daughters of Zelophehad, who petition for a more egalitarian model of inheritance. Their father has died without leaving male heirs, and, not wishing for their “father’s name to be lost,” they plead for “a hereditary holding among their father’s kinsmen.” In a society where property was typically passed exclusively from father to son, the introduction of this new law, uttered by God no less, is all the more remarkable.
Yet inheritance is about more than land or possessions. It is also the transmission of values, identity and pride from one generation to the next: the intangible legacy that shapes who we are and who we become.
Just a few paragraphs later, we learn that Joshua, son of Nun, is chosen to succeed Moses as the leader of the Jewish people as they prepare to enter the Land of Israel. At this moment in the narrative, it is hard not to feel a sense of poignancy for Moses, a man who has devoted his entire life to divine service and to the growth of the people, and who now faces the beginning of the end of his leadership. And yet, alongside that sadness, there is also celebration: the appointment of Joshua and the promise that the Israelites will continue to grow and flourish, perhaps reaching even greater heights under new leadership.
Succession, like inheritance, is about transition; the passing of something precious from one to another. It is perhaps no coincidence that these two ideas sit so closely together in our Torah portion.
Inheritance and succession often stir mixed emotions: sadness for what has ended, but also gratitude for what has been, and hope for what may yet be.
We live in times that feel both rapid and relentless in their change. Our challenge is to hold both what was and what will be, to honour the past while embracing the future. Indeed, one might say this lies at the very heart of what it means to be a Progressive Jew.
As we enter Shabbat, we pause to reflect on the week that was, even as we look ahead to the possibilities of the days to come. May we have the wisdom to hold gently to what was, and step bravely toward what will be.
Kein yehi ratzon – may this be God’s will.
Shabbat shalom
- Rabbi DY (David‑Yehuda) Stern serves Radlett Reform Synagogue