נחמיה, פרק ג׳, פסוק י״ב

The massive project to restore the broken walls of Jerusalem moves steadily along the western side of the city, progressing from north to south between the ancient ovens and the valley [מלבי״ם]. Overseeing this specific section of the construction is Shallum, a prominent leader who governed the second half of the Jerusalem district [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Shallum is identified by a unique family designation, which has sparked different interpretations regarding his background. One tradition suggests this title points to his profession as a physician who healed people using whispered prayers or incantations [ר' סעדיה גאון]. Others view this designation not as a reference to a profession, but simply as a descriptive family title [אבן עזרא], or even as his actual given name [מלבי״ם].

A fascinating detail about Shallum's section of the wall is the specific mention of his daughters joining the effort. A straightforward understanding is that these women actively participated alongside their father, doing the physical labor required to build and fortify the stone structures [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רלב״ג]. However, another perspective suggests that Shallum had no sons, and his wealthy, respected daughters contributed by providing significant financial support and sending their household members to perform the actual labor [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. A completely different approach proposes that this group was not his biological family at all. Instead, the reference serves as a geographic description for the residents of the smaller surrounding towns and villages that fell under his district's jurisdiction, as it was common to describe the satellite communities of a major city as its daughters [רלב״ג].