Parsha Pinchas 5765: On Zealousness.

   By Moshe Burt


We learn about the root for the momentus event of Pinchas' zealous act against Zimri and Kosbi from an obscure posuk in Parsha Ki Tisa.  "Vet Aaron v'et banav timshach v'kiddashtah otam l'Cohen Li"  -- Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu; "You shall annoint Aaron and his sons and sanctify them as priests unto me."  And we ask, What happened to that Pinchas ben Elazar ben Aaron Ha Kohen. 

Our Parsha relates that "Hashem spoke to Moshe saying: Pinchas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron HaKohen, turned back my wrath from upon the B'nai Yisrael, when he zealously avenged Me among them, so that I did not consume the B'nai Yisrael in My vengeance.  Therefore, say: Behold!  I give him My covenant of peace.  And it shall be for him  and his offspring after him a covenant of eternal priesthood, because he took vengeance for his G'd, and he atoned for the B'nai Yisrael."  (Parsha Bamidbar, Perek 25, posukim 10 - 13)

And we find out that there are two ways to understand these posukim.  One way is that Pinchas ben Elazar didn't get "grandfathered in" to the Kehunah at the time of Matan Torah.  Here we learn that, unlike the other Kohanim descended fom the sons of Aaron post-Matan Torah who received the Kehunah as an automatic birthright, Pinchas only gained the eternal Kehunah on the merit of his act against Zimri and Kasbi before the eyes of the Assembly, his sanctification and preservation of the Kedusha of Hashem.  The second way of understanding is that Pinchas, while being a Kohen, was zocha to rise to the position of Kohen Godol succeeding his Father, Elazar and from his seed would come the future Kehunah.

The Sefas Emes asks on the "... covenant of eternal priesthood...", "What is the measure for measure in this?  The reason is that there were many among the B'nai Yisrael who were ashamed at Zimri's deed, but did not do anything about it until Pinchas arose.  In this, Pinchas' action was similar to that of the Kohanim.  Therefore, it was measure for measure that he deserved to become the Kohen Godol." (Torah Gems, Aharon Yaakov Greenberg, Parsha Pinchas, page 135.)

There is another quote on "... My Covenant of peace..." from Y. Eiger, The word for peace, 'Shalom' is related to the word 'shalem,' perfect. A zealot must be perfect, without blemish, before acting."  (Torah Gems, Aharon Yaakov Greenberg, Parsha Pinchas, page 135.)

Again, as has been said previously, Hashem has the potion, the kli for rectification and preservation of His Name in place, before the Chait, before B'nai Yisrael is stricken with the disease of impurity of the avodah zora, the Ba'al Pe'or. 

And later in history, we learn in Megilat Esther that the cure -- Esther HaMalka and Mordechai HaYehudi are already in place to act to rectify impurity, to save B'nai Yisrael as the drama of Haman's Gezeira Ra'ah against the B'nai Yisrael is played out.

To fast-forward to present day, may those, albeit not on a level of perfection of a Pinchas, who rush to Gush Katif, to Netivot, to Kfar Maimon, etc. in order to help break an evil government's seige of it's fellows Jews and who act to prevent an expulsion of Jews from their homes and neighborhoods and who act in ways to save B'nai Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael from a Gezeira of the evil, dictatorial government also merit to act collectively al Kiddush Hashem based on their unity of action and purity of intent.  For the battle against expulsion of our fellow Jews from their homes and communities in Eretz Yisrael is a historic and quintessential confrontation between good and the misguided or evil, between Judaism and Israeli'ism.  Hanging in the balance is the good and welfare of, as well as possibly the very survival of B'nai Yisrael and the continuity of the divine link between The Jews The Land of Israel.

B'Ezrat Hashem, may it be that come this Rosh Hashanah, we pray thanks to Hashem for the Ge’ula Shlaima and for keeping our Brethren in Gush Katif and in the Shomron in their homes and neighborhoods and away from the horror and Chillul Hashem of expulsion.   And may we soon see freedom and long life in Eretz Yisrael for Jonathan Pollard.

May we see the “Yom Hashem Al Kol HaGoyim,” Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!

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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of the Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh