Parashat Pinchas

Parashat Pinchas
Tammuz 14, 5771 ~ July 16, 2011
by Josh Offenberg

At the end of last week's Parsha, Parshat Balak, there was a plague that was caused by the fact that the Jewish people were starting to worship the Midianite idol, Baal Peor, by going to the bathroom on it (strange method of worship, don't you think?).

Then we meet Pinchas, who stopped the plague when he saw a Midianite princess with a Jewish prince in front of everyone. He took a spear in his hands, followed them into their tent, and killed them. In this week's Parsha, Parshat Pinchas, Pinchas is given the covenant of peace and priesthood as a reward for his actions. Why? How could Pinchas be given the covenant of peace in stopping the plague by killing two people? Is that peace?

It says in Bemidbar 25:13 that he received this covenant because he took vengeance and atoned for the people. Priests get forgiveness for the children of Israel, so that fits with his reward, but where does the vengeance play a role? And still, Pinchas killed two people, how is that vengeance?

The Hebrew word for vengeance is Kin'ah, which really means jealousy. True jealousy is 'a person's reaction when he finds that another is taking something that is rightly his.' (Based on Artscroll's Stone Chumash commentary) Hashem had a special connection with His chosen people. This connection was being challenged and Pinchas defended it by doing what he did.

Still, how is this connected to the gift of priesthood? Why doesn't Pinchas just receive a check in the mail or a medal of honor?

There are two different definitions of peace. One is serenity, tranquility, and mental calm. The second is freedom from or the cessation of war or violence. Which one was Pinchas involved in? Certainly not the second, as he was involved in violence.

What is the connection to Priesthood? What is a priest? For one thing they teach. They also pray and bring the sacrifices. They clean up the garbage in the Temple. How did they get to be in this position?

Aharon was the first priest. He built the golden calf. Why? Because the people forced him to. Why'd he do it? He was trying to keep them calm. This sounds a lot like the first definition that we had for peace.

Later in the golden calf story Moshe came down the mountain and asked, "Who is for Hashem?" The Levites got up and killed anybody, even their friends, brothers, and neighbors, who were involved in the episode of the golden calf.

In Pirkei Avot 1:12 it says that the students of Aharon love peace and pursue peace, love people and bring them closer to Torah. We see from here that peace leads to Torah.

The priests are the defenders of Hashem's relationship with His people. We see that the priests/kohanim are involved in bringing people closer to the Torah, to Hashem, through peace/priesthood.

The reason Pinchas received the covenant of peace and priesthood is that through his actions he brought back a certain calm to the situation and defended Hashem's connection with the Jewish people, even if it meant having to 'take out the garbage.'