Pinchas
Numbers 25:10–30:1
By Jen Smith, Guest Torah Blogger
This week’s Torah portion, Parsha Pinchas, is full of dramatic events and profound lessons. Named after the grandson of Aaron the High Priest, this portion highlights themes of zealotry, divine reward, true leadership, and ultimately, the continuity of the Jewish people. Heavy stuff!
After witnessing an Israelite man and a Midianite woman engaged in…um…a morally questionable action that resulted in the spread of a plague among the Israelites, Pinchas takes immediate action and kills them both. Pinchas’ action halts the plague, and God rewards him with a “covenant of peace” and grants Pinchas and his descendants the priesthood.
Wait – what? Are we to be rewarded when we commit murder, regardless of the circumstances? Is zealotry the same as righteousness? Pinchas’ actions are extreme. However, the Torah instead focuses on Pinchas’s intentions: to preserve the sanctity and holiness of the Israelite community. When God rewards Pinchas, we learn more about the importance of righteous zealotry when it is directed to upholding divine values and the integrity of the community.
Beyond the immediate narrative, Pinchas offers us several key lessons:
- Zealotry and Intentions
Pinchas’s story teaches us that zealotry is not inherently virtuous or condemnable. Instead, the Torah highlights the value of zealotry is determined by the motivating intentions and the outcomes it seeks to achieve. Pinchas acted not out of personal vendetta but out of a deep commitment to God’s covenant and the well-being of his people. His actions were a response to a direct threat to the spiritual and physical health of the Israelites. This highlights the importance of examining our motivations and ensuring that our actions, especially those driven by passion, are aligned with ethical and divine principles.
- Leadership and Responsibility
Pinchas’s act of zealotry also underscores the role of leadership and responsibility. Leaders often face situations that require decisive and sometimes unpopular actions. True leadership involves making tough decisions that serve the greater good, even at personal risk. Pinchas’s bravery and willingness to act in a moment of crisis demonstrate a key quality of leadership: the courage to stand up for what is right, especially when it is most difficult.
- The Covenant of Peace
It may seem strange that God rewards Pinchas for such a violent act by granting him a “covenant of peace.” Though paradoxical at first reading, maybe the Torah is highlighting a profound universal truth: peace is not merely the absence of conflict, but also the presence of justice and righteousness. True peace often requires confrontation when addressing transgressions. By taking a stand against immoral behavior threatening the community, Pinchas helps restore peace and secures divine favor to the Israelites. From this, we learn that working towards peace can sometimes necessitate active, even forceful, measures to uphold justice. This is something we can see playing out on the world stage as well.
- Continuity and Legacy
Parsha Pinchas also deals with issues of continuity and legacy. It includes the census of the Israelite tribes and the preparation for entering the Promised Land. Additionally, it details the laws of inheritance, including the case of the daughters of Zelophehad, who skillfully and successfully advocate for their right to inherit their father’s property. These narratives remind us of the importance of ensuring that each member of the community has a role within the context of the community’s collective future and underscore the importance of building out own legacies upon the foundational principles of justice, equity, and inclusion.
The case of the daughters of Zelophehad is a powerful example of advocacy and change within the framework of Torah law. Their successful petition to Moses and God speaks to the ultimate flexibility of God and Torah, both allowing for progress and adaptation. This “divine flexibility” is what I love most – it is a beautiful reminder of our living Torah.
May we strive to act with pure intentions, take responsibility for ourselves and our community in moments of crisis, work towards true and lasting peace, and advocate for what is right. In doing so, we honor the legacy of Pinchas and the everlasting values of our Torah.
Shabbat Shalom!