Parashat Pinchas (Numbers 25:10 - 27:23)

by Rabbi Kathleen de Magtige-Middleton

Summary:

The portion derives its name from the story of Pinchas, grandson of Aaron the High Priest who kills an Israelite man and a Moabite woman for their immoral behaviour. Most specifics of the story can be found at the end of the previous sidra. Our sidra recounts Pinchas’ reward for his violent act.  Afterwards a census is taken of the people, according to clan. The Levites and Aaronites are counted separately, for they will not posses any land after the conquest of the Promised Land. The five daughters of Zelophehad, of the tribe of Joseph, file a complaint with Moses. Since their father died without a male heir, they demanded a holding, so as to perpetuate their father’s name. After interlocution with the Eternal One, Moses allows the women the right to inherit land in the case where there is no male heir.

Moses is commanded by God to climb Mount Abarim, to view the Promised Land, and to hand over command to Joshua bin Nun. The sidra ends with a list of sacrificial laws.

Commentary:

The story of Pinchas is shocking in many respects; it is a story of sexual immorality and violent zealousness. The narrative is a little cryptic, and therefore it isn’t quite clear what exactly the Israelite Zimri and the Midianite Cozbi were doing. However, tradition is adamant that Pinchas killed Zimri and Cozbi in one go, while they were together in their shameless sexual activity.

The Talmud, clearly struggles with this story, and particularly with the Scriptural approval of Pinchas’ zealousness. According to Rabbi Chizkiah (Sanhedrin 82a) the action of a zealot like Pinchas is only permitted on the spur of the moment, from sacred indignation, at seeing a sin committed. He also added that such an action would not have been permitted after careful reflection, nor would it have been permitted after Zimri withdrew from his act of forbidden sexual relations. In other words, zealous acts such as Pinchas’ acts could only be accepted as a religious crime passionelle – out of a passion for God and a wish to eradicate sin. The Talmud further points out that in his act Pinchas had taken his own life in his hands because had Zimri defended himself, he would not have been persecuted for Pinchas would have been considered the aggressor.

The Jerusalem Talmud (Sanhedrin 9:7) condemned Pinchas’ act and zealous behaviour in general. Nevertheless is Pinchas’ not generally condemned in tradition (nor is his act condemned by God in our portion); Based on Judges 21:9 he has rather become known an authority who brought reconciliation among the tribes. The Midrash describes him as ‘a zealot, the son of a zealot (referring to his ancestor Levi, who had shown his zeal when his sister Dinah had been abducted and abused), and a conciliator, the son of a conciliator (for he was the grandson of Aaron, who according to tradition was known to be a conciliator, as he calmed God’s wrath after Korach’s revolt). Aaron, according to the Mishnah (Avot 1:12) is the epitome of someone who loves peace and pursue peace – his grandson Pinchas was at the same time someone who followed in his footsteps and the opposite extreme, and even his conciliatory nature remained tinted by his zealousness and the concept of zealousness.

The rabbis struggled greatly with the concept of zealousness, and much of their struggle is based on the story of Pinchas. They decided that zealots will not be able to institute peace, unless at the end of time, because they pursue their goal with violence. Even though they may be acknowledged by the Eternal One as in our portion, they are rejected by man. Thus their peace is a broken peace, and that is why the word shalom (peace) in verse 12 is written in the Torah with a broken vav.

There may be times in which peace can only be achieved by means of violence, sometimes wars and killing is justified, because there are no other means to establish peace. But such a peace comes inevitably with a price – the price of a broken peace, a peace of suffering and loss, a peace that must be mended and healed with time and the endless pursuit of goodness.

Rabbi Kathleen de Magtige-Middleton