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Shabbat Parashat Pinchas 5783

Parashat Hashavua: War and Peace

Harav Yosef Carmel

Not only should the righteous receive reward for their actions, but it is proper that the reward fit the actions!

We know that David Hamelech was unable to build the Beit Hamikdash (according to Divrei Hayamim I:28:3) because he shed blood – even though that was in the context of just wars. We also find that metal tools could not be used in the building of the altar (Shemot 20:21) because of the lack of harmony between an altar, which exists to lengthen people’s lives, and metal, which so often shortens people’s lives.

Nevertheless, Pinchas received a surprising reward for his zealotry. He killed Zimri and Kozbi, who had been publicly sinning together, and received the ability to serve as a kohen (according to one opinion, this had eluded him because he failed the chronological requirements of the first generations of kohanim (see Zevachim 111b)). Even if Pinchas’ zealotry was praiseworthy, is receiving the honor that enables him to help bring atonement for others, the appropriate reward?

First, we should notice that the Torah stresses that the direct result of Pinchas’ zealousness was life rather than death. The pasuk says: “He stabbed both of them … and the plague ceased” (Bamidbar 25:8). Likewise, in p’sukim 11 & 13 Pinchas is described as the one who “atoned for Bnei Yisrael,” so that kehuna is an appropriate task for him.

We can still ask whether Pinchas’ zealousness did not have an element of violence to it. The Netziv notes that Pinchas was blessed with a covenant of peace (ibid. 12), whose role it was to protect him from any influence of the negative elements of violence that can be expected even when its context was proper.

But why did Pinchas deserve this unusual type of protection? The Netziv infers from the p’sukim’s description of Pinchas’ zealousness that it was done totally and only for the sake of Heaven. But what does that mean? Would we have expected that Pinchas had some type of old ax to grind with Zimri?!

If a regular righteous person acts forcefully to a desecration of Hashem’s Name, certainly his essential motivation is for Heaven’s sake. However, on some level, part of his reaction is in the inner feeling that an affront to his religion is an affront to him. It is, therefore, difficult to testify about him that he acted like Pinchas – bereft of all personal interest.

Since we are not on the level of Pinchas, we must always recognize the likelihood of the infiltration of personal interest into our reactions and therefore weigh and reweigh whether they are appropriate. Let us always try to strengthen the side of “for Heaven’s sake” over that of personal interest. (In the past, we saw that even under these ideal circumstances, Pinchas’ actions did cause him significant negative results.)

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Dedication

We daven for a complete and speedy refuah for:

Nir Rephael ben Rachel Bracha
Ori Leah bat Chaya Temima

Arye Yitzchak ben Geula Miriam

Neta bat Malka

Meira bat Esther
Yerachmiel ben Zlotta Rivka

Together with all cholei Yisrael


Hemdat Yamim is dedicated

to the memory of:

Those who fell in wars

for our homeland

 

Prof. Yisrael Aharoni z"l

Kislev 14, 5783

 

Rav Shlomo Merzel z”l
Iyar 10, 5771


Rav
 Reuven & Chaya Leah Aberman z"l
Tishrei 9
 ,5776 / Tishrei 20, 5782

 

Mr. Shmuel & Esther Shemesh z"l

Sivan 17 / Av 20

 

Mr. Moshe Wasserzug z"l

Tishrei 20 ,5781

 

R' Eliyahu Carmel z"l

Rav Carmel's father

Iyar 8 ,5776

 

MrsSara Wengrowsky

bat R’ Moshe Zev a”h.

Tamuz 10 ,5774

 

Rav Asher & Susan Wasserteil z"l
Kislev 9 / Elul 5780

 

R' Meir ben

Yechezkel Shraga Brachfeld z"l

&

MrsSara Brachfeld z"l

Tevet 16 ,5780

 

R 'Yaakov ben Abraham & Aisha

and

Chana bat Yaish & Simcha

Sebbag, z"l

 

Rav Yisrael Rozen z"l
Cheshvan 13, 5778

 

Rav Benzion Grossman z"l
Tamuz 23, 5777

 

R' Abraham & Gita Klein z"l

Iyar 18,  /5779Av 4

 

Rav Moshe Zvi (Milton) Polin z"l
Tammuz 19, 5778

 

R' Yitzchak Zev Tarshansky z"l

Adar 28, 5781

 

Nina Moinester z"l

Nechama Osna bat Yitzhak Aharon & Doba

Av 30, 5781

 

Rabbi Dr. Jerry Hochbaum z"l

Adar II 17, 5782

 

Mrs. Julia Koschitzky z"l

Adar II 18, 5782

 

Mrs. Leah Meyer z"l

Nisan 27, 5782

 

Mr. Shmuel & Rivka Brandman z"l

Tevet 16 5783/ Iyar 8, 5781

 

Mina Presser

bat Harav David and Bina

Tammuz 24

and members of her family

who perished in the shoah

Al Kiddush Hashem


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