Pinchas saw an outrageous act of moral turpitude and took decisive action, meting out the ultimate punishment to the two perpetrators. He was rewarded with the Kehunah, Priesthood, the covenant of peace. Upon taking a closer look at the reward, a striking contrast is evident between Pinchas’ response to the sin and the reward that he received. To act zealously, risking one’s life, demands a strong element of the middah, attribute, of gevurah, strength/discipline and strict judgment. The reward of a covenant of peace is reflective of the attribute of chesed, kindness. Why would an act of zealousness be rewarded with peace? How does gevurah align with chesed? Simply, true peace can only be achieved once evil is expunged. If unchecked, corruption spreads, causing great harm. By acting decisively, Pinchas restored harmony to Klal Yisrael. This explains how gevurah is used to achieve chesed. The Nesivos Sholom explains that actually Pinchas’ zealotry was an act of chesed – not gevurah. Vayaar Pinchas – Pinchas saw – the degradation and utter humiliation of the Jewish people. Zimri’s public violation of the moral code disgraced, not only himself, but Klal Yisrael as well. Our people are a holy nation, and, when we display such an act of defilement publicly, it impugns our sanctity. Pinchas could not tolerate the shame that was heaped on Klal Yisrael, so he risked his life to stop the blatant chillul Hashem, disgrace of Hashem. By doing so, he was able to revitalize Klal Yisrael’s esteem. His sense of caring, his empathy, his pain over the nation’s plummeting to an unprecedented level of shame, was an expression of a pure and loving heart. He loved Klal Yisrael. Thus, it hurt him to see them like this. As a result, Pinchas’ act was one of chesed, kindness, manifested in order to save the nation from the abyss into which they had descended. Thus, the Torah underscores his lineage back to Aharon HaKohen, who personified chesed in his relationship with the nation. On the surface, Pinchas appeared to be gevurah – motivated. Hashem intervened and informed the nation that Pinchas’ actions exemplified chesed at its apex.
The Rebbe adds that Pinchas is Eliyahu HaNavi, who is the symbol of chesed, the one who always seeks to defend and advocate merit on behalf of Klal Yisrael. How does one (so to speak) achieve malach, angel, status? Pinchas/Eliyahu lived for others, which is what chesed is all about. One who self-abnegates in order to help others, divests himself of self, resulting in a spiritual persona, albeit in physical form. Thus, Hashem awarded Pinchas the covenant of peace.
