With his remarkable act of zealotry in killing the two profligate perpetrators – Zimri and Cozbi — Pinchas turned the tide of blatant immorality and saved the nation from destruction. His proactive stand earned him a place in the Priesthood, such that eventually every Kohen Gadol would descend from his lineage. A leader is generally expected to be calm, deliberate, patient and decisive, reflecting deep sensitivity and empathy for the needs and emotions of every individual. Pinchas was less-than-passive, responding to the flagrant desecration of Hashem’s Name and Moshe’s leadership with deliberate decisiveness. This was a moment of urgency when diplomatic talks would simply not “cut it.” Someone had to take a stand and act. This does not necessarily mean that, under less extreme circumstances, Pinchas would not have been conciliatory and responsive to the gamut of human tempers and dispositions.
Pinchas was Eliyahu HaNavi. (A debate continues concerning who came first. One position asserts that Eliyahu was a malach, Heavenly angel, who, together with other angels, felt that Adam should not be created. Hashem sent him down to earth.) In any event, the Eliyahu at Har HaCarmel, who took decisive action against the false prophets of Baal, is none other than Pinchas. If so, based on Pinchas/Eliyahu’s track record, we wonder why Hashem chose Eliyahu HaNavi to “restore the heart of fathers to children and the hearts of children to fathers” (Malachi 4:24). This, of course, is a reference to reuniting the estranged Jews with their Father in Heaven. One would have imagined that such a mission requires the services of an astute diplomat who is able to navigate the emotions of every individual, someone with patience and warmth to inspire the recalcitrant children to come home and repent.
Apparently, the Torah is teaching us a powerful lesson: When a Jew is drowning spiritually, when we see Shabbos desecration, kashrus neglect, long deliberation is a luxury we cannot afford. It is not a moment for hand-holding. Someone must take clear, definitive action to stem the tide of sinful behavior. We need a leader in the Pinchas/Eliyahu model. He must be able to extirpate evil and illuminate the disenlightened Jew regarding his identity and obligations as a Jew.
Moshe Rabbeinu reflected this concept earlier, in his response to the Golden Calf rebellion. Our quintessential leader descended Har Sinai, holding the Luchos – the most sacred gift which Hashem entrusted to Klal Yisrael. The Luchos were heavy, beyond any weight a human being could carry. Moshe was not ordinary – neither did the Luchos ascribe to the norm. These were a maase Elokim, a Heavenly creation of Hashem Himself. In their sacred sense, with the letters of the commandments engraved in stone, they were not heavy. Once Moshe saw the reveling and moral turpitude that reigned in the camp, however, the letters flew off, leaving Moshe with the large, unusually heavy stone tablets. Rather than walk to the camp slowly carrying the Luchos, Moshe dropped them, shattering the Luchos. Why? What compelled him to act so hastily? Moshav Zekeinim Al HaTorah (Baalei Tosfos) posit that Moshe’s decision was provoked by the urgency of the moment. To delay would have allowed the sin to deepen its hold. Walking slowly toward the camp would mean allowing the spiritual damage to disseminate, allowing more Yiddishe neshamos to sink further into the abyss! He understood that, since the nation was in immediate danger, to hesitate would not demonstrate caution, but rather, it would catalyze failure.
Pinchas/Eliyahu lived this truth. It is precisely for this reason that he was selected to return the Jewish People ultimately to their Father in Heaven. Only one who knows how to act under fire is also the one who understands what it means to save a neshamah and bring him back home. Sometimes, passivity and patience are the correct combination to navigate an issue. Other times, decisive action is the only course to take. When a spiritual life hangs in the balance, walking slowly is not an option. One needs to act swiftly, courageously and without hesitation. If it were my/our child in danger, we would not allow anything or anyone to stand in our way. Why should not all Jews have the luxury of unimpeded protection?
Taking umbrage and responding proactively do not always meet with success. At times, especially with certain individuals, the only course of action must be diplomatic. Nonetheless, if remaining silent gives the impression of subtle acquiescence, then we must voice our opinion as a machaah, protest, against the flagrant abuse of Torah and Yiddishkeit.
Horav Nota Greenblatt, zl, may best be described as indefatigable. Tenacious and tireless, he never stopped working for Klal Yisrael – even when others had given up. He could have made his home in any of the Torah centers, as his brilliance in Torah was on par with many Torah giants. Yet, he chose what was then a quiet, southern community, transforming it into a makom Torah. He brought thousands of Jews back to Torah observance even before the kiruv movement became popular. He traveled hundreds of thousands of miles in order to provide kosher gittin, bills of divorce, thus enabling men and women to rebuild their lives.
Compassionate and humble, he was not always diplomatic. When a person was flagrantly disgracing the Torah, Rav Nota did not mince his words of rebuke. Most often, it did not change the situation, but someone had to protest a chillul Hashem.
An extremely wealthy and powerful couple made an appointment to obtain a traditional get in addition to their secular divorce. The husband’s success in the business world could be attributed to an overactive ego. His wife seemed like a fine, dignified woman. Rav Nota asked him what prompted his decision to divorce his wife. The man replied, “I am sixty years old. It is time for a change!” Rav Nota immediately replied, “It’s a shame that you made it to sixty. You should not have reached that age.” The man became indignant and stormed out of the room. When Rav Nota was asked why he had acted so out of character, he replied, “Someone had to put him in his place.” His words did not alter the outcome of their marriage, but someone had to burst the man’s bubble.
Rav Nota was once writing a get for a man who was already engaged to a non-Jewess. Throughout the entire get-writing process, the man was extolling the virtues of his soon-to-be wife. The man was either very dense or so spiritually clueless that he was totally unaware of Rav Nota’s sensitivity to his marrying a shiksa. During the entire time, Rav Nota remained silent, occupying himself with preparing the get in accordance with halachah. Finally, once the get was complete, he spoke up. Calmly, he looked the man in the eye and asked, “Would you grant me one question?” “Sure, Rabbi, ask whatever you like,” he replied.
Rav Nota was very deliberate in what he said, carefully choosing the right words, “Are you aware, sir, that history has proven time and again that products of a union between a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother have grown up to be the most outspoken, virulent and brutal enemies of the Jews?” The man was taken aback by the Rabbi’s temerity, but he swallowed his pride and said nothing. Rav Nota continued, “Those children (like your eventual children) have grown up to be the first ones to throw rocks at their Jewish neighbors’ windows, and they have been the most violent participants in the pogroms that have decimated our people. Are you aware of this?” (Perhaps he was aware, but it either did not bother him or he felt he would do a better job of raising his little goyim.)
When the man heard this, he lost his composure and, in a fit of anger, he attempted to choke Rav Nota. Boruch Hashem, other people intervened. Rav Nota could have kept silent, written the get, collected his fee and moved on, but he would not have been Rav Nota – he would not have been doing what was right.
