Pinchas – Peninim on the Torah

ובני אליאב נמואל ודתן ואבירם הוא דתן ואבירם קרואי העדה אשר הצו על משה ועל אהרן

And the sons of Eliav: Nemuel and Dasan and Aviram, the same Dasan and Aviram who were summoned by the Assembly, who contended against Moshe and Aharon. (26:9)

The Torah seems to find it necessary to once again introduce the reader to Moshe Rabbeinu’s arch nemeses, Dasan and Aviram. One would think that these two evildoers would be remembered for their continued evil throughout the nation’s nascency. Indeed, their first incursion took place in Egypt when they argued with Moshe and followed up by informing on him to Pharaoh. They told Pharaoh that the Jews had left Egypt, and they later broke the rule not to leave over the manna that descended from Heaven to the next day. They led the charge of Nitnah rosh v’nashuvah Mitzraimah, “Let…

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פינחס בן אלעזר בן אהרן הכהן השיב את חמתי מעל בני ישראל בקנאו את קנאתי בתוכם

Sruly Schnair In Pinchas, 5784

Pinchas ben Elazar ben Aharon HaKohen has turned my anger away from Bnei Yisrael by his zealously avenging Me through them. (25:11)

Pinchas saw an outrageous act of moral turpitude, and he immediately acted with extreme courage to eradicate the sinners. Was it his actions in killing Zimri and Cozbi that earned him the accolades, or was it his clarity of vision to discern right from wrong, evil from good? Veritably, every kannai, zealot, who sincerely acts for Heaven’s sake requires both qualities: unabashed clarity of vision; and extreme courage. The reason is that, unlike the zealot who sees clearly, those around him who stand observing with folded hands do not. Furthermore, some are so myopic that they brand the zealot as…

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“Take to yourself Yehoshua bin Nun, a man in whom there is spirit, and lean your hand upon him.” (27:18)

Sruly Schnair In Pinchas, 5783

קח לך את יהושע בן נון איש אשר רוח בו וסמכת את ידך עליו

In his commentary, Rashi notes the difference between Hashem’s instructions to Moshe Rabbeinu as to the manner of semichah, leaning/placing his hand on Yehoshua, and the actual performance in which Moshe placed both hands upon Yehoshua. Rashi writes: “He leaned his hands” – generously, much more than he had been commanded. For Hashem said to him, “And lean your hand, and he leaned with both hands – like a vessel which is full and brimming over and filled him generously with his wisdom.” Rashi clearly writes that Moshe gave extra wisdom of his own to Yehoshua. The Talmud (Bava Kamma…

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אשר יצא לפניהם ואשר יבא לפניהם

Sruly Schnair In Pinchas, 5783

Who shall go out before them and come in before them. (27:17)

Moshe Rabbeinu asked Hashem to appoint his successor – one who would seamlessly move into the position of leadership, both in the practical sense in his ability to address the spiritual needs of the Jewish nation. Among the criteria which Moshe suggested was that the leader be one who would lead from the front – leading the men into battle and successfully leading them home. It is understandable that a leader be at the fore front in the battlefield to encourage his men, letting them know that he, too, is fighting alongside together. Why is it necessary for the leader…

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פנחס בן אלעזר בן אהרן הכהן השיב את חמתי מעל בני ישראל בקנאו את קנאתי בתוכם ולא כליתי את בני ישראל בקנאתו

Sruly Schnair In Pinchas, 5783

Pinchas ben Elazar, ben Aharon HaKohen, turned back My wrath from upon Bnei Yisrael, when he zealously avenged Me among them, so I did not consume Bnei Yisrael in My vengeance. (25:11)

All of Klal Yisrael stood by staring in shock and revulsion, as Zimri blatantly debased himself with a Midyanite woman. They were revolted by this public defamation of our moral code; nonetheless, they did nothing. They stood there almost in passive acquiescence. This, explains Sforno, was the reason they required atonement. To witness such a despicable act and not protest taints the onlooker to the point that he, on some level, is considered an accomplice in the sin. While this is true, one wonders how they could have taken it upon themselves to protest when the gadol hador, the preeminent…

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וירא פנחס... ויקם מתוך העדה...פנחס בן אלעזר בן אהרן הכהן השיב את חמת

Sruly Schnair In Pinchas, 5783

Pinchas… and rose up from the midst of the people, and took a spear. (25:7)…Pinchas ben Elazar ben Aharon HaKohen turned back my wrath. (25:11)

It appears that Pinchas’ rising up from among the people contributed to his ultimate success. Indeed, we recite in the Selichos, Mi she’anah l’Pinchas b’kumo mitoch ha’eidah; “May He – Who answered Pinchas when he rose up from the midst of the people.” Why should his rising up from the midst of the people carry such weight? Horav Tzvi Kushelevsky, Shlita, explains that “rising up from the midst of the people” is reference to Pinchas’ acting independently, with no support or assistance. No one rallied him on. He had only detractors. Indeed, if Zimri and Kosbi would have stopped their…

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ומנחתם ונסכיהם לפרים לאלים ולכבשים במספרם כמשפט

Sruly Schnair In Pinchas, 5782

And their meal-offering and their libations for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, in their proper numbers, as required. (29:18)

Simply, v’niskeihem, “and their libations,” refers to the libations of the two sheep of the Korban Tamid, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Chazal (Taanis 2b) note the Torah twice departs from the singular form, v’niska, which is used in five pesukim, one time in the above pasuk, where it is spelled v’niskeihem, in the plural (with an added “mem” at the end of the word). Also, in pasuk 31, the Torah writes U’nesachecha with an added yud. To add to the equation, we note the word k’mishpatam (pasuk 33), while it says k’mishpat throughout the pesukim….

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אשר יצא לפניהם ואשר יבא לפניהם ואשר יוציאם ואשר יביאם ולא תהיה עדת ה' כצאן אשר אין להם רעה

Sruly Schnair In Pinchas, 5782

Who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall take them out and bring them in; and let the assembly of Hashem not be like sheep that have no shepherd. (27:17)

Moshe Rabbeinu asked Hashem to appoint his successor, presenting criteria for an effective leader, a person: who leads from the front; who takes the nation out and brings them in; who does not remain in the background. He then adds, “And let the assembly of Hashem not be like sheep that have no shepherd.” Horav Aryeh Finkel, zl (Rosh Yeshivah Mir/Brachfeld), wonders why Moshe had to supplement his request for a leader with a comparison to a herd of sheep who are shepherdless. Was not his request sufficient in its own right, without the added analogy about sheep? The Rosh…

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ושם איש ישראל המכה... זמרי בן סלוא נשיא בית אב לשמעוני

Sruly Schnair In Pinchas, 5782

The name of the Yisraeli man who was slain… was Zimri ben Salu, leader of a paternal house of Shimoni. (25:14)

Chazal (Sanhedrin 2a) teach that Zimri was the first Jew to fall prey to the sin of public debauchery. When one is first, he opens the door, releases the floodgates for those who use his example as the green-light for their immoral debasement. His real name was Shlumiel ben Tzurishadai. When he began to sin, he was called Shaul ben HaCanaanis. Only after he had become completely dissolate was he called Zimri ben Salu. In Bereishis 46:10, Rashi explains that Shaul ben HaCannanis was the son of Dinah, Yaakov Avinu’s daughter, who was violated by Shechem. When her brothers, Shimon…

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בקנאו את קנאתי בתוכם

Sruly Schnair In Pinchas, 5782

When he zealously avenged Me among them. (25:11)

The zealot acts on behalf of Hashem. After being completely certain that he has expunged every vestige of personal interest and emotion, to the point that he truly feels that he is acting only for Hashem, then he can move forward by acting zealously. The commentators question the meaning of b’socham, among them, and its placement at the end of the pasuk. It is almost as if the Torah is conveying to us the criterion for kanaus, zealousness: it must be b’socham, among them. Simply, this implies that the kanai should view himself as being “among them,” a member of…

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ובני אליאב נמואל ודתן ואבירם הוא דתן ואבירם קרואי העדה אשר הצו על משה ועל אהרן

And the sons of Eliav: Nemuel and Dasan and Aviram, the same Dasan and Aviram who were summoned by the Assembly, who contended against Moshe and Aharon. (26:9)

פינחס בן אלעזר בן אהרן הכהן השיב את חמתי מעל בני ישראל בקנאו את קנאתי בתוכם

Pinchas ben Elazar ben Aharon HaKohen has turned my anger away from Bnei Yisrael by his zealously avenging Me through them. (25:11)

“Take to yourself Yehoshua bin Nun, a man in whom there is spirit, and lean your hand upon him.” (27:18)

קח לך את יהושע בן נון איש אשר רוח בו וסמכת את ידך עליו

אשר יצא לפניהם ואשר יבא לפניהם

Who shall go out before them and come in before them. (27:17)

פנחס בן אלעזר בן אהרן הכהן השיב את חמתי מעל בני ישראל בקנאו את קנאתי בתוכם ולא כליתי את בני ישראל בקנאתו

Pinchas ben Elazar, ben Aharon HaKohen, turned back My wrath from upon Bnei Yisrael, when he zealously avenged Me among them, so I did not consume Bnei Yisrael in My vengeance. (25:11)

וירא פנחס... ויקם מתוך העדה...פנחס בן אלעזר בן אהרן הכהן השיב את חמת

Pinchas… and rose up from the midst of the people, and took a spear. (25:7)…Pinchas ben Elazar ben Aharon HaKohen turned back my wrath. (25:11)

ומנחתם ונסכיהם לפרים לאלים ולכבשים במספרם כמשפט

And their meal-offering and their libations for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, in their proper numbers, as required. (29:18)

אשר יצא לפניהם ואשר יבא לפניהם ואשר יוציאם ואשר יביאם ולא תהיה עדת ה' כצאן אשר אין להם רעה

Who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall take them out and bring them in; and let the assembly of Hashem not be like sheep that have no shepherd. (27:17)

ושם איש ישראל המכה... זמרי בן סלוא נשיא בית אב לשמעוני

The name of the Yisraeli man who was slain… was Zimri ben Salu, leader of a paternal house of Shimoni. (25:14)

בקנאו את קנאתי בתוכם

When he zealously avenged Me among them. (25:11)

YEARS

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