Pinchas and the Next Generation Rabbi Jonathan Ziring: [email protected] Our own worst enemies – what was seen by Bilaam vs. what is seen by Moshe 1. Numbers 24:3, 5 )ג(ַוִּיָׁשָּׂ֥אְ מָׁשֹל֖וַ וֹיַאמַ֑ר ְנ אֻ֤ם ִּבְלָׁעם֙ ְבֹנ֣ו ְבֹעֹ֔ר ּוְנ אָּׂ֥ם ַה ֶ֖גֶבר ְש ָּׂ֥תם ָׁה ָָֽׁעִּין׃… )ה(ַמ ָֹּׂ֥ה־טבּוֹ אָׁה ֶ֖ליָך ַיֲע ַֹ֑קבִּ מְשְכֹנ ֶ֖תיָך ִּיְשָׁר ָֽ אל׃ (3) Taking up his theme, he said: Word of Balaam son of Beor, Word of the man whose eye is true,… (5) How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel! 2. Numbers 25 )א(ַוָּׂ֥יֶשב ִּיְשָׁר א֖לַבִּש ִַּ֑טיםַ וָׁיֶ֣חל ָׁהָׁעִֹּ֔םלְזנֹ֖ותֶ אל־ְבֹנָּׂ֥ותֹ מו ָָֽׁאב׃ )ב(ַ וִּתְקֶר֣אןָָׁׁ לָׁעְֹ֔םלִּזְב ֖חי אֱֹלהיֶַ֑הןַוֹ֣יַאכל ָׁה ָֹׁ֔עםַו ִָּֽיְשַתֲחּו֖ ָֽ ּו לאֹל הי ֶָֽהן׃ )ג(ַ וִּיָׁצֶָּׂ֥מד ִּיְשָׁר א֖ל ְלַבַ֣עלְפֹעַ֑ורַו ִָּֽיַחר־ַאָּׂ֥ף ה'ְבִּיְשָׁר ָֽ אל׃ )ד(ַ וֹיֶֹּ֨אמר ה'ֶ אֹל־מ ֶֶׁ֗שה ַקַ֚חֶ אתָׁ־כל־ָׁרא ֣שי ָׁה ָֹׁ֔עםְ וֹהוַקָּׂ֥עֹאו ָׁתַָ֛ם לה' ֶ֣נֶגד ַה ַָׁ֑שֶמשְ וָׁי ָֹ֛שבֲ חרָּׂ֥ ֹון ַאף־ה'ִּ מִּיְשָׁר ָֽ אל׃ )ה( ַוֹיֶ֣אמרֹמֶֹ֔שהֶ אל־ֹשְפ ֖טי ִּיְשָׁר אַ֑ל ִּהְרגּו֙ ִּ֣ אישֲ אָׁנ ָֹׁ֔שיו ַהִּנְצָׁמ ִּ֖דְים לַבַָּׂ֥על ְפָֽעֹור׃ )ו(ְ וִּהֵּ֡נהִּ אישׁ֩ ִּמְבֹּ֨ני ִּיְשָׁר אֵ֜ל ָׁבֶׁ֗אַ וַיְק ֻ֤רבֶ אֶל־אָׁחיוֶ֙ ל את־ַהִּמְדָׁיִּנְֹ֔יתעי ֣ניֹ מֶֹ֔שה ּולְע ֖ינ ָׁיכל־ֲעַד֣תְב ני־ִּיְשָׁר אַ֑לְ ו הָׁ֣מה ֹב ִֹּ֔כים ֶ֖פַתח ָֹּׂ֥ אֶהלֹ מו ָֽ עד׃ )ז(ַ וַיְֶׁ֗רא ִָּֽפיְנָׁחס֙ ֶבֶן־אְלָׁעָׁזֹ֔ר ֶָֽבן־ַא ֲהֹ֖רןַהֹכַ֑הןַו ָׁ֙יָׁקםִּ֙ מֹת֣וְך ָָֽׁהע ָֹׁ֔דהַ וִּיַקָֹּׂ֥ח רַ֖מח ְבָׁיָֽדֹו׃ )ח( ַַ֠ וָׁיֹבא ַַאחֹּ֨ר ִָּֽאיש־ִּיְשָׁר אֵ֜ל ֶאל־ַה ק ֶָׁׁ֗בהַוִּיְדֹקרֶ֙את־ְש ני ֶֹ֔הם אַ֚ת ִּ֣ איש ִּיְשָׁר אֹ֔לְ וֶאת־ָׁהִּא ָׁ֖שהֶ אל־ֳקָׁב ַָׁ֑תּהַ ו ָֽ תָׁעַצר֙ ַהַמ ג ָֹׁ֔פה מַע֖ל ְב ָּׂ֥ני ִּיְשָׁר ָֽ אל׃ )ט(ַ וִּיְהיּ֕ו ַה מ ִּ֖תים ַבַמגַָׁ֑פהְַארָׁב ָָּׁׂ֥עהְ וֶעְש ִּ֖רים ָָֽׁ אֶלף׃ )פ( )י(ַ וְיַד בָּׂ֥ר ה'ֶ אֹל־מֶָּׂ֥ש ה ל ָֹֽאמר׃ )יא(ִָּֽפיְנָׁחֹּ֨ס ֶבֶן־אְלָׁעָׁזֵ֜ר ֶבן־ַאֲה ֹ֣רן ַהֹכ ֶׁ֗הן ה ִֻּ֤שיבֶ אֲת־חָׁמִּתי֙ מַע֣ל ְב ָֽ ני־ִּיְשָׁר אֹ֔ל ְבַקְנֹאָּׂ֥ו ֶאת־ִּקְנָאִּ֖תיְבֹתוָׁכַ֑םְ וֹלאִּ־כ ִָּּׂ֥ליִּתי ֶאת־ְב ָֽ ני־ִּיְשָׁר א֖ל ְבִּקְנָא ִָּֽתי׃ )יָׁב( ל ֖כןֱאֹמַ֑ר ִּהְנ ִֹּּ֨ני ֹנ ָּׂ֥תןֹ לָ֛ו ֶאת־ְבִּרי ִּ֖תי ָׁשָֽלֹום׃ )יג(ְ ו ָֻׁ֤הְיָׁתה ֹ֙ לוְ ּולַזְרֹע֣וֲַאח ָֹׁ֔ריו ְבִּרְ֖ית כ ה ַ֣נת ֹעוַָׁ֑לםֶַׁ֗תַחתֲאֶשֻ֤ר ִּק נא֙ ָֽ לאֹלָֹׁ֔קיוַ וְיַכ פ֖רַ על־ְב ָּׂ֥ני ִּיְשָׁר ָֽ אל׃ )יד(ְ ו שםׁ֩ ִֹּּ֨ איש ִּיְשָׁר אֵ֜ל ַה מ ֶֶׁ֗כהֲא ֶשֻ֤ר הָׁכהֶ֙ את־ַהִּמְדָׁי ִֹּ֔ניתִּ זְמ ִּ֖רי ֶבָׁן־סלַּ֑וא ְנ ִָּּׂ֥שיא ָֽ בי ָׁ֖ת־אב ַלִּשְמֹעִָּֽני׃)טו(ְו ֹּ֨שם ָָֽׁהִּא ָָּׁׁ֧שה ַה מָׁכָ֛ה ַהִּמְדָׁיִּנָׁ֖ית כְז ִּ֣בי ַבת ֹ֣־צַּ֑ור ראש אֹמָּׂ֥ות ָֽ בי ָָׁ֛ת־אב ְבִּמְד ָׁ֖יןָֽהּוא׃ )פ( )טז(ַ וְיַד בָּׂ֥ר ה'ֶ אֹל־מ ֶָּׂ֥ש ה לא ָֹֽמר׃ )יז(ָׁצֹר֖ור ֶאת־ ַהִּמְדָׁי ִַּ֑ניםְ וִּהִּכי ֶ֖תם אֹו ָָֽׁתם׃ ) הָׁם֙ ִּ֣יח(כיֹצְרִָּּׂ֥רים לֶכֹ֔ם ְבִּנְכ לי ֶָ֛הםֲ אֶשר־ִּנְכלָּּׂ֥ו ָׁל ֶ֖כם ַעלְ־דַבר־ְפֹעַ֑ורְ וַעלְ־דַבַָׁ֞ר כְז ִֹּּ֨בי ַבת־ְנ ִֻּ֤שיאִּ מְדָׁיןֲ֙ אֹח ָֹׁ֔תם ַה מ ָָּׁׂ֥כה ְבֹיום־ ַהַמ ג ָׁ֖פהַ עלְ־דַבר־ְפָֽעֹור׃ (1) While Israel was staying at Shittim, the people profaned themselves by whoring with the Moabite women, (2) who invited the people to the sacrifices for their god. The people partook of them and worshiped that god. (3) Thus Israel attached itself to Baal-peor, and the LORD was incensed with Israel. (4) The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the ringleaders and have them publicly impaled before the LORD, so that the LORD’s wrath may turn away from Israel.” (5) So Moses said to Israel’s officials, “Each of you slay those of his men who attached themselves to Baal-peor.” (6) Just then one of the Israelites came and brought a Midianite woman over to his companions, in the sight of Moses and of the whole Israelite community who were weeping at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. (7) When Phinehas, son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he left the assembly and, taking a spear in his hand, (8) he followed the Israelite into the chamber and stabbed both of them, the Israelite and the woman, through the belly. Then the plague against the Israelites was checked. (9) Those who died of the plague numbered twenty-four thousand. (10) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (11) “Phinehas, son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the Israelites by displaying among them his passion for Me, so that I did not wipe out the Israelite people in My passion. (12) Say, therefore, ‘I grant him My pact of friendship. (13) It shall be for him and his descendants after him a pact of priesthood for all time, because he took impassioned action for his G-d, thus making expiation for the Israelites.’” (14) The name of the Israelite who was killed, the one who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Salu, chieftain of a Simeonite ancestral house. (15) The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur; he was the tribal head of an ancestral house in Midian. (16) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (17) “Assail the Midianites and defeat them— (18) for they assailed you by the trickery they practiced against you—because of the affair of Peor and because of the affair of their kinswoman Cozbi, daughter of the Midianite chieftain, who was killed at the time of the plague on account of Peor.” The flashback 3. Numbers 31 ְנ ֶֹׁ֗קם ִּנְקַמת֙ ְב ֣ני ִּיְשָׁר אֹ֔ל מ א֖ת ַהִּמ ְדָׁי ִַּ֑ניםַ ַאח֖ר ת ָאסָּׂ֥ףֶ אלַ־ע ֶָֽמיָך׃ … )ז(ַָֽוִּיְצְבאּוַ֙ עִּל־מְד ָֹׁ֔יַן כֲאֶשָ֛רִּ צ ָָּּׁׂ֥וה ה'ֶ את־ֹמ ֶַ֑שהַו ַָֽיַהְרגָּׁ֖ו כָׁל־ז ָָֽׁכר׃ )ח(ְ וֶאת־ַמְל ֹּ֨כיִּ מְד ֵָׁ֜ין ָׁהְרגּ֣וַ על־ַחְל לי ֶֶׁ֗הם ֶאֱת־א ִֻּ֤ויְ וֶאת־ֶרֶ֙קםְ֙ וֶאת־צֻּ֤ורְ וֶאת־חּורְ֙ וֶאת ֶֹ֔־רַבע ֲח֖מֶשתַ מְל ֣כיִּמְד ַָׁ֑יןְ ו את֙ ִּבְלָׁע֣ם ֶבן־ְבֹעֹ֔ורָׁהְרגּ֖ו ֶב ָָֽׁחֶרב׃ … )יד(ַ וִּיְקֹצ֣ףֹ מ ֶֹ֔שהַע֖ל יֶהַָׁ֑חִּילָׁשֻ֤רי ֣פְקּודָׁהֲאָׁלִּפיםְ֙ וָׁש ֣רי ַה מֹאֹ֔ות ַהָׁב ִּ֖איםִּ מְצָׁבָּׂ֥א ַהִּמְלָׁח ָָֽׁמה׃ )טו(ַ וֹיֶָּׂ֥אמרֲ אלי ֶ֖הםֹ מ ֶַ֑שה ַָֽ ה ִּחִּייֶ֖תם ָׁכל־ְנ ק ָָֽׁבה׃ )טז( ֣הן ֵ֜הָׁנה ָׁהיֹּּ֨ו ִּלְב ֻ֤ני ִּיְשָׁר אל֙ ִּבְדַב֣ר ִּבְלָׁעִֹּ֔ם לְמָׁסר־ַמַָּׂ֥על ַבה'ַ עלְ־דַבר־ְפֹעַ֑ו רַוְת ִָּּׂ֥הי ַהַמ ג ָׁ֖פה ַבֲע ַָּׂ֥דת ה' (2) “Avenge the Israelite people on the Midianites; then you shall be gathered to your kin… (7) They took the field against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and slew every male. (8) Along with their other victims, they slew the kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also put Balaam son of Beor to the sword... (14) Moses became angry with the commanders of the army, the officers of thousands and the officers of hundreds, who had come back from the military campaign. (15) Moses said to them, “You have spared every female! (16) Yet they are the very ones who, at the bidding of Balaam, induced the Israelites to trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, so that the LORD’s community was struck by the plague. 4. Nechama Leibowitz "Why does the Torah not reveal to us in parashat Balak the evil schemes of Bil'am, prior to the description of Israel's sin, when they became entangled in his corruption? And why does the Torah not mention Bil'am's role and his incitement when it talks about the scheming of Midian?" "It seems that the Torah wanted to teach us a great and important lesson here. Although the initiative was Bilam's, and it was he who advised that the daughters of Moav be sent to the Israelite camp in order to destroy their most precious asset - the purity of the sexual aspect of their lives - nevertheless, the guilty ones are Israel…But the inciter is not exempt from punishment, and therefore in the parasha where we learn of Bilam's punishment… 5. Rabbi Elchanan Samet We have already noted the special literary characteristic of our story, where the first part describes the events that took place around Ba'al Pe'or AS THEY APPEARED AT THE TIME, while the hidden facts are supplied AS NEEDED, in the second half - and hence the flashback in this half. The 'need' here is to give new significance to the facts recounted previously, in order to indicate their future influence. We learn the significance of Pinchas's act: his fearlessly slaying a prince of Israel and the daughter of a Midianite king, thereby stopping the plague, brings his reward and that of his descendants for all eternity. We also learn the significance of Israel's shameful sin and the plague that struck them: these were caused by the Midianites' scheming and engendered the command that the Midianites be "vexed" and struck. Pinchas Emerging as New Leader 6. Exodus 32:4-6 – The Egel – Idolatry and Immorality )ד( וַיִּקַ ֣ח מִּ יָׁדָׁ ֶׁ֗ם רוַיָֻׁ֤צַ אֹתוֹ֙ ֹ֔בַחֶ רֶטוַָֽיַעֲש֖הּוע֣גֶל מַס כַָׁ֑ה וַיֹ֣אמְ רֹּ֔ו אֻ֤לֶה אֱֹלקֶ ֙יָך֙ יִּשְרָׁ א ֹ֔ל אֲשֶ ָּׂ֥רהֶ עֱלּ֖וָך מ ץאֶָּׂ֥רֶ מִּצְרָָֽׁ יִּם׃ )ה(וַיַ֣רְ א ַאהֲ רֹֹ֔ן ןוַיִָּּׂ֥בֶ מִּ זְב ֖חַ לְפָׁ נַָׁ֑יו וַיִּקְרָֻׁ֤אאַָֽ הֲ רֹן֙ וַיֹאמַ ֹ֔רחַ ָּׂ֥ג לַה' מָׁחָָֽׁ ר׃ )ו( וַיַשְ כִּ֙ימּו֙ מִָּֽמָׁ חֳרָֹׁ֔תוַיַעֲלּ֣ו עֹֹלֹ֔ת וַיַגִּ֖שּו שְ לָׁמִּ ַ֑ים וַיֻ֤שֶ ב הָׁעָׁ ם֙ לֶָֽאֱכֹ֣ל וְשָׁ תֹ֔וֹ וַיָׁק֖מּו לְצַח ָֽ ק׃ )פ( (4) This he took from them and cast in a mold, and made it into a molten calf. And they exclaimed, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!” (5) When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron announced: “Tomorrow shall be a festival of the LORD!” (6) Early next day, the people offered up burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; they sat down to eat and drink, and then rose to dance. 7.