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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier
In recognition of what פנחס, Pinchas, did to literally save the Jewish people from Hashem’s wrath, he was gifted with שלום, harmony (במדבר י:י״ב).
Immediately preceding the Torah states “את בקנאו קנאתי” (י:י”א). “When he zealously with a flaming rage” demonstrated with palpable passion his singular, selfless dedication to Hashem and His children, Klal Yisroel, despite extreme danger to himself.
Let us define קנאה. Usually, it is translated as jealousy. For example, “הקנאה… מוציאין את אדם…י” “Jealousy takes a person away from the spiritual world”.
In לא-כט: יא ,פ’ בהעלותך, we learn of two people, אלדד ומידד, who were prophesizing that משה רבינו, Moses was to die and יהושע, Joshua would lead the people to the land of Israel. יהושע implored משה, “My master, cause them to stop.” Moshe retorted, “Are you jealous for my sake?”
Rashi explains that קנאה denotes a person who focuses one’s heart and mind on a given situation to either avenge or to aid. In פ’ פנחס, Rashi translates it to personify one who is “inflamed” (strives) to take vengeance for the sake of rectifying a situation.
While it seems to be different ideas, it points to a fundamental translation of קנאה, that being disharmony. When there is a situation that necessitates a solution or a reaction; that state of being is defined as קנאה, disharmony. One can rectify the situation by ridding oneself of the problem or one can correct the problem; in both cases, relentless, wholesome dedication is needed to create a lasting solution.
Jealousy is a direct result of a situation where one feels that it is unfair, or incorrect that someone possesses more than the other be it wealth, intellect, knowledge, beauty, etc. Rather than motivating oneself to aspire to utilize their own talents with greater dedication; one casts aspersion on the other, causing disharmony. Jealousy is the palpable result of a state of disharmony.
פנחס witnessed a discordance between Hashem and Klal Yisroel due to their degenerate behavior. Klal Yisroel justified their activities by arguing that after sojourning in the desert for forty years, completely detached and disengaged from the outside world, it would be impossible for the mortal human being to overcome their physical urges and drives, which had been latent due to their “living in the clouds”, ענני הכבוד. All their needs had been miraculously taken care of by Hashem; they hadn’t been exposed to a world culture antithetical to the Torah (אזנים לתורה). פנחס taught, indoctrinated כלל ישראל that the most barbaric, heinous act possible, that being murder, could be done completely, selflessly for the sake of Hashem, therefore being defined as a spiritual act. Not only is it possible to serve Hashem in a physical world environment, but more so, even murder can be sublimated. This being the true challenge of life, to transmute all actions into a spiritual framework.
Pinchas’s actions were predicated on his zealous desire to bring dignity and honor back to Hashem and to save Klal Yisroel from destruction. ( (תהלים ל:ק“ויעמד פנחס ויפלל”, And Pinchas stood (in front of Hashem) and he judged himself.” “Am I doing this act of “murder” totally for the sake of Hashem, or am I 1) doing it to gain fame or 2) to assuage my anger that I am directing at a great person, זמרי, for engaging in a depraved act?”
The Torah states; Hashem said, “אהרון בן …פנחס הכהן”, that Pinchas the descendant of Aharon the High Priest nullified My anger. Aharon HaKohen was the quintessential lover of all; this trait was endemic to Pinchas and therefore he was blessed that most of the subsequent גדולים כהנים, High Priests would be of his lineage. Pinchas was able to harmonize two opposite traits; passionate love and assertiveness in one action. Though dichotomous usually, one who solely lives for the betterment of the world can achieve this lofty status. In reward, he was benefacted the gift of שלום, harmony. פנחס either lived for 400 years or is הנביא אליהו, who never died the natural death of everyone. Death is a result of the inner tension of the different drives that constitute the human; since פנחס succeeded in merging them in equilibrium, he was gifted with the ultimate harmony, eternal life! (For a discussion of what it means that פנחס didn’t die, see the שו”ת חתם סופר (חלק ו’-ליקוטים צ”ח))
The ability to merge in harmony a person’s drive is dependent on living with integrity at all times. Only then can a person consistently focus all their drives toward one goal.
Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch explains that פנחס will be אליהו, for in the generation of משיח, there will be a wide gap between the generations. The ability of פנחס to harmonize will bring the world to unity and the coming of משיח speedily in our days.
