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By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum
הנני נותן לו את בריתי שלום (פרק כה פסוק יב)
Hashem promises His covenant of peace as renumeration for Pinchas’s zealousness in avenging His honor. The מדרש comments that it was proper and befitting for Pinchas to receive a reward for his good deed. Why did this action specifically deserve a reward more than any other מצוה? The בעל שואל ומשיב explains that the general rule is that reward for מצוות is not given in this world. The רשב”א explains the reason, that one who performs a מצוה is testifying to the existence of Hashem and it is forbidden to take payment in exchange for עדות (testimony). The רמ”א (חו”מ סי’ פג) qualifies that the real issue of taking payment for testimony is only when the payment obligates one to testify. If, however, he is not required to testify because of the payment, for example if he is paid to witness the action even without testifying, then he would be permitted to testify afterwards. Therefore, by all מצוות it makes sense to not get rewarded for doing the מצוה, as this would be tantamount to receiving payment for an עדות. By Pinchas, though, he was not technically required to kill the sinners because it was considered a הלכה ואין מורין כן (a law that we do not tell people to do without their own initiative). Therefore, he would be allowed to take payment for this מצוה and it would not ruin his testimony to Hashem’s existence.
יפקד ה’…איש על העדה אשר יצא לפניהם וכו’ (פרק כז פסוק טז-יז)
Moshe beseeches Hashem to appoint a new leader for the Jewish people, someone who can lead after Moshe passes on. He continues to describe the qualities that should exist in the next leader- אשר יצא לפניהם ואשר יבוא לפניהם” (who shall go out before them and shall come in before them). R’ Eliyahu Lopian asks, why did Moshe need to tell Hashem what He should look for in a leader- of course Hashem knows what the Jewish people need? He answers that Rashi says that Moshe truly wanted one of his sons to replace him. Moshe was aware of his own inner desire and was nervous that he wouldn’t be able to clearly see if his sons were a good fit for the job. He was afraid that if he davens strongly enough that it should be his son then Hashem will listen to his תפלה. Therefore, Moshe asked Hashem to appoint a leader who is befitting for the Jews, and although he wants it to be his son, the priority should be that it will be the person who is most fit for the job.
