May the study of Torah we do through this message be a merit for the neshama of my father Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz a’h, whose Yahrzeit is this week.
לזכר נשמת אבי מורי הר’ שמואל בו הר’ שרגא פייטל ע”ה
פִּינְחָס בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן־אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן הֵשִׁיב אֶת־חֲמָתִי מֵעַל בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקַנְאוֹ אֶת־קִנְאָתִי בְּתוֹכָם וְלֹא־כִלִּיתִי אֶת־בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקִנְאָתִי׃
Pinchas, son of Elazar, son of Aharon 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. (25:11)
Why does the Torah repeat Pinchas’ lineage when we know it already from last week’s parsha?
Rashi cites the answer found in Talmud Sanhedrin 82b that people spoke disparagingly of Pinchas, saying, “Have you seen this grandson, whose mother’s father used to fatten calves for idolatrous sacrifices (see Exodus 6:25 that Elazar, Pinchas’ father, married a daughter of Yisro, Moshe’s father-in-law, who had previously been an idolater), has dared to slay a prince of one of Israel’s tribes!” Therefore Scripture comes and connects his genealogy with Aharon (Sanhedrin 82b).
What difference does it make who his grandfather was when it comes to what he did? The answer is that we find in many sources a concept that just as we inherit biological genes from our parents and grandparents, we inherit spiritual and character genes from them as well. The claim against Pinchas was that negative tendencies lie in his essence since he comes from a man who was (at one time) steeped in idol worship. Idol worship affects not only a person’s belief system but their character as well as it involves corrupt forms of behavior (such as human sacrifice and immoral acts). The complaint against Pinchas was that this part of his lineage disqualified him from what he did to that prince of the Jewish people even though that prince was committing a terrible sin.
The question is though, how could they be critical of him when it was clear that what Pinchas did stopped the plague ravaging the Jewish people? Obviously he was correct in what he did!
An answer offered is that they did not think that Pinchas was wrong and that he acted merely out of a murderous rage due to his lineage from an idol worshiper. Hashem’s honor had to be restored and that’s what Pinchas did and he did it with that intention. The point of his accusers was that to be permitted to kill Zimri for what he did, Pinchas had to be moved to stand up for the honor of G-d without a trace of anything else contributing to it. Looking at who Pinchas came from, they questioned whether his motivations were 100% pure without even a trace of fanatical rage. To that Hashem responded that Pinchas is the grandson of Aharon, the famed lover and pursuer of peace. He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. Therefore his act was done with only the purest of motives.
Why does the Torah find it necessary to reveal to us these accusations and Hashem’s response to them? Perhaps it is to teach us that there is a place for these kinds of suspicions in our lives. Primarily not towards others but towards ourselves. It is important for us to question our own actions as to what motivates them and what are the contributing factors to them.
There are times when we have differences with people over an issue and we have to stand up for what’s right. We have to ask ourselves what’s fueling us- the principal under discussion or the fact that someone else is disagreeing with us? Maybe it’s both.
Is it the principal or do we enjoy a good fight? Someone once remarked to me with relish about disagreements that took place years ago regarding communal issues. “Boy were those good fights!” We may be right, but are we right in the way we are doing things. Disagreements may be necessary but will they be done respectfully or will it become all out war. Understanding our motives and contributing factors can make a tremendous difference as to how we approach an issue. It can play a tremendous role in avoiding conflict and bringing back harmony among those who are already in conflict.
This is very important to consider during this period of the year when we mourn the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash (the Holy Temple). It is a time to reflect on its causes. The Talmud teaches us that the second Beit HaMikdash was destroyed due to the sin of dislike of a fellow Jew and the undoing of the unity of the Jewish people.
Questioning our own motives can change the way we perceive others actions and bring positivity back into our relationships. That would bring us another step closer in bringing back the Beit HaMikdash with the coming of Moshiach. Amein!
Shabbat Shalom!
Yitzchak