~ Pinchas is known for its namesake, but he is not the focus of our triennial. The request of the daughters of Tzelofchad are; plus the transition of leadership from Moshe towards Yehoshua Bin Nun.
~ For those keeping count, it is here and in our triennial, that we learn the name of Moshe's mother.
~ We also begin the section for which the parshah of Pinchas is most famous, which is the list of which sacrifices are done when. So even though you might not notice it, the second scroll that we have on holidays is usually open in Pinchas.
-> For our discussion today: Find where the leadership begins changing: remember that our next book, Deuteronomy, which has 34 chapters, happens in just one day. We are only two weeks away from beginning that book, since our next Shabbat we will read the two last portions from Numbers, Matot and Mas'ei.
Once you find where the transition begins, read it carefully. How does Moshe call God? Who else could Moshe be considering for leadership? Finally, what kind of leader do you think Moshe was?
(15) Moses spoke to the LORD, saying, (16) “Let the LORD, Source of the spirits of all flesh, appoint someone over the community (17) who shall go out before them and come in before them, and who shall take them out and bring them in, so that the LORD’s community may not be like sheep that have no shepherd.” (18) And the LORD answered Moses, “Single out Joshua son of Nun, an inspired man, and lay your hand upon him. (19) Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community, and commission him in their sight. (20) Invest him with some of your authority, so that the whole Israelite community may obey. (21) But he shall present himself to Eleazar the priest, who shall on his behalf seek the decision of the Urim before the LORD. By such instruction they shall go out and by such instruction they shall come in, he and all the Israelites, the whole community.” (22) Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community. (23) He laid his hands upon him and commissioned him—as the LORD had spoken through Moses.
Moses was reluctant to step into a place of leadership and power, AND once he was there he wasn't reluctant to share that place with others who were experienced and willing to take on the responsibilities of leadership—even those like Eldad and Medad who led differently. Also, at the very end, Moses's biggest worry is how the community would go forward.
Moses mentored Joshua then transferred leadership to him publicly, giving him authority that those he'd be leading would recognize.
(24) Moses went out and reported the words of the LORD to the people. He gathered seventy of the people’s elders and stationed them around the Tent. (25) Then the LORD came down in a cloud and spoke to him; He drew upon the spirit that was on him and put it upon the seventy elders. And when the spirit rested upon them, they spoke in ecstasy, but did not continue. (26) Two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad, had remained in camp; yet the spirit rested upon them—they were among those recorded, but they had not gone out to the Tent—and they spoke in ecstasy in the camp. (27) A youth ran out and told Moses, saying, “Eldad and Medad are acting the prophet in the camp!” (28) And Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ attendant from his youth, spoke up and said, “My lord Moses, restrain them!” (29) But Moses said to him, “Are you wrought up on my account? Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD put His spirit upon them!”
What qualities of leadership might we learn from these texts?
God of the spirits: Why is this said? He said to Him, “Master of the universe, the character of each person is revealed to you, and no two are alike. Appoint over them a leader who will tolerate each person according to his individual character.”- [Mid. Tanchuma Pinchas 10]
(א) יפקוד ה' אלקי הרוחות לכל בשר - מגיד הכתוב שכל הרוחות אין יוצאות אלא מלפניו. ר' אליעזר בנו של רבי יוסי הגלילי אומר: סימן זה יהיה בידך, שכל זמן שאדם נתון בחיים נפשו פקודה ביד קונו, שנאמר איוב יב אשר בידו נפש כל חי. מת - נתונה באוצר, שנאמר שמואל א כה והיתה נפש אדוני צרורה בצרור החיים. שומע אני בין צדיקים בין רשעים? ת"ל ואת נפש אויביך יקלענה בכף הקלע: איש על העדה - זה יהושע, שנא' תהלים עח לחם אבירים אכל איש, ולמה פירש הכתוב? שלא להטיל מחלוקת בין בניו ובין אחיו:
(1) (Bamidbar 27:16) "Let the L-rd, the G-d of the spirits of all flesh, etc.": Scripture hereby apprises us that all the spirits issue only from the Holy One. R. Eliezer the son of R. Yossi Haglili says: Let this "sign" always be in your hand: that so long as a man is alive his soul is deposited in the hand of its Owner, as it is written (Job 12:10) "… that in His hand is the spirit of all living things. When he dies, it is deposited in the the treasury above, as it is written (I Samuel 25:29) "and may the soul of my master be bound up in the bond of life." I might think, (the soul of) both the righteous and the wicked; it is, therefore, written (Ibid.) "and may He sling out the soul of your foes (as) in the hollow of a sling." "A man over the congregation": This is Joshua, as it is written (Psalms 78:25) "the bread of the mighty (manna) did a man eat." And why did Scripture not specify (that it was Joshua)? So as not to stir up controversy (over the appointment of Joshua) among his sons and the sons of his brother (Aaron, i.e., Elazar and Ithamar.)"
(ב) יעש משה כאשר צוה ה' אותו - הלך ועשה בשמחה, ולא הורע בעיניו בין בנו לבין בן אחיו: ויקח את יהושע - לקחו בדברים והודיעו מתן שכר פרנסי ישראל לעולם הבא:
(2) (Bamidbar 27:22) "And Moses did as the L-rd commanded him": He did so with joy, undiluted with regret for his son and his brother's sons (i.e., for the honor not having been accorded them.) "and he 'took' Joshua": He "took" him with words, apprising him of the reward of the leaders of Israel in the world to come.
(ג) ויסמוך את ידיו עליו - ככלי מלא וגדוש, וכן הוא אומר שמות לג ומשרתו יהושע בן נון נער. כיוצא בו אתה אומר יהושע א לא ימוש ספר התורה הזה, והלא דברים ק"ו: ומה יהושע שנא' לו דברים לד ומלא אותו רוח חכמה, נאמר בו לא ימוש - שאר בני אדם על אחת כמה וכמה! ויצוהו כאשר צוה ה' את משה. מה צוה הקב"ה את משה בשמחה - כך צוה משה ליהושע בשמחה. שומע אני שחסר משה? ת"ל בן מאה וכ' שנה אנכי היום, שנא' לא כהתה עינו - בין טמא לטהור, בין איסור להיתר. ולא נס ליחה - בעולמו בתורה:
(3) (Bamidbar 27:23) "And he placed his hands upon him": He made him an overflowing vessel of Torah, viz. (above) "the watcher of the fig-tree will eat its fruit." For it is written (Shemot 33:11) "And his attendant, Joshua the son of Nun, a youth, did not depart from the midst of the tent," and, likewise, (Joshua 1:8) "this book of the Torah shall not depart from your mouth." Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If Joshua, of whom it is written (Devarim 34:9) "He was full of the spirit of wisdom" — If Joshua "did not depart, etc.", then how much more so (should this hold for) other men! "And he commanded him as the L-rd had spoken by the hand of Moses": Just as the Holy One Blessed be He had commanded Moses with joy, so, Moses commanded Joshua with joy. I might think that Moses' powers waned (with age.) It is, therefore, written (Devarim, Ibid. 7) "And Moses was a hundred and twenty years old in his death. His eye had not dimmed" (in deciding) between unclean and clean, between forbidden and permitted, "and his strength had not abated" in toiling in Torah.
(א) וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה, יִפְקֹד ה' וְגוֹ'. יְלַמְּדֵנוּ רַבֵּנוּ, הָרוֹאֶה בְּנֵי אָדָם מְשֻׁנִּין כֵּיצַד מְבָרֵךְ. כָּךְ שָׁנוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ, הָרוֹאֶה אֶת הַכּוּשִׁי, וְאֶת הַלַּוְקָן, וְאֶת הַקִּפֵּחַ, וְאֶת הַבַּהַקְנִין, וְאֶת דַּרְנִיקוּס, אוֹמֵר, בָּרוּךְ מְשַׁנֶּה הַבְּרִיּוֹת. וְהָרוֹאֶה אֶת הַקִּטֵּעַ, וְאֶת הַסּוּמָא, וְאֶת מֻכֶּה שְׁחִין, אוֹמֵר, בָּרוּךְ דַּיַּן הָאֱמֶת. אֵימָתַי, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁלֵמִין וְנִשְׁתַּנּוּ. אֲבָל אִם הָיוּ כֵן מִמְּעֵי אִמָּן, אוֹמֵר, בָּרוּךְ מְשַׁנֶּה בְּרִיּוֹתָיו. וְהָרוֹאֶה בְּרִיּוֹת טוֹבוֹת וְאִילָנוֹת טוֹבוֹת, אוֹמֵר, בָּרוּךְ שֶׁכָּכָה לוֹ בְּעוֹלָמוֹ. אֲבָל אִם רָאָה אוּכְלֻסִין הַרְבֵּה שֶׁל בְּנֵי אָדָם, אוֹמֵר, בָּרוּךְ חֲכַם הָרָזִים. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֵין פַּרְצוּפֵיהֶם שָׁוִין זֶה לָזֶה, כָּךְ אֵין דַּעְתָּם שָׁוִין זֶה לָזֶה, אֶלָּא כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד יֵשׁ לוֹ דַּעַת בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ. וְכֵן אוֹמֵר, לַעֲשׂוֹת לָרוּחַ מִשְׁקָל וּמַיִם תִּכֵּן בְּמִדָּה (איוב כח, כה), כָּל בְּרִיָּה וּבְרִיָּה יֵשׁ לוֹ דַּעַת בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ. תֵּדַע לְךָ שֶׁהוּא כֵּן, מֹשֶׁה מְבַקֵּשׁ מִן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּשְׁעַת מִיתָתוֹ, וְאוֹמֵר לְפָנָיו, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, גָּלוּי וְיָדוּעַ לְפָנֶיךָ דַּעְתָּם שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד, וְאֵין בְּשֶׁל בָּנֶיךָ דּוֹמֶה זֶה לָזֶה. כְּשֶׁאֲנִי מִסְתַּלֵּק מֵהֶן, בְּבַקָּשָׁה מִמְּךָ אִם בִּקַּשְׁתָּ לְמָנוֹת עֲלֵיהֶם מַנְהִיג, מְנֵה עֲלֵיהֶם אָדָם שֶׁיְּהֵא סוֹבֵל לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לְפִי דַּעְתּוֹ. מִנַּיִן, מִמַּה שֶּׁקָּרְאוּ בָּעִנְיָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יִפְקֹד ה' אֱלֹקֵי הָרוּחוֹת לְכָל בָּשָׂר וְגוֹ'.
And Moses said... 'Let Ad-nai etc' - Teach us, our teacher, how does one bless? ... One who sees a multitude of people says: Blessed... the Knower of Secrets. Just as their faces are different from one another, so too their opinions are different from one another, rather, each person has their own personality. And therefore it is written 'He makes a weight for the wind, and puts forth water by measures' (Job 28:25), and so too each human being has their own awareness. You must know that this is so, for Moses at the hour of his death asked the Holy One of Blessing: Master of the Universe, the ideas of each person are known and revealed before You, and not a single one of Your children is identical to each other. When I am separated from them, please, if You will appoint a leader for them, please appoint a person who will have patience with each and every one of them according to their individual personality. From where do we learn this? From what we read regarding this issue: Let Ad-nai, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint, etc.'