Parashat Pinhas: Commentary
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Devash: Commentary
Illustration Credit: Rivka Tsinman

Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת

After Pinhas stops a plague by killing two guilty people with a spear, his reward from God is a בְּרִית שָׁלוֹם (brit shalom, covenant of peace) (Bemidbar 25:12).
What is this brit shalom, and why might it be a fitting reward for Pinhas?
אבן עזרא על במדבר כ״ה:י״ב:א׳
וּשְׂכָרוֹ שֶׁתִּהְיֶה לּוֹ וּלְזַרְעוֹ אַחֲרָיו בְּרִית כְּהֻנַּת עוֹלָם וְנֶצַח כִּי הַכֹּהֲנִים הַגְּדוֹלִים הָיוּ מִבְּנֵי פִּינְחָס וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁהָיוּ בָּנִים אֲחֵרִים לְאֶלְעָזָר.
Ibn Ezra on Numbers 25:12:1
Pinhas’ reward was that he and his children after him would have a brit of eternal priesthood in that any future kohen gadol would be descendants of Pinhas, even though Elazar (Pinhas’ father) had other children.
  • Take a look at pasuk 13. What evidence can you find there that this brit shalom was a brit giving Pinhas the priesthood?
  • What might it mean that being a kohen is connected to peace? (For one angle, look up Bemidbar 6:23-27.)
  • Aharon is famous for “loving peace and pursuing peace” (Mishnah Avot 1:12). In what ways could Pinhas’ violent action be understood as creating peace?
העמק דבר על במדבר כ״ה:י״ב:ב׳
טֶבַע הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁעָשָׂה פִּינְחָס לַהֲרֹג נֶפֶשׁ בְּיָדוֹ הָיָה נוֹתֵן לְהַשְׁאִיר בְּלֵב הֶרְגֵּשׁ עָז גַּם אַחַר כָּךְ, אֲבָל בַּאֲשֶׁר הָיָה לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם מִשּׁוּם הָכִי בָּאָה הַבְּרָכָה שֶׁיְּהֵא תָּמִיד בְּנַחַת וּבְמִדַּת הַשָּׁלוֹם.
Haamek Davar on Numbers 25:12:2
The nature of the act that Pinhas did—to kill a person with his hand—is likely to leave behind a harsh feeling in the heart afterwards. But, because he acted for the sake of Heaven, he got this blessing that he should always be in quiet and in peace.
There is an idea that doing something violent can have a negative impact on your character—it can actually make you keep wanting to be angry and fight, and make it easier to do more violent things in the future. Still, sometimes violence is necessary to solve some serious problems. Because Pinhas did not truly enjoy or want to be violent, God blessed Pinhas that he would remain at peace and be safe from having this act change his personality in a negative way.
  • Why do you think doing something violent can change you on the inside? How does it do that?
  • What are some examples of times when it’s absolutely necessary to be violent or use force? Are those examples very common? What are ways to reach a solution when it’s not absolutely necessary to use force?
  • According to the Ha’amek Davar, what does the brit shalom do for Pinhas?