Ilustration Credit: Noa Kelner
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
Who else from Tanakh does Pinhas remind you of?
Some people think he was actually the same person as אֵלִיָּהוּ הַנָּבִיא (Eliyahu Ha-Navi, the Prophet Elijah)!
אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ פִּינְחָס הוּא אֵלִיָּהוּ.
אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אַתָּה נָתַתָּ שָׁלוֹם בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבֵינִי בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, אַף לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא אַתָּה הוּא שֶׁעָתִיד לִתֵּן שָׁלוֹם בֵּינִי לְבֵין בָּנַי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ לָכֶם אֵת אֵלִיָּה הַנָּבִיא לִפְנֵי בּוֹא יוֹם ה'... וְהֵשִׁיב לֵב אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים."
R. Shimon ben Lakish said: Pinhas is Eliyahu.
The Holy Blessed One said to Pinhas, “You made peace between Israel and Me in this world, so in the future you can make peace between Me and My children. As it is said, ‘Here, I send you Eliyahu the Prophet before God’s day comes… and he will bring back together the hearts of parents and children’ (Malakhi 3:23-24).”
- The pasuk from Malakhi describes Eliyahu bringing peace. What is Pinhas’ connection with peace? (Hint: Look at Bemidbar 25:12.)
- The pasuk from Malakhi suggests that Eliyahu will live for a very, very long time. What idea from our parashah might support this? (Hint: Look at Bemidbar 25:13.)
- The pasuk from Malakhi about Eliyahu uses the word הֵשִׁיב (heishiv, bring back). This same word is found in the Pinhas story (Bemidbar 25:11). What does it mean there? How did Pinhas’ action help God and Benei Yisrael to come back to each other?
- A word used several times to describe Pinhas and his harsh action is קִנְאָה (kin’ah, zealousness or jealousy) (e.g. Bemidbar 25:11). Eliyahu uses the same word to describe himself and his own actions (Melakhim Alef 19:14). What is similar about the actions of Pinhas and Eliyahu in these two stories?
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