בּ״ה
Parshas Pinchas
In each Parsha from Behaaloscha to Balak, there is at least one sin done. In Behaaloscha, the Bnei Yisroel complain against Hashem, and then Miriam and Aharon are involved in [slight] slander against Moshe Rabbeinu. In Shlach, the episode of the Meraglim (spies); in Korach, it is the sin of Korach and his assembly. Parshas Chukas contains the incident of Moshe Rabbeinu striking the rock, instead of speaking to it as Hashem commanded, and in Balak, we read how the Bnei Yisroel sinned with the daughters of Midian and Moav.
However, once Pinchas came and performed his great act of zealousness for Hashem (see 25:7-8), the chain was broken: No transgression [as far as I have seen] is performed in Parshas Pinchas. We see here the incredible power of a good deed and what it can accomplish.
(Tal U’Matar)
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‘And Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying: Pinchas son of Elazar son of Aharon HaKohen returned My wrath from upon the Bnei Yisroel. . .’ (Bamidbar 25:10-11)
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Since the Tribes were speaking ill of Pinchas and saying, “Did you see this ‘son of Puti’, whose mother’s father [Yisro], [at one point] fattened calves for idol worship, and he [Pinchas] killed a prince of a Tribe of Yisroel?”, therefore, the passuk comes and traces his lineage after Aharon. (Rashi zt”l from different places in Chazal).
The Seforim explain that the Tribes were suspect of Pinchas, saying that the reason he killed Zimri was because he had in him some nature of cruelty, being a descendant of Yisro, who, at one time, before his conversion, had been an idol worshipper. Therefore, the passuk came and traced his lineage to Aharon HaKohen, who, as we know, was a ‘lover of peace and pursuer of peace’ (Avos 1:12), in order to prove that really, Pinchas’ nature was like Aharon’s, and he did what he did only because of pure zealousness for Hashem.
(Brought in Maayanah Shel Torah)
In a similar vein, the Baalei Mussar say that one of Aharon’s biggest traits was chesed, kindness. Therefore, Pinchas was traced back to him, because his zealousness was actually coming from his trait of chesed, goodness, and ahavas Yisroel (love of Jews), for he turned away the wrath of Hashem from upon Yisroel. (Cited in Biurei HaDaf, Sanhedrin).
The previous Slonimer Rebbe, HaRav Shalom Noach Berezovsky zt”l, as well says that Pinchas’ deed was one of chesed, and he explains that that is why he was rewarded with things related to chesed -- Hashem’s Covenant of Peace, and of Kehunah (see Zohar vol. 3, 145b). The Slonimer Rebbe adds that sometimes, we must act with Gevurah, strength, for the sake of chesed. And really, in such a case, the inner part of the deed is completely chesed. (Nesivos Shalom).
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In accordance with the opinion of Reish Lakish, that Pinchos was Eliyahu HaNavi, there is a beautiful dialogue: HaKadosh Baruch Hu said to him: “You put peace between Yisroel and between Me in This World; also in the future, you are the one who is destined to put peace between Me and My children.” Like it says, ‘Behold! I am sending to you Eliyahu(u) HaNavi before the coming of the Day of Hashem. . . and he will return the heart of fathers with children.’
(Yalkut Shimoni to the beginning of Pinchas; remez 771:18)
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‘And Hashem spoke to Moshe saying: Trouble the Midianim, and smite them.’ (Bamidbar 25:16-17)
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Tells us the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh: Even though the actual battle against the Midianim would take place later, as we find in Parshas Mattos, the command was given now. The intention in it was to bring the Jews to hate the people who had just brought them to sin, and to even abominate the “sweet” and “good” things that came from them. And in this mindset, the Jews would be distanced from the desires which they had, Rachmana Litzlan, acted upon when they sinned with the Midiani and Moavi girls, and these desires would become strange and foreign to them.
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‘Chanoch, the family of the Chanochi -- חנוך משפחת החנכי’ (Bamidbar 26:5)
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Rashi zt”l brings from the Midrash: Since the nations were saying that the Egyptians had violated the Jewish mothers in Egypt, and thus our lineage was not pure, Hashem put His Name on each of the family names, giving His own Testimony that this was not so, and every family line came from both Jewish mothers and fathers, and were untainted. He put a ה, hei, at the beginning of each name and a י, yud, at the end, which are the letters of His Name י-ה. There was one name that was an exception, though -- ימנה, as it already had those letters like such.
Why, though, asks the Kli Yakar {HaRav Shlomo Ephraim Lunshitz zt”l}, in the first census, did Hashem not give His Testimony to the purity of our pedigree?
And he answers that it is because we weren’t yet suspected of inappropriate things until we stumbled with the Midiani and Moavi girls. Once we did that, however, it gave the nations room to say that how we behaved then was a sign for how we must have behaved in Egypt. Just like the Jewish males did improper things with the women of Midian and Moav, so too, in Egypt, the Jewish women must have ended up doing improper things, as the Egyptians surely ruled over them.
However, as we saw above, Hashem testified to our cleanliness. All the babies were born from a pure union between איש, man, and אשה, woman, with the Name י-ה between it.
The Kli Yakar continues and tells us the significance of the ה, hei, being at the beginning of each name and the י, yud, at the end: The hei is the woman’s part of Hashem’s Name י-ה, and the yud is the man’s -- אשה, איש. The order in which the letters are put is to make known the purity of the Jewish women, since they were, truthfully, more guarded against illicit relations than the men, as we find that the Torah publicizes Shelomis bas Divri (see Vayikra 24:11 and Rashi there), from which we can infer that all the other women were extremely modest, for if not, they too would have been publicized for their wrongdoing. (Vayikra Rabbah 32:5). Therefore, the hei is put before the yud, because the main thing it was proving was the purity of the Jewish women, that the Egyptians did not “rule over them.”
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‘To Azni, the family of the Azni’ (Bamidbar 26:16)
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Rashi zt”l says that Ozni is really Etzbon. Many wonder, says the Shlah HaKadosh {HaRav Yeshaya Horowitz zt”l}; what is the connection between these two names?
Says the Shlah that he heard a mussar-hint regarding it: Chazal say (Kesubos 5b) that our fingers were created in a shape like a peg so that we would be able to put them in our ears and stop ourselves from hearing bad things.
The name אצבון is similar to the word for finger, אצבע, and the name אזני is related to the word for ear, אוזן!
(Derech Chaim Tochachas Mussar,
in Shnei Luchos HaBris Vol. 3)
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‘These are the sons of Binyomin according to their families, and their countings, forty-five thousand and six hundred.’ (Bamidbar 26:41)
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‘These are the sons of Don according to their families. . . sixty-four thousand and four hundred.’ (Bamidbar 26:42-43)
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Binyomin, notes the Chofetz Chaim zt”l, had ten sons, and Don had only one son -- Chushim, and he was deaf. And even so, the Tribe of Don was more numerous in population than that of Binyomin, who had ten sons!
From this we learn, says Rav Yisroel Meir beautifully, that in whomever Hashem desires,1 He is able to make them successful from one son more than one who has ten sons. And similarly with possessions; sometimes a poor person prospers and is happy, while a rich person doesn’t all that much. Hashem is in control.
(Chofetz Chaim al HaTorah)
Adds HaRav Avraham Yaakov HaKohen Pam zt”l: In life, one can never predict how things will eventually turn out. At times, the accomplishments of a ben yachid (only child) can be more than that of ten children. Even in a large family, the ben zekunim’l (child born to parents when they are older) can be the one who eventually brings his parents the most joy and nachas.
One cannot give up on a person, no matter what the handicap or disability. It often happens that the one who is considered “least likely to succeed,” is the one who produces the greatest achievements. Hashem has endowed every human Soul with immense treasures. Parents of handicapped children should take inspiration and chizuk from the accomplishments of Chushim, and realize that they, too, can see great nachas from their offspring.
(The Pleasant Way)
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1 Not to say, of course, that Hashem did not desire in Binyomin.
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‘And the daughters of Tzelafchad son of Cheifer, son of Gilad, son of Machir, son of Menashe. . . approached. . . And they stood before Moshe and before Elazar the Kohen, and before the Princes and the entire Assembly, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, saying: “Our father died in the Wilderness, and he was not in the midst of the assembly who were gathered together against Hashem, in the assembly of Korach, but for his sin he died, and he did not have any sons. Why should the name of our father be diminished from the midst of his family because he didn’t have a son? Give to us an inheritance. . .”’ (Bamidbar 27:1-4)
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The Gemara (Sanhedrin 48b) teaches us that someone who is ‘killed by the king’ -- הרוגי מלכות -- their possessions go to the king. Rashi zt”l explains that this can refer to someone who was to be put to death, because they rebelled against one the Jewish kings (see Yehoshua ch. 1).
It is possible, says HaRav Meir Simcha HaKohen of Dvinsk zt”l, that the daughters of Tzelafchad were very learned, and they therefore knew the above law. And, being that Moshe Rabbeinu was like a king (see Devarim 33:5), so the עדת קרח could fall under the category of הרוגי מלכות, then if Tzelafchad had been part of it, his inheritance would have gone to Moshe.2 Therefore, these wise women emphasized that Tzelafchad was not part of the assembly of Korach, but rather died for a sin of the kind that his possessions would still have gone to his heirs. (See Sanhedrin ibid. and Rashi to v. 3).
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2 Although Moshe was from the Tribe of Levi, which didn’t receive a portion in the Land, he might have just given it, in his generosity, to someone else, as Rav Meir Simcha explains.
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‘Take Yehoshua, a man in whom there is spirit’(Bamidbar 27:18)
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Moshe Rabbeinu asked Hashem to appoint someone over the Congregation. Hashem’s choice as the future leader of Klal Yisroel was Yehoshua, a man in whom, as the above passuk says, ‘there is spirit’.
The question is, says the Alter of Novhardok {HaRav Yosef Yozel Hurwitz zt”l}, would we even think that someone without ‘spirit in them’ would be chosen as leader? So then what does this phrase come to teach us?
The meaning of ‘a man in whom there is spirit’, says the Alter, is a man who rules over his own spirit; a person who leads all their strengths in accordance with the Will of Hashem. Such a person is also able to lead a nation.
(Madreigas HaAdam, Tikkun HaMiddos,
as cited in HaMeoros HaGedolim)
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‘And you shall lean your hand upon him’ (Bamidbar 27:18)
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The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 21:15) says on this, that it was like lighting a candle from another candle.
The Netziv {HaRav Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin zt”l} elucidates this comparison: When Moshe Rabbeinu conferred strength onto Yehoshua, it did not detract from himself at all, rather, it was like ‘lighting a candle from another candle.’ As we know, when you use one candle to light another one, this does not detract from the flame of the first.
(Ha’Eimek Davar)
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‘And you shall stand him [Yehoshua] before Elazar the Kohen, and before all the Assembly, and you shall command him before their eyes.’ (Bamidbar 27:19)
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The following is a Dvar Torah from my Rebbe, HaRav Elyakim Rosenblatt zt”l, which is adapted from a lecture of HaRav Chanoch Henoch Leibowitz zt”l:
This passuk (verse) explains that as Moshe Rabbeinu was appointing Yehoshua as the new leader of Klal Yisroel, Hashem instructed Moshe to charge Yehoshua in the presence of Elazar the Kohen and the entire Klal Yisroel. The passuk however is vague as to exactly what this charge was. Rashi explains this charge as follows: “Know that they -- Klal Yisroel -- are troublesome and obstinate. You are made leader on condition that you accept upon yourself this.”
The Ramban asks a penetrating question on Rashi’s explanation. If this charge of Moshe to Yehoshua was indeed as Rashi explained, then to focus on Klal Yisroel’s faults publicly, in their very presence, would not have a beneficial effect, but rather a most definite negative psychological effect upon them. By telling Yehoshua that Klal Yisroel was troublesome and obstinate, it would make Klal Yisroel feel that since their new leader knew of their deficiencies and weaknesses, he would not, consequently, hold them in high esteem. Klal Yisroel would think, “If our new leader regards us as troublesome and obstinate, then we shall live up to his negative expectations. We will be troublesome and obstinate.” They would thus be encouraged to behave immaturely, not befitting their true stature. Therefore, the Ramban concludes that Moshe’s charge to Yehoshua in their very presence could not be as Rashi explained.
It is possible, however, that there is a way in which Rashi could be defended from the Ramban’s penetrating question: Perhaps Rashi’s explanation of Moshe’s charge could be understood not only as not having a negative effect, but it could even have a beneficial one. Indeed, in uncovering this defense of Rashi we may discover a fascinating and fundamental concept that is applicable to us all.
Let us note that back in Parshas Behaaloscha, Moshe Rabbeinu spoke to Hashem of the difficulties of carrying the burden of Klal Yisroel. Moshe said, “Did I conceive this entire nation? Did I give birth to them that You say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as a nurse [alt. nursing mother] carries a suckling. . .?’” This passuk indicates that at some point in the past, Hashem had told Moshe that it was incumbent upon him to carry Klal Yisroel ‘in his bosom as a nurse/nursing mother carries a suckling.’ Rashi asks; where in the Torah do we find any passuk that mentions that Hashem commanded Moshe to carry Klal Yisroel in his bosom as a nursing mother carries an infant? Rashi answers [from Sifri] that we do find such a passuk; it was at the time when Hashem charged Moshe and Aharon in regard to their leadership of Klal Yisroel. What was this charge? “Accept upon yourselves the leadership of Klal Yisroel even if they will stone you and shame you.”
This is mystifying. How does Rashi answer his question? Rashi’s question was, “Where do we find in the Torah that Hashem told Moshe to carry Klal Yisroel in his bosom?” Rashi answers that Hashem charged Moshe to accept his position of leadership over Klal Yisroel even if they were to stone or shame him. Is there any way to understand that the acceptance of this leadership position even if he were to be stoned, can be equated with carrying them in his bosom?
Perhaps we can say that Rashi does mean to say that these two statements are in reality synonymous. The charge for Moshe to accept leadership over Klal Yisroel, even if he were to be stoned or shamed, means that Moshe’s love for Klal Yisroel must be so deep-rooted and all-encompassing that he must be able to tolerate them no matter how much they disobey him. He must love them for what they are, not for what they do. He must love his nation like a mother who loves her child and carries it against her bosom. He must love Klal Yisroel unconditionally and unwaveringly, and at all times. The charge that Hashem gave Moshe to accept leadership over Klal Yisroel, without regard to how troublesome and obstinate they will be, is in essence saying that his love for them must be absolute, as deep as a mother’s innate love for her infant. If this is true, then Rashi answers his question beautifully.
With this explanation of Rashi in Parshas Behaaloscha, we can now return to our original Rashi in Parshas Pinchas and answer the Ramban’s very difficult question. The Ramban suggests that mentioning Klal Yisroel’s weaknesses and deficiencies in their very presence is neither prudent nor wise and will psychologically affect them in a very negative way. We can now say that Rashi does not really mean that the consequence of Moshe’s charge to Yehoshua was to reveal to him Klal Yisroel’s faults. If this was the case, Rashi would readily agree with the Ramban that this suggestion would only serve to produce negative results. Rather, similar to what Rashi explained in Parshas Behaaloscha, Moshe’s charge to Yehoshua was that he must love his people so intensely that it must be similar to the love a mother has for her infant child, whom she carries in her bosom. He must love Klal Yisroel despite their shortcomings. He must love them even when they are troublesome and obstinate.
This charge to Yehoshua, the nation’s new leader -- to love his people with intense love -- was made in the presence of the entire Klal Yisroel. Perhaps the reason for this public declaration was that if Klal Yisroel would see and hear that the charge to their new leader was to love them so deeply, with an unconditional love, this in turn would benefit Klal Yisroel by strengthening their very own dedication, devotion and love for their new leader. Thus, the Ramban’s probing question on Rashi has been answered.
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There are 168 pessukim in Parshas Pinchas, making it the second longest Parsha in the Torah.
The number 168 corresponds to the Gematria (numerical value) of the words בעיני השם (if you spell out the Four Letter Name). This alludes to Pinchas’ deed and part of the greatness of it: Although he might not have been the most popular amongst people for what he did (see Rashi zt”l to 26:5, quoted above), he thought primarily about what was proper in Hashem’s eyes, and he acted accordingly.
(Tal U’Matar).
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|~Maaseh~| A prestigious family had an embarrassing secret, which they tried to conceal.
One time, however, when their son was in Yeshiva, at lunch time, one of the bachurim (young unmarried men) revealed the secret in front of all the others. The son was very embarrassed, but he didn’t answer back. Instead, he said, “I forgive you,” and left the lunchroom.
He knew that he now had the power of giving berachos, and he sought where he could use this. His first thought was to bless an older cousin, who learned in a Yeshiva nearby, and needed a shidduch (marriage match). He went to the cousin’s Yeshiva, but the cousin wasn’t there.
He quickly went home, and he said to his sister, “Within a month, you will be a kallah (bride).” Shocked, she asked, “How do you know?”
“I have the power of berachos now and I’m telling you that within a month, you will be engaged.”
Within a week, she was engaged.
(Torah Wellsprings)
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A certain well known askan (community activist) -- let’s call him, Binyomin -- from Bnei Brak, was visiting Switzerland in order to assist a family who, one of their children had to go through a difficult operation. He arrived at his hotel and there he met another couple together with their teenage daughter. Like he was accustomed to, he greeted them warmly, although he had never met them before, and asked if they needed any help at all. After a few minutes of conversing, he went off to find his room.
Later on in the evening, Binyomin once again met the couple and their daughter in the lobby of the hotel. This time they were sitting calmly together with their suitcases. Later, he saw them again a third time, as they were dozing off on the armchairs. It did not look like they were planning to leave, so Binyomin asked one of them as to what their plans were.
They answered that they were leaving, but their flight was only scheduled for the next morning. In order not to pay for another night, they preferred to spend the night in the lobby. “I do not approve of this!” Binyomin said matter-of-factly. The family looked at him as if to say, “Who do you think you are? Why is this your business? And what do you care what we’re doing? You don’t plan on paying for us for another night? Or maybe. . .”
“No, I mean to say there is no such thing that you lie here in the lobby, without any food, while I go up to my room. . .” And with that, Binyomin disappeared. He returned a few minutes later with a tray of cake, chocolates and cold drinks. The family was very grateful. A true “Ish Chesed” (man of kindness)!
They talked for some time, and Binyomin told them stories of Emunah and Bitochon. He was very polite and did not even inquire of their names or the purpose of their visit. He dealt with enough people, and knew that these questions can be more than intimidating, rather than being of help. Finally, they parted. Binyomin went up to his room, while the family left for the airport.
About a year later, Binyomin received a wedding invitation without recognizing any of the names from either side. He could not work out who these people were. What was even more puzzling was that on the invitation was written “The main man in this shidduch!” Binyomin was very disturbed; he was adamant to find out what this was all about.
A few days later, Binyomin got a phone call and the fellow on the other end introduced himself as the father of the Kallah of the invitation he had sent, and wanted to be sure that he had actually received the invitation. Binyomin was bursting to hear who this fellow was, and was sure there was some mistake, and that he had gotten confused with another fellow with the same name.
The father of kallah began his story. “Our teenage daughter had gone ‘off the derech’ and even left Eretz Yisroel to live a life of a non-Jews! She was holding by marrying out and all our efforts to hold her back from doing this most terrible move were unsuccessful. As a last attempt we, her parents, met up with her in a hotel in Switzerland to try to convince her not to marry her non-Jewish boyfriend, but this did not make things any better. All her arrangements for the wedding were set and she was planning on flying back to Eretz Yisroel for a very short time, only in order to pick up her belongings and return again to Switzerland to marry this gentile man.
“Then you, Binyomin, stepped into the picture. All the time we stayed at the hotel, no one ever spoke to us. But when we met you, not only did you speak to us, but you were kind, and treated us with dignity and respect. You even shared with us the kosher food you had for yourself. These seemingly small acts of chesed had a most amazing effect on us, and especially on our daughter. From the moment you left us, our daughter did not stop admiring you. During the flight, too, she constantly mentioned that you proved that a Yid can be so selfless and she felt that you truly wanted to help other Jews.
“As we landed, our daughter suddenly became serious and announced that she had made up her mind that if a frum Yid (religious Jew) can behave so, then there is no way that she would marry a non-Jew!
“My wife and I could not believe what we were hearing and were not so sure if she was really meaning what she was saying. Within a few minutes of having said that, she sent an SMS to her would-be-bridegroom that she was receding on her proposal and would no way marry a non-Jew.
“From that moment on, our daughter was a changed person! We enrolled her in a special program for those who have a similar history to hers, and slowly she came back, keeping Shabbos and other Mitzvos. Not long after, she already became engaged and was now holding by marrying ‘in’!
“Do you understand why you are the star of our daughter's wedding?” the father asked, choking on hot tears.
This was a small ‘investment’ of a few pleasant words and a little bit of kosher food which made the whole difference of saving a Yiddishe Neshama and, hence, building another ‘Yiddishe Home’ -- and all later descendants following were and will be to Binyomin’s credit.
(Shabbos Gems)
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Gut and meaningful Shabbos to all!
