Numbers 25:10–30:1
Parshat Pinchas
Pinchas is granted G-d's covenant of peace for his zeal at Peor. A new census is taken before entering the land, the daughters of Tzelofchad successfully claim their father's inheritance, and Moses appoints Joshua as his successor. The portion ends with the daily, Shabbat, new-moon and festival offerings.
Essays
Parsha Pinchas – The Road to Redemption The end of last week’s parsha describes how Pinchas zealous killing of the consorting Jewish prince, Zimri with the Midianite… Parsha Pinchas – Are You an Extremist? Most would agree that helping the poor is good. Devoting one’s life to helping them is even better. Helping people zealously and being extremely kind and compassionate to the extreme is obviously a virtue, not a vice. Parsha Pinchas – 7 for 70 The Jewish people were chosen to serve as a light to the nations of the world. Even when the Jewish people were situated on the Land of Israel, far from having direct contact with other nations except for occasional battles with their neighbors, they nevertheless had the power to generate spiritual Parsha Pinchas – Climbing Out of the Pit In this week’s parsha, Pinchas, the Torah recounts how G-d told Moses to take the census of the Jewish nation after they had… Parsha Pinchas – Close the Mem Torah is G-d’s knowledge and cannot be tainted. Torah, at its root and in its essence is Divine and pure. When it is introduced into the parameters of our physical existence and materialistic pursuits it can become corrupted. Study of the mystical teachings preserve the Torah’s integrity under all c Parsha Pinchas – Divine Bread The daily sacrifice in the Temple is described by the Torah as “G-d’s bread.” Bread—the staff of life—is what unites the soul and the body. What makes the shidduch-match between these two disparate entities? It is the food that we ingest. For G-d—the Soul of the universe—to be wed to our material ex Parsha Pinchas – Good Intentions Mere positive thoughts do not suffice to completely eradicate all the negative consequences of one’s evil behavior. As powerful as a sincere thought and of good intentions are, there is no substitute for acting in accordance with those thoughts. Particularly, when our actions are performed in public Parsha Pinchas – Hypocrisy A hypocrite is not one who may do an act at a later time that would contradict the spirit of the mitzvah he is about to fulfill. A hypocrite is one who tries to conceal evil in a veil of righteousness. What one ate for breakfast is quite irrelevant to fulfilling the request to put on Tefillin or do Parsha Pinchas – Infinity Liberation means we are empowered to break out of any box. Parsha Pinchas – Jewish Leader’s Resume A leader must have the capacity to deal with every individual on his or her level. A true leader must not only be concerned for the survival of the entire nation, but also with the petty needs of every individual. Indeed, for a genuine leader, an individual’s needs cannot be considered petty. Parsha Pinchas – Make Israel Here! The Land of Israel is the land that enables its inhabitants to gain mastery over all the natural forces in the world, that they conform with G-d’s original intent in creating the world. This intent, our sages declare, was for us to make the world into a dwelling place for G-d. We are to “conquer” th Parsha Pinchas – Leadership in Three Dimensions Many leaders today act as if they are leading the way, but when they come to a thorny or controversial matter, they turn around to determine which way the people want them to choose. The leaders thus become the quintessential followers. Moshiach will be a true leader. He will unlock the spiritual po Parsha Pinchas – Our Ties to the Land of Israel In this week's reading the Torah describes the procedure for the division of the Holy Land to the twelve tribes that were poised… Parsha Pinchas – Return to the Future When we are afforded a glimpse into the future world of holiness and peace, we do not want to act in a manner that is contrary to this new world. When we know that we will be promoted to a higher position, we will start acting and thinking in consonance with that new position even before we reach it Parsha Pinchas – Sun Rise and Sunset A leader is not a magician who with the wave of a magic wand can unite and lead the people. The leader needs the cooperation of his people. All of the people, despite their different interests and levels, must possess, at least, one cause that they share equally. Even if we cannot agree on anything Parsha Pinchas – The Down to Earth Zealot! The true zealot is one who is able to transcend his own nature. The true zealot must be able to control his passion for the spiritual, climb down from his celestial perch and deal with lowly affairs and even use tactics that are totally against his nature. Parsha Pinchas – The Instigators Moshiach is a human being. What makes him different is that he is the ultimate “instigator.” He will inspire and provoke us into realizing our own G-d given potential for good. Moshiach will unleash the hidden potential for good in the entire world. Parsha Pinchas – The Theory of Quantity Qualified Everyone possesses the potential for the highest quality. When we have the critical mass of positive energy, it represents the force that can fan the little flame into a blazing fire. Quantity generates quality. The ultimate force is the synthesis of the two. Parsha Pinchas – The Ultimate Tzedakah We were promised that Moshiach will redeem us regardless of our worthiness. But, who wants to be the undeserving recipient of a tzedakah hand out? We want Redemption to occur because of our efforts, not in spite of them. Parsha Pinchas – Tolerate or Follow? The ability of a leader to “follow the spirit of each individual” derives from the fact that he is endowed with the spirit of each individual. His ability to identify with each person is because he has a “piece” of each person in his own soul. Parsha Pinchas – Verbal Bribery The Lubavitcher Rebbe has constantly stressed, our role is to reverse the process of destruction by transforming the senseless hatred into “senseless love.” This means that we should become so favorably biased about each other that we can no longer harbor any feelings of negative judgment Parsha Pinchas – Will the Real Pinchas Stand Up!? The positive values of Judaism is what will eventually endure, while the fight against the negative will eventually cease with the advent of the Moshiach and the final redemption, at which time the “swords will be converted into plowshares.”