This week’s parshah is Pinchas, recalling the hero of last week’s parshah (Balak), who stood up to immorality and mitigated the decree of the plague against the Jews.
In this week’s parshah, Pinchas is praised for his zealousness and willingness to stand up against Zimri, the president(!) of the tribe of Shimon, for his criminality in taking a non-Jewish woman against the laws of Judaism. Pinchas was rewarded by becoming a kohen and able to serve in HaShem’s Temple. Furthermore, he eventually became the Prophet Eliyahu and served the Jewish nation for a period of some 900 years! As is known, Eliyahu did not experience death; he ascended to Heaven alive!
The parshah continues with a census of the nation. As Rashi explains, there were quite a few deaths since an earlier census (at the beginning of BaMidbar), and since Moshe was transferring his flock to Yehoshua, the next leader of the nation, he was providing a “head count” to know how the nation was faring. We find in this census that there are sixty-five families mentioned, and that from the original families that descended to Egypt (Genesis 46), several families are not included. The verse states about the Jewish nation (Deuteronomy 7:7), “You are Hame’at, the fewest, of all nations.” Our Sages teach that there are seventy nations (listed in Genesis 10), yet we find there are 65 families among the Israelites in the desert. This is because we are Hame’at, we are Hei (numerical value of 5) fewer than the nations!
The parshah continues with Moshe telling the Jews how to divide the Land of Israel among the Tribes. Then it speaks about Moshe “passing the torch” to Yehoshua. The parshah concludes with the sacrifices that we are required to bring in the Temple on weekdays, Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh and the Festivals.
Pinchas almost always falls during the Three Weeks. During that period, we experienced the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, and we were exiled. Reb Noson writes that therefore, the Parshiyot we read during these three weeks all speak of the Land of Israel and HaShem’s promise to give the Land to the Jews. It is meant as an encouragement that we maintain our faith in the Redemption.
Because Mashiach will come! Amen!
