A Covenant of Peace
Why Hashem caused Moshe to forget the halakha when confronted by Zimri, and for it to be recalled by Pinchas.
We read in our Parasha that Moshe is commanded by Hashem to say to Pinchas (25:13) Therefore I give you my covenant of peace. It shall be for him and his offspring after him a covenant of eternal priesthood, because he took vengeance for his G-d, and he atoned for the Children of Israel.
Ramban elucidates: Hashem informed Moshe that he should pay a goodly reward to Pinchas, for his zealotry which he took for his G-d, and for the tzedaka that he did for Bnei Israel, to atone for them, so that not all of them perished in thr plague, and commanded him to inform Bnei Israel, that Pinchas received the priesthood for always.
This is the reason for ‘Therefore, say to them’ - that he should say this to israel.
Rav Zalman Sorotzkin adds: Since it already said at the beginning of the parshsa:’to say’ - meaning to all the people, including Pinchas - why did it then add: 'Therefore say’?
We need to say - as we have said elsewhere - that Hashem only sanctified the Shabbat, Himself, but from when he crowned Bnei Israel as a ‘holy nation’ - at Matan Torah - He passed the power to sanctify to Bnei Israel - the holy people, and endowed them with the power to sanctify by their word, the new months, and the festivals - and He, Hashem, agreed with their sanctification.
Therefore, Moshe sanctified the Sanctuary and its vessels, Aaron and his sons, and by the power of their word, every Jew can sanctify that which is his - thereby being able to create all the laws of dedication to הקדש, and even to prohibit as sanctified, the possessions of others, on himself.
Well known is the commentary of our Sages, on the passuk :’And now draw near to you, Aaron your brother’: Said Hashem to Moshe: 'go and appoint for Me a Kohen Gadol’ - and Hashem did not Himself appoint him, as He had given the power of sanctification to His chosen nation.
Therefore, when Hashem wanted to sanctify Pinchas with the sanctity of the priesthood, He commanded Moshe to say from his mouth - ‘Therefore, say’ - ‘and it shall be for him and his offspring after him a covenant of eternal priesthood - and by Moshe’s words, Pinchas and his offspring were sanctified to the priesthood as an eternal covenant.
The master of language, Haktav veHakabalah, offers a different insight: The word אמור: does not here allude to pronouncements by words, from one’s mouth, but instead, here is a language of elevation, as we find in the words (Ki Tavo 26:18): האמירך היום להיות לו לעם סגולה: 'The Lord has selected you this day to be His treasured people.’
The Dubner Maggid, as is his way, proffers a beautiful parable, to describe the wondrous deed of Pinchas, which merited his singular reward - even when compared to the many deeds of Moshe for his people, which did not result in him being similarly rewarded.
Expounds the Maggid: Consider the case of one against whom there are many claims; yet whenever these claimants brought their claims against him, a powerful ally argued on his behalf, and managed to defer the claims against him - however, a short while later, these same claims were again brought against him, and this greatly vexed him.
But then came another friend, who took a different course: he bought all the debts at a discounted rate - and, instead of deferring payment, then tore up the notes of the debts, so that the demands of creditors were no longer heard.
This parable, can be seen in the case of the golden calf, when Moshe managed to appease Hashem, not to destroy the people, but to delay the punishment, and for its execution to be spread over the years; similarly, in the case of the punishment of the generation of the spies.
Not so Pinchas! He totally removed the punishment which was about to be meted, as our passuk says- bringing full atonement for the transgression of the people.
This is why the Midrash states that his action removed the debt, both Above and Below - by taking vengeance for his G-d, he appeased the attribute of Divine Justice, and Below - as the passuk says: ‘he atoned for the Children of Israel. - leaving no debt to be levied thereafter.’
The Netziv, on the command : ’Therefore say’, elucidates: This teaches that, apart from this being the case, he should inform him that it will be so, this being an expression of additional affection, as we read in Avot (3:14) ’Beloved are Israel to Hashem; additional affection He made known to then, by informimg this to them..’.
This, too, is said by our Sages: One who gives a gift to his friend, must inform him of this.
'Therefore say': you, yourself, go to Pinchas and tell him his reward.
I heard from the wise Rav Itzik miVolozhyn, by way of a parable, about a minister of war who found himself in trouble, and could not find the means to extricate himself from his predicament.
Along came a warrior from his forces, and showed him the way to extricate himself - and he did so.
Surely this soldier merited a reward; on the other hand, the minister of war deserves punishment for allowing the predicament to befall him and the king therefore commanded him to- the minister of war - that he, in person, deliver the gifts of the king, to that warrior, this being his punishment.
Here, too, Moshe deserved punishment because the inability of his hands to to go to battle against Zimri - whereas Pinchas girded his loins, and fought the battle of Hashem.
Therefore, Moshe was commanded to inform Pinchas, of the reward from the king, for his deed.
The Kli Yakar brings a new aspect to our subject: As we know, Moshe was personally ‘involved’ in the affair, Zimri taunting him: ’If you say that this non-Jewish woman is not permitted, who permitted the daughter of Yitro to you?’.
When Moshe did not reply, Pinchas found justification to decide the halakha, in the presence of his Rav, Moshe, opining that he was required to do so, because of Moshe’s personal involvement.
Moshe was therefore commanded to say - not to Pinchas alone - but ‘say’: to all the people, concerning yourself, ‘I give him my covenant of peace’, so that Israel should not say, that he - Moshe - was not at peace with Pinchas, for deciding the halakha in the presence of Moshe- the ‘I’ alluding to Moshe, not to Hashem.
The Siftei Kohen brings yet another different insight: Moshe; you ‘say’ to the people, that I - Hashem - have given eternal priesthood to Pinchas, so that they not say: he was not annointed, so how could he truly have priesthood? And further, a Kohen who kills - as Pinchas did - is disqualified.
Therefore, they might say: You, Moshe, gave him the priesthood of your own volition, and this will lead them to challenge it, as Korach did.
‘Therefore, announce before all the people, that I - Hashem - have conferred him with Kehuna.’
There is a beautiful Zohar Hakadosh, on our very subject.
By way of introduction- let us contemplate the chain of events which culminated with the conferring of Kehuna for all generations, on Pinchas and his descendants.
We cannot but wonder - as far as our limited intelligence permits - why the Divine Wisdom determined that this had to come about in a manner which seemingly is ‘at the expense’ of and offence, to Moshe, whom the Torah expressly praised as ‘the most faithful servant of Hashem’s household’.
As we have brought from the holy commentators, the ‘final offence’, was that Moshe was commanded that he himself, inform the people of the singular reward to Pinchas.
This reward - let us recall - also had a strong element of offence, if we may say so, as Moshe - and not Aaron had - as we learned in Parashat Shemot - originally been intended to be the Kohen, and that he ‘lost it’ because of his concern that this would hurt Aaron.
Further, how many wondrous acts of self-sacrifice - compared to this single act of Pinchas - had Moshe performed for decades, without receiving the reward that Pinchas was granted, here?
We brought the exposition of the Dubner Maggid, which offered an answer to this intriguing question, and we will propose another answer towards the end of this Dvar Torah.
Let us savor the Zohar Hakadosh: Said Hakadosh Baruch Hu after He had decided on the singular reward to Pinchas: ‘What will I do with Moshe, it is unseemly to give this reward to another, without his knowledge and consent?'
Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu started to say to Moshe: Moshe, Pinchas...you offered yourself up for Israel, so that they would not be lost several times, and this Pinchas, he avenged My vengeance, so that I spared Bnei Israel.
Said Moshe: What is there for me to say - is not all yours, to do as You deem fit? With a full heart reward him.
Responded Hashem: if so, please say so, with a full voice - this is what it says ’Therefore say..’.
Moshe saw that Hashem was seeking to appease him, regarding Pinchas, he understood that Hashem intended to confer greatness, on Pinchas - and therefore Moshe said: ’What do you want of me? After all, all is yours!’
Answered Hashem: that which I am giving him, now is all yours - the holy covenant, tell him that I will rest my Shechina in him.
Said Moshe: This, with a full heart I agree that it should be his; said Hashem to him:’ Say it to him, from your mouth, with a raised voice, that you are giving it to him whole-heartedly.
This is what is written: ’Therefore say’- you willingly say it : I hereby give you..
Concludes the Zohar Hakadosh: If you should err to think that the Shechina departed from Moshe, this was not the case - rather, this is like a light from which we light - the recipient is lit, but the original light is not diminished.’
By your leave, let us now proffer a possible answer, to the query raised: Why Pinchas’ reward had to come, at ‘the expense of Moshe’s honor’.
This was a step, that the Divine Wisdom deemed necessary, to prepare the people for the departure of Moshe from this life, at the end of his allotted one-hundred-and- twenty years, as it had bren decreed that Joshua, and not Moshe, would lead the people into the Land - and, sadly, as we read in last week’s parasha, that Moshe would not himself enter the Land.
To this end - to prepare the people for the change of leadership - Hashem caused Moshe to forget the halakha, when confronted by Zimri, and for it to be recalled by Pinchas.
Moshe was therefore not offended - nor did he feel slighted, or that ‘it was on his account’, but with a full heart rejoiced that Pinchas saved his beloved people from being lost.
The process culminated with the subsequent whole-hearted annointment of Joshua by Moshe, as the Torah relates later in our Parasha (27:23), to the eyes of all the people.
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