(י) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְי אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (יא) פִּֽינְחָ֨ס בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָ֜ר בֶּן־אַהֲרֹ֣ן הַכֹּהֵ֗ן הֵשִׁ֤יב אֶת־חֲמָתִי֙ מֵעַ֣ל בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּקַנְא֥וֹ אֶת־קִנְאָתִ֖י בְּתוֹכָ֑ם וְלֹא־כִלִּ֥יתִי אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּקִנְאָתִֽי׃ (יב) לָכֵ֖ן אֱמֹ֑ר הִנְנִ֨י נֹתֵ֥ן ל֛וֹ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י שָׁלֽוֹם׃
(10) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (11) “Phinehas, son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the Israelites by displaying among them his passion for Me, so that I did not wipe out the Israelite people in My passion. (12) Say, therefore, ‘I grant him My pact of friendship.
(ב) בקנאו את קנאתי. בְּנָקְמוֹ אֶת נִקְמָתִי — בְּקָצְפּוֹ אֶת הַקֶּצֶף שֶׁהָיָה לִי לִקְצֹף; כָּל לְשׁוֹן קִנְאָה הוּא הַמִּתְחָרֶה לִנְקֹם נִקְמַת דָּבָר, אנפרט"מנט בְּלַעַ"ז:
(2) בקנאו את קנאתי means “when he executed my vengeance” (more lit., when he avenged my avenging) — 'when he displayed the anger that I (God) should have displayed.' The expression קנאה "jealousy" indicates one who is burning with anger to get revenge.
- What role does Pinchas play for God in this commentary? On whose behalf is he acting?
- What other situations can this be likened to?
(ב) ד״א בריתי שלום דואג היה פן יפסיד כהונתו דאמרי׳ כהן שהרג את הנפש לא ישא את כפיו עד שהבטיחו הקב״ה הואיל והרציחה לשם שמים היתה כמו שמפרש והולך.
(2) An alternate interpretation of the expression: בריתי שלום: Pinchas had been worried that as a result of his having killed a human being, something is forbidden to do for a priest, he might have to forego his status as a priest. God, therefore, assured him that seeing that his intention was to glorify the name of the Lord, he need not fear such consequences.
(1) את בריתי שלום [I GIVE TO HIM] MY COVENANT — PEACE — This means: I give him my covenant that it should be to him as a covenant of peace; just like a man who shows gratitude and friendliness to one who has done him a kindness. So here, too, the Holy One, blessed be He, expressed to him His peaceful feelings (or gratitude) towards him.
What is the purpose of the Brit Shalom according to Chizkuni and Rashi?
How are they different?
A Long Time to Live
(א) את בריתי שלום ממלאך המות כענין עושה שלום במרומיו כי אמנם ההפסד לא יקרה אלא בסבת התנגדות ההפכים וזה אמנם נתקיים בפינחס שהאריך ימים הרבה מאד מכל שאר אנשי דורו
(1) את בריתי שלום. Peace with the angel of death. We have a similar meaning of this word שלום in Job 25,20 עושה שלום במרומיו, “He makes peace in His lofty regions.” [I assume that the reference is to the fact that the angel of death has no authority in the celestial regions. (Losses occur only as a result of confrontations by opposites). We find that as a result of this שלום, “peace, or armistice” with the angel of death Pinchas enjoyed an exceedingly long life on earth, more so than any other member of his generation.
(1) Peace be with you, ministering angels, messengers of the Most High
- From these texts, we learn that Pinchas lived a very long life.
- Considering he led a long life, how do you think the Brit Shalom helped him beyond the first moment he received it?
Inner Peace After Trauma
Every blade has two edges; he who wounds with one, wounds himself with the other.
—Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
"Killing is often misrepresented in film as far easier than it is. In reality, the “duty” is mentally taxing, leaving most soldiers physically ill in the moment and often haunted by nightmares for a lifetime. Being responsible for ending the life of another human is a significant source of trauma; trauma that is compounded by factors such as proximity to the victim and the type of weapon used. One of the factors that Grossman explores in detail is distance. If the victim is far away and out of sight, the mental impact of the act of killing is far less. When soldiers can’t see the victims it is easier to remain in denial about the consequences of their actions...Soldiers who have engaged in close combat are left with a much higher likelihood of developing posttraumatic stress disorder then their counterparts who did not. Treatment options for PTSD often include some form of talk therapy. However, Maj. Gary H. Wynn, a psychiatrist at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research reports that fewer than 50% of soldiers actually attend this therapy. In fact, most drop out early, often resorting to self-medication with drugs or alcohol...Researchers at San Francisco VA Medical Center have pointed out that although the effects of killing on the development of PTSD are well established, little is known on why veterans who kill suffer more than those who don’t."
- From "Death Becomes Us: The Psychological Trauma of Killing" by Robert T Muller Ph.D.
Netziv (Rabbi Naphtali Zvi Yehuda Berlin - Lithuania 1816-1893
In reward for turning away the wrath of HaKadoesh Baruch Hu, God blessed him with the attribute of peace, that he should not be quick-tempered or angry. Since, it was only natural that such a deed as Pinchas' should leave in his heart an intense emotional unrest afterward, the divine blessing was designed to cope with this situation and promised peace and tranquility of soul.