TBE Torah Study - Pinchas 5780

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with mitzvot and commanded us to immerse ourselves within words of Torah.

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “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. Say, therefore, ‘I grant him My pact of friendship. It shall be for him and his descendants after him a pact of priesthood for all time, because he took impassioned action for his God, thus making expiation for the Israelites.’”

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 towards him.

My covenant [of] peace. Pinchas was promised he would not become an agitated and angry person, for the nature of the act he did — killing a person with his hands — leaves a strong impression. However, since he did it for the sake of Heaven he received the blessing that he would always be in peace and serenity.

For this to Me is like the waters of Noah: As I swore that the waters of Noah Nevermore would flood the earth, So I swear that I will not Be angry with you or rebuke you. For the mountains may move And the hills be shaken, But my loyalty shall never move from you, Nor My covenant of friendship be shaken —said the LORD, who takes you back in love.

And I will grant them a covenant of friendship. I will banish vicious beasts from their land, and they shall live secure in the wasteland, they shall even sleep in the woodland. I will make these and the environs of My hill a blessing: I will send down the rain in its season, rains that bring blessing.

(12) The LORD said to Moses, “Ascend these heights of Abarim and view the land that I have given to the Israelite people.(13) When you have seen it, you too shall be gathered to your kin, just as your brother Aaron was.(14) For, in the wilderness of Zin, when the community was contentious, you disobeyed My command to uphold My sanctity in their sight by means of the water.” Those are the Waters of Meribath-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin.(15) Moses spoke to the LORD, saying,(16) “Let the LORD, Source of the breath of all flesh, appoint someone over the community(17) who shall go out before them and come in before them, and who shall take them out and bring them in, so that the LORD’s community may not be like sheep that have no shepherd.”(18) And the LORD answered Moses, “Single out Joshua son of Nun, an inspired man, and lay your hand upon him.(19) Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community, and commission him in their sight.(20) Invest him with some of your authority, so that the whole Israelite community may obey.(21) But he shall present himself to Eleazar the priest, who shall on his behalf seek the decision of the Urim before the LORD. By such instruction they shall go out and by such instruction they shall come in, he and all the Israelites, the whole community.”(22) Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community.(23) He laid his hands upon him and commissioned him—as the LORD had spoken through Moses.