This sheet on Numbers 25 was written by Moshe Sokolow for 929 and can also be found here
The Israelites were seduced by Midianite women and they engaged in wanton lewd behavior and worshipped Midianite deities, thereby violating two of the three cardinal sins of Judaism: sexual misconduct, murder, and idolatry.
Matters were exacerbated when one of the Israelite princes made a public display of immorality with a Midianite princess, daring Moses and Israel’s other leaders to react. His challenge was taken up by Phineas, grandson to Aaron, who seized a spear and stabbed the prince and his consort to death.
A greater tragedy was thereby averted. God rewarded Phineas with “My covenant of peace” (v. 12), to be enjoyed by him and his posterity as “an eternal covenant of priesthood” (v. 13). The stipulated reason: “Since he was zealous (kinne’) on behalf of his God, atoning for the Israelites” (ibid).
The term kinne’ is also used in the Torah to indicate jealousy. Rachel was jealous (va-tekanne’) of her sister Leah’s fertility (Genesis 30:1), and a husband who suspects his wife’s infidelity is, likewise, described as jealous (see our comments on Numbers 5).
Indeed, jealousy and zealotry are the two sides of the same passionate emotion, the former turned inward and the latter outward. If someone makes advances towards something you cherish and threatens to take it away, you will likely become all the more possessive of it. Whether you internalize those feelings or put them on public display determines whether you are jealous or zealous.
Kin’ah is also an attribute of God: “For the Lord, your God, is named ‘zealous’ (kanna shemo); He is a zealous God” (Exodus 34:14). If another nation were to threaten us, God’s zeal would manifest itself in our defense. However, if we were to threaten that relationship by our own promiscuity, His jealousy would result in our exile and disgrace.
Dr. Moshe Sokolow is Associate Dean of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Yeshiva University
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