PINCHAS, NUMBERS 25:10–30:1
The Parsha and the Haftorah concern executions: In the Parshah, Pinchas steps forward and executes Cozbi and Zimri. In some years when the Haftorah portion comes from the First Book of Kings, it describes Elijah the Prophet ordering the execution of 950 idolatrous prophets belonging to King Ahab and his Queen Jezebel. In both instances, the evil doers are summarily executed.
Do you have any concern with the lack of due process?
OPEN REBELLION
The Baal Peor incident was a religious political event that nearly
cost the B’nai Yisrael their very existence. It was not just that a someone
from the tribe of Shimon wanted to have sex with a Midianite woman. Consider
these facts:
1. One does not have sex in front of the Ohel Moed, in the eyes of
Moshe and in front of the whole congregation unless one is making a political
point.
2.The perpetrators were a prince from a substantial Shimonite
family and a princess of the Midianite kingdom. (This also calls into question
Moshe’s father in law who was a priest of Midian.)
3. Compare the two census’. In the first census, Shimon’s numbers totaled 59,300 people. In the aftermath of the incident Shimon totaled 22,200 souls, a reduction of 37,000 people lost, or about 60 per cent.
This was a full blown rebellion. Consider the timing just before
the death of Moshe, and its effect on Joshua, our soon to be leader.
As for the Tribe of Shimon, land-wise they were subsumed in the
Tribe of Judah.
Max from Nahariya has come up with a quiz that relates to Parshat Pinchas. Attached are his questions. Do your best.
1-HOW LONG DID PINCHAS LIVE?
2-WHY DO WE BRING KORBAN TAMID IN MORNING & AFTERNOONS?
3-WHOSE NESHAMOS RETURNED TO EARTH & ENTERED PINCHAS?
4-WHY DID HASHEM ORDER WAR AGAINST MIDYAN AND NOT MOAV?
5-WHAT UNIQUE QUALITY DID MOSHE REQUEST FOR HIS SUCCESSOR?
6-THE ELDERS SAY WHAT, WHEN MOSHE TRANSFERRED TO JOSHUA?
7-WHY DID WOMEN WHO LEFT EGYPT LIVE MUCH LONGER THAN MEN?
8-DID SHEVET LEVI PERISH IN THE MIDBAR TOO?
9-WHAT WAS PNCHAS ROLE WHEN BENEI YISROEL WENT TO WAR?
10-WHEN DID PINCHAS LOSE HIS RUACH HAKODESH?
11-WHICH ACT IS GREAT AS LEARNING TORAH?
12-HOW WAS SHEVET DAN GREATER THAN SHEVET BINYOMIN ?
13-WHY WERE 2-SHEEP BROUGHT FOR THE KORBAN MUSSAF SHABBAT?
14-HOW MANY KOHANIM GEDOLIM DESCENDED FROM PINCHAS?
15-HOW DO YOU COMPARE ZIMRI WITH HIS ANCESTOR SHIMON?
16-WHICH SHEVATIM GOT LAND UPON WHERE TEMPLE WAS BUILT?
17-WHAT WAS THE TOTAL POPULATION OF JEWS IN THE LAST CENSUS?
18-WHY DID SHEVET SHIMON DECREASED FROM 59,300 to 22,200?
19-WHO WAS THE OLDEST JEW TO LEAVE EGYPT AND ENTER ISRAEL?
20-WHICH 4-HALACHOS DID MOSHE NEED CONFIRMATION FROM GOD?
21-TORAH SPELLS SHEVATIM NAMES WITH EXTRA YUD AND HEY, WHY?
22-WHY WERE 70-BULLS, AND 98-LAMBS SACRIFICED ON SUKKOS?
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Pinchas is inexorably linked to the wiping out of assimilation and an attempt to destroy Judaism. When we were exiled to Babylonia, we Jews were again faced with the prospect of assimilation, a vestige of which is the pagan names that we have assigned to the months of the years. Today we are in the month of Tammuz.
Tammuz is the god of the harvest; he was loved by the goddess Ishtar. She was known as the goddess of prostitutes, and her alternate names of Har and Hora gave rise to the terms “harlot” and “whore”.
Tammuz was killed by a boar. Ishtar was devastated by his death.
When Tammuz died, all vegetation died. Humans animals would no longer mate, and the
Earth, herself, was dying. Ishtar
journeys to the netherworld and revives Tammuz
saying: "Great Tammuz is reborn, the fruits of the Earth are ours
once more. Bring them forth, let us enjoy them!"
Tammuz should be a reminder for us of the shame of assimilation.
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You can see the inroads of assimilation in our texts as far back as
the prophet Ezekiel, 6th century BCE. In the Book of Ezekiel at 8:14 consider this
verse:
וַיָּבֵא אֹתִי, אֶל-פֶּתַח שַׁעַר בֵּית-יְהוָה, אֲשֶׁר, אֶל-הַצָּפוֹנָה; וְהִנֵּה-שָׁם הַנָּשִׁים יֹשְׁבוֹת, מְבַכּוֹת אֶת-הַתַּמּוּז
“Then He brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat the women weeping for Tammuz."
At that time, probably before the destruction of the Temple, Jewish women were ceremoniously mourning for a
pagan god, Tammuz. Today, on the 17th
day of the Hebrew month of Tammuz we are still mourning, but now for the Temple’s
destruction.
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The Daughters of Zelophehad (Dalziels’ Bible Gallery),
At 27:4-5, the four daughters of צְלָפְחָד ask to inherit land from their deceased father’s estate, saying:
“Why should our father's name be eliminated from his family because
he had no son? Give us a portion along with our father's brothers. "
לָמָּה יִגָּרַע שֵׁם-אָבִינוּ מִתּוֹךְ מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ, כִּי אֵין לוֹ בֵּן; תְּנָה-לָּנוּ אֲחֻזָּה, בְּתוֹךְ אֲחֵי אָבִינוּ
Moses does not know the answer since traditionally only sons inherit.
“So Moses brought their case before the Lord”.
ן וַיַּקְרֵב מֹשֶׁה אֶת-מִשְׁפָּטָ
לִפְנֵי יְהוָה
What is remarkable here is Moses is not fearful of saying that he doesn’t know.
Even more remarkable is that Hashem is not fearful of setting aside
an established tradition and doing justice with kindness.
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MAX’S PARSHAT PINCHAS QUIZ
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Max has come up with a quiz that relates to this week's Parshah. Attached are his questions and answers. How did you do? Maybe you have to study more; I do.
Wishing You a Good Shabbos..
Stay inside, safe and healthy,
Mick
1-HOW LONG DID PINCHAS LIVE? |
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