Pinchas: When Zeal Meets Compassion
Liluei Nishmas Ita bas Chanoch Aharon Bistritzky
The Parsha begins with a preface to the reward Pinchas receives for killing Zimri, who was making a blatant Chilul Hashem in front of all the Jewish people. The Torah begins by giving Pinchas’s full lineage: "Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron HaKohen." Rashi, the classic commentary on the Torah, explains that the reason why the Torah provides Pinchas’s full lineage is that after this incident, the Jewish nation began to scoff at Pinchas, saying, "Look at this person (Pinchas) whose grandfather Yitro used to fatten animals for slaughter for Avodah Zarah, and now he's slaughtering other people." They tried to degrade his lineage. Therefore, the Torah emphasizes Pinchas’s special lineage, coming from Elazar, the son of Aaron the Kohen.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe delves deeper into analyzing this back-and-forth regarding Pinchas’s lineage. The Jewish people were trying to “psychoanalyze” Pinchas. Pinchas cared for the truth and took a stance against the "grain" in what may have seemed harsh— even killing a man and woman in the middle of their vile act. The Jewish people scrutinized this. Did Pinchas do this because he cared for Hashem’s will and was a Godly person? No, they said. He did this because he is aggressive and has an aggressive lineage. Pinchas’s grandfather would fatten and then slaughter animals for idol worship. Aggression is in their DNA. Pinchas also acted out of aggression, using a so-called “holy outlet” for his natural aggression. In fact, look who Pinchas killed. He killed Zimri, a nasi of a tribe. Zimri was a “good guy.” The Jewish people were dying because of sinning with the Midianite women, and Zimri wanted to vouch for them by himself, taking a Midianite woman in front of Moshe and saying, “You also married a Midianite woman who wasn't Jewish.” Seemingly, Zimri was doing this to advocate for the Jewish people. So, Pinchas, the aggressive guy, killed Zimri, the nice guy. This is what the Jewish people tried to say.
To this claim, the Torah responds: no. Pinchas’s lineage is not one of aggression but the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the Kohen. Pinchas’s lineage is one of ultimate Ahavas Yisrael. Pinchas didn’t act out of aggression but out of his love for the Jewish people, like his grandfather Aaron. There was a spiritual and physical fire burning through the Jewish people, and Pinchas’s actions ultimately ended the plague and saved the Jewish people. Sometimes, peace is achieved through the facade of aggression, but this was done for peace.
The Rebbe explains that what emerges is that Zimri’s seemingly niceness was ultimately a cloak for evil and lust, while Pinchas, who seemed aggressive, used his actions as a vessel to achieve peace and kindness in the end.
This teaches a powerful lesson. These days, many people want to live as the “nice guy” with a "live and let live" mentality. People mind their own business and are afraid to take a stand. The moment one chooses to stand for their values, they are perceived as the aggressor. It is important to be nice and kind, but there is a difference between being nice and being good. A nice parent always says yes; a good parent knows when to say no. A “nice” parent gives a young child a phone with unrestricted access; a good parent puts restrictions and limitations.
So, too, in our Judaism. We are not here just to smile and be nice but to stand for the truth and ultimate goodness. We live in a time where people sometimes need to hear “no.” We are in need of discipline, and sometimes this takes the form of harshness and aggression. We need to stand for what will ultimately bring about the best. Sometimes, a smile will do, but sometimes, it requires buckling down and having a serious face-to-face conversation. It has become an art these days to discipline effectively, but we can remember this lesson from Pinchas. In a place where no one cares, care about something good. And when we perceive someone taking a stand, don’t just assume the worst—that they are aggressive and instigators. Instead, learn to find the things in your life that you care for and are also willing to take a stand on.
Adapted from Life Talks on the Parsha