Parshat Hashavua Pinchas and Tzom Kal

  This weeks following parsha is Pinchas and deals with moral questions of
outrage and reaction as well as excersizing good judgement in the face of
difficulties.  The Dvar torah takes a three-fold look at the Parsha.

  Make sure to read it as it comes at this time of reflection and fasting
as we begin the Three Weeks of mourning the destruction of the first and
second Temple.  Although there is not a prohibition from the wearing of
leather or washing as on Tisha B'Av or Yom Kippur, the fast lasts from sun
up until nightfall.  Vayechal and Anenu are added to Teffilot in morning as
well as afternoon, although traditionally Ashkenazim only add both to
Mincha.

  Wishing you a Tzom Kal, and a Shabbat Shalom.


  בס''ד

  Parashas Pinchas

  I.  Pinchas – a Real Kanai

  Pinchas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aharon Hakohen, turned away My
wrath from the Children of Israel…(Bamidbar 25:11)


  Following the incident of Bilam, the nation began to stray after the
women of Moav and their idolatry.  The situation deteriorated to the point
that Zimri – one of the princes of Israel – was so brazen as to sin with
a Midianite woman – Kazbi, the daughter of Tzur – before Moshe and the
entire nation.  This provoked the wrath of Hashem; yet, Rashi explains
(ibid.) that Moshe momentarily forgot the halachah – the law – and could
not take action.
  When a Jew sins with a non-Jewish woman in front of at least ten people,
the Torah allows an individual to take action – "a zealot may kill him"
(Sanhedrin 82a).  A kanai – a zealot – one who is so determined to
uphold the honor of Hashem that he cannot let evil exist before him – is
permitted to take the law into his own hands.  Pinchas, who did remember the
halachah, quickly ran to Moshe to ask permission to act.  Moshe, reminded of
the law, assured him that the two should be put to death and that Pinchas
should be the one to carry out the deed.  Immediately, on this consent,
Pinchas pierced both Kazbi and Zimri with his spear and appeased Hashem's
anger.  Pinchas' quick action ended the plague which Hashem had brought upon
the nation, and which had already killed thousands of Jews.
  It is interesting to note that Pinchas, who so wanted to carry out the
will of Hashem and bring the sinners to justice, did not run in a heated
passion to kill Zimri and Kazbi.  He first went to inquire of Moshe what the
law was and only then did he take action.  Often, we think of a zealot as a
sincere and highly motivated individual whose overwhelming concern for
Hashem compels him to act based only on his emotions.  The Torah's view of a
kanai is quite different.  To truly appease Hashem's anger and do His will,
a zealot must act only within the intellectual framework of halachah.
  Conventional thinking would dictate that when a person is swept up in a
sea of emotion, it is impossible for him to see clearly and to act in a
rational manner.  We see from Pinchas' actions that this is not so.  A
kanai, who is singled out precisely because of his strong emotions that
drive him to sanctify the Name of Hashem, is required to harness these same
emotions with cool rationality and to clearly analyze the implications of
his actions.  A kanai, as well as every Jew, must understand that even when
emotions push us to actions which we believe are the will of Hashem, our
feelings are not the determining factor – halachah is.  Halachah is our
guideline to exactly what the will of Hashem is and by putting our emotions
under its direction, we can be confident that all our actions will serve as
sanctifications of Hashem's name.
  The S'forno helps us see another insight into this incident.  Imagine how
Pinchas must have felt as he decided to act.  A prince of Israel is sinning.
Multitudes of Jews stand by, observing this brazen act of immorality, and
not a single one protests.  Wouldn't Pinchas, in his zealous devotion, feel
anger and hatred towards his fellow Jews, who were guilty of silent
complicity in this sinful scenario?
  The S'forno (Bamidbar 25:4; 11:13) tells us that the opposite was true.
Pinchas was motivated by compassion and pity for his brethren.  His
intention was to atone for their lack of protest and to stop the plague that
raged among them.  Although he loathed Zimri's public immorality and the
absence of any condemnation from among the bystanders, he acted out of love
and concern for B'nai Yisrael, despite their negligence.  The thought of his
brethren perishing was a greater motivating factor for Pinchas, the
quintessential kanai, than the overwhelming feeling of justice needing to be
served, which Pinchas must have felt very deeply in order to be chosen to
mete out the required punishment.
  Unfortunately, in contemporary usage, the term "zealot" has assumed a
negative connotation.  We associate this word with images of an angry,
rebellious individual acting violently towards under the banner of religious
conviction.  In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.  A true
kanai is one who possesses both an all-consuming devotion to Hashem and an
equally overwhelming love for his fellow Jews.  Zeal and devotion for
Hashem's Torah cannot apply to only half the Torah; it must apply to the
Torah in its entirety.  Devotion to Shabbos, kashrus, modesty and other
mitzvos between man and Hashem must be matched by an equal measure of love,
kindness, compassion and consideration for others.  If a "zealot" has
devotion only to those mitzvos that he selects, at the expense of others, he
is designing his own agenda, his own "Torah" and is not an authentic
"kanai".  When we feel motivated to act zealously to protect the Torah, it
is essential that we maintain a
consistent devotion to Torah in its entirety and that love for fellow Jews
be as important as any other mitzvah we uphold.

  II.  Exceptional Common Sense

  The daughters of Tzelafchad drew near…(Bamidbar 27:1)

  Before the Jews entered Eretz Yisrael, Moshe was faced with the difficult
task of dividing and distributing the Land of Israel to each tribe and
family.  The family of Tzelafchad, consisting of his widow and five single
daughters, was not alloted a portion of its own.  The daughters felt they
had a valid argument justifying their right to a portion of the Land.  They
sought out Moshe and found him teaching Torah.  They waited until he began
teaching the topic of inheritance and then presented their case.  Their
claim was upheld and they were granted the land.
  The daughters of Tzelafchad were praiseworthy for many reasons.  They
were well versed in Torah knowledge.  They demonstrated a clear grasp of
Jewish jurisprudence.  Furthermore, the commentaries reveal (Bamidbar Rabbah
21:10) that their claim to a portion of the Land was not rooted in their
desire for more possessions – a very powerful force.  They were motivated
by a pure and sincere love of Eretz Yisrael.  This love was so deep that it
overshadowed their normal desire for material acquisitions.
  Although these women had many virtues, the Midrash (ibid. 21:11)
highlights one virtue in particular – their timing.  They waited for the
most opportune time to approach Moshe and only then presented their claim.
Why does the Midrash single out this seemingly minor attribute for praise
above all the other fine qualities they possessed?
  The Midrash is teaching us that the crowning virtue of a mensch is common
sense – seichel.  Without this, a person can posess intellectual
brilliance, be a storehouse of knowledge and have wonderful intentions, yet
fail in his endeavors.  The B'nos Tzelafchad were aware that it made a
crucial difference when they approached Moshe and they understood human
nature sufficiently to know the appropriate time for their presentation.
This understanding and insight enabled them to succeed in their claim.
  The Torah relates that when Yaakov was on his way to meet Lavan, he
stopped by some locals and inquired about Lavan's welfare.  Yaakov did this
in order to adjust his greeting accordingly (i.e. to greet Lavan more
enthusiastically if Lavan was in good spirits and not to be overly joyful if
Lavan was experiencing bad times).  Yaakov had the foresight and the seichel
to do this.  The Torah relates this incident so that we may learn a lesson
from his actions.
  It has been noted that common sense is highly uncommon.  A man can master
the complexities of a supercomputer, yet not be able to interface with his
fellow man.  Through the study of Torah, with the analysis and honest
introspection of mussar, we can deepen our understanding of human nature and
increase our common sense.



  III.  How Emotions Influence Our Judgment

  Our father died in the desert and he was not … in the company of Korach
…(Bamidbar 27:3)

  Tzelafchad died without any sons to inherit his portion in the Land of
Israel.  His daughters, described by our Sages as wise and righteous (Bava
Basra 119b), approached Moshe with their claim to a share in their father's
inheritance.  As an introduction to their request, they told Moshe that
their father had died in the desert through his own sins and that he was not
among those who perished with Korach in his rebellion.  Why did they deem it
necessary to preface their claim with this seemingly irrelevant statement?
  The Ramban (ibid.) explains their extraordinary concern that Moshe not
associate Tzelafchad with Korach:  "The daughters thought that Moshe
Rabbeinu hated the congregation of Korach more than all the siners that died
in the desert because they rebelled against Moshe and rejected all his
actions."  Tzelefchad's daughters suspected that Moshe might feel hatred
against their father, who had sinned, and therefore withhold justice and
kindness from them.  That is why they took pains to point out that their
father had not been involved in Korach's uprising.
  Moshe Rabbeinu, the paragon of humility, never held a grudge against any
man.  Surely, when it came to matters of Torah law, he judged by one
criterion only: the absolute truth.  Moshe achieved a degree of character
perfection that is beyond our perception, and merited to ascend heavenward
to receive the Torah, learning every detail directly from Hashem Himself.
Can we imagine Moshe discriminating against these orphans and rendering a
decision that was anything but completely just?
  One of the most basic elements in chachmas hamussar – understanding
human dynamics and psychology – is the complex interaction between man's
mind and his heart.  Although we like to believe that our thought processes
are intellectually honest and free of any bias or emotional influence, this
is unfortunately not the case.  Every decision, every observation and every
assessment of a situation that we make is colored by our feelings and
distorted to some degree by our emotions.  This emotional factor is known as
a negiah – a bias or prejudice.  Even Moshe, on his lofty level and with
his mastery of Torah, could have been infinitesimally influenced by negative
feelings towards Korach's co-conspirators.  His vision could have been
clouded ever so slightly and the outcome of the case could have changed.
  The danger of a negiah does not only apply to judges.  We all judge
others and are constantly making decisions that are influenced by our
subconscious and conscious emotions.  Whether it be a parent with a child, a
teacher or client, the fairness of our actions can be affected by these
feelings.  To the degree that we purify our hearts and prevent any emotional
factors from entering our minds, we will achieve a clarity of vision and
truth of judgment.  Often, a friend or spiritual mentor can provide us with
perceptive advice and even help us diagnose a negiah which is affecting us.
Their advice can help keep our compasses true and our path loyal to the
dictates of our holy Torah.