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Pinchas
Shabbos Mevorchim
July 18 – July 24
22 Tamuz – 28 Tamuz
NOTE: As of Monday July 21, Maariv returns to its regular time, so Tehillim will be at 8:55, followed by Maariv at 9:00
SCHEDULE
FRIDAY (7/18)
Mincha: 7:00 PM
Candles not after: 8:07 PM
SHABBOS (7/19)
Shacharis: 9:00 AM
Latest time for shma: 9:21 AM
Parsha Shiur: 7:10 PM
Mincha: 7:55 PM
Shabbos Ends/Tehillim: 9:09 PM
Maariv: 9:15 PM
SUNDAY (7/20)
Shacharis: 8:00 AM
Rabbi’s Gemara Shiur at shul and zoom: 8:45 AM https://zoom.us/j/3812539596
Mincha/Maariv: 8:05 PM
MONDAY – THURSDAY (7/21-7/24)
Tehillim: 8:55 PM
Maariv: 9:00 PM
Parsha previews on zoom will be on hiatus for the next several weeks, to resume later in the summer
Dvar Torah & Thoughts on Pinchas
Rabbi Asher Bush
Like a number of other narratives in the Torah, the public immorality at Baal Peor is initially described in anonymous terms, and only at the very end of this account, after Pinchas has stepped up, stopping and punishing the perpetrators, does the Torah actually reveal their identities. The Jewish man is Zimri, a leader of the tribe of Shimon, and the woman is Kozbi, daughter of one of the leaders of Midyan. Strikingly, this seems to parallel the account of the birth and early life of Moshe, where the entire early story omits all names, his mother, father, sister, daughter of Pharoah, and even baby Moshe himself, and only later are the details filled in.
This connection between Pinchas’ rise to leadership and Moshe’s is far more connected, but it is through this link that the Torah gets us thinking. Each of these two men were from very noble, prominent backgrounds (particularly Moshe’s adoptive family), but that is not what either of them is about. Each steps up at a moment of crisis, acts in a strong way that solves the crisis at hand, but does so at great personal risk. Each of them acted without any concern for what would be; and as seen from the story of Moshe, he paid a heavy personal price, having to flee Egypt and all that he knew in life.
However, one might question that understanding, as after all, when Moshe saw the Egyptian taskmaster savagely beating the Jew it says ויפן כה וכה וירא כן אין איש/and he looked here and there and saw that there was no man. But I do not believe for one minute that it means to suggest that Moshe was only willing to save this man’s life if it would be safe for him, rather that he looked around with astonishment to see and realize that nobody else was doing anything, so he had to do it. Or in the language of Pirkei Avos, במקום שאין אנשים השתדל להיות איש/in a place where there are no men (doing what need be done) strive to be that man.
So too in the story of Pinchas. Moshe is trying to move and motivate the Jewish leadership into action, something does not seem to be happening (especially as explained by the Ramban, and this is the basic reading of the text). The last point that the Torah tells us right before Pinchas acted is והמה בוכים פתח אוהל מועד/and they were crying by the door of the Ohel Moed. They were unwilling or unable or unsure how to act, and nothing was being done, so Pinchas gets up and acts. He acted at great risk to himself, after all, who knew if Zimri would fight back or if he would have defenders (likely from his own shevet), but Pinchas acted because it was right, it was what he needed to do at that moment. And yes, it doesn’t even tell us who these two perpetrators were until the end of the story. Does that mean he didn’t know or just didn’t care? Either possibility is reasonable; either he didn’t know who they were and took a big risk, or he did know, and he took an incredibly big risk. But either way, he stepped up and acted. In this case God publicly supported him so there was no need to flee, instead he was then thrust into a leadership position.
So, these two stories, that of the young Moshe and that of Pinchas are parallel not just in terms of the omission of names until later in the story, but that each of these two each risked safety and security to do what was right, each risked their futures to do what was right,.
While the קנאי/zealot aspect of Pinchas is something our Sages cautioned about learning the incorrect lessons, as how and when there is a place for such zealotry is a large question, way beyond us right now, but the more basic lesson remains, and calls each of us. Doing that what is right, especially for the sake of the Jewish people and its future, may well require stepping out of our comfort zones, putting ourselves in a place that we had not considered. This is not generally something one trains for or plans, like Moshe and Pinchas, it something at just happens, just presents itself when one is least expecting it. How and what that situation/opportunity is for each person is likely not the same as we are all different, have different strengths and talents, but it is absolutely something that relates to everyone.
Doing right at times when others don’t see the problem or even if they do and just don’t bother is one of the hardest things to do. Why me? I didn’t sign up for this, did I? Perhaps the best answer is just to think what would have been if Moshe or Pinchas hadn’t gotten involved, if they, like so many others would have said that its not my business or my job, or if it’s so important, I am sure that someone else will take care of it. Of course we might still say, it is not my job to be the next Moshe or the next Pinchas, and that is true, but it is my job to fulfill my personal destiny. As a member of the Jewish people I have been chosen for a mission, often a very personal one, to contribute to my people in the ways that God has placed before me, the expected and the unexpected, the easy and the not so easy.