Parsha Paragraphs
Rabbi Naftali Kassorla
Parshat Pinchas
Reflexive Response
Following on the heels of last week's parsha (which ended with Pinchas taking a stand against licentious behavior in the camp) our parsha tells us of the tremendous reward that G-d bestowed upon Pinchas, elevating him and his children to the level of Kohanim.
Pinchas, witnessing the breach of holiness in the encampment rose “from amid the assembly” (25:7), killing both Zimri and Cozbi the Midianite.
However, as we observe, there is tremendous blowback towards Pinchas from the Nation. This is despite the fact that his actions put an end to the devastating punishment (for licentiousness) which struck the encampment – a plague which had taken 24,000 lives! Nonetheless, instead of applauding him, the people accuse him of murder. They doubt Pinchas’ motivation, so much so that G-d himself has to come to his defense. G-d tells Moshe that not only did Pinchas not commit murder, but that he avenged His vengeance.
Pinchas is the archetype of zealotry in the Jewish tradition. His example serves as a paradigm when discussing zealotry throughout Jewish history. And in an age of extremes, it is worthwhile to analyze the nature of Pinchas’ zealotry and its lessons for the Jewish people.
The principle according to which Pinchas acts in killing Zimri, a Nasi in his own right, was קנאין פוגעין בו (the zealous one may slay him) – a law from Sinai that allows for one to kill a person who is violating the prohibition of cohabiting with a gentile in public. This law has few a caveats to it. Firstly, it is not proactively taught; this is known as הלכה ואין מורין כן – “it is the law, but we [Beit Din] does not rule to do it” (Sanhedrin 82a). Secondly, the dispensation to allow for killing is only limited to the very moment of the act itself, i.e. while the cohabitation is taking place. If the קנאי comes even a few seconds after the sin and kills the perpetrator, the קנאי is liable for murder and is himself punished with death. The perpetrator can even defend himself and kill the zealot, and he would be wholly innocent for defending himself!
It is worth noting that this perpetrator, particularly in our episode (Zimri) is committing this act completely in public – a wanton display of brazenness! Yet were Zimri to defend himself afterwards and kill Pinchas, he would not be liable.
What is this caveat of הלכה ואין מורין כן? It appears a bit strange to say that were one to come ask Beit Din whether to punish this type of overt sin, the Beit Din would refuse to answer. Seemingly, this is working counter to all other aspects of Jewish Law. In other areas of Halacha, it is axiomatic that disputes and questions are directed towards and adjudicated by the Rabbis. Yet here, were a קנאי to ask, we [Beit Din] wouldn't rule the law? Shouldn't such an important question need to be ruled on prior to acting?
We can see from the Halacha, that built within the system is a principle which does not allow for a blanket application of this mode of action – it is limited to an elite, a select few. How is this so? I once heard a good line, in response to one who was asking if he was holding on a certain spiritual level, which can shed light on this idea: “If you’re asking the question, you're not on that level.”
When the “zealot” comes to the Beit Din and asks whether to act, it is a sign that he truly isn't a zealot. A “real” קנאי wouldn't need to ask; the fact they are even asking the question shows they are not fit to act. A true קנאי wouldn't hesitate for a moment, even to ask. Why is this so?
I believe the answer lies in the science of “muscle memory.” Muscle memory is the result of constant and repetitive motions to the extent that an action or response becomes ingrained and embedded in the fiber of the muscles. Athletes, policemen and soldiers – after thousands of hours of practice – train their bodies to respond automatically in incredibly complex ways, in specific, and often stressful scenarios. Without thinking, they are able to act at the drop of a hat. Whether that means operating complicated machinery, performing difficult maneuvers, or throwing a ball at maximum speed – through intense repetition, they have relegated such actions to subconscious reflexes.
This is the key to understanding a “zealot”. A קנאי is not just someone who gets emotional or angry at something he doesn't like. Nor is he simply someone who always acts in the most extreme way. Anyone can do that. A קנאי is someone who, after years of inculcating the values of Torah, holiness and truth, through intense labor and study, has ingrained morality and holiness in his very essence. And he has done so to the extent that his approach when confronted with a brazen breach of morality, is to act immediately, without the need for thinking. His spiritual muscles have been worked to such a point that there no longer is a decision to act – it is a trained response.
If his desire for truth and morality was so ingrained in him, would he need to ask permission? Does the pitcher need to think and ask for guidance before he throws the baseball? Of course not! On the contrary – were he to think about it, it would completely throw him off (a condition known in sports psychology as “The Yips,” a little-understood phenomena which is caused when the athlete starts to think consciously before acting and paralyzes him from performing tasks through muscle memory). For a true zealot, the reaction must be stemming from a deep-seeded reflex which lies within his internal morality.
However, based on the above, one could ask an obvious question. Rashi (ibid.), quoting the Midrash, says explicitly that Pinchas came to Moshe:
He saw the incident and was reminded of the law. He said to Moshe: “I have received from you as a teaching that one who has relations with a non-Jewish woman, that a zealot can kill him.” Moshe said to Pinchas: “the one who proclaims the letter (i.e. the law) let him be the messenger to carry it out.” Thereupon, “and he [Pinchas] took a spear in his hand.”
It's seems clear that in fact, Pinchas did ask Moshe about taking action. If so, how was Pinchas not only allowed to act, but also considered the paradigm of Jewish zealotry? Why did he wait and ask? Furthermore, Pinchas knew the law of הלכה ואין מורין כן. If so, didn't he understand that Moshe would not tell him to do it?
I saw an amazing explanation to this question from the שערי אהרון. He says that really, Pinchas was not asking for permission. Rather, because he did not realize that Moshe actually forgot the Halacha, Pinchas was flabbergasted as to why Moshe himself was not acting on this brazen display of immorality. Only after understanding from Moshe’s response that Moshe forgot, did Pinchas recognize that he alone had the power to respond, and so he finally went ahead with his act of zealotry.
With this explanation, we arrive at another lesson about a quality which is essential to a Torah zealot: the pure zealot does not essentially want to be the one to act. If we observe a קנאי “chomping at the bit” to act, it is a red flag. The true personality of a zealot is not someone who relishes the opportunity to admonish others and treat his brethren harshly. Rather, a קנאי is someone who feels he has been “called” to action. Pinchas was called.
A קנאי acts upon their zealotry and desire for justice with the pure motivation of carrying out G-d’s Will. It is not a self-serving act to see his will carried out by others, to be an authoritarian under the guise of piety. Hashem Himself attested to Pinchas’ motivations: בקנאו את קנאתי - “He [Pinchas] zealously avenged my vengeance” (ibid. 11). Pinchas was so attuned to G-d’s Will that his vengeance was in reality G-d’s vengeance.
Pinchas is raised up in Jewish tradition as the paragon of zealotry so that we should learn from him the true qualities of being zealous for G-d’s will. Pinchas sets a high bar for the zealot. By analyzing his character and understanding the true nature of zealotry, we can gain deeper insight about ourselves and where we are really holding. As much as we try to learn about traits to inculcate within ourselves, there is a value in recognizing what we are not as well. Zealotry is a high status, and few among us are capable of being awarded such a title.
Shabbat Shalom
