23 Jul TO BE A ZEALOT

This week’s parsha carries the name of
Pinchas, son of Elazar, grandson of the
Kohein Gadol, Aaron.
The backstory to this week’s parsha really
begins in parshas Balak, When Bilaam
attempts to curse Bnei Yisroel. But his
words become words of blessing. In his
failure, he gives Balak advice as to how to
ignite HaShem’s anger towards Bnei Yisroel.
His plan is to have the women of Moav,
accompanied by their idols, seduce the men
of Bnei Yisroel, bringing them to sin.
Pinchas is known as a kanai, a zealot. A
devoted fighter for HaShem’s honor,
determined to do the right thing. A man who
not only had strong beliefs and values, but
acted upon them.
Pinchas witnessed Zimri, a leader of the
tribe of Shimon, engaging in an inappropriate
relationship with Cozbi, daughter of the
king of Midian, flagrantly defying HaShem
and His Torah.
Pirkei Avos teaches us: “B’makom she’ein
anashim, hishtadel li’hiyos ish, In a place
where there are no leaders, strive to be a

leader.” (Pirkei Avos 2:6).
Pinchas looked around. No one stood up to
Zimri. In fact, it was as if the people were in
a state of inertia. Paralyzed in their places.
Pinchas’ conscience didn’t allow him to
stand idly by. He had to do something. His
adrenaline kicked in. Rashi tells us that
Pinchas avenged HaShem’s revenge. He
displayed the anger that HaShem should
have displayed.
Rashi cites a Midrash that even during the
times of Pinchas, shaming and name calling
existed. There were those who sought to
embarrass and challenge him. They referred
to him as “Ben Puti”, a derogatory term
referring to his grandfather, Yisro, who was
also known as Putiel, referring to the fact he
was “pitem” – he fattened calves to be
sacrificed in idol worship. There were those
who mocked Pinchas’ zealotry, saying “look
at his background, look where he came
from”.
But Rashi in Shemos cites a fascinating
Gemara, that when attributing the lineage of
Putiel to Pinchas, it does not necessarily
refer only to Yisro, but also to his ancestor
Yosef who is also called Putiel, “sheh’pitpeit
b’yitzro, who scorned his desire and

overcame it”. This, of course,
refers to Yosef’s refusal to be
enticed into an illicit relationship
with the wife of the Egyptian
minister, Potiphar.
The story of Pinchas teaches us a
remarkable lesson. A person can
have conflicting ancestral
characteristics embodied within
him, but we have the choice to
cling to the positive, and find
strength from within the good,
rather than being dragged down by
negativity.
In recognition of Pinchas’ strength, the
Torah mentions his lineage back to Aaron
HaKohein. “Pinchas ben Elazar, ben Aaron
Hakohein, Pinchas the son of Elazar, the son
of Aaron HaKohein.” Further, HaShem
rewarded Pinchas with “bris shalom, a
covenant of eternal peace.” Shalom – peace.
The ultimate blessing. Without peace, we
have nothing. With peace, we have
everything. Without peace, we lay in bed
fitfully, tossing and turning, unable to find a
place for ourselves. The stresses of daily life
prevent us from falling asleep. With shalom,
with peace, we can fall into a blissful sleep,
waking up refreshed, ready to begin a new
day.
Modern medicine stresses how important

peace of mind is for our physical well-
being. Stress can bring on inflammation,

high blood pressure, and even affect our
cardiovascular health. The Torah tells us
that Pinchas was blessed with bris shalom,
a peaceful and tranquil life that contributed
to his long years. Sforno teaches that by
being granted a stress-free life, the
covenant of peace protected Pinchas from
the Angel of Death, thereby giving
Pinchas many, many additional years than
all of the people in his generation.
While Pinchas’ actions were strong and
confrontational, being a zealot can be
expressed in many ways. To live one’s life
as a walking kiddush HaShem, sanctifying
HaShem’s name is being a zealot. To be
passionate about our adhering to Torah
and mitzvos, to be mindful of how we
speak to others – and about others – , from
the words we choose to the voice we use.
To stand up for what is right when we
witness a wrong being done.
Over sixty years ago, my parents became
the rov and rebbetzin of Congregation Ohr
Torah, in North Woodmere. Today, North
Woodmere is a thriving and vibrant
Orthodox community, having witnessed
an influx of hundreds of young families
over the past decade. However, to be an
Orthodox rabbi in North Woodmere at
that time, took being a zealot.

While tall and strong in demeanor, my father

always expressed himself in a soft and kind-
hearted manner. When it came to halacha,

Jewish law – be it in matters of kashrus, a
proper mechitza in the shul, or in a myriad
of other issues that inevitably arose – my
father was unyielding and determined. But
he succeeded because he always tempered
his words, conveying the Torah perspective
in a kind and relatable manner. In this way,
he was able to build Yiddishkeit in what was
then a spiritual wasteland, bringing so many
closer to Torah. No wonder that he was
known to his congregants as a “gentle giant”.
When my father saw that the neighborhood
teenagers were heading out each morning to
the local public schools without davening,
he came up with a creative way to bring
them to minyan. He would personally pick
them up, drive them to shul, and daven with
them. Abba always brought along a thermos
of hot cocoa and cookies, to reward his
“minyanaires”, as he would call the boys.
That was his way of combining zealousness
with kindness. And it went a long way.
Today, many of those teenagers are
grandparents, who raised their own children
and grandchildren in the path of Torah and
mitzvos.
Pinchas’ actions were both daring and
courageous. But his intentions were pure
and unadulterated. As a result, he brought an
end to the plague, thereby paving a road to
peace.
We are now beginning the period of time in
the Jewish calendar referred to as “The
Three Weeks”. A time of mourning for the
Bais HaMikdash, a catastrophic loss brought
upon by sinas chinam, baseless hatred. It is
said that to bring Moshiach and complete
the third and final Bais HaMikdash, we must
fill our world with ahavas chinam, love
without pre-conditions.
From this parsha we learn to always do the
right thing. To live our lives with strong
convictions, but without any personal
motives. By doing so, we will b’ezras
HaShem merit the reward of Bris Shalom, a
covenant of peace. Peace for ourselves.
Peace for our family. Peace for all of Am
Yisroel.