This is so cool for this week's Parashah


Parashat Pinchas 25: 11 "Phineas the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the Kohen, turned back My anger from the Israelites when he zealously avenged Me in their midst, so that I did not destroy the Israelites in My vengeance."

Phineas

We read Parashat Pinchas and Parashat Matot during the Three Weeks, as these Torah portions reflect the themes of this time period. The destruction of the Temple began on the Seventeenth of Tammuz, when the Jews made the golden calf that concealed Divine Will. Phineas, through his zealotry for God, revealed Divine Will. Furthermore, Parashat Pinchas speaks of the sacrifices brought on the Festivals, which also reveal Divine Will by way of the miracles that occurred on those days.

Parashat Matot speaks of vows, which allow a person to single-handedly transform what is permitted into what is prohibited. This shows the power of free choice, which one can use to reveal God’s Will (Likutey Halakhot I, p. 290-146a).

Phineas…turned back My anger…so that I did not destroy the Israelites in My vengeance

The justice of man is harsher than that of Heaven. Therefore, when Phineas pursued Zimri, the Divine judgments ceased—not only against Zimri, who had instigated the evil, but against all of the Jews who had sinned. But Phineas actually did a great favor for the Jews, for he tricked the Divine judgments into thinking that he would exact even greater vengeance than they, and possibly even destroy the Jews altogether, God forbid. In fact, Phineas was a most compassionate person. His goal was not to destroy the entire nation, but only the instigator of the evil, which would be sufficient to turn away God's anger and bring an end to the Divine judgments. By assuming the mantle of vengeance, Phineas actually eased the judgments from the Jews, so that God could say, "I did not destroy the Jews in My vengeance." Phineas transformed ChaMaTI (חמתי, My anger) into MaChiTI (מחתי, I have wiped away), as in "I have wiped away your sins like a cloud" (Isaiah 44: 22) (Likutey Moharan I, 241).

Phineas…turned back My anger…Take a census of the entire Israelite community…The Land should be divided among these Phineas stood up and prayed (Psalms 106: 30).

Phineas effected compassion for the Jews with his prayers. One who arouses the power of prayer invokes the merit of the tzaddikim; their merit leads us to the Holy Land and allows for the revelation of the Act of Creation. Therefore the Torah’s description of Phineas’deed is immediately followed by the census of the Israelite families, whom God testifies are all tzaddikim (Rashi on Numbers 26: 5), which is immediately followed by the laws of inheriting the Land (Likutey Halakhot II, p. 24-13a). 25: 12

"Therefore say: 'Behold! I am giving him My covenant of peace.'" I am giving him My covenant of peace…a covenant of eternal priesthood


Originally, God intended to have the priesthood come from Shem. But because Shem blessed Abraham before blessing God (see Genesis 14: 19-20), the priesthood was taken from Shem and given to Abraham (Nedarim 32b). As a result of avenging Zimri’s immorality, Phineas attained the quality of “love" associated with Abraham. Love and peace are synonymous. Thus, Phineas attained the "covenant of peace…a covenant of eternal priesthood" (Likutey Moharan I, 34: 7; ibid., I, 34: 9).

I am giving him My covenant of peace... a covenant of eternal priesthood

Phineas was granted the priesthood because he avenged for God’s sake and revealed God’s Will. Avenging God's Will is considered charity, as it defeats the manifestation of other wills. Therefore Phineas was granted the priesthood, for the Kohen wears the priestly garments that reveal God’s Will (as in Exodus 28: 2) (Likutey Halakhot I, p. 290).

I am giving him My covenant of peace... a covenant of eternal priesthood

The priesthood represents peace, as the Kohanim offer the sacrifices that make peace between God and the Jewish people. This is especially true of the Kohen Gadol, whose devotions on Yom Kippur bring peace between God and the Jews, for He forgives their sins (Likutey Halakhot II, p. 169a). 26: 5


Reuben was Israel's firstborn. The descendants of Reuben were the Chanokhite family from Chanokh, the Paluite family from Palu. The Chanokhite family The other nations derided the Jews, saying: "How can these trace their lineage by their tribes? If the Egyptians ruled over their bodies, surely they controlled their wives, too!" To silence their claim, God added His Holy Name to their names—a hei (ה) on one side and a yod (י) on the other—to say: "I testify that they are the sons of their fathers!" (Rashi). This indicates that because the Jews guarded the covenant, God placed His Name upon them (Likutey Moharan I, 36: 6). Y-H( י-ה),

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