Articles with the tag: pinchas

We Want the Prize!

Do all parents practice psychology? Do we assume that children operate by one simple rule: external stimuli creates an appropriate response? In a nutshell, that reward and punishment are always sufficient to promote positive behavior?
True, this method is used to train animals. By rewarding hungry pigeons with food pellets every time the pigeon took a step to the right, B.F. Skinner eventually trained the birds to spin in clockwise circles. Indeed, most classrooms utilize similar behavior modification systems; star charts, weekly prizes, contests, honor roll, and more. The notion that behavior can be so reliably manipulated is especially attractive to Torah educators, who are faced with a number of instructional challenges: the sacred texts are in Hebrew and Aramaic,...

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The Gifts of G-d

Ibur (impregnation) - i.e., spiritual possession of a lower soul by a higher soul to the benefit of both of them.
Of course the continued presence of the tzadik’s ibur depends upon the person’s deeds.
Zohar: ibur of the souls of Nadav and Avihu.

A zealous Pinchas swung his deadly spear, “Avenging Hashem’s vengeance.” G-d Himself, who declared, “Pinchas became enraged (when in fact) I should have been the One Who was angry!”
So who stopped Him?  Furthermore, a happy G-d sounds ok by me. And if the Master was unwilling to become angry, why did Pinchas feel compelled to take His place?
A quick review of the entire episode will unveil a most exquisite explanation. Bilaam was hired to…

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There Are All Sorts of Zealots (haftora)

Without being overly graphic, I think we can all agree that it was not a pretty sight. The forever rebellious Israelites had strayed from the camp right into the arms of the Midianite girls. Pe’or, the idol of defecation was being worshipped and Zimri…well, what can I say. That certainly was the climax of the entire scandalous affair. Publicly scorning G-d and His servant Moses, he brazenly brought back one of the girls.
It was Pinchas who alone was zealous for Hashem. It was he who took the law into his own hands. Yet it was he, the radical fanatic, who was granted G-d’s covenant of peace. 
This heroic tale of Pinchas has a parallel in the prophet Elijah who…

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Moses’ Inheritance (27:13)

Miriam had died; so had Aaron. Now Moses himself was within sight of the angel of death. Who would be his heir? Had he given the issue of succession any thought? One clue can be found in Moses’ prayer to G-d “The time has come that I should make a request of my own, that my sons inherit my position.” G-d replied, “This is not what I have decided. Joshua deserves to receive reward for serving you and never leaving your tent.” As King Solomon said, “He that keeps the vineyard shall eat its fruit and he that waits on his master shall be honored.” (Rashi)
How poignant! Not only was Moses fated not to enter Israel, he also saw…

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The Modern Daughters of Tzelafchad (27:7)

The daughters of Tzelafchad made history when the male-only inheritance laws were overturned. Since then however, their daughters have not made much progress. At least that’s the argument from contemporary women who do not understand the gender exclusion policies of Orthodox synagogues. How much longer, they wonder, will shuls segregate their women to the peanut gallery?
Indeed, the all-male minyan is an enigma. In fact, it is simply bewildering. Let me explain: Many of the guidelines for prayer, we learn from a lady named Chana when she came to the Tabernacle to pray. There she poured out her heart and demanded that G-d change the rules of nature itself by granting her not just any son, but a righteous one….

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The Land's Lottery (26:55)

You’re a teacher, perhaps a parent, and your pupils or children are eagerly awaiting your distribution of their rewards. Several methods of allocation are available to you; one based upon age, merit, seniority, or effort.  Of course there is always the haphazard determinant of picking a number.
In this week’s Biblical reading G-d informs Moses to apportion shares of the Promised Land by way of a lottery.  A lottery, like picking a number out of a hat seems grossly unfair.  A larger family should receive a greater portion otherwise disproportionate allotments would be the result.  Which raises the question; why use a random system of distribution?
The Rebbe explains that certain entities like the Land of Israel, the Torah itself,...

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The Law Not Taught (26:13)

Our weekly Biblical tale begins….right at the end. Now why a great story that contains all the correct Hollywood ingredients like murder, mayhem, and sex, should have been broken up in two portions is a mystery. Dare we suggest that the Grand Producer of all time was perhaps looking to make a sequel?
Regardless, Pinchas, who as we know had witnessed the sinful exploits of Zimri and Kozbi and had literally speared the couple, had thus saved the camp from being engulfed in a plague of revenge. The Halachic justification for such extraordinary action is found in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 81b), “One who cohabits with an idolatress, zealots may kill him.”
We should note that this is not the conventional…

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Holy Anger (25:11)

A zealous Pinchas swung his deadly spear, “Avenging Hashem’s vengeance.” A fascinating perspective of this unlikely hero is provided by G-d Himself, who declared, “Pinchas became enraged (when in fact) I should have been the One Who was angry!”
So who stopped Him?  Furthermore, a happy G-d sounds ok by me. And if the Master was unwilling to become angry, why did Pinchas feel compelled to take His place? A quick review of the entire episode will unveil a most exquisite explanation. Bilaam was hired to curse the Jewish nation. Rashi opines that Bilaam’s expertise was his ability to determine when Hashem was angry. At that moment of Divine wrath, anyone, including Bilaam, could direct G-d’s wrath and utter a…

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Stop Dreaming (25:11)

If last week’s Torah portion has its villains, this week’s story has its hero.  Pinchas, grandson of Aaron the High Priest, single-handedly turned away G-d’s wrath and stopped the plague that has already killed thousands of his fellow Jews. In reward of his supreme bravery, Pinchas was granted immunity from death. And so hundreds of years later, and who knows how many generations, our fearless champion makes his second appearance using another name.  This time he’s operating under the alias Elijah the Prophet, who traditionally symbolizes the person who comes to the rescue at the last minute.  According to our Sages, this character trait will figure prominently in Pinchas’ last and most important role.  It is Elijah who will be…

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