Pinchas – Once Upon a Week

Read the transcript below, or watch a video of the teaching by Yehuda Bachana.

The Torah portion Pinchas can be compared to a colorful mosaic that is made up of different stories. Pinchas picks up right where we ended last week. The children of Israel are still camped at Shit’tim, about 10 km North-East of the Dead Sea. There the daughters of Moab caused the Israelites to fall into idolatry:

The consequences are horrific, resulting in a plague that took 24000 lives! The plague stops when Pinchas, the son of Eliezer the priest, kills the chief of the Tribe of Simeon along with a noble Midianite woman.

This week’s Torah portion is named after this priest and begins with God’s reaction to Pinchas’ actions. It then goes on and discusses a variety of topics, like the census of the tribes and the division of the Land according to each tribe’s size.

The story of Zelophehad’s daughters, and their claim for equality, is also part of our Torah portion. Furthermore, Joshua becomes the appointed next leader of Israel. After which we read about different sacrifices in connection with Biblical feasts such as: Shabbat, Passover, First Fruits, the New Year, the Day of Atonement and Sukkot. All these Biblical feasts are mentioned in our Torah portion. Truly, Parashat Pinchas touches upon a wide variety of topics.

Back to where we started, a priest from the Tribe of Levi kills a representative from the Tribe of Simeon. This event takes us back to Levi and Simeon, the two violent and jealous sons of Jacob. These sons avenged their sister Dina’s honor with violence, when they committed the Shechem massacre. These actions frightened Jacob to such an extent, that he disinherited them.

This story reminds us of Joseph in Egypt. Of all brothers, Simeon was arrested and thrown into an Egyptian jail. It makes me lean towards the idea that it was Simeon who tried to convince the other brothers to murder Joseph in the valley of Dothan. At the end, the brothers compromise by selling Joseph into slavery to the Egyptians.

Our Torah portion is named after a religious zealot, forcing us to discuss this complicated and controversial subject. as Most of us find the idea of religious zeal frightening, as it can be rightfully translated with ‘senseless fanaticism’ that disregards human life and value.

Reading the New Testament, I understand that at times there is space for jealousy, which can become violent at times. When Yeshua entered the Temple, He saw the market, the devaluation of the House of God and the lust for money. The inner court had become a market place, and was filled with gossip and street vendors who exchanged money. Merchants were selling amulets, souvenirs and even sacrifices.

In this race for profit and financial gain, God had been forgotten. Money had become the central focus at the Temple. We forgot how to come and stand before the Almighty God in purity and innocence. When greedy merchants corrupted the essence of the Temple, the holy atmosphere deteriorated into a rotten one.

Yeshua is disturbed by what He sees. He takes a whip and violently overturns the tables of the money-changers and chases the vendors away in a violent way. Truly, what is more important to God: that we bring Him an expensive sacrifice of the highest quality, or that we offer Him our loving and faithful heart, and our willingness to serve?

Let’s reflect for a moment. Would our spouse prefer a lot of gifts, or rather our presence, and our attentive and loving attitude? Would my wife prefer material gifts, or rather for me to spend quality time with her from love and from my own desire? I think the answer is crystal clear.

Let’s consider Yeshua’s actions. He took a whip and turned over the tables. Now, let’s analyze Pinchas’ reaction, as he took a spear and pierced two people to death. These two had sinned and caused others to sin; and yet, we cannot support such actions today.

The idea of religious zeal is most frightening, because there’s a very thin line between having a zeal for God and becoming a fanatically religious. Where actually, is, the line between a ‘godly zeal’ and becoming fanatical? And who appointed us to be God’s guardians?

Here I would like to emphasize that there is a huge difference between someone who acts from a certain position of authority, and a civilian who takes the law into his or her own hands.Yeshua is

Yeshua created this world, and therefore He can do with what’s His, as He wishes.

Similarly, Pinchas is a priest who serves in the sanctuary. He is a descendant of Aaron and a priestly leader. It is his job to stop the most gruesome desecration of God’s Name that happens in public.Nevertheless, right after Pinchas’ intervention, God tells Moses:

At the end of verse 12, we encounter the phrase ‘covenant of peace’. Our traditional commentators try to understand and interpret the combination of these two words and – with it - the meaning of the ‘peace covenant’ that God promises to Pinchas.

One of the viewpoints that stands out is the understanding that, a nation and community cannot adopt Pinchas’ zeal, and violence as an ideal or as an official policy. Many commentators interpret the ‘covenant of peace’-expression as God’s answer or even the demand to Pinchas, for a zealot, to take the heritage of peace upon him. As if God says:

Many commentators interpret the ‘covenant of peace’ as a reminder that the world has to be governed in a peaceful way.

Time and again we repeat the phrase ‘religious zeal’. For some, the word ‘religion’ comes with a negative connotation, so let’s take a moment to explain what religion means. Religion is not always a negative thing, but rather, it is a system that organizes life and sets boundaries.

It encourages community life and mutual involvement in each other’s lives. Religion defines what is allowed and forbidden to do, and although it sometimes limits an individual, it does protect the community.

In a healthy religious system the conservative side is balanced by the liberal one. The conservatives are challenged to deal with modern progress, while keeping the ancient traditions, even when it complicates things. Liberals, on the other hand, seek to cancel large sections of the tradition, even if it does not bother anyone.

As long as the balance is kept, such a religion can function and include a great number and variety of people. However, when the balance tips, to the conservative side (for example), we will see religious extremism, accompanied by true violence.

In general, the religious framework is good and important. In my opinion, God used it, along with our ancient traditions, in order to keep our identity through the long exile which was forced upon us when we were scattered all over the world for 2000 years. History books teach us that nations who left their homeland, lost their identity and their self-determination after no more than 5 generations. Such nations assimilated and got absorbed into their surroundings.

The Jewish people, however, kept their identity for thousands of years, even though we lived in exile for 2000 years, without a language, a leader, a flag, a homeland, a government, nor a specific territory. We were expelled from one country to another, from place to place, being scattered throughout the entire world.God kept our Jewish identity through our traditions.

In 2005 the Jewish Museum of Belmonte, Portugal opened its doors. While visiting there, I saw the items and pictures from the life of the Marrano Jews of the town. The exhibition included a secret installation made from two roof tiles on which the Marranos baked matza (unleavened bread).

There also were ‘pocket mezuzas’ of different kinds. The Jews were forbidden to place a mezuza on the doorpost of their house, and therefore hid the mezuzah in their pocket. As the Jews got caught with a pocket mezuzah, they had to outsmart the inquisitors.

And so, they invented a little whistle in which they smartly placed a mezuzah scroll. In fear of getting caught by a surprise visit, the Marranos baked their unleavened bread in the basement on the third or fourth day of Passover, rather than before the holiday. On the Day of Atonement, they gathered for prayers, pretending to play cards.

They lit the Shabbat candles in a cabinet, or lit one candle in front of a mirror – so it appeared as two candles. They also they built sukkot (booths) inside their homes. The Marrano Jews, lived during one of the most difficult times known to us. They kept the traditions of our forefathers and -mothers. Even if secretly, and thus they managed to maintain and pass on the Jewish spark, against all odds.

This shows the importance and the necessity of religion and tradition.

I have great respect for religion and for tradition. Religion is important, even extremely important as it is what preserves our identity as Jews. Nevertheless, when we study the Bible, we see that Judaism, for example, can be utilized too easily by various fanatic leaders, pushing it to the extreme; and with it, bringing disaster upon our nation.

There is no need to go far, let’s look at the religious neighborhoods today. Their streets are controlled too easily by extreme elements. Many Jews and Israelis don’t want to be a part of the environment on these streets.

These streets are controlled by a modesty police, threatening and hurting those who dare to step outside the norm they put in place. Someone can turn into a heretic and a traitor overnight, and even be persecuted, only because he or she dared to ask questions.

In those places, the effort to follow the smallest details to the letter, grow to the absurd. This was exactly the attitude to which Yeshua said:

The Pharisees and Scribes were the religious leaders of our nation, and represent the Jewish religion. Yeshua complained that we focus on the tiniest pixels and therefore miss the bigger picture.

We make sure to tithe from our herbs and check our etrog in detail, and that is all good. Yet it should not, and it unfortunately does! come at the expense of greater and far more important things like mutual respect, faith and showing love to our neighbors.

If religion is an important first step, faith must be the next and a much more important one. In my opinion, that is exactly the meaning of the following saying of Yeshua:

What does Yeshua ask of us in this verse? To be more careful, and even to exceed the religious leaders? Remember that Yeshua is talking about the religious leaders.

Do we need to be even more religious? Of course not. Yeshua asks us to return to the pure and good faith, which includes loving God and ‘love your neighbor as yourself’. The correct interpretation of this verse is to write God’s Torah on our hearts: not leaving it on the cold stone plates, even though it is holy and sanctified. Yet rather, allowing it to penetrate and to abide in our hearts and souls.This is our faith in Yeshua the Messiah.

But what does Yeshua say here on a practical level? Do we need to try harder to keep the commandments to the smallest details, even more than the Pharisees and Scribes? No! I believe, that Yeshua talks here about keeping the Word of God from love and joy.

Yeshua talks about our attitude. Unlike religion, faith focuses on our attitude towards and our relationship with our neighbors and with God.

Yeshua teaches us that it is not enough to just keep the commandments. We are not doing a commandment as though we cross off a chore. No! God is interested in our heart’s intentions. We are required to serve God with joy.

In my opinion, in the Sermon on the Mount, which is considered to be one of most significant teachings in the New Testament, Yeshua teaches about the importance of the heart. Everything boils down to our heart!

In my opinion this brings us to the highest level which is love. Whereas the lowest level, yet also an important one, is religion. Nontheless, religion without love is bound to lead us to dangerous extremism. Faith, on the other hand, brings us to serve God with joy.

The highest level is love. Paul teaches:

The religious framework is meant to set limits and boundaries that protect the public and the public life; whereas, faith enables us to serve God with joy. By the way, it is possible to have faith without being religious. Faith is greater than religion and is not limited by the religious boundaries and definitions.

The greatest of all is love, and it is not by chance that Yeshua places the entire Word of God upon it. Love that comes from faith, love which source is the God of Abraham, Isaak and Jacob, love lifts up and completes everything: