Weekly Reading Insights

Overview of the Weekly Reading

To be read on Shabbat Pinchas - 24 Tammuz 5771 /July 14

Torah: Numbers 25:10-30:1
Haftorah: Jeremiah 1:1-2:3 (1st of 3 "Haftorahs of Punishment")
Pirkei Avot: Chapter 1

Pinchas is the 8th Reading out of 10 in Numbers and it contains 7853 letters, in 1887 words, in 168 verses

Pinchas receives priesthood as reward for his zealous act (see end of Balak) of killing a tribal prince who acted immorally. After that is the census of all the tribes followed by instructions for dividing the Land of Israel according to families. The five daughters of Tzelofchad came to Moshe saying that their father died leaving no male heir to inherit his portion of land. G-d commands that these women be given their father’s portion and also commands what should happen in all future cases where a direct heir is not available. Before his death, G-d tells Moshe to view the Land from Mt. Avarim, as he will not enter it; instead, Yehoshua, his main pupil and attendant, is publicly commissioned as future leader of the Jews. The parsha concludes listing details concerning daily, Shabbat, new month, and holiday offerings.

This week's portion begins by G-d praising Pinchas the son of Aaron for turning back G-d's wrath. Because Pinchas avenged G-d's honor, He did not eradicate the Jewish people. Pinchas was rewarded in that he and his progeny were conferred with the status of priestshood. The Selah reminds us that when we see an act that desecrates G-d or the Torah, we should be zealous to stop it. G-d's appreciative reward to Pinchas shows us how important such actions are.
After the sin of the golden calf, Moses also turned away G-d's wrath and ended the plague. So why wasn't Moses also rewarded with the priesthood, or at least with something that could be bequeathed to his descendants? The answer is Moses used his power of prayer to nullify the negative decree from Above. Although Moses accomplished it, we see that the effect on the Jews was minimal - they sinned again. Therefore, the reward Moses received was also only temporal. Pinchas, on the other hand, affected the world from below, by causing the Jews to do repent through his deed. Since he changed the way the world is composed, at least in some measure, the world could not return to it former state. Accordingly, G-d rewarded him in a similar fashion, with an eternal change of status as a priest. In relation to ourselves, we have to try to create 'facts on the ground', positive changes that affect the behavioral parts of our lives, not just changes in our thoughts and emotions that are detached from action..

* * *

Pinchas is always the portion that begins the observance of the Three Weeks. One explanation is based on the statement in the Midrash Yalkut Shimoni, that Pinchas is in fact Elijah, the harbinger of the Redemption.
G-d is sending us the cure before the illness! The Three Weeks are a period of mourning for the destruction of the Temple and the ensuing exile we are still suffering. The end of the exile will commence with Elijah's announcement that the Mashiach has arrived. Behold, do not lose faith, the redemption is in the works. Even the words themselves, "Pinchas is Eliyahu" reinforce the message. 'Pinchas' evokes the image of serving
G-d at any cost, even at the peril of one's own life. Elijah is the beginning of the Redemption. Pinchas is Elijah, means that when we act with self-sacrifice, we bring the redemption closer.

The Chozeh of Lublin says that the Three Weeks are connected with the three festivals, Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot. At first glance, we might think this means that just as we are commanded to be happy during the festivals, we are supposed to be sad during the Three Weeks. This is not the case! Chassidim are quick to remind everyone of the Talmudic saying (Taanit 29) that in the month of Adar (which contains Purim) we increase our joy, and in the month of Av (the last nine days of the three weeks) we decrease joy. Don't read it that we decrease, i.e. have less joy; rather, read it that during this period, we lessen, i.e., enjoy the pleasures of the world less, but do it with joy.

The Torah portion concludes with a discussion of the daily and holiday offerings that were brought in the Mishkan (Tabernacle). After the destruction of the Temple, the Talmud tells us that we fulfill our obligation for the daily and special offerings through our daily prayer. The Three Weeks are an especially propitious time to reevaluate our relationship with G-d through prayer. If we can concentrate on with Whom we are communicating, then just as an offering atoned for our sins, so, too, will our sincere prayers 'clean the slate' in our relationship with G-d.

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For last year's essay by Rabbi Leiter on this week's Reading, see the archive.

FROM THE CHASSIDIC REBBES

"One lamb you shall offer in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer in the afternoon." (28:4)

The "morning" symbolizes the bright, happy times in life, while the "evening" symbolizes the dark, difficult times. Just as we are to serve G-d when things are going well, so should we keep serving Him during the difficult periods in life. This constancy cements our relationship with Him and enables us to develop a true feeling of closeness to Him.

[Lubavitcher Rebbe]

For more than a decade of "From the Chasidic Rebbes" on this Weekly Reading, see our archives

MOSHIACH THIS WEEK

The Three Weeks

During the "Three Weeks" between 17 Tammuz and 9 Av it is customary to study topics relating to the Holy Temple. This study should be carried out in anxious anticipation of the Holy Temple being rebuilt. We should study about the Holy Temple with the awareness that in the very near future, we will see what we are studying about in actual reality.

(Lubavitcher Rebbe)

For nearly a decade of "Moshiach This Week " on this Weekly Reading, see our archives

From the Kabbalah Commentaries on the Chumash ("5 Books of Moses")

13th century - "RambaN" - Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman

14th century - "Bachya" - Rabbi Bachya ben Asher

16th century - "Alsheich" - Rabbi Moshe Alshech of Tsfat

18th century - "Ohr HaChayim" - Rabbi Chaim Ben Attar

a sample for this week:

Ohr HaChayim

"Let the Lord, the G-d of the spirits appoint, etc," (27:16)

The fact that G-d has equipped all of us with both a free will and unequal levels of intelligence makes it an almost foregone conclusion that each one of us reacts, - i.e. uses this freedom of will - differently when confronted with identical data.
In other words, it is in the nature of things that no two people react identically to what happens around them.

In view of what we have just said it is clear that the 600,000 people Moses was in charge of comprised 600,000 personalities. How could they be expected to be fused into a uniform, like-minded congregation? The reason that Moses was able to find a common denominator with each one of them, i.e. "to tune in to the wavelength of each Israelite," was the fact that his soul was the root of all their soul (compare Tikkuney Hazohar chapter 69).

Selected with permission from the five-volume English edition of Ohr HaChaim: the Torah Commentary of Rabbi Chaim Ben Attar, as translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk.
The holy Rabbi Chayim ben Moses Attar was born in Sale, Western Morocco, on the Atlantic in 1696. His immortal commentary on the Five Books Of Moses, Or Hachayim, was printed in Venice in 1741, while the author was on his way to the Holy Land. He acquired a reputation as a miracle worker, hence his title "the holy," although some apply this title only to his Torah commentary.

For the rest of "The Masters of Kabbala and Chumash" on this Weekly Reading; and on all the other Readings.

A MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE

Specifically, for an overview of the recommended articles in the columns:
Holy Zohar, Holy Ari, Mystic Classics, Chasidic Masters, Contemporary Kabbalists, and more,
click to Pinchas

Flying Letters of Life and Death

From Shenei Luchot HaBrit by Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz

At the time of his momentous act of zealotry, Pinchas saw the letter mem fly in the air. This letter is an allusion to "death/mavet" thus inspiring him to be a barrier of "death". The Zohar comments on the lance which Pinchas used to slay Zimri and describes Pinchas as "garbing" himself with this lance in order to mete out justice here on earth so that mercy could be invoked in the parallel regions of Heaven.

For another taste of recommended Kabbalah articles on a variety of subjects,
click to the our weekly Kabbalah magazine

We are now in the Three Weeks between fast days (see article #3), leading up to Tisha b'Av, commemorating the destruction of the Holy Temples in Jerusalem.
Friday is the yahrzeit of Rabbi Moshe Cordevero--the RAMAK--author of several major Kabbalah texts and predecessor to the Holy Ari as leader of the Safed kabbalists (see article #4).
Ever wonder about what Tweeting is really all about? See our lead article!

Twice Daily

From the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe; adapted by Moshe Yaakov Wisnefsky

G-d considers our prayers vital to the world’s continuance; they are as important to Him as our daily bread is to us!

Weekly Reading Insights: Pinchas 5772

a sample for this week:

Ohr HaChayim

Weekly Reading Insights:
Pinchas 5772