Overview
of the Weekly Reading
To be read on Shabbat Pinchas - 24 Tammuz 5775 /July
11
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.
 An
essay from
Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
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.
Shabbat Shalom, Shaul
(for a free weekly email subscription,
click
here)
For last year's essay by Rabbi Leiter on this
week's Reading, see the archive.
____________________________________________
This
week's story from Yerachmiel Tilles, managing editor of ascentofsafed.com
and kabbalaonline.org
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
17th
century - "Shelah"
- Rabbi Yeshaiya Horowitz
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). This is the mystical
dimension of Isaiah 63:11: "G-d remembered the days
of old, Moses His people." (Compare what we have written
on Numbers 11:12 in connection with the words: "Have
I conceived them?") This was the reason that Moses
was so concerned that no one but he would be able to truly
understand these people and lead them.
For considerations such as these, Moses reacted to the
news that he was about to die by asking G-d "Let the
Lord, the G-d of the spirits appoint, etc." that G-d
in His capacity of understanding the immense variety of
spirits, i.e. personalities of the people, should appoint
someone who could "tune in" to all these various
spirits.
When Moses said that such a leader "should go out ahead
of them and…lead them," he referred to the ability
of the people to agree with the initiative of their leader.
At the same time, Moses said: "and who will come home
with them," i.e. that the leader should also be able
to align his thinking to their thinking. He must be capable
of accepting suggestions by the people.
Moses' words to G-d could be summarized as follows: "I
am prepared to do what You have told me; however, I cannot
die with my mind at ease (as You promised me) unless I know
that You have appointed a new leader who possesses the qualities
I have mentioned. If not, the people will, for all practical
purposes, be like a flock without a shepherd."
(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.
|
FROM
THE SAGES OF TSFAT AND GALILEE ON KabbalaOnline.org
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
one sample:
Mystical Classics
 Flying
Letters of Life and Death
From Shenei Luchot HaBrit by Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz
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.
To continue,
click
here.
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For another taste of recommended Kabbalah articles on a variety
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