Many know the story-joke about the man who desperately wanted to be a Cohen because his father was a Cohen. However, there was one man who fit that unique situation (Bemidbar 25:11): “Pinchas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the kohen has turned My anger away from the children of Israel by his zealously avenging Me among them.”
Pinchas’ father was a Cohen and as a reward, says HaShem (25:12): “Therefore, say, “I hereby give him My covenant of peace. It shall be for him and for his descendants after him [as] an eternal covenant of kehunah, because he was zealous for his God and atoned for the children of Israel.”
How did Pinchas deserve such a divine gift – G-d’s covenant of peace? Many answers were given to that question. I’d like to highlight one virtue of Pinchas as a humble suggestion.
“And Pinchas saw” (25:7). The Gemara says (Sanhedrin 82b):
“What was it that he saw? He saw the deed and reminded himself of the law. He said to Moses, “I learned from you, ‘If someone cohabits with an Aramean [heathen] woman, zealots have a right to strike him [dead].’ ”
He replied to him, “Let the one who reads the letter be the agent to carry it out.” Immediately, “he took a spear in his hand….”.
Prior to his action, which is praiseworthy, came a thought. Pinchas saw what was happening, and his reaction was remembering the Halacha. Surely, many people saw what he saw, but it was only Pinchas who thought about the Halacha. Different people may see the same image and each one will see it differently and react differently.
What does Pinchas’ reaction teach us about him? One sees what one’s mind is busy with. A businessman will see the business opportunity in the every-day moments. A doctor will see the medical aspect of the same sightings. But the man of Halacha, HaShem’s servant – will see the divine word in every moment of life. He won’t have to think hard, it’s just how he sees things. In every situation he is looking for the opportunity to follow the word of G-d.
Let us learn from Pinchas to try and find our opportunities to do Mitzvot, serve HaShem and do Chessed with others.
