Hamaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Parashat Pinchas Volume VII/Number 37 (324) 21 Tamuz 5753/July 10, 1993 In this Parasha we read of Pinchas' reward for his zealotry (see inside). A different kind of zealotry is described in the following story, recorded by R' Moshe Zvi Neriyah, shlita: The "Chazon Ish" relates that when the "Chafetz Chaim" planned to move to Eretz Yisrael in 1925 -- he even purchased a house in Petach Tikva -- the aged Kabbalist, R' Shlomo Eliezer Alfandri, zatzal (18120-1935), predicted that the Chafetz Chaim would not come. Events proved R' Alfandri correct. "I am not a Navi (prophet)," explained R' Alfandri. "It was only logical. When the Chafetz Chaim would arrive here, he would say, 'Did I write my works on "Lashon haRa" for nothing?' He would therefore hurry to try to make peace between the warring followers of R' Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld [zatzal] and those of R' Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook [zatzal]. However, the moment that the Chafetz Chaim would cross the threshold of R' Kook's house, certain zealots would burn the Mishnah Berurah. "Hashem does not want that; therefore the Chafetz Chaim cannot come here." (b'Sdeh haRe'iyah p.229) ************************************ "Behold, I am giving him My covenant of peace." (25:12) To human eyes, Pinchas' killing of Zimri and the Midianite princess appeared to be an act of violence. The Torah testifies, however, that it was an act which would engender peace, writes R' Moshe Sternbuch, shlita, as King Shlomo said (Mishlei 3:17), "[The Torah's] ways are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are peace." A person who takes revenge on the wicked -- if his intentions are purely for the sake of Heaven -- brings peace to the world. Imagine that an enemy besieges a city and a loyal officer of the king dons his armor and goes out to battle. That person, like Pinchas, would not be considered a warrior; he is interested in peace. On the other hand, says R' Yechezkel Sarna, zatzal (1895-1965; Chevron Rosh Yeshiva), a person whose intentions are not pure can never be called a peacemaker. This is why the Torah testifies as to Pinchas' motives. (Ta'am vaDa'at) ************************************ In a similar vein, R' Yaakov Moshe Charlop, zatzal (1883-1951; Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Merkaz haRav), writes: The reason that zealotry often leads to ongoing disputes, is that the zealotry was exaggerated. When that happens, good people attach themselves to the "portion" which was necessary, and the bad attach themselves to the "extra." On the other hand, if zealotry is pure of all ulterior motives, it brings only blessing and peace. To paraphrase Chazal's words, where a little bit of the light of truth has been cast, a great deal of darkness is eliminated. The Torah testifies that Pinchas' zealotry was of this latter type. (quoted in b'Sdeh haReiyah p.345) ************************************ "And on the day of Shabbat..." (28:9) R' Chaim Meir Hager, zatzal (1888-1972; the "Vizhnitzer Rebbe") recalled that his father could be heard all week repeating, "Shabbos Kodesh, Shabbos Kodesh." Said the Rebbe: My father's behavior is alluded to in Yishayahu 58:13, "If you call the Shabbat a delight..." Calling out "Shabbos" is a delight. (quoted in Kedosh Yisrael p.129) ************************************ "On the day of the Bikkurim [i.e., Shavuot], when you sacrifice the new gift to Hashem, in your weeks...." (28:26) The Gemara records that certain heretics insisted that the Omer sacrifice (and, therefore, Shavuot) must always fall on Sunday. They based this conclusion on the verse (vaYikra 23:15), "And you shall count [the Omer] from the day following Shabbat." (Chazal, however, demonstrated that "Shabbat" here means the holiday of Pesach.) The Gemara says, "On whichever verse the heretics based their heresy, the proof that they are wrong is close-by." If the heretics had studied the discussion of Shavuot found in this Parasha, notes R' Yechezkel Abramsky, zatzal (1996-1976), they would have found that proof. The above verse tells us that Shavuot falls "in your weeks," i.e., its date is not determined by the calendar week but by the seven weeks beginning on the sixteenth day after we (through Bet Din) declared Rosh Chodesh Nisan to be. (Chazon Yechezkel Menachot 65a) ************************************ Chazal say that Bnei Yisrael were counted in this week's Parasha, near the end of Moshe's life, just as they had been counted when Moshe first took charge of them. R' Moshe Feinstein, zatzal, asks: Doesn't this make Moshe look bad? After all, he returned fewer people than he received! The quality of the people that Moshe returned was vastly superior to the quality of those he received, explains R' Feinstein. Usually a teacher can make such strides with only one in a thousand students. That Moshe Rabbenu succeeded with hundreds of thousands -- almost as many as he received -- is truly praiseworthy. (Darash Moshe) ************************************ The "Three Weeks" R' Yoel Schwartz, shlita (Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat D'var Yerushalayim) writes: When R' Yechiel Michel Tikochinski, zatzal (a leading "Posek" of mid-20th century Yerushalayim and author of several important works) arrived in Yerushalayim at age 10, his uncle invited him to visit the Kotel. From the moment he saw the Kotel from a distance until the pair arrived at the Wall, the child could not take his eyes off of it. Later he asked his uncle, "How is it possible that people go to and fro in the streets here and do not even look at the Kotel?" R' Yechiel Michel's love for the Land of Israel was equally noteworthy. Once, a group of Roshei Yeshiva (Yeshiva deans) met in his apartment in the Old City. In the middle of their discussions, dust started raining down from the ceiling. "How can you live here?" someone asked. R' Yechiel Michel scooped up the dust in his palm and looked at it lovingly. "This is the dirt that our holy patriarchs, our prophets, and the sages of the Mishnah and Gemara walked on. How much holiness has it absorbed?!" (Zion Bet Chayenu II p.54) ************************************ The learning schedule for this Shabbat is: Demai 6:23-7:1 O.C. 639:7-640:1 Nazir 55 Yerushalmi - Terumot 6 Rambam Ch/Day: Hilchot Shechitah - Ch. 11 3 Chs./Day: Hilchot Toeyn Vneetan - Ch 17, Hilchot Nachalot - Chs. 1-2 Sefer Hamitzvot Sh:P246,P248; Su:P248; M:P248; Tu:P248; W:P176,N284,P175 Th:N282,N283,P229,P228; F:P226,P227,P230,P231,N66 ************************************ The hard copy distribution of this weeks Hamaayan is sponsored by: the Meth Family in honor of Avi's birthday Michael Sager and Ruth Champion-Sager ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax deductible