Pinechas – Action and Reward/2
Pinechas – Action and Reward
Exegetical Approaches
Overview
In struggling to understand the actions of Pinechas, many commentators attempt to strike a balance between identifying what was extraordinarily meritorious and Divinely praiseworthy about Pinechas's deed, while still keeping it firmly within the bounds of legitimate halakhic conduct and not glorifying unbridled extra-judicial violence.
The Yerushalmi and Bavli both imply that Zimri was guilty of only licentious behavior and not idolatry. While they, thus, view Pinechas as modeling a special statute of zealotry, they also make sure to note that this law was not Pinechas's own innovation. Most other commentators prefer to maintain that Pinechas was responding to Zimri's idolatrous behavior which was more obviously deserving of capital punishment. Philo and Josephus present Pinechas as initiating the purging of the Peor worshipers with the killing of Zimri, and serving as an example which others then followed. In contrast, the Sifre posits that Pinechas was the only one who followed Moshe's orders to eliminate the idolaters. Lastly, Abarbanel suggests that while the judges had previously begun to fulfill Moshe's command, they were paralyzed by Zimri's defiance, and it was Pinechas who successfully concluded the mission by executing its ringleader.
Vigilante Justice
Pinechas took the law into his own hands when he killed Zimri. This position subdivides regarding the justification for Pinechas's action and the essence of Zimri's sin:
Combatting Intermarriage
Pinechas operated under a heretofore unknown law of "קנאין פוגעין בו" ("zealots may slay him") which applied to Zimri's act of having relations with a non-Jewish woman. This permitted Pinechas to act without due process.
- Most of these exegetes2 add a component of rebellion to his actions as well, having Zimri question the decision to kill the offenders, and/or asking Moshe why consorting with a Midianite is problematic, if after all Moshe, himself, had married Tzipporah,3 also a Midianite.4
- Ma'asei Hashem adds that Zimri wanted to demonstrate that he, a leader, was too powerful to be punished. Noting that only idolatrous worshipers were being killed, he decided to publicly engage in an illicit (non-idolatrous) sexual activity thinking that in doing so he would not be punished.5
- Punish the worshipers – According to most of these commentators,6 Hashem commanded Moshe to set up judges to punish those who had sinned with Baal Peor.7 Rashi and Ralbag maintain that they did in fact do so, and had at least begun to punish the worshipers before Pinechas's actions.8
- Punish the leaders – Ma'asei Hashem, in contrast, asserts that Hashem was commanding Moshe to kill the leaders, who had themselves sinned with Baal Peor.9 This would serve as an example for the rest of the nation. He does not say whether this was fulfilled, but suggests that this command is what prompted Zimri into defiant action.
- In accordance with Halakhah – According to all of these commentators, Pinechas was acting according to the law that a zealot is allowed to take the law into his own hands and kill one who is engaging in sexual activity with a non Jew, as long as they are in the midst of the act - "הבועל את הנכרית קנאין פוגעין בו".11
- Preventing a desecration of Hashem's name – Shemuel in the Bavli12 and the Netziv add that Pinechas took matters into his own hands and did not consult first with Moshe since this was a חילול ה' and quick action was needed to prevent any further desecration.
- Preventing punishment of the nation – According to R. Yitzchak in the Bavli,13 Pinechas saw that the angel of death was beginning to destroy the nation and decided to act so as to save the nation from punishment.
- If one posits, like the Bavli, Rashi and Ralbag, that in his actions Zimri was representing his tribe and attempting to thwart the initial judicial proceedings against the worshipers, perhaps his death somehow represented an end to the original disobedience as well.
- According to the Ma'asei Hashem, Hashem had originally wanted to punish just the sinning leaders, to teach the nation that no one is above the law. In contrast, Zimri intended to demonstrate that leaders are immune to punishment. Thus, with his slaying, the lesson was taught and Hashem's anger could abate.
- Perpetual priesthood – Bavli Sanhedrin17 maintains that Pinechas was promised that the priesthood would always remain in his family.18
- High priesthood – Ralbag and Targum Pseudo Jonathan assert that Pinechas was promised a promotion, that he and is descendants would be the high priests.19
- Priest – According to Rashi, until this point Pinechas was not a priest at all. Only those anointed with Aharon and their descendants to be born thereafter had been given the position. Pinechas who had already been born at the time had missed out.
Leading the Battle vs. Idolatry
Pinechas was the first to punish any of the worshipers of Baal Peor. His killing of Zimri paved the way for others to punish the rest of the offenders.
- Pinechas was quicker – According to Philo, it seems that Pinechas simply acted first. Motivated by zeal, he acted on the spur of the moment, before anyone else, including Moshe, had a chance.
- Intentional restraint – Josephus, in contrast, suggests that Moshe at first did chastise the people but was loathe to punish them, hoping that they would repent. Moreover, he decided not to respond to Zimri's outburst, fearful that doing so would just provoke others to be similarly insolent and disobedient.23
- Human punishment of perpetrators – According to Philo, there was no Divine plague at all. The plague spoken of refers to the human killing of the worshipers, which amounted to 24 thousand men.
- Divine punishment of supporters – Josephus asserts that while the leaders killed the actual worshipers, Hashem punished all those who did not actively sin, but nonetheless encouraged those who did.
Following Orders
When Pinechas killed Zimri, he was simply obeying the command of Moshe to kill those who had participated in the sin of Baal Peor. This approach subdivides regarding what distinguished Pinechas from the other Israelite judges:
Alone in Loyalty to Moshe
The other judges were either unwilling or unable to carry out the killings. Only Pinechas did not hesitate to fulfill Moshe's directive and summoned the courage to slay the offenders.
Punish the worshipers
– According to Sifre, Chizkuni and Seforno, the judges=leaders were directed to kill the Israelites who had worshiped Baal Peor,25 but did not fulfill their task.- Punish the leaders – Hoil Moshe, instead, raises the possibility that Hashem directed Moshe to appoint people to kill not the laymen within Israel but the leaders themselves, since it was these, Zimri amongst them, who were at the forefront of the worship of Baal Peor.26 The judges, though, were reluctant to act.
- It allowed the nation to repent – According to Seforno, even those who had not sinned with Baal Peor deserved punishment for not having protested against the misdeeds of their fellow Israelites.28 Hashem's anger would be calmed only when the nation repenetd, by agreeing to the sinners' being punished.29 Thus, when Pinechas publicly killed one of the criminals and the nation quietly watched, Hashem was appeased and stopped the plague.30
- Human Punishment Preferred over Divine – Hoil Moshe asserts that the plague only began in the first place because no one had been willing to stand up against the offending leaders.31 Thus, as soon as Pinechas acted in place of the judges, Hashem no longer felt the need for His Divine punishment.
- High Priesthood – Sifre and Chizknui suggest that Hashem granted Pinechas a higher status, the high priesthood. Sifre also implies that there was a measure for measure component in this reward, as Pinechas was to receive 24 gifts granted to priests (matching the 24,000 who died.)
- Eternal Life – According to Seforno, the "covenant of peace" refers to peace from death and the promise that Pinechas would live forever.
- Status Quo - Chizkuni asserts that this covenant refers to peace from potential enemies and the promise that he need not fear retribution from the families of Zimri and Kozbi. Similarly, he was reassured that despite having killed, he would still be able to serve as priest. Hoil Moshe also suggests that Pinechas was promised nothing in new; this is just a repetition of an old promise, much like the forefathers were continuously blessed by Hashem.
Killed the Worst Offender
Although other judges also heeded Moshe's command and punished the offenders, Pinechas was the one who assuaged Hashem's wrath by killing Zimri, the esteemed leader of the evildoers.