Pinechas – Action and Reward

Points of Dispute

These are some of the central points of dispute (נקודות המחלוקת) between the various exegetes:

  • What was the nature of Zimri's sin?
    • Sexual and idolatrous (Philo, Josephus, Abarbanel)
    • Sexual only (Maasei Hashem, possibly others)
  • Why did Pinechas take up arms?
    • His own initiative (Bavli Sanhedrin, Netziv)
    • He was one of the judges commanded by Moshe (Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan), Sifre)
    • He was not a judge, but heard Moshe's command (Abarbanel)
  • How exactly did Pinechas's action allay Hashem's anger and halt the plague?
    • Led the people to repent (Sforno)
    • Killed the ringleader of the sinners - since Zimri was from Shimon and the tribe of Shimon decreased in numbers (Abarbanel)
    • Once Israel was punishing its own sinners, God no longer had to intervene to punish (Hoil Moshe)
    • It did not; the plague continued until all sinners had died (Philo, Josephus)
  • What did these Divine promises add that Pinechas did not already possess by virtue of his priestly lineage?
    • Nothing new - just a repetition, like the blessings to the Patriarchs (Hoil Moshe)
    • Reassurance that he had not lost his priestly role due to killing (Hizkuni, Abarbanel)
    • High priesthood (Sifrei, Hizkuni, Abarbanel)
    • Protection from retribution from the families of Zimri and Kozbi (Hizkuni, Abarbanel)
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