Pinechas – Action and Reward/3

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)