“Zealotry” – Parashat Pinchas
Parashat Pinchas – 5785
By Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites
Zealotry—when it stems from jealousy or a malicious heart—is among the most disgraceful of traits. But there is a type of zealotry praised by the Torah and remembered with admiration to this day: the zeal of Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron the High Priest.
During the Days of Awe, when the Jewish people pour out their souls before God and seek merit, we recite near the end of the Selichot prayers:
“Rachmana idkar lan kanautei d’Pinchas kana’a”
(“Merciful One, remember for us the zealousness of Pinchas the zealous.”)
The story of Pinchas took place near the end of the Israelites’ journey in the desert. A deadly plague struck the Israelite camp, and in a short time, 24,000 people died. Pinchas—an otherwise anonymous figure—could have stayed quietly in his tent and waited for the wrath to pass. But he understood the cause of the plague:
“Israel settled in Shittim, and the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of Moab. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods; the people ate and bowed down to their gods. Israel thus became attached to Baal Peor, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.”
(Numbers 25:1–3)
At the peak of this sin—known in our tradition as the Sin of Baal Peor—a leader of the tribe of Simeon publicly committed an obscene act with Cozbi, the daughter of the Midianite prince Tzur. This shocking and public transgression caused a great uproar. No one knew what to do, until Pinchas rose up from the crowd and killed them both in the midst of their sinful act.
Pinchas was a man of peace, shaped in the image of his grandfather Aaron the High Priest, who is described in the Ethics of the Fathers as “a lover of peace and pursuer of peace, loving all people.” That is why the Torah begins Parashat Pinchas with these words:
“Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the Israelites by being zealous among them on My behalf, so that I did not consume the Israelites in My jealousy.”
(Numbers 25:11)
God understood Pinchas’s heart and his motives. This was not impulsive, uncontrolled rage. It was a selfless act to save the people of Israel.
The Talmud teaches that in performing this act, Pinchas was prepared to lose both this world and the next. He saw thousands of his fellow Jews dying and could no longer stand idly by. This is the zealotry that the Torah presents as a model—not one that inflames passions or divides people, but one motivated by deep love for the Jewish people.
Years later, when the Israelites had entered the Land of Israel, Pinchas demonstrated his true leadership qualities—not as a hot-headed zealot, but as a level-headed peacemaker. In the Book of Joshua (chapter 22), it tells of how the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh built an altar by the Jordan River. The rest of the nation, fearing this was a rebellious act, gathered for war. Part of their concern was rooted in their memory of the sin of Baal Peor:
“Was the sin of Peor not enough for us? Even to this day we have not cleansed ourselves from it, and a plague came upon the assembly of the Lord!”
(Joshua 22:17)
But Pinchas, who had gained his renown during that very crisis, now approached the tribes not with violence, but with open ears. He listened to their words and realized they had no evil intent. In doing so, he restored peace and prevented a civil war, which could have ended in national tragedy.
And for this, he was rewarded:
“Therefore, say: Behold! I give him My covenant of peace.”
(Numbers 25:12)
Pinchas teaches us that true zealotry is not rooted in anger or pride, but in a deep sense of responsibility. It is not about provoking conflict, but about safeguarding the community when others freeze. And at the same time, the story of Pinchas reminds us that even someone who once acted boldly in zeal can also become a leader of peace and understanding.
