INTPARSHA61 -37: Parashat Pinchas

From: Yeshivat Har Etzion Office <office@etzion.org.il>
To: yhe-intparsha@etzion.org.il
Subject: INTPARSHA61 -37: Parashat Pinchas

YESHIVAT HAR ETZION
ISRAEL KOSCHITZKY VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH (VBM)
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INTRODUCTION TO PARASHAT HASHAVUA

PARASHAT PINCHAS

The Theme of Transmission
By Rav Michael Hattin

Introduction

As the Book of BeMidbar begins to wind down, the
preparations for entry into the Land pick up speed. Recall
that at the end of last week's parasha, the people of Israel
succumbed to the temptations of the daughters of Moav, and
joined them in adulating their pagan god Baal Peor.
Adopting its licentious rites of worship, Israel strayed
from God and faltered, for now falling short of Bilam's
glowing endorsements. The debacle was exacerbated when a
prince of the tribe of Shimon publicly rejected the Torah's
higher moral demands by openly consorting with a Midianite
princess. Moshe and the leaders of Israel stood paralyzed
to act; it was Pinchas the son of Elazar, Aharon's son, who
suddenly brought an end to the matter by summarily
dispatching the two.

Pinchas' zealous act earns him Divine approval, and
God's 'covenant of peace' with him serves as the opening
passage of our Parasha. The narrative goes on to introduce
matters germane to the theme of entry into the land, but it
is significant that they are presented against the backdrop
of Pinchas' fervent deed. Perhaps the linkage is
straightforward: entry into Canaan will necessitate conflict
and conquest, as its existing societal foundation of a
polytheistic worldview will have to be combated. The
immoral rites of Baal Peor were in fact part of a much
broader cultural climate that characterized the entire
region. Invariably, the worship of many gods allowed for
the oppression of many men, and the people of Canaan
excelled at both. Pinchas' selfless but severe act can thus
be seen as a paradigm for what will be required of the
people when they cross the River Jordan, for numerous Baal
Peors will await them on its western shores. True peace
will only be secured once the idolatry of Canaan and its
associated villainy have been expunged.

The Census at the Plains of Moav

".God spoke to Moshe and to Elazar son of Aharon
HaCohen saying: 'count the entire congregation of
Israel, from the age of twenty and above according to
their clans, all those who go forth to wage war.'
Moshe and Elazar HaCohen addressed them at the Plains
of Moav, on the shores of the Jordan across from
Yericho, saying: 'from the age of twenty and above,
just as God commanded Moshe and Bnei Yisrael who left
the land of Egypt.'" (BeMidbar 26:1-4).

This census of course calls to mind the one undertaken
at the opening of the Book, for finally the promise of
entering the land, initially held out to the generation of
the Exodus, stands to be fulfilled to their children. This
proverbial closing of the circle, which as we shall see, is
the dominant theme of the Parasha, is highlighted here by
the order of the census. The tribes are counted according
to their arrangement around the Tabernacle - Reuven, Shimon,
Gad; Yehuda, Yisachar, Zevulun; Menashe, Efraim, Binyamin;
Dan, Asher and Naftali - for it was with this very
arrangement that the first census was introduced.

The Smaller Census Figure

Here, however, the census total is somewhat less.
Originally, the people numbered 603,550. Here, they
comprise 601,730. Thus, in almost forty years they have
exhibited almost zero population growth! This puzzling fact
is addressed by the 13th century commentator Chezekiah ben
Manoach ('Chizkuni'), who explains: "This census figure is
smaller than that of Midbar Sinai (the census of the
generation of the Exodus, described at the beginning of
Sefer BeMidbar) by an amount of 1820. Had the people
numbered more at this juncture, then they would have
thought: 'since we are now numerous, we will be able to
conquer the land. If we had been less, we would have been
unable to do so'. Therefore, God did not want their current
population to exceed that of Midbar Sinai in order to
demonstrate that they were nevertheless able to conquer
Canaan, for there are no limits on God's ability to effect
salvation whether there are many or few" (commentary to
26:51).

Thus, Chizkuni understands that the marginally smaller
number of fighting men comprising the census, on the eve of
the entry into Canaan, is to emphasize to the people of
Israel that ultimately their military successes will not be
a function of numerical superiority but rather of God's
intervention. Chizkuni's argument is somewhat compromised
by the fact that the difference between the two census
figures is so small. If an emphatic statement of Divine
involvement was called for, than one might have expected a
drastic decrease in the second census figure. An example of
the latter is to be found in the Book of Shoftim/Judges,
where Gidon is told to raise a fighting force to battle the
Midianites. There, Gidon's initial force of 32, 000 is
progressively whittled down by God's prerequisites until it
numbers only 300 (!), in order to make very clear that the
victory could not be ascribed to anything other than God's
assistance (see Shoftim/Judges Chapter 7).

The Succeeding Narratives

A careful reading of the larger context suggested by
the narratives that follow the census may shed some
additional light on the matter. "God spoke to Moshe saying:
'among these shall the land be divided into sections
according to number. The many shall receive more and the
few shall receive less, for each shall receive a portion
according to their number. The land shall be divided by
lot.'" (BeMidbar 26:52-55).

This introductory passage is followed by the census
figures for the tribe of Levi, which was counted separately
from the general population and numbered 23,000. The verse
relates that "they were not counted among the people since
they did not receive an allotment of land among Bnei
Yisrael" (26:62). With the count of Levi completed, the
section concludes: "These were the countings undertaken by
Moshe and Elazar HaCohen, who counted the people of Israel
at the Plains of Moav by the banks of the Jordan across from
Yericho. Among them was not to be found a single man who
had been counted by Moshe and Aharon HaCohen in the
wilderness of Sinai. For God had decreed that they would
surely perish in the wilderness, and there remained not a
man of them, excepting Calev son of Yefuneh and Yehoshua son
of Nun" (26:63-65).

Immediately thereafter, the five daughters of Zelofchad
approach Moshe and the leaders, and request to receive an
inheritance of land on account of their late father, who had
no sons. Moshe refers the matter to God Who proclaims that
"the daughters of Zelofchad have spoken well. You shall
surely give them an inheritance of land among their father's
brothers, and you shall transfer their father's inheritance
of land to them" (27:7).

A Common Theme

Taken together, we therefore have four discrete
sections: (1) the census of the people, which as we have
seen, yielded a total roughly equivalent to that provided by
the initial census almost forty years earlier, (2) a Divine
imperative to apportion the land by lot among those counted
in the census, (3) a separate counting of the tribe of Levi
who were excluded from receiving an estate of land, (4) the
incident of Zelofchad's daughters, who successfully present
their claim to receive an estate in the land of Canaan.

In other words, the larger theme animating the entire
section is the idea of succession. The second census
records the figures of the children who have taken the place
of their condemned parents, and will merit to inherit the
land that the parents spurned. This count is undertaken by
Moshe and Elazar HaCohen, the latter being the direct
successor of his father Aharon. The land is to be divided
among the people, and therefore the tribe of Levi must be
counted separately since they are not to receive any tribal
estate. The daughters of Zelofchad, singled out in
Rabbinictradition as paradigmatic of the womenfolk who
"cherished the land" (see commentary of Rashi to 26:64,
27:1), express the theme of succession on the individual
level, for they regard themselves as the sole and legitimate
successors to their departed father. They request to
receive his portion in order to perpetuate his legacy west
of the Jordan.

The almost identical census figure is now more
comprehensible, for it suggests not only that the generation
of Egypt has died out, but also more significantly that they
have been succeeded by their children, the generation who
will enter the land. The dreams and aspirations of the
generation of the wilderness have not turned to dust with
their demise, for their progeny will continue their legacy
in the new land. It is this land that serves as the vehicle
for the unfolding succession, for the people of Israel have
an enduring bond to that place that can never be broken. "A
generation passes and a generation comes, but the land
abides forever" (Kohelet/Ecclesiastes 1:4).

'Ascend to Mount Nevo'

Nowhere is the theme of succession more strongly
spelled out than in the section that follows, describing
God's behest to Moshe to ascend Mount Nevo in order to see
the land that beckons on the other side of the river: "You
shall see it and then die, just as your brother Aharon
perished. For you both abrogated my word at the wilderness
of Zin, when the congregation strove (with you), and you
failed to sanctify Me in their eyes." (BeMidbar 27:13-14).
Clearly, explains the Ramban (13th century, Spain), "this is
not a commandment that God insists be fulfilled now, for if
that were the case then Moshe would have to ascend to the
mount immediately! Rather, God is informing Moshe of what
will eventually transpire, namely that he will soon ascend
the mount and see the land. Since God had said that 'among
these shall the land be divided into sections according to
number,' He informs Moshe here that the said apportioning
will not be carried out by him. Moshe will instead ascend
to the heights before Israel journeys from the Plains of
Moav, and then he will die. Moshe will receive no portion
in the land but will only see it from afar." (commentary to
27:12).

Moshe's response to the Divine disclosure is most
remarkable. It is devoid of regret, contains not a hint of
bitterness, nor even a suggestion of indifference borne out
of resignation. It is instead a resolute statement that the
welfare of the people is a leader's most important
objective. "Moshe spoke to God saying: 'May God the Lord of
all spirits for all mortals appoint a man to lead the
congregation, to go before them and to come before them, so
that God's congregation be not as a flock of sheep that have
no shepherd!' God said to Moshe: 'Take Yehoshua the son of
Nun, a man who has spirit, and place ('veSaMaKhta') your
hand upon him. Stand him before Elazar HaCohen and before
the entire congregation and give him charge in their sight.
Place your glory upon him so that the congregation of Israel
follows him.Moshe did as God commanded." (BeMidbar 27:15-
22).

Who is Yehoshua?

Yehoshua, Moshe's loyal disciple since the time of the
Exodus, is here formally appointed to succeed him. We first
met Yehoshua at the battle against Amalek, when the people
were attacked soon after they had left the land of Egypt
(Shemot 17:8-16). He appears again as Moshe's faithful
student at the sin of the Golden Calf, when he waits
expectantly for the return of his master from the encounter
with God at Sinai (Shemot 32:17). We next meet him at the
incident of the Eldad and Medad, defending Moshe's honor
(BeMidbar 11:28-29). Finally, we anxiously follow his
appointment as one of the Twelve Spies, and marvel at his
steadfast refusal, along with Calev son of Yefuneh, to adopt
the self-defeating report of the other ten (BeMidbar 13:8,
14:6-10).

Taken together, the above list indicates that Yehoshua
has been present and involved in every single formative
event that the people have experienced during the course of
the last forty years. He has never strayed from Moshe's
side and has always been a source of support and steadfast
trust in God. There is no one more worthy than he to become
Moshe's successor, and no one more capable of transmitting
his teachings after him.

Transmitting the Tradition

For our purposes, we notice that this transfer of
leadership represents the strongest possible expression of
the theme of succession, for here Yehoshua is cast as
Moshe's fitting replacement. The formal act of his
investiture is called by the Torah 'placing of the hands',
or 'SeMiKha'. Henceforth, it represents not only the
passing on of the reins of power, but more importantly the
faithful and accurate transmission of a body of teaching,
and the profound idea that future scholars must be attached
to that chain of tradition. In the language of the Sages,
"Moshe received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to
Yehoshua, and Yehoshua to the Elders, and the Elders to the
Prophets." (Mishna Avot 1:1). Moshe may soon die but his
accumulated teachings and wisdom, the very Torah that he
receives from God, will continue to live on, because
Yehoshua will perpetuate it and transmit it in turn.

Our Parasha thus speaks of many successions: the
generation of the Exodus is replaced by the generation of
the Entry, Aharon's place is taken by Elazar, Zelofchad is
succeeded by his trustworthy daughters, and Moshe is himself
followed by his illustrious pupil. In all of the cases,
however, and most especially in the case of Yehoshua, the
physical replacement of the deceased is quite secondary to
the spiritual continuity of the legacy.

Long ago, the Torah understood that the survival of
Israel would ultimately depend upon its ability to transmit
its heritage - its faithful memory of an encounter with God
and the way of life obligated by His teaching - to
succeeding generations, individuals and leaders. Against
all odds, Israel has succeeded. Although the formal chain
of 'Semikha' may have been broken since the time of Roman
hegemony, one day to be repaired as a precursor to the
Messianic Age, the spirit of Moshe's transmission and
Yehoshua's reception live on. By actively attaching
ourselves to the tradition and assenting to pass it down, we
too become an indispensable link in the eternal chain that
is Israel.

Shabbat Shalom

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From: Root & Branch Association, Ltd.
To: heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject: Weekly Sabbath Torah Reading/Commentary: PARASHAT PINCHAS
(Numbers 25:10-30:1)

Weekly Sabbath Torah Reading/Commentary: PARASHAT PINCHAS (Numbers
25:10-30:1)

23 Tammuz, 5761

The story of the daughters of Tzlophad
[Bamidbar/Numbers 27] is considered of such significance that it is
repeated at the conclusion of the Book of Numbers as well
[Bamidbar/Numbers 36]. What do we learn from these special women?
Perhaps the even earlier question must be, is it indeed permissible
for men to learn Torah from women in the first place?

The Bible refers to both the Torah and the Land of Israel as "morasha"
(a heritage). A heritage ("morasha") is an inheritance ("yerusha")
which must be handed over from generation to generation (hif'el,
causative grammatical form).

Torah applies to women as well as to men:

"And Moses went up to G-d, and the Lord called to him from the
mountain saying, 'Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob (Rashi:
this refers to the women) and shall you declare to the children of
Israel (Rashi: the males)'". [Shemot/Exodus 19:3]

The commandment of "hakhel", to gather the Israelites once every seven
years and reaffirm the covenant, includes the women as well as the men
[Devarim/Deuteronomy 31:12].

If women must learn and accept Torah (at least the Torah necessary to
properly observe the commandment of G-d), then they must likewise be
responsible to pass Torah down to the next generation, parent to
child, teacher to student.

It is for this reason that Deborah was allowed to be one of the first
Judges in Israel [Shoftim/Judges 4:4,5] and that Bruriah disagreed
with her father Rabbi Hananya Ben Teradyon. Bruriah's view is
recorded in Tosefta Bava Kama 4. The Sefer HaHinukh (Book of
Education) rules (Negative Commandment 152) that a learned woman fit
to render religio-legal decisions may do so (similarly rulings are
found in the Hida, Birkat Yosef, Hoshen Mishpat 7,12; and the Rishon
LeZiyon HaRav Bakshi Doron, Binyan Av, Siman 66).

To cite one example. When a difficult "eiruv" question came up before
the father-in-law of Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Habad
Hassidut, Rav Shneur Zalman's father-in-law asked his daughter Rachel
to decide the issues, despite the presence of a number of male
Talmudic scholars. [Shulhan Arukh of the Rav, Orakh Haim 266, 303]

We learn from the daughters of Tzlophad that not only do women have a
portion in Torah, but that they also have a portion in the Holy Land
of Israel. Their particular case, which was ultimately adjudicated by
the Almighty Himself because Moses did not have the answer, was that
they were correct in insisting that since their father had no sons,
they -- the five women -- were to receive their rightful portions in
the Land of Israel [Bamidbar/Numbers 27:7].

As a direct result of their vindication, the Almighty conveyed all of
the laws of inheritance to Moses and Israel (ibid., 8-11). Womens'
inheritance rights developed from this case to such an extent that if
a father bequeaths a small amount of property, it is the daughters
whose sustenance and dowries must be provided for, even to the
exclusion of the sons [Mishnah Ketubot 108b].

What we really learn from the daughters of Tzlophad is true love of
the Land of Israel. The Bible is describing the desert generation,
which has just experienced the sin of the scouts, the rebellions
against Moses by Korach, Datan and Aviram, and the insolence of Zimri,
Prince of the tribe of Shimon, who rendered Moses "impotent" by
publicly cohabiting with a Midianite woman. It looked as if Jewish
history was coming to a close almost before it began.

It was into this maelstrom of disillusionment, when the majority of
Israelites may have doubted that the People of Israel would ever leave
the desert and inhabit the Land of Canaan, that five young women
fought for their eventual rights to the Land of Israel.

The determination and faith of these women, both in our eventual
settlement of the land as well as in the justice of their cause, defy
the imagination. Imagine the energy, drive and financial outlay which
must have been expended by these five orphaned women devoid of special
parentage or privilege (the Midrash even identifies their father as
having been the Sabbath violator put to death for gathering wood) in
order to enable them to present their case before the Highest
tribunal: Moses, and then G-d.

They climbed all of the bureaucratic channels, they fought the desert
equivalent of Tamanny Hall, and they won! Only a passionate love for
and faith in the Land of Israel could have inspired such spirited
dedication and stubborn ingenuity.

It is on this basis that Rav Efraim Lunshitz, known as the Kli Yakar,
gives the following "feminist" spin to his interpretation of the
introduction to the sin of the scouts:

"And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, 'Send forth your men that they
may scout out the land...'" [Bamidbar/Numbers 13:1].

Writes the Kli Yakar:

"Since our Sages say that the men hated the Land (of Israel) and said
'let us return to Egypt' whereas the women loved the land, as they
(the daughters of Tzlophad) said 'Give us an inheritance', the Holy
One Blessed be He, who Knows the future, said it would be better to
send women, but according to you, you (Moses) trust (your) men..."

Shabbat Shalom from Efrat,

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

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