Making sense of the sedra: Pinchas

It is apt that during the leadership contest for our new Prime Minister we read the parsha of Pinchas, a pivotal moment in the book of Numbers where God commands Moses to pass on the mantle of leadership to Joshua ahead of their entry into the Promised Land. The Torah describes the key quality that makes Joshua the right person for the job as ruach bo – someone who has spirit within him (27:18). The commentaries explain that either he had the quality of being able to address each individual appropriately (Rashi), or was someone who is worthy of standing before God as a leader (Sforno), or that he acts independently and is not swayed by others (Ha’amek Davar). He is clearly eminently qualified to lead a people that Moses had previously and challengingly called “rebels”.

Yet there is another obvious contender for leadership – the namesake of this parsha, Pinchas. He too is praised by God for the swift action he took to stop an overt act of immorality and halt the plague rampaging through the Jewish people, killing 24,000. Although he is branded a zealot, he is rewarded with eternal priesthood for having “avenged my vengeance” (25:11). God further bestows a brit shalom (covenant of peace) – both a reward and a gentle rebuke.

Perhaps this divine blessing was a method to help Pinchas cope with the emotional impact of committing such a deed, his new vocation bringing tranquility to the soul (Netziv). Or rather it harkens to the words that Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel teaches in Pirkei Avot (1:18): “On three things does the world stand: on justice, on truth and on peace.” Whilst Pinchas acted appropriately in meting out justice, this covenant of peace indicated that the rest of his life would have to be tempered in a more measured pursuit of service of God. To maintain a healthy balance, justice and truth need to be partnered with peace as well.

Rabbi Lord Sacks z’l pointed out the difference between our moral duties as individuals and the political decisions taken on behalf of a nation. Pinchas made a political decision through his action to stop thousands dying, but salvation by zealot is no real solution for a leader. Politics must be as moral as possible if a nation is to flourish in the long run.

Pinchas is not Joshua’s foil, but he demonstrates that the role of a leader is not to act impulsively and with personal zeal, even if there is truth in this action. The Gemara in Avodah Zara exhorts us to pray for the ‘shlomah’ – peace of the government. Let us pray that the hopeful candidates can channel the qualities of Joshua to be worthy, peaceful leaders.