Torah Portion of Pinchas - Zealous for the Sake of Heaven?
Number 25:10-30:1
In last week's Torah portion, Pinchas acted to stop a public display of immorality. He thus stemmed the plague of retribution which was killing the multitudes. He is rewarded by being made a Cohen -- by Divine decree… Moshe asks the Almighty to appoint a successor and the Almighty directs Moshe to designate Yehoshua (Joshua). The Torah portion concludes with the various offerings -- daily, Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh and holidays.
For Noahides
When Bilaam recognized that the curse he had intended to bestow upon the people became a blessing, he devised a new plan. This plan was that he brought the idolatrous women of Midian into the midst of the people, so that the would come to these women and thereby eventually worship their idol(s). Hollowing out the spiritual life from within.
The men who had taken these women needed to be punished and against this Zimri rebelled by openly having intercourse with a woman from Midian in front of Moses. This was an open personal attack on Moses, whose wife was also from Midian, but obviously was not an idolater.
Zimrן's actions were disrespectful to G-d (regarding idolatry) disrespectful to Moses (his good name and reputation were unfairly attacked) and disrespectful to a creature of G-d (the woman, despite her being an idolater).
Pinchas' actions to defend the honor of HaShem and the honor of Moses was a good way to be zealous for the sake of heaven.
“And the L-rd said to Moses: [Not as you think, but] take for yourself Joshua the son of Nun [(because "he never departed from the tent" (Exodus 33:11) — "The keeper of the fig tree shall eat its fruit" (Proverbs 27:18)], a man who has spirit in him [(as per your request (16)], and place your hand upon him.”
I want to make a link to Numbers 27:18 and Deuteronomy 18:18-20
“I will raise up for them from among their own people a prophet like yourself, in whose mouth I will put My words and who will speak to them all that I command; and anybody who fails to heed the words [the prophet] speaks in My name, I Myself will call to account. But any prophet who presumes to speak in My name an oracle that I did not command to be uttered, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet shall die.””
Joshua* is the prophet who would succeed Moses, and who filled with spirit, would lead the people. Any prophet who does not respect G-d and His Torah or disparages Moses, the greatest prophet who spoke face to face with G-d, is a false prophet.
Noahides often live in an environment filled with false prophets or people who disrespect G-d, His Torah or Moses. We should take a cue from Pinchas and strive, in a positive constructive way, to bring G-d and His 7 Mitzvot into the world and defend Moses His prophet if people were to claim that Moses did not act in the Name of G-d but created laws at his own discretion.
Brought By Angelique Sijbolts
Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners en intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano.
Sources
* Not J'esus
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