Parashat Pinchas / פרשת פִּינְחָס
Read on 3 July 2021 (23 Tamuz 5781).
Parashat Pinchas is the 41st weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.
Torah Portion: Numbers 25:10-30:1
Parashat Pinchas tells of Phinehas's killing of a couple, ending a plague, and of the daughters of Zelophehad's successful plea for land rights.
After Pinchas had executed the prince from the tribe of Simeon and the princess from Midian, who were both shamefully displaying sexual activity in front of the Tent of Meeting, the people wanted to take vengeance on him. Hashem told Moses that Pinchas had acted rightly and had earned the High Priesthood succession for himself and his descendants. In fact, now the Children of Israel were commanded to “harass the Midanites and smite them” because they tried to seduce Israel into immorality.
Moses and Elazar are now commanded to take a census of Israel. This is new generation set to enter the Promised Land and G-d wanted to take count of those who survived the plague (as punishment for succumbing to the sexual immorality) in the last portion. It was also to know how many males were available for battle. (Since the tribe of Simeon had many less men than the last census taken at the beginning of Numbers, the sages say that these are the people who engaged with the Midianite women).
We now have the tale of the daughters of Zelophehad. Their father had died without producing any males and the women felt that they should still inherit their father’s land, even though they were women. G-d told Moses that the women speak correctly and that this is a new law, that when a man dies with only daughters as heirs, they do in fact inherit the father’s assets as would sons. There is also clarification of succession of heirs based on their relations.
Moses then pleads with Hashem to be able to enter the Land again. G-d says “no”, but shows him the land. Moses then asks to be granted a successor to lead Israel to conquer Canaan and Hashem names Joshua ben Nun.
The portion ends enumerating the various offerings for the mussaf (additional services) of the various holidays: Shabbat, Rosh Hodesh, Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Succot and Shemini Atzeret.
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