As always, Rabbi, thank you for your cogent and thoughtful perspectives on our past, present and future.
When I was learning Parshat Pinchas in preparation for my Torah book, I was repulsed by that man’s vicious energy and self-righteous actions regarding the two ‘ sinners’ that he mercilessly butchered for their sexual liaison. In addition, I was irritated by his reward of a priesthood for those actions. For me that parsha amply illustrated the vengeful aspect of God that is so well duplicated in all of us at times. Perhaps the story was put there as a cautionary tale for us, I do not know. Nevertheless, its outcome resonates in our politics and national discourse today. As you say, in echoing the wiser heads of our past, we must understand what is happening around us yet accept the fact that we are limited in how we may respond to it.
While I agree with you about the importance of preserving our traditions and philosophy, I think we must also except the importance of reinterpreting our liturgy with the perspective of our own times.
Shalom, Ilene! Yes, of course the actions of Pineḥas are deeply problematic, and although the Torah expresses that God is pleased with his work, there is nonetheless a well-known textual oddity in the opening lines of Parashat Pineḥas - in the received scribal tradition, there is a broken letter vav in the word "shalom" in Bemidbar 25:12 - that suggests that murdering Zimri and his Midianite paramour in cold blood created a fractured peace.
Nonetheless, the Torah is pretty clear that fraternizing with non-Israelites is not to be tolerated (conveniently ignoring, of course, the fact that Moshe's wife Tziporah is herself the daughter of a Midianite priest!). Although problematic, it plays into my thesis about emphasizing order.
As always, Rabbi, thank you for your cogent and thoughtful perspectives on our past, present and future.
When I was learning Parshat Pinchas in preparation for my Torah book, I was repulsed by that man’s vicious energy and self-righteous actions regarding the two ‘ sinners’ that he mercilessly butchered for their sexual liaison. In addition, I was irritated by his reward of a priesthood for those actions. For me that parsha amply illustrated the vengeful aspect of God that is so well duplicated in all of us at times. Perhaps the story was put there as a cautionary tale for us, I do not know. Nevertheless, its outcome resonates in our politics and national discourse today. As you say, in echoing the wiser heads of our past, we must understand what is happening around us yet accept the fact that we are limited in how we may respond to it.
While I agree with you about the importance of preserving our traditions and philosophy, I think we must also except the importance of reinterpreting our liturgy with the perspective of our own times.
Shalom, Ilene! Yes, of course the actions of Pineḥas are deeply problematic, and although the Torah expresses that God is pleased with his work, there is nonetheless a well-known textual oddity in the opening lines of Parashat Pineḥas - in the received scribal tradition, there is a broken letter vav in the word "shalom" in Bemidbar 25:12 - that suggests that murdering Zimri and his Midianite paramour in cold blood created a fractured peace.
Nonetheless, the Torah is pretty clear that fraternizing with non-Israelites is not to be tolerated (conveniently ignoring, of course, the fact that Moshe's wife Tziporah is herself the daughter of a Midianite priest!). Although problematic, it plays into my thesis about emphasizing order.
Thanks as always for reading and commenting!