Miller's Musings Parshas Pinchos: Zeal or no Zeal

בס''ד

Pinchos, the paradigm of zeal, steps into the fray when no one else seems willing to do so.  Seeing a prince amongst the Jewish people committing acts of depravity, he sees no other choice but to assassinate the two wrongdoers immediately, so as to preserve and restore the honour of Hashem.  As explained by Reb Eliyohu Miskovski, Hashem tells Moshe what has happened and in doing so refers to Pinchos as the one who was “zealous for his G-d”, which may lead us to wonder why Hashem refers to the action as specifically “ for his G-d”, rather than “for your G-d” or indeed “for Me”?

A Jewish life is full of moments that require rigid governance and teachings, dictating precisely how we should act, all providing meaning to even the most mundane of activities.  Yet there are times that necessitate us to react in a way that cannot be instructed but require the urge from within.  An act of zeal is just such an action and is entirely dependent on that person having the personal unadulterated, wholehearted desire to do what is right.  This is not something that can be taught for if most would do as, for example, Pinchos did, upon a command, it would not stem from such pure yearning for the honour of Hashem but from some other selfish motive.  His slaying of these people was referred to as being done “for his G-d” because it was only in his particular case, with his particular relationship with Hashem, that the choice he made be one that was commended and ultimately rewarded.

A zealot is not usually considered a positive description of a person.  It seems to imply one who acts beyond what is reasonable in a manner which is hasty and without judicious thought.  The message of Pinchos is that a true zealot is one who does what no one else will, not because they are taking things too far, but because their personal conviction compels them to do so.   This is something we can all strive for, to believe in something with such strength and passion that it is simply impossible for us to stand by and observe without protesting.  It must always of course be within the confines of the Torah’s view, but to act in a manner that reveals how sincerely we believe in something, is perhaps the greatest proof to our lives being more than just living, but one in which we genuinely look for meaning and fight for a purpose.  Indeed, to be a zealot may be the best evidence that we are truly alive. 

May we experience Shabbos with passion and zeal. 

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