Talya Wolfson On Pinchas And Leadership

Hi guys...Sorry a little late this week! I hope everyone had an awesome week...and has an awesome awesome shabbat!


This week as we read Parshat Pinchas, as we read about the passing of the torch from Moshe to Yeshoshu, we learn a few valuable lessons about what it means to be a true leader. I hope in understanding the different stories of the parsha together we can find the leader inside each of us! Parshat Pinchas begins with the conclusion of the story that we began to read last week.

Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying: Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the kohen has turned My anger away from the children of Israel by his zealously avenging Me among them, so that I did not destroy the children of Israel because of My zeal (Bamidbar 25:10-11)After what seems to be the conclusion of this strange episode with Pinchas, the Torah then tells us:The name of the Israelite man who was killed, who was slain with the Midianite woman was Zimri the son of Salu, the prince of the Shimonites (Bamidbar 25:15). Upon reading these verses, we must ask why it is only now that the Torah fills us in on the details about the name of the perpetrators. Surely it would have been more fitting to include these facts when first describing the incident? Perhaps an even greater question that begs to be answered is why we find these verses here at all? Why it was necessary to separate these verses from the first half of the story that we read in last week’s parsha? It would seem that there must be a link to the Pinchas story and the other events that we find in this parsha.

Let us explore what this underlying theme might and in so doing gain a better understanding of the lesson to be learned from Pinchas by looking closer at the text. In order to appreciate fully the importance of the story of Pinchas in the context of our parsha, we must be aware that the Israelite he killed was not an ordinary man, but a prince, a leader of the Jewish people at that time. While the Torah goes out of its way to tell us that Zimri was a prince - a prominent member of the society, the Torah reminds us that Pinchas was not a man of great distinction within Klal Yisrael. In describing Pinchas’ actions, Hashem says that Pinchas was betocham - among them (Bamidbar 25:11). Although Pinchas was ultimately to become a Kohein and an important figure in Klal Yisrael, when we first meet him, he was just one among the many. In fact, Rashi explains that the Torah tells us that Pinchas was a descendant of Aharon HaKohen, specifically because the other tribes scorned Pinchas for his actions, saying that it was unjust that he, the son of an idol worshiper (Yitro), killed a prince of the Israelites. Rashi’s understanding of the text only highlights further that Pinchas was not a man of great prominence at the time. And yet, it was Pinchas, a seemingly undistinguished character, that was able to remove the anger from Hashem and was given only then given the honor of the priesthood. Shira Smiles points out that the fact that Pinchas was described as being among the people provides even greater insight into the man Pinchas was. He was acting from among them, he was acting on their behalf. He understood that if he did not act now, the plague would continue and hundreds more would be killed. We learn here an important lesson about what it means to be a leader. A true leader is someone who acts on behalf of the people – not for the sake of earning a high status or reward. In the case of Pinchas, he was willing even to risk his status among the people, as he knew that he would face ridicule and criticism from the others for his zealous act.

The Mishnah in Pirkei Avot tells us: Who is honored? He that honors his fellow men as it is written, "For those who honor me I will honor (4:1). Indeed, we find that when Pinchas honored others, Hashem granted him the honor of the kehuna. And perhaps this is the reason that Pinchas had to be granted the kehuna, even though he was already in-line to inherit this honor as the grandson of Aharon HaKohen. It was only once he demonstrated the qualities of a Kohen, the ability to sacrifice oneself for others, that Pinchas was granted this great honor. In Judaism, leadership is not determined by status or titles; it is only when that person lives up to potential he has inherited that determines whether he is a true leader.

With this understanding of the story of Pinchas, we can better appreciate the story of the daughters of Tzelophchad. These five women approach Moshe and request that becasuse their father had no sons, they should inherit their fathers’ portion of land. They stood before Moshe and before Eleazar the Kohen and before the princes and the entire congregation of at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting (Bamidbar 27:2).The Torah goes out of its way to tell us that they stood before all of the leaders as well as the entire congregation to make this request.Like Pinchas, these women were not prominent members in the community. Like Pinchas, they knew that their request might be rejected and the rest of the nation may even scorn them for making such a request. And still, they were willing and able to stand up for what they believed. Finally, like Pinchas who was both the descendent of an idol-worshiper and the grandson of the esteemed Aharon HaKohen, the daughters of Tzelophchad seem to have an ambiguous lineage. On the one hand, Tzelopchad is remembered as a sinner - as he was the infamous woodchopper that transgressed shabbat and was punsihed by death. On the other hand, Rabbi Akiva argues that he was a righteous man, who transgressed shabbat only in hopes to prove to the people the harsh consquences of violating Shabbat.

I think that perhaps the ambiguity of their lineage is intentional - the Torah wants to remind us once more that leaders are not determined by their lineage but by who they are, how they act, and what their intentions are. And so the daughters of Tzelopchad teach a similar, but slightly different lesson than Pinchas – and I think perhaps the Torah wants us to learn these lessons simultaneously.Though Pinchas’ zealous and violent act was appropriate and commendable given the circumstances he was in, the Torah teaches us that this is not the only way to be a leader, this is not the only way to stand up for what we believe in. The daughters of Tzelopchad approach their leaders in a most respectful and honorable way by posing their request to the leaders of the time. And for this reason, they are granted their request and have the honor of establishing this law of inheritance for the rest of eternity. Finally, it is in this same parsha that we read about the passage of the leadership from Moshe to Yehoshua. As the greatest leader of the Jewish people hands down his torch to the next great leader, it is essential that the Jewish people understand what it is to be a true leader. There may be times that call for the zealousness of Pinchas, or there may be times that require the modest and respectful questions modeled by the daughters of Tzelophchad. Whoever we are, wherever we come from, and whatever qualities we have inherited, each one of us has the potential to be a leader in our own way. We must remember always that those who chase honor do not achieve it - but those who honor others are the most honorable of all. Perhaps during this most pivotal time in the Jewish calendar, as we feel the loss of the Beit Hamikdash most intensely, may we all see ourselves as being among the people while also beleiving that each of us can make a difference. Let us remember that some of the most influential leaders in our past have come from among the people - and let us be inspired to live up to the potential each on of us has inherited to be the very best we can - for that is what marks a true leader.

SHABBAT SHALOM!