“Pinḥas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw, and he arose from the midst of the congregation, and he took a spear in his hand” (Numbers 25:7). “Pinḥas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw” – did all of them not see? But is it not written: “Before the eyes of Moses, and before the eyes of the entire congregation of the children of Israel”? (Numbers 25:6). It is, rather, that he saw the action and recalled the halakha: One who engages in intercourse with an Aramean woman, zealots strike him.
“He arose from the midst of the congregation” – from where did he arise? It is, rather, that they were debating the matter, whether or not he [Zimri] had incurred liability to be put to death. He [Pinḥas] volunteered and took a spear in his hand. He took the sharp iron tip in his hand and placed it in his midsection92Beneath his garments, to conceal it. and began leaning on the wood handle, because he feared his93Zimri’s. tribe that surrounded him.
When he reached them, they said to him: 'Why did you come?' He said to them: 'I, too, have come to satisfy my needs.' They allowed him, and he entered, as had it not been so, they would not have allowed him to enter. “He came after the man of Israel into the tent, and stabbed both of them, the man of Israel, and the woman, through her belly.
The plague was stopped from the children of Israel” (Numbers 25:8). “He came after the man of Israel into the tent” – he stabbed them both, one atop the other, into the impurity of the two of them, so there will not be any in Israel saying that there had been no impurity there. He was zealous for the name of the Holy One blessed be He, and He performed for him twelve miracles. One miracle, they were in the process of separating from one another and an angel reattached them.
The second miracle, the angel shut their mouths so they could not scream. The third, He directed the spear to correspond with her belly, so that his [Zimri's] male organ could be seen in her female organ, because of the quibblers, so they would not say: ‘He [Pinhas], too, entered and satisfied his needs.’ The fourth, He lengthened the iron tip so that it could stab both of them. The fifth, He infused strength in his arm so he could lift both of them.
The sixth, He infused strength in the wood so it could bear both of them. The seventh, they did not fall from the weapon, but remained in their place. The eighth, the angel reversed them on the spearhead, into the proper position, to display their disgrace to all. The ninth, they did not bleed, so Pinḥas would not be impurified.
The tenth, the Holy One blessed be He preserved their spirits, so they would not die and he would be impurified. The eleventh, the angel elevated the lintel so that the two of them could emerge between his shoulders, suspended before the eyes of all. The twelfth, when he emerged, the members of his [Zimri’s] tribe sought to strike him. The angel descended and afflicted them.
When Pinḥas saw that he [the angel] was seeking to eradicate them, he slammed them to the ground, stood, prayed, and expelled him [the angel], as it is written: “Pinḥas stood and prayed [vayfalel]” (Psalms 106:30); that he was performing the judgment, as it is stated: “He shall give it in court [biflilim]…” (Exodus 21:22). “Those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand” (Numbers 25:9). And it is written: “Those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand” – to teach you that any time that they fall, they are counted.
This is analogous to a wolf that pounced on the flock. The owner of the flock said to the shepherd: ‘Calculate how many are missing.’ It is to inform the extent to which harlotry distances, as this was an individual, and through him, twenty-four thousand of Israel fell. This is what the verse said: “The wrath of a king is as messengers of death, but a wise man will pacify it” (Proverbs 16:14).
This is analogous to a king who was passing and a group of lads was standing, and one of them cursed the king. The king was filled with rage against them. One resident that was among them came and slapped the one who cursed the king across his face. The rage of the king was immediately assuaged.
So, who caused the rage of the Holy One blessed be He to be pacified, and all of Israel was not eradicated? You must say it is Pinḥas, to realize what is stated: “But a wise man will pacify it.” The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘In this world, because of sin they can be counted. But in the future: “The number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured and cannot be counted”’ (Hosea 2:1). May it be soon, amen, may it be His will.