Pinchas, Zimri, and Kozbi and the Twelve Miracles of the Spear

"And they bowed down to their gods." And what is written? "And Israel joined itself to Baal Peor" (Numbers 25:3). What is the meaning of "joined" (vayitzamed)? Like bracelets (tzemidim) that are upon the hand. Another interpretation: at first they entered modestly, and afterward they entered in pairs (zugot zugot), as it is said, "a yoke (tzemed) of oxen" (1 Samuel 11:7). And when Zimri sought and went to Kozbi—and she was the daughter of Balak—she said to him: "I will not obey you, for so my father commanded me, that I should obey none but Moses your teacher, for he is a king and my father too is a king, and it is fitting for the daughter of a king to be for a king." And what was Balak's intent? He said: "Every evil deed that Israel does, Moses stands and annuls the decree. And if my daughter is able to seduce Moses, all Israel will be delivered into my hand." And Balak's daughter was very beautiful of form. Zimri said to her: "I am greater than Moses, for I am from the second tribe and he is from the third tribe." He pulled her by her hair-lock and went out before Moses. He said to him: "Is this one permitted or forbidden?" Moses said: "Forbidden, because she is a Midianite woman." Immediately Moses' hands became slack. Moses and Eleazar and the elders began to weep, as it is said, "and they were weeping" (verse 6). And the Holy Spirit cried out: "The stout-hearted are despoiled, they have slept their sleep" etc. (Psalms 76:6). Pinchas saw this; immediately he was zealous and arose, as it is said, "And Pinchas son of Eleazar saw" etc. And what is "And Pinchas saw"? He saw that neither Eleazar nor any one of the elders nor of the princes arose. And since not one of them arose, immediately "he arose" and saw. And what did he see? He saw the deed and remembered the law, which he had learned before Moses our teacher, and he said: "You taught me, our teacher: one who has relations with an Aramean woman, the zealous strike him down." Another interpretation: "And he saw and he arose." What did he see? He saw the law that one who is suspected of a matter may not judge it nor testify about it. He said: Reuben is suspected in the matter, as it is said, "And Reuben went and lay with Bilhah" (Genesis 35:22)—one of his tribe cannot stand up in this matter, for they would say to him, "Judge yourself first, and afterward judge others." And Simeon, the great one of his tribe, committed this very transgression; the matter depends on none but me. Will he not remember that his father and my father slew all the men of Shechem over sexual immorality, when none had sinned but Hamor son of Shechem—and Zimri ought to have learned from his father's deed! Moreover, my tribe is zealous, in the affair of the Calf: my tribe arose and was zealous for His great Name, and felled of the people about three thousand men; and now it is fitting for me to be zealous for His great and awesome Name. And he arose from amid the congregation and took a spear in his hand—in his hand was a spear (romach)—and they were under the ban (cherem); for so "romach" and "cherem" are in all the numbers of their limbs, which is the number 248. And the Holy One, blessed be He, performed for him all those miracles, and they are twelve miracles: First, that it is their way to separate one from the other—but here the angel held them joined together. Second, the angel stopped their mouths so that they would not cry out. Third, the Holy One, blessed be He, aimed the spear so that it would enter into his male member and into her female part, so that the others would not say that he too entered and did his need. Fourth, He lengthened the iron so that it would pierce them both. Fifth, He put strength in his arm so that he could lift them both. Sixth, they did not slip off the weapon but stayed in their place. Seventh, the angel turned them over upon the spear, in their manner, so that all might see their disgrace. Eighth, they did not drip blood, so that Pinchas would not be defiled. Ninth, the Holy One, blessed be He, guarded their breath so that they would not die and defile Pinchas. Tenth, the angel raised up the lintel for him so that the two of them would go out between his shoulders. Eleventh, when they came out, he saw the plague destroying the people, and he cast them to the ground and stood and prayed, as it is said, "And Pinchas stood" etc. Twelfth, by his hands the plague was stayed. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: "I hold much good in store for Pinchas." Pinchas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest—of him it is said, "The wrath of a king is messengers of death, but a wise man will pacify it" (Proverbs 16:14). A parable: to what is the matter like? To a king who was passing by, and a band of youths were standing there. One of them arose and reviled the king, and the king was filled with wrath against them. One who was sitting among them arose and struck the one who had reviled the king. The king saw what he did, and immediately the king's wrath subsided. Who caused the king to turn back from his wrath? The one who was sitting and arose and struck the other. So too, who caused the Holy One, blessed be He, that His wrath should turn back and He not destroy the children of Israel? You must say: Pinchas—to fulfill what is said, "The wrath of a king" etc. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: "By right he should receive his reward," as it is said, "Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace." Great is peace, for the Torah is called peace, as it is said, "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace" (Proverbs 3:17).