The story of Pinḥas (Phineas) in the book of Numbers is a wild ride, a tale of zealotry, divine intervention, and a whole lot of questions about what's right and wrong.
The scene is set during a troubling time for the Israelites. They're engaging in forbidden relationships with Midianite women and worshiping foreign gods. God is furious, and a plague breaks out. It's a mess. Right in the middle of this chaos, Zimri, a leader from the tribe of Simeon, brazenly brings a Midianite woman, Cozbi, into his tent in front of everyone. It's a public act of defiance.
Then comes Pinḥas. (Numbers 25:7) tells us, "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." But Bamidbar Rabbah (Numbers Rabbah) 20 asks a pointed question: did only Pinḥas see? After all, the verse right before this one (Numbers 25:6) says this was all happening "Before the eyes of Moses, and before the eyes of the entire congregation of the children of Israel"!
The explanation offered is that Pinḥas "saw the action and recalled the halakha" – the relevant Jewish law. He remembered the ruling: "One who engages in intercourse with an Aramean woman, zealots strike him." In other words, he understood the severity of the situation and the appropriate response according to Jewish law.
But it wasn't simple. Bamidbar Rabbah tells us that there was debate among the people about whether Zimri's actions warranted the death penalty. Pinḥas took it upon himself to act. He concealed a spear beneath his garments, approached Zimri and Cozbi, and under the pretense of needing to "satisfy his needs" (a euphemism, to say the least) gained access to their tent. Then, in a shocking act, he stabbed both of them through their bellies.
Now, this is where the story gets really interesting. Bamidbar Rabbah emphasizes that Pinḥas stabbed them "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." This was a public demonstration, a clear statement against the sin that was corrupting the community.
But more than that, the text describes twelve miracles that occurred during this act! According to the Midrash, an angel reattached them as they separated, shut their mouths so they couldn't scream, guided the spear with incredible accuracy, lengthened the spear, gave Pinḥas superhuman strength... the list goes on. One particularly striking miracle: the angel "elevated the lintel so that the two of them could emerge between his shoulders, suspended before the eyes of all." It was a public spectacle, divinely orchestrated.
What are we to make of all this? Was Pinḥas a hero or a vigilante? The text clearly portrays him as a zealot acting in defense of God's honor. His actions stopped the plague, which had already killed twenty-four thousand people, as (Numbers 25:9) tells us.
The Rabbis, in Bamidbar Rabbah, even compare Pinḥas to a "wise man" who pacifies the "wrath of a king" (Proverbs 16:14), arguing that Pinḥas’s actions assuaged God's anger and prevented the complete destruction of Israel.
But the story doesn't end there. After the act, the members of Zimri's tribe sought to attack Pinḥas. An angel intervened, afflicting them. However, Pinḥas, seeing the angel's destructive intent, prayed and stopped him. The text interprets the word "vayfalel" (prayed) in (Psalms 106:30) as also meaning "performing judgment," linking it to the phrase "biflilim" (in court) from (Exodus 21:22). Pinḥas, even in his zealotry, understood the limits of divine wrath.
The story of Pinḥas is complex and challenging. It raises questions about religious zeal, the use of violence, and the nature of divine justice. It's a story that continues to be debated and interpreted, reminding us that even in the most sacred texts, there are difficult and uncomfortable truths to grapple with. The Bamidbar Rabbah offers a glimpse into the rabbinic understanding of this pivotal moment, highlighting the miracles, the motivations, and the ultimate impact of Pinḥas's actions. It leaves us pondering: what does it truly mean to act in the name of God?
“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.
