Torah Portion

Rather Than Being Contradictory,
Parshat Pinchas Shows Symmetry

motifs carefully, a pattern emerges
that can teach us a great deal about
the priorities the Torah attempts to
establish. I believe that the portion
is perfectly symmetrical and that the .
five sections can be seen as a pattern,
with the first and last as one theme;
he Book of Numbers prima-
the second and fourth as another. All
rily relates incidents that
of which are a frame around the cen-
. the Jewish People experi-
tral topic.
enced during the 40 years
The reward to Pinchas and the
in the wilderness. Yet, most of the
war against evil are complemented
Torah portions in the book also con-
by the sacrifices, all of which bring
tain various laws and command-
atonement and peace and a life
ments, quite often with seemingly
imbued with sanctity. The
little or no connection to
counting of the tribes and
the events described in the
the designation of a leader
same Torah portion.
point to the primacy of a
This interweaving of
community of total partici-
events with laws through-
pation and mutual concern
out the book presents us
— a community where all
with an obvious puzzle each
are included and the lead-
week: What connection can
ership at every level is
be found in the juxtaposi-
responsive to the needs of
tion of these particular
all.
events and these particular
Finally, the middle sec-
RABBI
laws and what can be
tion describes the questions
ELIEZER
learned from the order in
COHEN * and needs within the com-
which the Torah presents
munity and how Moses and
Special to the
them?
the Torah respond caringly
Jewish
News
This same conundrum
and positively to the needs
certainly presents itself to
of these women and create
us in Parshat Pinchas. The portion
a just system of inheritance as a par- .
can essentially be divided into five
adigm for all such concerns.
distinct sections. The first deals with
Thus, the Torah portions teaches
the reward to Pinchas for having
us that the Jewish People must be a
killed the public sinners as described
people committed to overcoming
at the end of last week's portion and
evil and nurturing sanctity; a people
a call to war against the perpetrators,
dedicated to creating a loving and
the tribe of Midian (Numbers 25:10- " caring society with the centerpiece a
18). This is followed by the count-
real concern for justice and the wel-
ing of the tribes of Israel, family by
fare and benefit of all. El
family, for the purpose of distribu-
tion of the land of Canaan, as well
as the tribe of Levi (Numbers 26:1-
65).
Following this section, we have
the daughters of Tzelophchad (a man
without sons) requesting clarification
of the land distribution in their par-
ticular case and the delineation of
the laws of inheritance in general
(Numbers 27:1-11). Next, we are
Why didn't Moses know what
presented with Moses foretold of his
to answer the daughters of
death and the designation (at Moses'
Tzelophchad without asking
request) of the future leader
God? How do sacrifices repre-
(Numbers 27:12-23). And finally, the
sent the possibility of sanctity
last part of the pohion deals with
in our lives? Was the war
the daily and special additional sacri-
against Midian justified?
fices required throughout the year
How does Moses describe the
(Numbers 28:1-30:1).
traits of a good leader
What is the Torah trying to teach
(Numbers 27:15-21) when call-
us by this strange combination of
ing upon God to designate a
themes?
successor? Why is the Torah so
I think that if one analyzes these
hard to understand?

Shabbat Pinchas:
Numbers 25 :10-30: I ;
Jeremiah 1:1-2:3.

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6/28
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