Parashas Pinchas

Our Parsha this Shabbos is Parashas Pinchas and the Haftorah seeing that it is within the three weeks of mourning between the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha B'Av , is Yirmeyahu Jeremiah 1:1 - 2:3 , and discusses the prophecy of the Destruction of the Beis Ha Mikdash The Holy Temple , which was destroyed on Tisha B'Av .
In the previous Parsha , we were introduced to Pinchas ben Elazar ben Aharon , who , for HaShem's Sake , dealt with the immoral actions committed by the leader of the Tribe of Simeon , and Cozbi the daughter of Balak ( Tzur , named Tzur because Balak was proud of his strength and thus nicknamed himself 'rock' - ' Tzur ' ) . As soon as Pinchas killed these two , that were insulting HaShem , right in front of Moshe , the Plague stopped and our people were saved . This happened just after the incident of Moav and Midyan sending their females to catch some of the males of our people and working to get them to do actions toward their baal idol , a plan devised by Bilaam , to get HaShem Angry with us.
In the previous Parsha , the two who perpetrated this deed that Pinchas acted upon were not named , but in this Parsha they were named . The Torah Names the perpetrator of Simeon's Tribe as Zimri son of Salu and our Gemorrah tells us that this was none other than Shelumiel ben Tzurishadai ( Numbers 1:6 ) .
As usually happens , HaShem Instructs us to warn a nation and give them an option to concede to us before going to war with them , but in this case , considering what the Midyanim just did and also that they were preparing to go to war with us , HaShem Told us through Moshe , to attack and smite them straight away .
HaShem Instructs that a new census is to be taken for the purposes of dividing the Land of Israel between the Tribes and families , as this was just before the Children of Israel were about to enter the Land of Israel .
Seeing that the count was made to divide the Land , the five daughters of Tzelafchad , being the only surviving children of their Father ( who was probably the Mekosheish , the one who gathered sticks on Shabbos ) from the Tribe of Manasseh , realizing that it is sons who inherit and that they did not want their Father's portion in the Land lost to their family , first approached the Leader of Tens , then the Leader of Fifties , and then the Leader of Hundreds and the Leader of Thousands , but none could give them an answer as to Females being able to inherit , so they were brought before Moshe himself .
Moshe told them that inheritance here must go to sons.
At this time Moshe was busy teaching and reviewing the Laws of Yibum where a man dies childless and his wife is to marry the brother of her late husband and bring up a child in the Father's name . The daughters of Tzelafchad told Moshe that then they or their Mother must marry a brother so that sons can come of it , but Moshe said that once there are daughters , their Mother can't under the Laws of Yibum . So the daughters of Tzelafchad responded that if Yibum cannot take place once there are daughters , thus daughters have the power to stop inheritance going to a brother ,then so is it the same that they can inherit too . Moshe turned to HaShem for an Answer and Hashem Praised the daughters of Tzelafchad and Allowed them to inherit and the Law included Women to inherit if there aren't any sons . How Beautifully Fair Is Beloved HaShem .
When Moshe saw that HaShem Had Made An Allowance For the daughters of Tzelafchad , he hoped the decree on him to not enter the land , might be taken away . But it wasn't .
HaShem Then Told Moshe to go up to the Mountain of Avarim to see the Land that will be given to the Children of Israel , for he won't enter it then . Moshe requested a successor and HaShem chose Yehoshuah Joshua Ben Nun to lead us into Canaan , for HaShem and Moshe Delighted in Joshua . Joshua would every morning after Praying , organize and see that all praying scrolls and articles for praying were neatly put away. Joshua was also a man of humility who wouldn't get angry at the people and was a man with a great love of HaShem . HaShem Asked Moshe to stand Yehoshuah before Elazar the Kohein and the entire people and lean his hand on Yehoshuah . Moshe , being a man of great love of HaShem and only pure feelings toward HaShem's Word , even though it meant calling a successor , didn't only place one had , but both his hands on Yehoshuah . Yehoshuah would not receive the same prophecy clarity as Moshe had , and would inquire before Elazar Ha Kohein of the Urim Ve Tumim for Judgement , but a very holy man was Yehoshuah . Moshe placed some of his majesty on Yehoshuah , but like a candle that can light other candles but still remain as bright and the same , Moshe too was in no way diminshed of his majesty by giving some to Yehoshuah , also a very holy man .
HaShem Then Instructs on the Tamid daily offerings , one in the morning to atone for sins committed during the night and one in the afternoon, for sins committed during the day and also the different Mussaf offerings , for Shabbos , Rosh Chodesh New Moon ( special to women who should try not to have to work on this day as a reward to their faithfulness for not taking part in the Chait Ha Eigel Golden Calf incident and men should try to study more Torah for the Moon as it grows and wanes and is representative of our Jewish people as we shine with Torah and wane by antisemitism through history ) , Pesach , Shavuos , Rosh HaShanah , on which the Shofar is blown ( that silences Soton who accuses ) , Yom Kippur The Day of Atonement , Succos ( on which 70 young bulls are offered throughout the festival to atone for the 70 nations of the World ) and HaShem then wants to ' Atzeres ' ' Detain ' us Jews , his special guest for another day Yom Tov on Shemini Atzeres .
And this is where the Parsha ends .
When Pinchas took action , the Simeomites wanted to kill him , for what he did to their leader , but HaShem Protected him . The people said of him , What right does he have to slay our leader , when he is descended from a woman called Putiel ( which meant ' fattened for an idol ' referring to calves fattened to be offered to idols ) , for she was the daughter of Yisro and was now a Jew . This was the Yisro who was Moshe's Father In Law , and Putiel had married Elazer ben Aharon . Because of Pinchas' actions of Standing up for HaShem and Moshe , HaShem Rewarded Pinchas with an Eternal Priesthood , for many Kohanim descended from his line . He also lived very long and was given full protection from the other Tribes and especially from the Tribe of Simeon . We see this in Pinchas' name , for the word ' Chasui , ' means 'Protected or guarded , ' and so he was , by HaShem against the onslaught of the Tribe of Simeon . Our Rabbis also tell us , that seeing that he brought ' Shalom , ' ' Peace ' between HaShem and HaShem's Chosen People Israel , Pinchas returned as Eliyahu Ha Navi Elijah the Prophet , who in the future , will usher in and anoint Moshiach and an eternal time of ' Shalom ' ' Peace . '
Pinchas also ' Panah , ' turned away from negativity and stood up for what is right in the face of a possible onslaught from the Tribe of Simeon and he also turned away , HaShem's Anger from Israel . Pinchas took on himself , the Right path of HaShem and thus his ' face ' ' Panim ' displayed HaShem's Will . Pinchas was like a ' Panas ' ' Lantern ' in the dark of the immoral actions that some of the people had perpetrated .
Pinchas also brought HaShem to have ' Chas ' ( in Hebrew ) , ' mercy on our people and spare us . It was in Pinchas' actions that we found HaShem's ' Chesed ' - ' Loving Kindness , Graciousness and Favor , ' and also HaShem's ' Chasah , ' ' protection and refuge , ' for Pinchas was a true ' Chasid , ' who did more than what might have been required of him in putting his own life in danger to fulfill HaShem's Law and protection of It with ' Chason ' ' strong and powerful fortitude out of love for HaShem and Moshe . ( Hebrew words only from the New Dictionary - Yisrael Lazar ) .
We notice that the name of Pinchas in this Parsha in verse 11 of Bamidbar Numbers 25 is written with a small Hebrew Letter ' Yud . ' The letter ' Yud , ' can also indicate The First Letter Of Some Of HaShem's Names , or the First Letter of His Name in the Tetragrammaton ' Yud Kei Vav Kei ' so the fact that HaShem Put the letter that starts out one of HaShem's Names Within Pinchas ' name , shows that HaShem , was so taken by Pinchas selfless act of love for HaShem , that HaShem Humbled Himself for Pinchas's sake as a Sign of Appreciation and Respect for Pinchas and Pinchas' action of faithfulness in HaShem . Also , it may signify HaShem's Love for Pinchas , where HaShem Chooses To Reside a Part of His Light , within Pinchas , Giving Pinchas An Extra Part of that Light That Also Gave Pinchas Longevity , for the selfless action of Pinchas putting his own life on the line as a Kiddush HaShem , to Sanctify HaShem's Name .
Pinchas stood up against all those around him , to do the right thing , and follow HaShem's Holy Ways . Noach too , stood against a whole World , with courage , to do what was right and stand against all those not keeping HaShem's Laws , for Noach chose , as did Pinchas , to stand against the many , with courage and bravery , to stand up and defend HaShem and Keep His Laws against many who were not doing that .
So there is a part of Noach , in Pinchas , and if we look closely enough at Pinchas' name here , we notice that the same letters that spell Noach - the Hebrew ' Nun and Ches , ' appear also in Pinchas' name , for Noach's spelling is also within the word Pinchas , so this teaches how they both stood up for the Right and Moral Path of HaShem , against the many who were doing wrong , no matter what it might cost them , and thus both performed a Great Kiddush HaShem .
This is how HaShem Wants us all to be . To stand up for what is right , no matter what the consequences , HaShem Wants us to stand by Him and by His Laws , and Stand against anyone , who will dare try to break them or speak against Them , Chas Ve Shalom .
There is a part of Noach in all of us , for we are all descended from Noach . And if we look deep enough , we can , at a moment's notice , stand up and fight the wrong , and take lesson from Pinchas and Noach on how to be a true faithful follower of HaShem .
The very fact that Adam was Created , is an indication , that the World was Created even just for one person . That one person , as a descendant of Adam , like you , and like me and like all of us , can stand up and say , ' The World was Created just for each one of us as a singular , ' and so , if it was also Created for each one of us as a singular , then each one of us is responsible on our own to keep up Creation and protect It and keep it as HaShem Wants .
We are each the centre of our own immediate World and thus are responsible for that World . If we see an insult to HaShem Chas Ve Shalom , or a wrong being perpetrated , we are obligated to protect that World around us , and stand up and right the wrong for the love of HaShem , just as Pinchas did and just as Noach spoke out and did . We are to do the same for HaShem's Creation .
We are , just as Pinchas did when he made a place for HaShem To Dwell within him - shown by the ' Yud ' within his name ( Written as a different size to the other letters around It ) , to make a place too for HaShem To Dwell Within us , by protecting and keeping always , HaShem and His Commandments and Creation . As HaShem Said , ' Make me a Sanctuary ( Temple ) / Mishkan That I May Dwell Among them " ( therein ) Shemos Exodus 25:8 , refers also to ourselves as a temple , wherein HaShem Can Dwell and Wants To Dwell .
Throughout our lives , this very test comes often , to stand up and do the right thing , even against negative pressures . In fact every moment we live , we are faced with this choice to do good or not . Thus every moment , we can grow Spiritually and also Grow closer to HaShem , if we just do the right thing By HaShem .
We are each a Created being from HaShem . We are each responsible for Creation . We are each to stand up for HaShem and Carry Creation for HaShem ,by Keeping His Torah , with learning and action . We are HaShem's loving angels on Earth , here to do His Will Only .
May we all be as Noach and as Pinchas and stand up always for HaShem and His Creation and be the angels we can be and carry Creation back to HaShem with love .
With Eternal Love , I wish HaShem with Eternal Love , a Most Special and Beautiful Shabbos Kodesh with Deepest Love , and to all my fellow Jews , a most special and beautiful Shabbos Kodesh with love .