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This week our parasha is Pinchas, which covers Numbers 25:10-30:1.  Parasha Pinchas teaches us that we should have great boldness in standing up for what is right, seeking the promises of Adonai, and accepting the responsibilities we are given.

We begin with the Lord commending Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron, for his actions during the sins of Peor, when many of the Jewish men had relations with pagan women and worshipped false gods.  Pinchas saw a Jewish leader openly taking a pagan woman into his tent while the other leaders were mourning our peoples’ sin.  So Pinchas left the others, grabbed a spear, and followed the man into his tent.  While the leader was having relations with the woman, Pinchas took his spear and pierced through them both, killing them instantly.

The Lord commended Pinchas for his actions because he acted with the Lord’s righteous anger at such sin.  Pinchas’s actions brought atonement for our people, ending the plague.  The Lord also made a covenant with Pinchas that both he and his descendants would be priests of Israel forever.  While some characterize Pinchas as “hot-headed” or an example of violently responding to all sin, we should remember that Pinchas acted as he did in accordance with Adonai’s Will in this matter.  In every situation we should try to be like Pinchas, boldly following the Lord’s teaching.

Pincheas stands as a powerful example of boldly acting in the face of sinful actions, especially within God’s community.  Pinchas had a deep passion and drive for the Lord and His Word.  Just like Pinchas we cannot allow ourselves to become complacent or apathetic in the face of sin, as many have become today. Regardless of our age or our status we have a responsibility to speak out against sin we see around us within our community.

Numbers 26 contains a census of the new generation in preparation for entering the land of Israel.  The census breaks down each tribe and their clans in detail but the formula breaks with the naming of the daughters of Zelophehad, who are a major part of Numbers 27.

Zelophehad was a man who died without having any sons but did have several daughters.  However, because of how land inheritance worked, they would not inherit their father’s land and his name and legacy would end with them.  To solve this problem, the daughters went before Moses to ask for their father’s land.  Moses took the matter to the Lord and He decided that they deserved to inherit their father’s land.  The Lord commanded that if there were no sons to claim a family inheritance it could be transferred to the daughters.

While this may seem from our modern perspective a minor incident in this parasha it was a very serious matter.  Had the daughters failed to secure their inheritance they would have been left financially destitute and the potential end of their family legacy.  This probably made petitioning Moses a very tense situation but the daughters acted with great boldness.

In the Rabbinic tradition the daughters of Zelophehad are remembered with great respect as Godly women and examples for us all.  The Rabbi’s point out that while many of the men of Israel committed serious sins such as at Peor or Korah’s rebellion, the women of Israel are not recorded as having sinned in the same way.  Also unlike the men who were scared of invading Canaan and wanted to return to Egypt, these women went boldly before Moses to petition for their inheritance. Their names are recorded twice in this parasha and not only is their family name preserved throughout Scripture but they are as well.

The parasha continues with recounting how Moses would be unable to enter the Promised Land due to his sin in the wilderness.  Because of this the Lord instructed Moses to lay his hands on Joshua and bless him as the new leader of our people to enter into the Promised Land.  Moses went and did as the Lord commanded and showed our people that the Lord had chosen Joshua to succeed him.

Like Pinchas and the daughters of Zelophehad, Joshua was very bold.  He trusted in the Lord deeply and it showed in his actions.  Whether it was the powerful report he gave when returning from the Land or his quiet trust in waiting for Moses to return from Mount Sinai, Joshua had demonstrated the depth of his faithfulness and it is no surprise the Lord made him our next leader.

Numbers 28 and 29 contain instructions for the daily offerings as well as the offerings for all the Biblical holidays.  Numbers 30 discusses vows for Men and Women who are married and unmarried.

Parasha Pinchas teaches us the need to be bold, whether it is seeking out the Lord, or standing up for His way and His Word.  The godly men and women recorded in this parasha serve as examples of how we should live our lives always seeking the Lord and His will.

This parasha also teaches us the importance of legacy.  Pinchas zealously carried out the Lord’s will and was rewarded with the priesthood for himself and his descendants.  The daughters of Zelophehad successfully secured their legacy through obtaining their inheritance.  Finally, Joshua accepted the burden of leading our people and continued the legacy of his teacher Moses.  We should ask ourselves what sort of legacy are we leaving behind for the next generation and are we continuing in the example of those who came before us?  Unlike the world we live in that seems to despise legacy for a focus on newness, the next generation has to accept the torch being based to us from those that came before, L’dor V’dor, from one generation to the next.

May each one of us learn from the examples of Pinchas, Joshua, and the daughters of Zelophehad.  May we all have great boldness and passion for the Lord and faithfully follow in the footsteps of the righteous men and women who have come before us.