Chumashחומש

פינחס בן אלעזר בן אהרן הכהן. לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ הַשְּׁבָטִים מְבַזִּים אוֹתוֹ — הַרְאִיתֶם בֶּן פּוּטִי זֶה שֶׁפִּטֵּם אֲבִי אִמּוֹ עֲגָלִים לַעֲ"זָ וְהָרַג נְשִׂיא שֵׁבֶט מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל? לְפִיכָךְ בָּא הַכָּתוּב וְיִחֲסוֹ אַחַר אַהֲרֹן (סנהדרין פ"ב):

פינחס בן אלעזר בן אהרן הכהן PHINEAS THE SON OF ELEAZAR THE SON OF AARON THE PRIEST — Because the tribes spoke disparagingly of him, saying, “Have you seen this grandson of Puti the father of whose mother used to fatten (פטם) calves for idolatrous sacrifices (see Exodus 6:25 that Eleazar his father had married a daughter of Putiel who is identified with Jethro; see Rashi on that verse and Exodus 18:1), and he has dared to slay a prince of one of Israel’s tribes!”, therefore Scripture comes and connects his genealogy with Aaron (Sanhedrin 82b).

בקנאו את קנאתי. בְּנָקְמוֹ אֶת נִקְמָתִי — בְּקָצְפּוֹ אֶת הַקֶּצֶף שֶׁהָיָה לִי לִקְצֹף; כָּל לְשׁוֹן קִנְאָה הוּא הַמִּתְחָרֶה לִנְקֹם נִקְמַת דָּבָר, אנפרט"מנט בְּלַעַ"ז:

בקנאו את קנאתי means “when he executed my vengeance” (more lit., when he avenged my avenging) — when he displayed the anger that I should have displayed. The expression קנאה always denotes glowing with anger to execute vengeance for a thing; in O. F. emportment (cf. Rashi on 11:29).

את בריתי שלום. שֶׁתְּהֵא לוֹ לִבְרִית שָׁלוֹם, כְּאָדָם הַמַּחֲזִיק טוֹבָה וְחַנּוֹת לְמִי שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה עִמּוֹ טוֹבָה, אַף כָּאן פֵּרֵשׁ לוֹ הַקָּבָּ"ה שְׁלוֹמוֹתָיו:

את בריתי שלום [I GIVE TO HIM] MY COVENANT — PEACE — This means: I give him my covenant that it should be to him as a covenant of peace; just like a man who shows gratitude and friendliness to one who has done him a kindness. So here, too, the Holy One, blessed be He, expressed to him His peaceful feelings towards him.

והיתה לו. בְרִיתִי זֹאת:

והיתה לו AND IT SHALL BE UNTO HIM — this covenant of Mine shall be unto him —

ברית כהנת עולם. שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכְּבָר נִתְּנָה כְהֻנָּה לְזַרְעוֹ שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן, לֹא נִתְּנָה אֶלָּא לְאַהֲרֹן וּלְבָנָיו שֶׁנִּמְשְׁחוּ עִמּוֹ וּלְתוֹלְדוֹתֵיהֶן שֶׁיּוֹלִידוּ אַחַר הַמְשָׁחָתָן, אֲבָל פִּינְחָס שֶׁנּוֹלַד קֹדֶם לָכֵן וְלֹא נִמְשַׁח לֹא בָא לִכְלַל כְּהֻנָּה עַד כָּאן; וְכֵן שָׁנִינוּ בִזְבָחִים (דף ק"א) לֹא נִתְכַּהֵן פִּינְחָס עַד שֶׁהֲרָגוֹ לְזִמְרִי:

‎ברית כהנת עולם A COVENANT OF AN EVERLASTING PRIESTHOOD — for although the priesthood had already been given to Aaron’s descendants (cf. Exodus 28:40-41), it was given only to Aaron and his sons who had been anointed together with him and to their offspring whom they might beget after they had been anointed. But Phineas who had been born prior to that and had not been anointed, had not as yet attained the status of priesthood until now. So, too, do we read in Zevachim 101b: Phineas did not become a priest until he had slain Zimri.

לאלהיו. בִּשְׁבִיל אֱלֹהָיו, כְּמוֹ "הַמְקַנֵּא אַתָּה לִי" (במדבר י"א), "וְקִנֵּאתִי לְצִיּוֹן" (זכריה ח') — בִּשְׁבִיל צִיּוֹן:

לאלהיו means [HE WAS ZEALOUS] FOR THE SAKE OF HIS GOD, just as, (Numbers 11:29) “Are you zealous for My sake (לי)?” and (Zechariah 8:2) “I am zealous לציון", i.e., for Zion’s sake.

ושם איש ישראל וגו'. בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁיִּחֵס אֶת הַצַּדִּיק לְשֶׁבַח, יִחֵס אֶת הָרָשָׁע לִגְנַאי (תנחומא):

ושם איש ישראל וגו׳ AND THE NAME OF THE ISRAELITE [WHO WAS SMITTEN] — Wherever it gives the genealogy of a good man in praise of him, it gives the genealogy of a bad man mentioned in the same story to disparage him (Midrash Tanchuma, Pinchas 2).

נשיא בית אב לשמעני. לְאֶחָד מֵחֲמֵשֶׁת בָּתֵּי אָבוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ לְשֵׁבֶט שִׁמְעוֹן; דָּ"אַ — לְהוֹדִיעַ שִׁבְחוֹ שֶׁל פִּינְחָס, שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁזֶּה הָיָה נָשִׂיא, לֹא מָנַע אֶת עַצְמוֹ מִלְּקַנֵּא לְחִלּוּל הַשֵּׁם, לְכָךְ הוֹדִיעֲךָ הַכָּתוּב מִי הוּא הַמֻּכֶּה:

נשיא בית אב לשמעני A PRINCE OF A FATHER’S HOUSE AMONGST THE SIMEONITES — of one of the five 'father’s houses' which were of the tribe of Simeon. — Another explanation: This is stated to tell the praiseworthiness of Phineas: that although this man was a prince he did not refrain from showing his zeal against the profanation of the Divine Name — on this account Scripture tells you who it was (a prince!) that was smitten by him.

ושם האשה המכה וגו'. לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ שִׂנְאָתָן שֶׁל מִדְיָנִים — שֶׁהִפְקִירוּ בַּת מֶלֶךְ לִזְנוּת כְּדֵי לְהַחֲטִיא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל (שם):

ושם האשה המכה וגו׳ AND THE NAME OF THE [MIDIANITISH] WOMAN WHO WAS SMITTEN etc. — This is stated to show you the hatred the Midianites bore to Israel — that they abandoned even a princess to prostitution in order to make Israel sin (Midrash Tanchuma, Pinchas 2).

ראש אמות. אֶחָד מֵחֲמֵשֶׁת מַלְכֵי מִדְיָן "אֶת אֱוִי וְאֶת רֶקֶם וְאֶת צוּר" וְגוֹ' (במדבר ל״א:ח׳), וְהוּא הָיָה חָשׁוּב מִכֻּלָּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "רֹאשׁ אֻמּוֹת", וּלְפִי שֶׁנָּהַג בִּזָּיוֹן בְּעַצְמוֹ לְהַפְקִיר בִּתּוֹ, מְנָאוֹ שְׁלִישִׁי (שם):

ראש אמות [HE WAS] THE HEAD OF THE PEOPLE — He was one of the five kings of Midian, Evi and Rekem and Zur etc. (31:8). He, however, was the most important of all of them, as it is said, “the head of the people”, but because he made himself despicable by abandoning his daughter to prostitution it enumerates him not first but only third (Midrash Tanchuma, Pinchas 2).

בית אב. חֲמִשָּׁה בָתֵּי אָבוֹת הָיוּ לְמִדְיָן: "עֵיפָה וָעֵפֶר וַחֲנֹךְ וַאֲבִידָע וְאֶלְדָּעָה" (בראשית כ"ה), וְזֶה הָיָה מֶלֶךְ לְאֶחָד מֵהֶם:

בית אב — Midian had five fathers’ houses: Ephah and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida and Eldoah (Genesis 25:4) — and this man was king of one of them.

צרור. כְּמוֹ זָכוֹר, שָׁמוֹר, לְשׁוֹן הוֹוֶה — עֲלֵיכֶם לְאַיֵּב אוֹתָם:

צרור — This grammatical form is similar to זכור and שמור: it expresses the idea of continuous present action — You must [constantly] show enmity toward them.

כי צוררים הם לכם וגו' על דבר פעור. שֶׁהִפְקִירוּ בְּנוֹתֵיהֶם לִזְנוּת, כְּדֵי לְהַטְעוֹתְכֶם אַחַר פְּעוֹר. וְאֶת מוֹאָב לֹא צִוָּה לְהַשְׁמִיד, מִפְּנֵי רוּת שֶׁהָיְתָה עֲתִידָה לָצֵאת מֵהֶם, כִּדְאָמְרִינַן בְּבָבָא קַמָּא (לח ב):

כי צררים הם לכם וגו׳ על דבר פעור FOR THEY SHOWED THEMSELVES YOUR ENEMIES etc. IN THE MATTER OF PEOR — i.e., in that they abandoned their daughters to prostitution in order to lead you astray after Peor; but He did not command them to destroy the Moabites — on account of Ruth who would later on issue from them, just as we state in Bava Kamma 38b.

ויהי אחרי המגפה וגו'. מָשָׁל לְרוֹעֶה שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ זְאֵבִים לְתוֹךְ עֶדְרוֹ וְהָרְגוּ בָהֶן וְהוּא מוֹנֶה אוֹתָן לֵידַע מִנְיַן הַנּוֹתָרוֹת; דָּבָר אַחֵר — כְּשֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם וְנִמְסְרוּ לְמֹשֶׁה נִמְסְרוּ לוֹ בְּמִנְיָן, עַכְשָׁו שֶׁקָּרַב לָמוּת וּלְהַחֲזִיר צֹאנוֹ מַחֲזִירָן בְּמִנְיָן (תנחומא):

ויהי אחרי המגפה AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THE PESTILENCE [THAT THE LORD SPOKE TO MOSES … TAKE THE SUM OF ALL THE CONGREGATION] — A parable! This may be compared to the case of a shepherd amongst whose flock wolves found their way and slew some of them, and he counted them to discover the number of those that were left. — Another explanation: When they left Egypt and were entrusted to Moses' care, they were entrusted to him by number, now when he is close to death and has to hand back his sheep, he hands them back by number (Midrash Tanchuma, Pinchas 4).

לבית אבתם. עַל שֵׁבֶט הָאָב יִתְיַחֲסוּ וְלֹא אַחַר הָאֵם (בבא בתרא ק"ט):

לבית אבתם [TAKE THE SUM OF THE CONGREGATION] ACCORDING TO THEIR FATHERS’ HOUSE — after their fathers’ tribes shall they reckon their descent, and not after their mothers’ (Bava Batra 109b).

וידבר משה ואלעזר הכהן אתם. דִּבְּרוּ עִמָּם עַל זֹאת שֶׁצִּוָּה הַמָּקוֹם לִמְנוֹתָם:

וידבר משה ואלעזר הכהן אתם AND MOSES AND ELEAZAR THE PRIEST SPOKE WITH THEM — They spoke with them (אתם; cf. 5:5) regarding this: that the Omnipresent had (given command to count them.

לאמר. אָמְרוּ לָהֶם צְרִיכִים אַתֶּם לִמָּנוֹת מבן עשרים שנה ומעלה:

לאמר SAYING they said to them (what they said to them was): You must be counted FROM TWENTY YEARS OLD AND UPWARDS.

כאשר צוה וגו'. שֶׁיְּהֵא מִנְיָנָם מִבֶּן עֶשְֹרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "כָּל הָעֹבֵר עַל הַפְּקֻדִים" וגו' (שמות ל'):

מבן עשרים שנה ומעלה כאשר צוה וגו׳ FROM TWENTY YEARS OLD AND ONWARDS, EVEN AS [THE LORD] HAS COMMANDED [MOSES AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, WHO CAME FORTH FROM EGYPT] that the counting of them (of those who came out from Egypt) should be from twenty years old and upwards, as it is said. (Exodus 30:14): “Every one that passeth amongst them that are numbered [shall be from twenty years old and upwards]”.