Parshah

Rabbi Pesach Siegel

In the end of parshas Balak it is recorded how the Bnei Yisroel committed acts of immorality with the daughters of Moav. This incident immediately follows the departure of Bilaam and Balak who unsuccessfully attempted to place a curse on the Bnei Yisroel.

Chazal point out that the two incidents are related. It was Bilaam who advised Balak to send out the "bnos Moav" in order to cause the Bnei Yisroel to sin.

It's interesting to note that the Torah omits all mention of Bilaam's complicity in the affair until much later, in parshas Matos (perek 31, posuk 16).

There seems to be some dissonance regarding the nationality of the illicit women. The posuk ascribes to them the nationality of Moav (perek 25, posuk 1). Whereas, it is clear from Moshe Rabeinu's words in parshas Matos that the women were of Midianite extraction (perek 31, posuk 16). In fact, it was the Midianite women who bore the brunt of the punishment, and were killed out by the Bnei Yisroel.

The Medrash Tanchuma testifies that this was the first time in the history of Klal Yisroel that they fell prey to the wiles of "giluy arayos". They survived the exile in Mitzrayim intact. There is but one recorded unintentional instance of "giluy arayos" in Mitzrayim. This is despite the fact that Mitzrayim's society was rife with immorality.

The enticement of the daughters of Midian-Moav was a ruse to bring the Bnei Yisroel to worship "avoda zara", in particular, the avoda zara of Baal Paor. Baal Paor was worshiped by defecating on the idol. What is the relationship between "giluy arayos" and "avoda zara" in general, and of all avoda zara, why Baal Paor?

A nasi of the tribe of Shimon grabbed Kazbi the daughter of Tzur by the hair and brought her in front of Moshe. He asked Moshe if she is permissible or forbidden because of her Midianite origins. If forbidden, then who permitted Moshe to marry Tzipporah, also a daughter of Midian. The Targum Yonason records Moshe's reaction. He became angry, cried, and recited "krias shma". Hash-em caused him to forget the halacha in such a situation. Pinchos, quoting Moshe, provides the requisite halacha, "haboel aramis kanaim pogim bo". One who is caught having relations with a gentile woman, is to be put to death by avengers. He proceeded to ram a spear through the nasi, Zimri, and Kazbi, killing them both simultaneously.

It's interesting to note the parallel made between Moshe Rabeinu and Zimri. Moshe's reaction also requires further study. Pinchos emerges as the only one capable of differentiating between Moshe Rabeinu's marriage and Zimri's conduct. The quoted halacha is meant to convey that the avenger may, on his own, impose the death penalty, without the prior consent of bais din. This is something which is not found in even the gravest of aveiros.

The ones directly involved in the aveira were subsequently put to death and "crucified" before the sun. At sunset they were taken down and buried. According to the medrash, the sun actually had a part in identifying the offenders. It shined on the guilty ones through the clouds. What is the significance of the sun in this incident?

Pinchos' quick reaction brought an end to a plague which was raging amongst the Bnei Yisroel. The plague affected those that were indirectly involved in the affair by not taking measures to bring an end to it. What role did killing Zimri and Kazbi have in bringing an end to the plague?

When Hash-em created the world, he created it with divisions. He divided the shamayim from the aretz, Chava from Adam, olam hazeh from olam haba. Once the division has been formed it is possible to be unfaithful to Hash-em's purpose in creation. For example, were a woman to be attached to her husband as Chava was in the beginnings of creation, infidelity would be an impossibility. But the purpose of the divisions is not to remain apart permanently. The separation is meant to facilitate a "rebonding". The aretz, when separated from shamayim is nothing more than dead waste. It is like a tree severed from it's roots. On the surface it still retains the appearance of a strong and mighty tree, but in a short time it will wither and die. It is cut off from it's source of nourishment.

In last week's sedra, we discussed that Bilaam worshipped evil in it's own right. In other words, he assigned the separation between shamayim and aretz a permanent status. The world, in his eyes, was not meant to reconnect to Hash-em.

The difference between marriage and giluy arayos is self evident. Marriage is bonding for a purpose, to reach a higher and loftier goal. Giluy arayos, on the other hand, is bonding for the sake of bonding, Bilaam personified.

Those who worship avoda zara worship the forces of nature. They separate the forces of nature from the one who created them. This is "death worship". The world is alive because it is one with it's creator. Avoda zara severs this bond. It is for this reason that the sun assumed a prominent role in the punishment of the sinners. The sun is one with it's creator and has no independence.

Excrement is the personification of this evil. It emanates from a live being and when it separates from the life of it's origin, it becomes dead and evil smelling .

The posuk says, "vayitzmad Yisroel l'Baal Peor", Yisroel "bonded" with Baal Peor. Bilaam brought about a distortion in the role of creation through the vehicle of giluy arayos. His "eitza" (counsel) obfuscated the difference between uniting with Midian for a higher purpose (Moshe Rabeinu's marriage) and "unity for the sake of unity".

This is the power of Amalek, to confuse. The combination of Bilaam and Balak was the union to create the force of Amalek. The last two letters of the names of Bilaam and Balak form the word Amalek. The gematria of the word Amalek is 240, which is the same gematria as "safek" (doubt). In Mitzrayim, the Bnei Yisroel were blessed with a clarity of sight. They saw that uniting with the Mitzriim would only mean their downfall. They guarded themselves. The influence of Amalek blurred the distinctions between them and Midian. Moshe Rabeinu was married to a Midianite. It must be Hash-em's will to be one with them. This trial was much more difficult to bear, and even a nasi fell prey to it. This "counsel" of Bilaam's had to remain hidden, in the background. It was put into action only after his departure. Had his role in the affair been known, it would have been revealed for the farce that it was. Perhaps this is why the Torah makes no open mention of it until the time of his punishment.

The women of Moav participated in the affair, but it was the Midianite women who were the source and energizing factor behind it all. Balak was a Midianite who ruled over Moav. Chazal tell us that Kazbi was his daughter who originally sought to entrap Moshe Rabeinu, thereby attacking the heart of Klal Yisroel. Had she been successful, then, Klal Yisroel would no longer have the ability of becoming one with Hash-em. The world would have no purpose and would cease to exist. This is counter to the purpose of creation. The world was meant to live forever, to go through a process of reuniting with it's creator by exercising free choice in the fulfillment of Hash-em's will.

When faced with Zimri's iniquity, not remembering how to respond, Moshe Rabeinu saw that the whole world was at risk. He cried and said krias shma. Krias shma is the declaration of our belief in the oneness of Hash-em. This belief was at stake.

Pinchos rose to the occasion. Pinchos was a descendant of Putiel. He descended from Yosef Hatzaddik and from Yisro. He embodied within himself the tzidkus of Yosef, who lived his life as one who had never sinned. Combined with this was the heritage of Yisro, a priest of "Midian", who served very known avoda zara and found the falsehood contained within. Pinchos, whose origins are from Midian, is the emissary to break the hold of Midian on the Bnei Yisroel.

Chazal tell us that Pinchos merited to having twelve miracles performed on his behalf. Numbered among them are the miracles that enabled Pinchos to show and demonstrate to the Bnei Yisroel the full scope of the wickedness of Zimri. He was able to kill Zimri and Kazbi with one spear thrust, impaling the two of them upon the spear. When he picked up the spear it supported the weight of both of them and didn't snap, A malach came and switched the positions of Zimri and Kazbi on the spear, in order to reproduce for the Bnei Yisroel the act that was committed. The entranceway to the tent expanded in order to accommodate the removal and subsequent exhibition of the corpses of the sinners, and so on.

Zimri, by virtue of the fact that he united with Kazbi, unified himself with death. He separated himself totally from his creator. There is a need to consult bais din when putting to death a live person, not when killing someone already dead. (See commentary of the Ohr Hachaim on perek 25, posuk 14).

A plague was raging. Klal Yisroel had associated itself with death. The natural consequence being a plague. A public display of the oneness of our world with Hash-em was required in order to bring Klal Yisroel back to life. Pinchos, by throwing off all personal concerns, put his life in danger in order to publicly bring "kiddush shem shamayim" in the world. He was aided by the miracles in bringing this about. One who is "moser nefesh" in public, demonstrates the oneness he has with his creator.

He was rewarded by being made a Cohen. At the time of the formation of the institution of Kehuna, Aharon and his children were anointed to be kohanim. Pinchos was left out. Why? In order for him to earn it in his own right (see Ohr Hachaim). A cohen is the epitome of one who bonds the physical world to the true world through his service in the Bais Hamikdash.

Pinchos is Eliyahu Hanavi. The same Eliyahu Hanavi who made a public "kiddush Hash-em" on Har HaKarmel in his war to eradicate the avoda zara that Klal Yisroel was steeped in at the time. Eliyohu Hanavi lives forever. He is free of the constraints of this world. He is the one who brings everlasting life to his people. He will be the harbinger of the future geula where it will be fulfilled the verse "Vehaya bayom hahu yihye Hash-em echad ushmo echad". And it will come to pass on that day that Hash-em will be one and his name will be one.