B"H

Friday, Tammuz 18, 5780 / July 10, 2020

This Shabbat we read Parshat Pinchas.  Pinchas was the son of Elazar and grandson of Aaron the High Priest. He was also Moshe’s nephew.

This Parsha is one of only six Parshiot in the Torah which are named after a person.  

The other five are: Noah, Chayei Sarah, Yitro, Korach & Balak.

In this Parsha we read about G-d’s gift to Pinchas for his heroic act which stopped a plague amongst the Jewish people. In reward G-d granted him the gift of Priesthood.

We also read that G-d commanded Moshe and Elazar to count the Jewish people. This is the third counting of the people, recorded in the Torah, after their Exodus from Egypt.

The first counting was after they sinned with the Golden Calf. The second counting was after they put up the Tabernacle (Mishkan). The third count is in this week’s Parsha. It was after so many Jews died when they sinned with the women of Midyan and they also worshipped the Idol, Peor.

In the Parsha we also find that G-d told Moshe, who was now approaching 120, that his days are near. Because he will not be going into the Promised Land, he should appoint his most faithful student, Joshua, to lead the Jewish people into the land.

The Parsha ends with the various sacrifices which had to be brought on the altar. G-d commands Moshe which sacrifices should be brought daily; which on Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shmini Atzeret.

Q.   What was the purpose of the above mentioned three counts of the Jewish people?

A.   The Midrash explains this with a parable of a shepherd who lost much of his flock to a terrible plague or to wolves who devoured his sheep. After everything settles down, the owner of the sheep, because the sheep are very dear to him, tells the shepherd to count how many were spared.

Because of G-d’s love for the Jewish people, He told Moshe to count them after so many of them died when they committed the sin of the Golden Calf.  The counting in this week’s Parsha, took place 40 years after the Golden Calf. It was after they sinned with the Midyonite women, in which many thousands of Jews died, as we read in last week’s Parsha, Balak.  The second counting, which took place after the Tabernacle was built was an expression of G-d’s love, when he rested His Glory amongst the Jewish People, to show how precious every individual Jew was to Him.

SHABBAT SHALOM

Montrealcandle lighting time: 8:25 / Shabbat ends: 9:38