Our IDF Soldiers Need Pinchas’ Covenant of Peace
“When peace comes we will perhaps in time be able to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it will be harder for us to forgive them for having forced us to kill their sons. Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.”
― Golda Meir
There is an oft-asked question when it comes to Parshat Pinchas. Pinchas is deemed important enough to have a parsha named after him, joining a very select group. What is puzzling is the fact that the action where he is zealous in defending G-d’s honor, standing up to a sinning leader occur in last week’s portion of Balak. Why does the story of Pinchas happen in the parsha before the one bearing his name?
The story line last week tells us that King Balak tries to hire Bilaam, the sorcerer, in order to curse the Jewish people. Although he fails to curse them, Bilaam ultimately deals a blow to the Jews when he convinces the daughter of Moav (see Rashi Bamidbar 25:1) to entice some of the Jews to sin. This causes a plague which is stopped by Pinchas zealously killing a Moabite princess and her Jewish tribal leader paramour while they are sinning.
The portion of Pinchas opens with Pinchas receiving a reward for his actions from G-d, the covenant of peace, briti shalom. This adds a second often asked question, Pinchas was aggressive, even if he was justified, the covenant of peace seems to be an odd reward.
In every generation we have the opportunity to understand the timeless lessons of the Torah through the lens of current events. As I reflected on these questions, I saw parallels to our current reality in Israel that can help give perspective and answer these questions.
Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehudah of Berlin offers a penetrating insight to answer the second question. He points out that when we must resort to violence even when it is for the right reasons there is a spiritual dulling of our sensitivities. Hashem gave Pinchas the blessing of peace, that he would not experience this normal effect of the act he had committed.
This idea rings so true when we think about our young men and women in the IDF who have had to see terrible things and have had to kill in order to protect themselves and others. Golda Meir said that we can forgive our enemies for a lot of things but not that they have turned our children into soldiers. She was referencing the terrible price that soldiers must pay because they have had to engage in violence. It is such a challenge for them to return to their families and be the same brother, son, husband and father.
Perhaps this is why the narrative of Pinchas is not in his portion. Violence and fighting sometimes is the only way to protect ourselves, but it is not the focus. It is not the goal. Pinchas’ portion is briti shalom, the covenant of peace, the ability to return to life without the PTSD of knowing war.
Our young men and women are currently fighting in Gaza and protecting the home front. They do not wish to fight but they must. We pray that they are given the same covenant of peace that Pinchas got and that they can return back home with the inner peace to be able to be the loving members of their families and of the Jewish people. May it be soon.