The Hidden Dangers of Demonstrations and Protest Culture

The Hidden Dangers of Demonstrations and Protest Culture
A well-known question arises in Parshat Pinchas: How could an act of zealot-like violence earn Pinchas G-ds blessing of a “covenant of peace”?
The Netziv (Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin), in his commentary Ha’amek Davar, explains this by looking deeply into human nature. He writes:
“Because the act Pinchas committed was one of cruelty… the Holy One, Blessed be He, blessed him with the gift of peace, so that he would be sustained with tranquility and peacefulness, and no harm from that act of cruelty would damage his soul.”
In other words, even though Pinchas acted purely for the sake of Heaven, there was still a real danger that the act itself would leave a mark on his soul. Therefore, Hashem gave him a “covenant of peace” so that this harsh act would not shape his character or turn him into a bitter or callous person.
The Netziv is teaching us a fundamental principle: our actions shape who we become. Even when someone is standing up for a worthy cause, if the path is filled with anger, force, or constant confrontation, it leaves a lasting impression. To a large extent, we become what we repeatedly do.
This is exactly why Pinchas is the exception, not the rule. The Torah is describing a unique individual who acted with complete purity of motive. Most people, however, are influenced by emotion, peer pressure, and the energy of the crowd.
This helps explain a phenomenon we sometimes see in demonstrations that become heated and confrontational. The shouting, the clashes, the blocked roads, and the angry rhetoric do not simply stay on the streets. Someone who repeatedly places themselves in an atmosphere of anger can gradually begin to carry that mindset into other parts of life.
That is why taking part in these kinds of demonstrations is not a small matter. It requires maturity, self-control, and the ability not to be swept along by the crowd. For young people, the danger is even greater because their character is still being formed, and the habits they develop today often become the person they are tomorrow.
Eventually, those habits have a way of following us home. Marriage, parenting, and family life depend on patience, listening, self-restraint, and kindness. Someone who becomes accustomed to responding with confrontation and anger may eventually bring those same reactions into the home.
A story is told about a group of young men who saw themselves as zealots and regularly took part in fierce demonstrations. One of them proudly told his rabbi about the “holy fire” burning inside him. The rabbi replied:
“A fire inside an oven gives warmth and serves a purpose. But once it escapes, it burns everything in its path. You think you are bringing holy fire to the streets, but along the way you are training yourself to live with anger. And that anger will not remain in the street—it will come home with you.”
This idea fits perfectly with the words of the Zohar (Tetzaveh 182a):
“Anyone who becomes angry is as if they worshipped idols… for they uproot the holy soul from within themselves.”
Anger is never merely a passing emotion. When it becomes a habit, it changes who we are.
If Pinchas, one of the greatest figures in Israel, needed a special blessing so that a single act would not leave a negative mark on his soul, how much more careful must we be about the habits we allow ourselves to develop.
Standing up for the truth is an essential Torah value. The question is not whether we should care deeply about truth and justice, but whether, in defending them, we also guard our own middot. The Torah teaches that protecting our souls and refining our character are no less important than the cause itself. The challenge is not only to fight for what is right, but also to ensure that the struggle itself does not change who we are. We should strive to return home with patience, self-control, and a heart filled with peace.
The Torah is concerned not only with what we fight for, but also with what the fight does to us.