parasha Pinchas 5782
Our allegiance belongs to the L-RD. If we displace our devotion to H’Shem onto something other than Him, then we are inadvertently heading in a direction that will ultimately not be of benefit to us. Even if we appear to benefit for some time, in the material sense, our spiritual compass will be amiss as a result. Thus, in terms of the values, that we inevitably promote in our own lives whether consciously, or unconsciously, we should choose wisely.
When B’nei Yisrael fell prey to the influence of the Midianites, resulting in immediate acts of idolatry and immorality, their connection with H’Shem was diminished. Their emunah (faith) and kedushah (holiness) plummeted. Only through the selfless act of mesiras nefesh on the part of Pinchas, who put his own life at risk to make an atonement for their sins (Numbers 25:13), were the people reconciled to H’Shem. So, the brief national diversion that had swept through the encampment was staid; and, the plague was stopped.
Why did G-d impose a plague upon the Children of Israel? Because of His attribute of Justice, that works in tandem with His attribute of Mercy. Although he enacted a response from a sense of justice, by holding the people accountable for their sins, He showed mercy towards them, when Pinchas turned back His wrath, and assuaged His anger (25:11).
Therefore, it can be deduced that H’Shem is not interested in condemning those who stray from the path; rather, He would like to offer us the opportunity to return to Him, through righteousness, via teshuvah (repentance). For the people, after realizing the gravity of their sins, had been weeping near the entrance of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). “Weeping,” as mentioned here, denotes a heartfelt act of teshuvah (repentance) over wrongs committed against H’Shem. This may serve as an example for us; since H’Shem will always hear the cry of the sincere penitent.
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