Shedding the Self: Pinchas and the Peace That Wins Wars
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bamidbar 31:2-3, 6
נְקֹם נִקְמַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֵת הַמִּדְיָנִים אַחַר תֵּאָסֵף אֶל־עַמֶּיךָ וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־הָעָם לֵאמֹר הֵחָלְצוּ מֵאִתְּכֶם אֲנָשִׁים לַצָּבָא וְיִהְיוּ עַל־מִדְיָן לָתֵת נִקְמַת־יְהֹוָה בְּמִדְיָן ... וַיִּשְׁלַח אֹתָם מֹשֶׁה אֶלֶף לַמַּטֶּה לַצָּבָא אֹתָם וְאֶת־פִּינְחָס בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן לַצָּבָא וּכְלֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ וַחֲצֹצְרוֹת הַתְּרוּעָה בְּיָדוֹ
“Take vengeance for Bnei Yisrael against the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered to your people.” Moshe spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among yourselves for the army, and let them go against Midian to carry out Hashem's vengeance against Midian.” … Moshe sent them, a thousand from each tribe, to the army, them and Pinchas son of Elazar the Kohen, to the army, with the holy vessels and the trumpets for sounding in his hand.
1“Hashem spoke to Moshe: Take vengeance for Bnei Yisrael against the Midianites …” “Moshe spoke to the people, saying, Hechaltzu me'itchem, arm men from among yourselves for the army …” “Moshe sent them, a thousand from each tribe, to the army, them and Pinchas …”1 Why did Moshe send Pinchas rather than go with them himself? It was Moshe, after all, who had been commanded, “Take vengeance for Bnei Yisrael.”
וַיְדַבֵּר ה׳ אֶל מֹשֶׁה נְקוֹם נִקְמַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֵת הַמִּדְיָנִים וְגוֹ׳. וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל הָעָם לֵאמֹר הֵחָלְצוּ מֵאִתְּכֶם אֲנָשִׁים לַצָּבָא וְגוֹ׳. וַיִּשְׁלַח אוֹתָם מֹשֶׁה אֶלֶף לַמַּטֶּה לַצָּבָא אוֹתָם וְאֶת פִּינְחָס וְגוֹ׳ (במדבר לא, ב-ג, ו). צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר לָמָּה שָׁלַח מֹשֶׁה אֶת פִּינְחָס, וְלֹא הָלַךְ בְּעַצְמוֹ עִמָּם, וַהֲרֵי הוּא נִצְטַוָּה ׳נְקוֹם נִקְמַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׳.
- Bamidbar 31:1–3, 6 (the sefer has 31:2–3, 6). ↩
In shortWhy did Moshe, who was himself commanded to take vengeance on Midian, send Pinchas with the army instead of going himself?
2The words hechaltzu me'itchem also need explaining. The Rebbe R' Bunim of Peshischa, zt"l, said that hechaltzu me'itchem means: free yourselves and step out of your own negiyos, your personal interests.2 But his holy words need explaining. What does casting off self-interest have to do with this verse? And why did Moshe give this command just as they were going out to war?
גַּם צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳הֵחָלְצוּ מֵאִתְּכֶם׳. וְהָרַבִּי ר׳ בּוֹנִים מפשיסחא זצללה״ה אָמַר (עיין בספר קול שמחה, ובספר קול מבשר) ׳הֵחָלְצוּ מֵאִתְּכֶם׳ הַיְינוּ לְהֵחָלֵץ וְלָצֵאת מִן הַנְּגִיעוֹת שֶׁלָּכֶם, וְצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר דְּבָרָיו הַקְּדוֹשִׁים, מַה שַׁיָּיכוּת יֵשׁ כָּאן לְעִנְיַן זֶה שֶׁל לְהַשְׁלִיךְ וְלִזְרוֹק הַנְּגִיעוֹת, אֲשֶׁר צִיוָּה לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה זֹאת בְּצֵאתָם לַמִּלְחָמָה דַּיְיקָא.
- See Kol Simchah and Kol Mevaser. Hechaltzu can mean “arm yourselves” or “be drawn out, set free”; me'itchem means “from you.” ↩
In shortR' Bunim read hechaltzu me'itchem as “free yourselves of self-interest,” but why was this the charge as they went out to war?
3We may explain this through the words of the holy Rebbe R' Yechezkel of Kuzmir, zt"l, on the verse “Therefore say: Behold, I give him My covenant of peace.”3 He taught that peace between Jews has several levels. The first is that there is no quarrel or dispute between them. The second is that they sit together in one gathering. The third is that each of them loves his fellow. All of this is certainly good, but it is not the true goal of peace. The goal of peace is for each one to feel that without his fellow he is nothing. He feels the lack of every one of his fellows and needs him as he needs one of his own limbs, and all his worth lies only in being together with his fellow. That is the goal to strive for. Pinchas was privileged to reach this level of peace, which has the quality of a bris, a covenant. His love for his fellow Jews was such that without his fellow he felt like half a body. This is the meaning of the words said of him, “Behold, I give him My covenant of peace”: he was given the power to root true peace in Bnei Yisrael as a middah, a trait of character, as lasting as a covenant.
וְאֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר עַל פִּי דִּבְרֵי הרה״ק רַבִּי יְחֶזְקֵאל מקוזמיר זצללה״ה (נחמד מזהב פנחס) עַל הַפָּסוּק (כה, יב) ״לָכֵן אֱמוֹר הִנְנִי נוֹתֵן לוֹ אֶת בְּרִיתִי שָׁלוֹם״, דִּישְׁנָם כַּמָּה מַדְרֵגוֹת בְּעִנְיַן הַשָּׁלוֹם בֵּין יְהוּדִים, הָרִאשׁוֹן הוּא שֶׁאֵין מְרִיבָה וּמַחֲלוֹקֶת בֵּינֵיהֶם, הַשֵּׁנִי הוּא שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִים יַחַד בַּאֲסִיפָה אַחַת, וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי הוּא שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶם אוֹהֵב אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ, וְכָל זֶה אָמְנָם הוּא טוֹב, אַךְ אֵין זֶה תַּכְלִית אֲמִיתִּית הַשָּׁלוֹם, כִּי תַּכְלִית הַשָּׁלוֹם הוּא שֶׁיְּהֵא כָּל אֶחָד מַרְגִּישׁ אֲשֶׁר בְּלִי חֲבֵרוֹ אֵינוֹ כְּלוּם, וְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵחֲבֵירָיו חָסֵר וְנָחוּץ לוֹ כְּמוֹ אֵבֶר מֵאֲבָרָיו, וְכָל חֲשִׁיבוּתוֹ הוּא רַק בְּיַחַד עִם חֲבֵירוֹ, זֶהוּ תַּכְלִית הַנִּרְצֶה. וּפִנְחָס זָכָה לְמַדְרֵיגַת שָׁלוֹם זוֹ שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת בְּרִית, וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁהָיְתָה הָאַהֲבַת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶצְלוֹ בְּאוֹפֶן כָּזֶה, שֶׁבְּלִי חֲבֵירוֹ הִרְגִּישׁ כְּפֶלֶג גּוּפָא. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ ׳הִנְנִי נוֹתֵן לוֹ אֶת בְּרִיתִי שָׁלוֹם׳, וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁנִּיתַּן לוֹ הַכֹּחַ לְהַשְׁרִישׁ בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִידַּת הַשָּׁלוֹם הָאֲמִיתִּי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בִּבְחִינַת בְּרִית.
- Nechmad MiZahav, Pinchas; Bamidbar 25:12. ↩
In shortThe highest peace is feeling incomplete without one's fellow; Pinchas reached it and was given the power to root it in Israel like a covenant.
4Here, as they went out to war against Midian, they needed merit and strength to defeat it. Chazal said that the generation of Achav worshipped idols, yet because there were no informers among them, they would go out to war and win.4 This shows us how great the power and merit of the middah of peace are in winning a war. That is why Moshe's first words to them were “hechaltzu me'itchem”: this is the way to win the war. Strife comes when a person regards himself as the main thing. That is the way of the arrogant man: his fellow counts for nothing in his eyes, and he thinks that everything is owed to him alone. But if each one feels that on his own he counts for nothing, no strife at all can arise. Since peace is the condition for victory, Moshe Rabbeinu had to find a way for peace to dwell among them. So he instructed them, “hechaltzu me'itchem”: each one was to cast off his yeshus, his sense of self; then true peace would dwell securely among them, and they would win the war as a matter of course. This is what the holy Rebbe of Peshischa meant.
וְהִנֵּה כָּאן שֶׁיָּצְאוּ לַמִּלְחָמָה נֶגֶד מִדְיָן, וְהָיוּ צְרִיכִים שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לָהֶם זְכוּת וְכֹחַ לְנַצְּחָם, וְאָמְרוּ חז״ל (דברים רבה ה, ט ועוד) שֶׁדּוֹרוֹ שֶׁל אַחְאָב עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים הָיוּ וְעַל יְדֵי שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ בָּהֶם דִּילְטוּרִין יוֹצְאִין לַמִּלְחָמָה וְנוֹצְחִין, נִמְצֵינוּ לְמֵדִים עַל גּוֹדֶל כֹּחַ וּזְכוּת מִידַּת הַשָּׁלוֹם לְנַצֵּחַ עַל יָדָהּ בַּמִּלְחָמָה, וְעַל כֵּן תְּחִילַּת דִּבְרֵי מֹשֶׁה לָהֶם הָיָה ׳הֵחָלְצוּ מֵאִתְּכֶם׳, דְּזֶהוּ הָעֵצָה לְנַצֵּחַ בַּמִּלְחָמָה, כִּי מִידַּת הַמַּחֲלוֹקֶת בָּאָה עַל יְדֵי שֶׁחוֹשֵׁב הָאָדָם עַצְמוֹ לְעִיקָּר, שֶׁזֶּהוּ דֶּרֶךְ הַבַּעַל גַּאֲוָה שֶׁחֲבֵירוֹ אֵינוֹ נֶחְשָׁב בְּעֵינָיו לִכְלוּם, וְסוֹבֵר שֶׁהַכֹּל מַגִּיעַ לוֹ לְבַדּוֹ, אֲבָל בְּאִם כָּל אֶחָד מַרְגִּישׁ שֶׁהוּא לְבַדּוֹ אֵינוֹ נֶחְשָׁב לִכְלוּם, בְּאוֹפֶן כָּזֶה אֵין יָכוֹל לְהִתְעוֹרֵר שׁוּם מַחֲלוֹקֶת. וּמֵאַחַר שֶׁהַתְּנַאי לְנִצָּחוֹן בַּמִּלְחָמָה הוּא עִנְיַן הַשָּׁלוֹם, הוּצְרַךְ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה לִמְצוֹא עֵצָה אֵיךְ יִשְׁכּוֹן בֵּינֵיהֶם הַשָּׁלוֹם, לָכֵן הוֹרָה לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה ׳הֵחָלְצוּ מֵאִתְּכֶם׳, שֶׁיִּזְרוֹק כָּל אֶחָד אֶת הַיֵּשׁוּת שֶׁבּוֹ, וְאָז לָבֶטַח יִשְׁכּוֹן בֵּינֵיכֶם שָׁלוֹם אֲמִיתִּי וּמִמֵּילָא תְּנַצְּחוּ בַּמִּלְחָמָה, וְזֶהוּ בֵּיאוּר כַּוָּונַת הרה״ק מפשיסחא זצללה״ה.
- Devarim Rabbah 5:9 (in standard editions 5:10), and elsewhere. ↩
In shortPeace is the condition for victory, and strife comes from self-importance, so Moshe told the soldiers first to cast off their sense of self.
5That is why Moshe sent Pinchas with them. As we saw with the covenant of peace, Pinchas had been given the power to make true peace dwell in Israel and to instill it there as a lasting middah, as binding as a covenant. In this Moshe Rabbeinu saw the best way to carry out Hashem's command to take vengeance for Bnei Yisrael against Midian: he put Pinchas over them in the army, for Pinchas was the one best suited to wage war against Midian and win. This answers our first question.
וְזֶהוּ הָעִנְיָן שֶׁשָּׁלַח מֹשֶׁה עִמָּם אֶת פִּנְחָס, מֵאַחַר שֶׁכָּאָמוּר לְפִנְחָס נִיתַּן הַכֹּחַ לְהַשְׁכִּין וּלְהַשְׁפִּיעַ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מִידַּת הַשָּׁלוֹם בֶּאֱמֶת בִּבְחִינַת בְּרִית, וּבָזֶה רָאָה מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה הַדֶּרֶךְ וְהָעֵצָה הַטּוֹבָה בְּיוֹתֵר לְקַיֵּים צִיוּוּי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לִנְקוֹם נִקְמַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּדְיָן, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁמִּינָּה אֶת פִּנְחָס עֲלֵיהֶם בִּצְבָא הַמִּלְחָמָה, כִּי הוּא הָיָה הַמּוּכְשָׁר בְּיוֹתֵר לַעֲרוֹךְ מִלְחָמָה בְּמִדְיָן וּלְנַצֵּחַ.
In shortMoshe fulfilled the command best by sending Pinchas, whose covenant of peace could give the army the unity on which victory depended.
6As is well known, the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed because of baseless hatred.5 So now above all, in the days of Bein HaMetzarim, the Three Weeks of mourning, we have a double duty to toil to increase peace. In this merit may we be privileged to see the Beis HaMikdash rebuilt soon. Amen, may it be His will.
וְהִנֵּה עַתָּה בְּיִחוּד בִּימֵי בֵּין הַמְּצָרִים אֲשֶׁר כַּיָּדוּעַ נֶחֱרַב הַבַּיִת מֵחֲמַת שִׂנְאַת חִינָּם, חוֹבָה כְּפוּלָה מוּטֶּלֶת עָלֵינוּ לַעֲמוֹל לְהַרְבּוֹת שָׁלוֹם, וּבִזְכוּת זֶה נִזְכֶּה לִרְאוֹת בְּבִנְיָנוֹ בְּקָרוֹב, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
- Yoma 9b. ↩
In shortThe Rebbe prays that by toiling for peace in these weeks we be privileged to see the Beis HaMikdash, lost to baseless hatred, rebuilt soon.
Takeaway
Peace is more than the absence of quarrels, or even sitting together and liking one another: it is feeling that without the other person I am incomplete, like a body missing a limb. What stands in the way is the sense of self that puts each of us at the center, and so the first step in any struggle is “hechaltzu me'itchem,” stepping out of our own self-interest. In the days when we mourn a Beis HaMikdash lost to baseless hatred, this is the surest way to bring its rebuilding.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.