Pinchas

The passuk states that Pinchas removed Hashem’s wrath from upon the Bnei Yisrael by killing Zimri and Kozbi. Because of this, Pinchas merited for himself and his children the bris of Kehuna. The Gemara writes that although Aharon and his children were already anointed with Kehuna, Pinchas was not included in their anointing. This was because Pinchas was a grandson of Aharon who was already born but was not anointed. Here is where Pinchas received Kehuna for himself and his children.

Rav Schwab asks, why wasn’t Pinchas included originally with the entire family; after all he was the son of Elazar the son of Aharon? Also, how was the bris of Kehuna the same as what Aharon had? It would seem that this Kehuna is new and different, his own deserved holiness.

Rav Schwab explains that Aharon’s midah was “אוהב שלום ורודף שלום, he loved peace and pursued it.”  Therefore, when Bnei Yisrael came and said, “kum aseh lanu elohim, stand up, make for us a god”, Aharon gave in. His love for the nation overcame his kinah for Hashem, and he didn’t give up his life unlike Chur who did. The end result of Aharon’s niceness was the cause to create the eigel hazahav.

With this Rav Schwab explains that the Kehuna which Aharon got was slightly defective, and therefore didn’t spread to his entire family. Pinchas was the one excluded from receiving the Kehuna. However, when Pinchas killed Zimri and Kosbi which displayed his zealousness for Hashem, he removed the defect of kedushas Aharon and thereby allowed the same kedushas Kehuna to spread to him. This kedusha Kehuna was the same as Aharon’s! By Pinchas totally giving himself over for the sake of Hashem, and killing Zimri and Kozbi, he showed kinas Hashem over ahavas habriyos and was then zoche to receive Kehuna.

May we remember that the love of Hashem must be first and foremost, and let us not be convinced or fooled by people’s interest!