Zealotry and Mercy: Parallels Between Pinchas and the War in Gaza

The biblical story of Phinehas (Heb. Pinḥas or Pinchas) presents a complex moral scenario in which an act of violence is divinely sanctioned as a means to restore order and peace. This narrative brings the ethics of conflict into sharp relief.

The story of Pinḥas is found in Numbers 25:1-15. It takes place when the Israelites are encamped in Shittim, and some of them begin to engage in sexual immorality with Moabite women, as well as worshipping their gods. This angers G‑d, who sends a plague upon the Israelites. At the height of this crisis, an Israelite man named Zimri brings a Midianite woman named Cozbi into the camp, in full view of Moses and the whole assembly. Pinḥas, grandson of Aaron the High Priest, sees this and takes action. He follows them into a tent and kills both of them with a single thrust of his spear (רֹמַח, romaḥ). This act of zealotry stopped the plague, which had already killed 24,000 Israelites. God then speaks to Moses, praising Pinchas for his actions and granting him and his descendants a covenant of eternal priesthood.

One cannot escape the stark parallels with the current Israel-Hamas war.

In the biblical narrative, the Israelites’ involvement with Moabite women and foreign gods is seen as depravity and moral corruption—deviation from their core values and divine mission. This led to divine punishment manifested in a deadly plague.

I see here a parallel to modern Israeli politics. From this perspective, sexual immorality with Moabites could be seen as a metaphor for embracing ideologies foreign to traditional Jewish values taught in the Torah. The Israeli left, who drew their inspiration from Marx rather than from Moses, who flirted with utopian ideas of land for peace, is the cause of moral corruption in modern Israeli society, which drifted far away from the moral norms taught in our Torah. “Worshiping foreign gods” might be compared to adopting political or social philosophies that are viewed as incompatible with Israel’s spiritual ethos. Worshiping the idols of Marxism and liberalism is the modern form of worshiping the ancient idols of the Moabites. Supporting so-called Palestinians—sworn enemies of Israel, is parallel to ancient Israelites flirting with Moabites—sworn enemies of Israelites, who recruited Bilham to curse Jews.

The twenty-four thousand Jews who died in the plague remind me of twenty-four thousand students of Rabbi Akiva, who also died in a plague as a punishment for disrespecting each other. Last year, we saw Israeli society torn apart over the judicial reform. Countless protests, demonstrations, political rift, and mutual hatred plagued Israeli society, swiftly followed by the tragic events of October 7—the modern-day plague. The incident with Zimri and Cozbi occurs during a time of internal strife and moral failure among the Israelites. The current conflict has highlighted internal divisions within Israeli society, but it has also shown moments of unity and collective resolve. The ability of the Israeli society to come together in times of crisis can be seen as a modern reflection of the unity that Pinḥas’ actions aimed to restore. However, moments of unity in the face of a tragedy are not enough. Only permanent unity rooted in mutual respect and understanding will be rewarded with the Covenant of Peace.

The direct cause of the October 7th massacre was the ill-conceived Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. The sin of Zimri and Cozbi hints at this misguided ideology. The numerical value (gematriah) of Zimri is 257.[1] The numerical value (gematriah) of Cozbi is 39.[2] Numerically, their sexual union can be seen as the sum of their respective numerical values: 257+39=296. This is also the numerical value of the word eretz[3] (“land”) hinting at Eretz Yisrael—the Land of Israel. In Kabbalah, a woman (or, specifically, the womb) is represented by the sefirah of Malḥut. However, Malḥut also represents the land—eretz. Just as a man marries a woman, Jewish people are married to the Land of Israel, Eretz Yisrael (see my 2019 essay “The Land We Married.”) Giving up part of the Holy Land by withdrawing from Gaza was an act of betrayal—an act of infidelity. G‑d rewarded Pinchas with a covenant of peace. The notion of a divine promise or covenant with the land of Israel is deeply rooted in Jewish tradition. The defense of this covenant can be seen in Israel’s obligation to protect and secure its land and people, which will be rewarded by peace and security.

Central to the Pinḥas story is the paradox of mercy within seeming cruelty. In Hebrew, the word for spear (רֹמַח, romaḥ) shares the same letters as the word for merciful (רַחוּם, raḥum). Raḥum is, of course, one of G‑d’s Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. This linguistic connection suggests that sometimes, actions that appear harsh and cruel on the surface may be rooted in deeper mercy or compassion.

Inviting Palestinians to work in Israel was courting a disaster. It was not dissimilar to Zimri inviting Cozbi to the camp of Israelites in the Sinai desert. These very workers who were given work and treated as good neighbors and friends in the kibbutzim bordering Gaza repaid their kindness by mapping these kibbutzim for Hamas allowing terrorists to easily find people and murder them in cold blood.

The most horrific but inescapable parallels revolve around sexual immorality. In the Sinai desert, Israelites who sinned with Moabite women were punished by plague. The recent “plague” of October 7 involved unimaginable sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas terrorists and Gazan “civilians” who came along for the ride.

In the context of the current conflict, Israel’s military actions, while causing immediate suffering, are ultimately acts of mercy, aimed at protecting its citizens and securing long-term peace, as well as freeing Palestinians from the oppressive regime of Hamas, which deliberately brought the immense suffering on Palestinians by drawing Israel into this defensive war.

The story of Pinḥas also illustrates how an extreme act can sometimes be necessary to restore balance and peace. Pinḥas’ zealotry, while shocking, is presented as the action that stops a plague and saves the Israelites. The Torah teaches us a lesson: Israel’s decisive military action against Hamas is necessary to prevent future attacks and establish security for its citizens. Reoccupying Gaza may seem extreme, but this is the only solution that can restore peace, provide security for Israel, and better life for Palestinians.

Another parallel can be seen in the concept of divine sanction. In the biblical narrative, Pinḥas’s actions are approved by G‑d, granting him a “covenant of peace.” In modern conflicts, various sides often claim moral or divine justification for their actions. “Let us not pray that G‑d is on our side, but pray that we are on G‑d’s side,” is an aphorims often attributed to Abraham Lincoln. There is no doubt in my mind that this defensive war is a just war—a milchemet mitzvah (“obligatory war” sanctioned by G‑d). We are on G‑d’s side, and G‑d is on our side!

The story of Pinḥas also deals with themes of identity and loyalty. Pinḥas acts to defend what he sees as the integrity of his people against external moral corruption. Unfortunately, Israelis far too often look at what the rest of the world would think about their actions—a dangerous symptom of the Galut mentality. The only place we should look for guidance is our Holy Torah.

The Pinḥas narrative also touches on the theme of leadership in crisis. Pinḥas takes action when other leaders seem paralyzed. During this conflict, too often, the Israeli government seemed paralyzed, unable to make tough decisions. Pinḥas’s immediate and decisive action halted the plague and brought divine approval. The need for swift and decisive action in the face of existential threats is a recurring theme in Israeli military strategy.

The numerical value (gematriah) of Pinḥas is 208.[4] This is also the gematriah of Yitzchak (Isaac),[5] with whom Pinḥas shared a soul.[6] Isaac was a personification of the sefirah of Gevurah. In the morning blessings (Birḥat HaShaḥar) that we recite every morning, we say, “Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who girds Israel with might (bigevurah).” This is the blessing we now need the most. May G‑d Almighty gird Israel with might! May He give Israel a swift and decisive victory over her enemies. And may G‑d grant Israel the eternal covenant of peace! May we soon see Elijah the Prophet (Eliyahu HaNavi)—a later incarnation of Pinḥas—who will announce the good tidings of Geulah—the ultimate redemption!

Endnotes:

[1] Zimri (זִמְרִי) is spelled ז (zayin=7) מ (mem=40) ר (resh=200) י (yud=10). Total gematriah: 7 + 40 + 200 + 10 = 257.

[2] Cozbi (כָּזְבִּי) is spelled כ (kaf=20) ז (zayin=7) ב (bet=2) י (yud=10). Total gematriah: 20 + 7 + 2 + 10 = 39.

[3] Eretz (land) is spelled א (alef=1) ר (resh=200) ץ (tzadik=90). Total gematriah: 1+200+90=291.

[4] Pinḥas (פִּינְחָס) is spelled פ (peh=80) י (yud=10) נ (nun=50) ח (ḥet=8) ס (sameḥ=60). Total gematriah: 80 + 10 + 50 + 8 + 60 = 208.

[5] Yitzḥak (יִצְחָק) is spelled: י (yud=10) צ (tzadik=90) ח (ḥet=8) ק (kuf=100). Total gematriah: 10 + 90 + 8 + 100 = 208.

[6] Zohar vol. 3 p. 237b. The Zohar also teaches that the souls of Nadav and Avihu entered Pinḥas at the time when he committed his act of zealotry, which is why he became eligible to become a priest. Id. at 217a.