This week’s Torah portion is about fanaticism and the dangers of fundamental truth. Last week, the Israelites are cohabiting with Midianite women and Zimri and Kosbi, an Israelite leader and a Midianite woman blaspheme in front of the entire congregation. God has called down a plague on the Israelites. Moses and the elders are paralyzed but Pinhas, the priest, grandson of Aaron, runs them through with a spear, killing both of them. God is pleased and the plague ceases. Now, in this week’s portion God rewards “a covenant of peace” on Pinhas and the priesthood. But our rabbis were not so pleased with Pinhas’ behavior. How do we know this? They set up the annual cycle of the Torah reading and they split Pinhas’ act – the killing of Zimri and Kosbi – from the reward. It is as if they wanted to break up the narrative to force us to think about the limits of a claim of absolute truth and the permission to kill that it can convey. Passionate zealotry maybe necessary at times, for defense, but without restraint it can lead to mass killing, as we have seen all too often in this and the past centuries. Is there an antidote? The portion ends with a description of the holidays and how they are to be observed. Perhaps if we focus more on our own spiritual lives and less on the failings of others we will learn to be more kind and humble and less judgmental and zealous.

Tags: fanaticism, Pinhas, truth

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