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July 18, 2003/Tamuz 18 5763, Vol. 55, No. 47
Zealous defenders of the covenant
Torah study
RABBI NEIL GILLMAN
Pinchas/Numbers 25:10-30:1
What do Pinchas, Elijah, Jeremiah and Abraham have to do with each other and why do they all come to mind this Shabbat?
The opening verses of this week's Torah portion deal with Pinchas. The usual haftara for this portion deals with Elijah. But since this Shabbat follows the fast of the 17th of Tammuz, we will be reading, instead, the first chapter of Jeremiah as the first of the three haftarot of admonition leading up to Tisha B'Av.
The choice of the episode from the life of Elijah to accompany the story of Pinchas is no accident. In fact, the Midrash claims that they are the same person: "Pinchas is Elijah." Both stories deal with Israel's violation of God's covenant, and both Pinchas and Elijah are zealots in condemning Israel and defending God's honor.
The pairing of these two personalities continues in the liturgy for brit milah, the ritual of circumcision. Many versions of the brit milah liturgy open with the first three verses from this week's portion in which God rewards Pinchas for his zealotry by promising him "a pact of friendship" and "a pact of priesthood for all time." In both of these phrases, the Hebrew for the English term "pact" is "brit." And in every version of the ritual, the infant is placed on the throne of Elijah.
According to a Midrash, Elijah appears at every brit because he accused Israel of having forsaken the covenant. As a "punishment," he is now forced to witness every single brit milah.
And since it was with Abraham that God forged the original covenant, Abraham too is present at every brit, when every infant is introduced into "the covenant of Abraham our patriarch."
What seems to be missing in the three-fold parallelism is a biblical reference to Abraham's zealotry. But it's there, implicitly at least, in the story of the Akedah, the binding of Isaac. The associations between a brit milah and Abraham's readiness to offer his son to God are obvious. And if that is not evidence of Abraham's zeal in obeying God's command, what is?
Zealots make us uncomfortable. Post-biblical literature is replete with condemnations of Pinchas' behavior. One Talmudic comment suggests that had Pinchas asked a rabbinic court if he was permitted to kill Zimri and Kosbi, the court would have told him not to do it. And who can read the story of the Akedah without a lingering sense that Abraham should have refused to obey God, or at least protested the divine command? Finally, when I read the cycle of Elijah stories in 1 Kings, I have the distinct impression that this prophet must have made everyone he encountered somewhat wary.
The most poignant verse in the Elijah story is his repeated exclamation, "I alone am left and they are out to take my life." He has indeed fled for his life and is hiding in a cave. It is this sense of abandonment in the face of enemies that connects the haftara that we don't recite this week, the Elijah passage, with the one that we do recite, Jeremiah 1.
Of all of the prophets, Jeremiah reveals the most about his inner life. Here, after being called by God, he protests, "Lord God, I don't know how to speak, for I am still a boy." Throughout, he curses the day he was born, the day he was called to prophecy. Later, he is imprisoned for having urged that Israel should capitulate to Babylonia. He too feels very much alone.
When I study the liturgy, I take note of the fantasy characters the texts bring into my room. My guests, this particular week, make a remarkably fascinating group.
Rabbi Neil Gillman is professor of Jewish philosophy at the Jewish Theological Seminary.
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