בית יעקב הכולל פרשת פנחס

Concepts -מושגים

לכן אמר הנני נתן לו את כריתי שלום. ומפרש ברבה במדבר (פי״א ס״ז) דבר הקיים לעד . וזה רומז לתחיית המתים שבא על ידי אליהו זכור לטוב

When Hashem intervenes to save Pinchas from the mob, he says that "Pinchas turned away my anger, therefore, I'm giving him my covenant of peace." The Izhbitzer quotes the Midrash Rabah which explains that this means something which endures forever. What is it? Techias Hamesim, the resurrection of the dead, which comes through Eliyahu Hanavi. We know he also was made a Kohen and he never died What is the association between being a Kohen, never dying and Techiyas Hamesim?

. וכדאיתא בגמרא סוטה מ׳׳ט ב ׳ .זהירות מביא לידי זריזות כ ו ׳ . והנה השי״ת זורע צדקות ומצמיח ישועות. ובמקום שהאדם יכול להפסיד משם יכול להבנות בנין עדי עד . כי אף במקום שנראה שהאדם מפסיד על כל זה נמצא בו נקודה קיימת אשר לא תתבטל ולא תלך לאבדון

Let's understand. The בית יעקב begins his explanation with a brief introduction to reality and Avodas Hashem. The Gemara Sotah explains how being careful leads to enthusiasm. Through a person's care not to get involved in things of a seemly nature, this can give birth to excitement and enthusiasm in Avodas Hashem. This is a reference to Pinchas, by avoiding the seemliness, he merited the Kehuna and the enthusiasm of life and Avodas Hashem (which is Kehuna, although we'll get to that later. Let's understand further, the Siddur tells us that Hashem plants righteousness, and salvation sprouts, this means because there is good in the world, as a result, the world can attain perfection and repair. We know that only when it is possible for a person to destroy their life, and ruin their own world, is the same opportunity to be able to grow and mature. At the same time, even though it looks like a person can destroy the world, there is a point of goodness that never gets lost or destroyed.

. וכמו שבעת השינה ישאר באדם קוסטא דחיותא שזה תעורר את כל הגוף. כן ישאר באדם עד לעת תחיה הדלא בגרמי . וכמבואר בזה״ק (שלח קם״ט א) וכמו שכל הזריעות שיזרעו בארץ לא יתבטלו לגמרי

Just like at the time when a person sleeps, there exists a little bit of life, which awakens the entire body, so too there is within a person there is something that stays alive until Techiya Hamesim, that is not destroyed, ever. The Zohar says all of the things that a person plants, they are never lost completely.

.וכמאמר הגמרא (סנהדרין צ״א אי) דלא הוו חיי דהוי חיי לא כל שכן. ואם יתבטל לגמרי מה הפרש וחילוק בין הוה ללא הוה

The בית יעקב paraphrasing the Gemara explains the need for such a phenomenon, those that aren't alive came back to life, those who are alive how much more so that they came back to life? What is the difference of it being or not being?

. והנה כמו שנמצא בכל נפש נקודה אחת הנשארת בחיים נצחיים מבלי שום שינוי ולא תאבד חס ושלום. כן בכלל ישראל המכונים לצורת אדם שלם מההכרח להשאר נפש שלם שלא יעדר

The Jewish people is a macrocosm of as a whole being, meaning that the Jewish people, together form a complete human being, therefore, there needs to be one person who does not decay or decrease.

. והנה זה הוא פנחס הכהן ביען שלא רצה להכניס עצמו ל ס פ ק . כי אין מיתה בלא חטא )שבת נ״ה אי (. וחטא הוא הכנסה ל ס פ ק . כי חטא מכונה לשוגג) יומא ל״ו ב)

This one person is Pinchas the Kohen since he didn't want to enter into an area of doubt. This concept, in Izhbitzer seforim (see מי השלוח ב נח and בית יעקב בראשית כה and the notes in the new edition) means that he didn't act without an explicit commandment from Hashem. Chazal record that he did not act until consulting Moshe and his court, to know that his actions were sanctioned by Hashem. Death, sin are all part of doubt, due to the fact that death comes as a result of sin (as the Gemara says) and because sin is the entrance into doubt, (as sins are called Shogeg- unintentional.) When Adam Harishon ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, he imbibed the mixture of good and evil into himself, and everything became a question of is it good or evil. This is why the Zohar refers to the tree as the tree of doubt. This was also the beginning of the institution of death. Death to us is the greatest doubt and mystery, and that which scares us the most as we don't know what comes after.

ושמר את הברית וכמאמר. זה״ק (וארא כ״ו ב) . דלא ישלוט ביה רע .כי יש נפשות שעיקר עסקם להכניס עצמם לספקות. והם בספק אם יצליחו או חס ושלום לא . ואם יעזור השי"ת להצליח אז זה גדול מאד.

This is reflective of the Zohar which explains that when one is keeps their end of the covenant, that evil never rules over the person. This is because there are those souls whose purpose and work is to enter reams of doubt and they are in doubt whether or not Hashem will grant them success in their actions.

וכמו אברהם אבינו שהיה מדתו חסד . והוא רק להכניס את עצמו בספקות. ויצחק היה מדתו פחד . והוא להשמר מכל ספק רק לילך בטח .

Avraham whose attribute was Chessed, which means to spread out (see our notes on Shemini) brought himself into the realms of doubt, by going out, teaching people about the Master of the word and interacting with the world. This interaction engenders that there will be ups and downs, and doubt whether Hashem will help him out of the difficult situation. However, Yiztchak whose attribute was Gevurah (which means to hold one's self back) guarded himself from ever entering such a place.

וגם פינחס ביען כי לא הכניס עצמו לספק .לכן לא הכניסו הקב״ה לספק ההעדר. כי ההעדר הוא ספק . כי אינו יודע חה יקום ומה יתבטל. ולכן ברית השי״ת היתה אתו החיים והשלום. וזה תחיית המתים בא על ידי אליהו זכור לטוב. כי הוא סימן למחיית המתים . כי כשם שנשאר נפש מישראל חי וקיים.

Pinchas similarly, did not want to enter in the realm of doubt. As a result, Hashem did not subject him to the power of doubt and decay. Decay is doubt as we don't know what will endure, and what will last. Therefore Hashem's reward to Pinchas was a covenant of life and peace. This is Techiyas Hamesim, which comes through Eliyahu Hanvi. Elyahu is the sign for Techiyas Hamesim, because he is part of the soul of Israel which is always alive.

כן בכל נפש בפרט נמלא נקודה אחת מבלי ה ע ד ר . והוא נקודת הכהונה האמתית כח העבודה.כי כל נפש מישראל נכלל מכהן ולוי ישראל. אכן הכהן יש לו כח הכהונה ביותר.

Just like there is one person of the Jewish people who is always alive, so too, in every Jew there is a portion of the person which exists without decay. This is the true what a Kohen really means, to be the portion which is always alive and serving Hashem. Each soul from the Jewish people is comprised of Kohen, Levi and Yisrael, however the Kohanim have more of this ability power .

. וכאשר נראה שנפש אחד נשאר קיים. כדאיתא בזה״ק ויקהל( קצ״ז :א ) ואתלבש בההוא סערה יכו׳. והנה מה שנצרך להתלבש בסערה הוא משום כח הישראל הנמצא בו . כי גם כהן נכלל מישראל ומלוי. אבל נקודת הכהונה האמתית אינה צריכה לשום לבוש רק תשאר בקיום מבלי שינוי וזה רומז לתתיה :

This is how that there is always one soul which always stays alive. This is what the Zohar makes reference to that Eliyahu "wore a storm." Why does he need to "wear a storm?" Like we explained, there is a Yisrael portion to everybody as well. The Yisrael portion is the storm, then entrance into doubt, the need for change and as a result of their interaction. However, the Kohen portion needs no garment, it is totally alive, requiring no change therefore, it hints to us of Tchias Hamesim. The Yisrael portion is the storm, but the Kohen is the calm within the storm.

Izhbitzer Twist

The Izhbitzer uses the speaks about entering into doubt (see מי השלוח ב נח and בית יעקב בראשית כה and the notes in the new edition) as part and parcel of most people's lives, that despite our best efforts, we are in a world filled with doubt, and it is our struggle with such a world which allows us to grow as people.

Practical Advice

There are times in the storms of life, that we encounter so many doubts, and many times in the crash of those storms, much in our life can be destroyed. Look to the Kohen inside, of you, the Eliyahu Hanavi, the pure part of yourself that is always inside. It is the calm of the storm and through this calm, you can rebuild your life.