Parsha Talk Pinchas 5784 2024

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Pinchas [Numbers 25:10–30:1] begins with the end of the story from the last nine verses of last week’s parashah. Pinchas is apparently rewarded by God with a b’rit shalom [covenant of peace]. because he stilled God’s kin‘ah [translated as zealousness or jealousy]. We spent most of our conversation trying to understand this enigmatic story, and how the story of Pinchas relates to other stories we know from the Bible. Because our conversation took place on Wednesday, the day after th Fast of the 17th of Tammuz, which begins the 3-week period of mourning culminating with Tisha B’av [the Fast of the 9th of Av, coinciding withAugust 13], we also discussed the special haftarah from the 1st chapter of Jeremiah [more precisely, Jeremiah 1:1–2:3]. Please leave comments or criticisms below, or e-mail us at [email protected]. We continue to be mindful of the hostage and their families, and the men and women who defend Israel as soldiers in the Israel Defense Force. May the hostages be speedily returned to their loved ones; may the soldiers defending Israel be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.