Torah and Revelation = Emunah (Faith)

Bamidbar {25:10} HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying, {25:11} Pinchas, ben (son of) El'azar, ben Aharon the Cohen (Priest), has turned my wrath away from Bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel), in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I didn't consume Bnei Yisrael in my jealousy. {25:12} Therefore say, Behold, I give to him my brit (covenant) of Shalom: {25:13} and it shall be to him, and to his seed after him, the brit of an everlasting Cohenhood; because he was jealous for his G-D, and made covering for the Bnei of Yisrael.

Bamidbar {26:63} These are those who were numbered by Moshe and El'azar the Cohen, who numbered Bnei Yisrael in the plains of Moav by the Yarden at Yericho. {26:64} But among these there was not an ish (man) of them who were numbered by Moshe and Aharon the Cohen, who numbered Bnei Yisrael in the wilderness of Sinai. {26:65} For HaShem had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. There was not left an ish of them, save Calev ben Yephunneh, and Yehoshua ben Nun.

These two passages are taken from the same Parsha, Pinchas, yet they are as different as night is from day. Right here in this Parasha we find the blessings that come with obedience, zeal and faithfulness to HaShem, juxtaposed with the consequences that come with rebellion, murmuring and disobedience to HaShem. Do you think HaShem is trying to tell us something here?

Pinchas was a faithful servant of the L-rd. By his actions we can tell he was zealous for Torah. We are being told of an Israelite man and a Moabite woman who flaunted their entering into fornication in the faces of the leadership of the congregation. It was not like they were off somewhere copulating in the bushes; this was a blatant act of dishonour, disrespect and rebellion, in the camp where all could see. Bnei Yisrael had been seduced into disobedience, which caused a plague to be unleashed by HaShem against the entire congregation; this couple was adding insult to injury.

Bamidbar {25:6} Behold, one of Bnei Yisrael came and brought to his brothers a Midianite ishah (woman) in the sight of Moshe, and in the sight of all the Adat (congregation of) Bnei Yisrael, while they were weeping at the door of the Ohel Moed.

What does this event have to do with Torah? First of all, Bnei Yisrael was committing idolatry by participating in the lewd, wild style of worship, typical with the veneration of pagan gods. This was an infraction against the first commandment! Secondly, Bnei Yisrael were fornicating with foreign woman, apart from the two that flaunted their affair, which is also a breach of Torah.

Pinchas was jealous for the L-rd, meaning that he was zealous for Torah, and because of his zeal he fulfilled Torah. More than two people had witnessed Zimri and Cozbi enter the tent to fornicate. This illicit affair was a result of the idolatrous party Zimri a son of Yisrael was participating in. The Torah's penalty for idolatry is death, albeit, stoning. Pinchas however, in his zeal for Torah executed these two presumptuous fornicators. His actions stayed the plague against Yisrael and only twenty four thousand died, it could have been much worse! As a result of his actions, Pinchas was guaranteed the office of Cohen in perpetuity by HaShem. His obedience to Torah brought blessing!

Contrast this with the second portion of Scripture I quoted. An entire generation of Yisrael had their dead bodies littering the wilderness they wandered in for forty years. This was a result of their total disregard for Torah which included idolatry, disbelief, murmuring, gossip, rebellion, disrespect for authority, and rebellion, just to mention a few. What was their reward? None of them entered the land of promise; they all died in the wilderness!

So what does this tell us? It tells us what I have been saying throughout my teachings. Obedience to the Torah brings blessings, while disobedience brings grave consequences!

I would like to point out something very important to those of you who are presently being disobedient to Torah; those who brashly say that Torah has been done away with. HaShem did not disqualify this disobedient generation from entering into the land the first time they messed up, nor the second, nor the third, nor the forth. However, there came a point with G-d where enough was enough, and after that they were consigned to fertilize the wilderness with their dead bodies, not being allowed to experience HaShem's promise. Do not allow this to happen to you. HaShem has made us incredible promises; let us not throw them away because of disobedience to His Word. Torah may not be the agent of salvation, but it sure is the agent of sanctification and blessing!

Tehillim / Psalm 119 Alef 119:1 blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to HaShem's Torah.

Rabbi Jack "Yaacov" Farber is the spiritual leader of Congregation Melech Yisrael in Toronto, Canada.

Copyright 2005