Pinchas - פינחס : "Phineas"
Torah : Numbers 25:10-30:1
Haftarah : 1 Kings 18:46-19:21
Gospel : John 15-17

Thought for the Week:

Religion is a two-edged sword. On the one hand, faith in God, trust in Messiah and obedience to God's commandments is the narrow path that leads to life. It brings peace, joy and purpose to existence. On the other hand, religious convictions can become a source of strife, enmity and hatred between people.

Commentary:

Parashat Pinchas is named for Pinchas (Phineas), the zealous grandson of Aaron the priest, who turned aside the LORD's wrath by publicly skewering two flagrant transgressors of Torah. Without trial and without due process, Pinchas rose up as a court of one. He was the witness, the judge and the executioner. Yet rather than being punished for his zeal and transgression, Pinchas is rewarded with a "covenant of peace"! (25:12) It is a difficult story with some troubling ramifications.

For our purposes, we will simply note that God praised Pinchas for his zeal. The LORD says, "he was z...