וַיַּ֗רְא פִּֽינְחָס֙ בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָ֔ר בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַכֹּהֵ֑ן וַיָּ֙קָם֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הָֽעֵדָ֔ה וַיִּקַּ֥ח רֹ֖מַח בְּיָדֽוֹ׃
제사장 아론의 손자 엘르아살의 아들 비느하스가 보고 회중의 가운데서 일어나 손에 창을 들고
Esther Rabbah
“Haman saw that Mordekhai was not bowing and prostrating himself to him and Haman was filled with wrath” (Esther 3:5).
“Haman saw that Mordekhai was not bowing and prostrating himself to him” – Rabbi Aivu said: “May their eyes,” of the wicked, “grow dim so they cannot see” (Psalms 69:24). Because the sight of the eyes of the wicked takes them down to Gehenna; that is what is written: “The children of the great saw the daughters of man”5The children of the great sinned in doing so. See the following verses. (Genesis 6:2); “Ham, father of Canaan, saw [the nakedness of his father] (Genesis 9:22); “Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan were objectionable [in the eyes of Isaac his father]”6Esau had previously married two women from Canaan. (Genesis 28:8); “Balak son of Tzippor saw [all that Israel had done to the Emorites]”7He subsequently hired Bilam to curse them. (Numbers 22:2); “Bilam saw that it was pleasing in the eyes of the Lord to bless Israel,”8Despite his efforts to curse them. (Numbers 24:1); “Haman saw that Mordekhai was not bowing and prostrating himself to him.”
However, the sight of the eyes of the righteous brings light, as the sight of the eyes of the righteous elevates them to the highest heights; that is what is written: “He [Abraham] lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, three men” (Genesis 18:2); “He [Abraham] saw, and behold, a ram” (Genesis 22:13); “He [Jacob] saw, and behold, a well in the field” (Genesis 29:2); “He [Moses] saw, and behold, a bush” (Exodus 3:2); “Pinḥas saw”9He saw the Israelites sinning with the daughters of Midyan and arose to put a stop to it. (Numbers 25:7). Therefore, they are happy with the sight of their eyes, as it is stated: “The upright see this and rejoice” (Psalms 107:42).
“Haman saw that Mordekhai was not bowing and prostrating himself to him” – Rabbi Aivu said: “May their eyes,” of the wicked, “grow dim so they cannot see” (Psalms 69:24). Because the sight of the eyes of the wicked takes them down to Gehenna; that is what is written: “The children of the great saw the daughters of man”5The children of the great sinned in doing so. See the following verses. (Genesis 6:2); “Ham, father of Canaan, saw [the nakedness of his father] (Genesis 9:22); “Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan were objectionable [in the eyes of Isaac his father]”6Esau had previously married two women from Canaan. (Genesis 28:8); “Balak son of Tzippor saw [all that Israel had done to the Emorites]”7He subsequently hired Bilam to curse them. (Numbers 22:2); “Bilam saw that it was pleasing in the eyes of the Lord to bless Israel,”8Despite his efforts to curse them. (Numbers 24:1); “Haman saw that Mordekhai was not bowing and prostrating himself to him.”
However, the sight of the eyes of the righteous brings light, as the sight of the eyes of the righteous elevates them to the highest heights; that is what is written: “He [Abraham] lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, three men” (Genesis 18:2); “He [Abraham] saw, and behold, a ram” (Genesis 22:13); “He [Jacob] saw, and behold, a well in the field” (Genesis 29:2); “He [Moses] saw, and behold, a bush” (Exodus 3:2); “Pinḥas saw”9He saw the Israelites sinning with the daughters of Midyan and arose to put a stop to it. (Numbers 25:7). Therefore, they are happy with the sight of their eyes, as it is stated: “The upright see this and rejoice” (Psalms 107:42).
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
Another interpretation (continuing in Gen. 38:2): AND JUDAH SAW THERE < THE DAUGHTER OF A CERTAIN CANAANITE >. There is the one who committed fornication and profited; there is also the one who committed fornication and lost. < There is the one who killed and profited; there is also the one who killed and lost. There is the one who stole and profited; there is also the one who stole and lost. There is the one who stole and lost, i.e., Achan (of Joshua 7). There is the one who stole and profited, i.e., Rachel, of whom it is stated (in Gen. 31:19): SO RACHEL STOLE. There is the one who killed and lost (in Numb. 35:16): THE MURDERER SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH. There is the one who killed and profited, i.e., Phinehas (of Numb. 25:7-13) >.40This section in angle brackets (< >) is taken from Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34. The shorter Buber text, which has Phinehas stealing instead of killing, reads as follows: “There is the one who stole and profited; there is also the one who stole and lost. There is the one who stole and profited. This is Phinehas. There is the one who stole and lost. This is Achan (of Joshua 7).” There is the one who committed fornication and lost. This is Zimri (of Numb. 25:6-14). There is the one who committed fornication and profited. This is Judah, since from him arose Perez and Hezron, who were going to sire < the line of > David (according to Ruth 4:18-21) and the Messianic King, who is going to redeem Israel. Look at how many episodes the Holy One brings about before he raises up the Messianic King from Judah! That is the one about whom it is written (in Is. 11:2): AND THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SHALL REST UPON HIM.
Bamidbar Rabbah
“Pinḥas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw, and he arose from the midst of the congregation, and he took a spear in his hand” (Numbers 25:7).
“Pinḥas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw” – did all of them not see? But is it not written: “Before the eyes of Moses, and before the eyes of the entire congregation of the children of Israel”? (Numbers 25:6). It is, rather, that he saw the action and recalled the halakha: One who engages in intercourse with an Aramean woman, zealots strike him.
“He arose from the midst of the congregation” – from where did he arise? It is, rather, that they were debating the matter, whether or not he [Zimri] had incurred liability to be put to death. He [Pinḥas] volunteered and took a spear in his hand. He took the sharp iron tip in his hand and placed it in his midsection92Beneath his garments, to conceal it. and began leaning on the wood handle, because he feared his93Zimri’s. tribe that surrounded him. When he reached them, they said to him: 'Why did you come?' He said to them: 'I, too, have come to satisfy my needs.' They allowed him, and he entered, as had it not been so, they would not have allowed him to enter.
“He came after the man of Israel into the tent, and stabbed both of them, the man of Israel, and the woman, through her belly. The plague was stopped from the children of Israel” (Numbers 25:8).
“He came after the man of Israel into the tent” – he stabbed them both, one atop the other, into the impurity of the two of them, so there will not be any in Israel saying that there had been no impurity there. He was zealous for the name of the Holy One blessed be He, and He performed for him twelve miracles. One miracle, they were in the process of separating from one another and an angel reattached them. The second miracle, the angel shut their mouths so they could not scream. The third, He directed the spear to correspond with her belly, so that his [Zimri's] male organ could be seen in her female organ, because of the quibblers, so they would not say: ‘He [Pinhas], too, entered and satisfied his needs.’ The fourth, He lengthened the iron tip so that it could stab both of them. The fifth, He infused strength in his arm so he could lift both of them. The sixth, He infused strength in the wood so it could bear both of them. The seventh, they did not fall from the weapon, but remained in their place. The eighth, the angel reversed them on the spearhead, into the proper position, to display their disgrace to all. The ninth, they did not bleed, so Pinḥas would not be impurified. The tenth, the Holy One blessed be He preserved their spirits, so they would not die and he would be impurified. The eleventh, the angel elevated the lintel so that the two of them could emerge between his shoulders, suspended before the eyes of all. The twelfth, when he emerged, the members of his [Zimri’s] tribe sought to strike him. The angel descended and afflicted them. When Pinḥas saw that he [the angel] was seeking to eradicate them, he slammed them to the ground, stood, prayed, and expelled him [the angel], as it is written: “Pinḥas stood and prayed [vayfalel]” (Psalms 106:30); that he was performing the judgment, as it is stated: “He shall give it in court [biflilim]…” (Exodus 21:22).
“Those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand” (Numbers 25:9).
And it is written: “Those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand” – to teach you that any time that they fall, they are counted. This is analogous to a wolf that pounced on the flock. The owner of the flock said to the shepherd: ‘Calculate how many are missing.’
It is to inform the extent to which harlotry distances, as this was an individual, and through him, twenty-four thousand of Israel fell. This is what the verse said: “The wrath of a king is as messengers of death, but a wise man will pacify it” (Proverbs 16:14). This is analogous to a king who was passing and a group of lads was standing, and one of them cursed the king. The king was filled with rage against them. One resident that was among them came and slapped the one who cursed the king across his face. The rage of the king was immediately assuaged. So, who caused the rage of the Holy One blessed be He to be pacified, and all of Israel was not eradicated? You must say it is Pinḥas, to realize what is stated: “But a wise man will pacify it.”
The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘In this world, because of sin they can be counted. But in the future: “The number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured and cannot be counted”’ (Hosea 2:1). May it be soon, amen, may it be His will.
“Pinḥas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw” – did all of them not see? But is it not written: “Before the eyes of Moses, and before the eyes of the entire congregation of the children of Israel”? (Numbers 25:6). It is, rather, that he saw the action and recalled the halakha: One who engages in intercourse with an Aramean woman, zealots strike him.
“He arose from the midst of the congregation” – from where did he arise? It is, rather, that they were debating the matter, whether or not he [Zimri] had incurred liability to be put to death. He [Pinḥas] volunteered and took a spear in his hand. He took the sharp iron tip in his hand and placed it in his midsection92Beneath his garments, to conceal it. and began leaning on the wood handle, because he feared his93Zimri’s. tribe that surrounded him. When he reached them, they said to him: 'Why did you come?' He said to them: 'I, too, have come to satisfy my needs.' They allowed him, and he entered, as had it not been so, they would not have allowed him to enter.
“He came after the man of Israel into the tent, and stabbed both of them, the man of Israel, and the woman, through her belly. The plague was stopped from the children of Israel” (Numbers 25:8).
“He came after the man of Israel into the tent” – he stabbed them both, one atop the other, into the impurity of the two of them, so there will not be any in Israel saying that there had been no impurity there. He was zealous for the name of the Holy One blessed be He, and He performed for him twelve miracles. One miracle, they were in the process of separating from one another and an angel reattached them. The second miracle, the angel shut their mouths so they could not scream. The third, He directed the spear to correspond with her belly, so that his [Zimri's] male organ could be seen in her female organ, because of the quibblers, so they would not say: ‘He [Pinhas], too, entered and satisfied his needs.’ The fourth, He lengthened the iron tip so that it could stab both of them. The fifth, He infused strength in his arm so he could lift both of them. The sixth, He infused strength in the wood so it could bear both of them. The seventh, they did not fall from the weapon, but remained in their place. The eighth, the angel reversed them on the spearhead, into the proper position, to display their disgrace to all. The ninth, they did not bleed, so Pinḥas would not be impurified. The tenth, the Holy One blessed be He preserved their spirits, so they would not die and he would be impurified. The eleventh, the angel elevated the lintel so that the two of them could emerge between his shoulders, suspended before the eyes of all. The twelfth, when he emerged, the members of his [Zimri’s] tribe sought to strike him. The angel descended and afflicted them. When Pinḥas saw that he [the angel] was seeking to eradicate them, he slammed them to the ground, stood, prayed, and expelled him [the angel], as it is written: “Pinḥas stood and prayed [vayfalel]” (Psalms 106:30); that he was performing the judgment, as it is stated: “He shall give it in court [biflilim]…” (Exodus 21:22).
“Those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand” (Numbers 25:9).
And it is written: “Those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand” – to teach you that any time that they fall, they are counted. This is analogous to a wolf that pounced on the flock. The owner of the flock said to the shepherd: ‘Calculate how many are missing.’
It is to inform the extent to which harlotry distances, as this was an individual, and through him, twenty-four thousand of Israel fell. This is what the verse said: “The wrath of a king is as messengers of death, but a wise man will pacify it” (Proverbs 16:14). This is analogous to a king who was passing and a group of lads was standing, and one of them cursed the king. The king was filled with rage against them. One resident that was among them came and slapped the one who cursed the king across his face. The rage of the king was immediately assuaged. So, who caused the rage of the Holy One blessed be He to be pacified, and all of Israel was not eradicated? You must say it is Pinḥas, to realize what is stated: “But a wise man will pacify it.”
The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘In this world, because of sin they can be counted. But in the future: “The number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured and cannot be counted”’ (Hosea 2:1). May it be soon, amen, may it be His will.