ייִדישער מחשבֿה אויף תהילים 106:30

Midrash Tanchuma, Parshat Pinchas, and Sanhedrin 82, state: Rabbi Eleazar said concerning the verse in Psalms 106,30, Pinchas stood, entreated, and the plague stopped." The term for "pleading" is not the usual vayitpallel, but rather vayefallel. This means that he did marvellous things with his owner, the Creator. At that moment the angels wanted to obstruct him, but G'd said to them: "leave him alone, he is a descendant of zealots, a descendant of someone who had managed to assuage My anger." When the other tribes heaped abuse on Pinchas, saying that the grandson of an idol worshipper could hardly be the one to teach them proper Jewish conduct, the Torah lists his ancestry as son of Eleazar, son of Aaron. G'd told Moses to be the first one to offer greetings to Pinchas. This is the meaning of "here I grant him My covenant, peace."

The third division is the special goodness of G-d to a certain family among the families of the nations, such as the appointment of the priesthood and the Levites, as also the succession of sovereignty conferred upon the house of David. In return for this, He charged them with additional duties, of which those assigned to the priests and Levites are known and clearly set forth in the book of G-d's law, the Pentateuch. The specific law applying to the House of David is thus set forth: "O house of David, thus says the L-ord, execute judgment in the morning; and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor" (Jeremiah 21:12). One who completely fulfills these duties, because he loves to please G-d, will be singled out by the Almighty for happiness here and a great reward hereafter. He will be a distinguished nobleman or a teacher of righteousness, as the Scripture says concerning Pinchas, "Then stood up Pinchas and executed judgment and the plague was stayed. And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore" (Ps. 106:30-31). Further, "But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok that kept the charge of My sanctuary...[They shall come near to Me to minister unto Me]" (Ezek. 44:15). But whoever among them rebels against G-d falls from those highest degrees in this world, and will suffer severe pain in the world to come, as you know from what befell Korach and his company.

The third division is the special goodness of G-d to a certain family among the families of the nations, such as the appointment of the priesthood and the Levites, as also the succession of sovereignty conferred upon the house of David. In return for this, He charged them with additional duties, of which those assigned to the priests and Levites are known and clearly set forth in the book of G-d's law, the Pentateuch. The specific law applying to the House of David is thus set forth: "O house of David, thus says the L-ord, execute judgment in the morning; and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor" (Jeremiah 21:12). One who completely fulfills these duties, because he loves to please G-d, will be singled out by the Almighty for happiness here and a great reward hereafter. He will be a distinguished nobleman or a teacher of righteousness, as the Scripture says concerning Pinchas, "Then stood up Pinchas and executed judgment and the plague was stayed. And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore" (Ps. 106:30-31). Further, "But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok that kept the charge of My sanctuary...[They shall come near to Me to minister unto Me]" (Ezek. 44:15). But whoever among them rebels against G-d falls from those highest degrees in this world, and will suffer severe pain in the world to come, as you know from what befell Korach and his company.