How do we distinguish between them?
The main goal of a Kohain is to sustain and build life . The focus of the terrorist is to revel in the destruction of life, especially if that life's mode of living is seen as objectionable. Pinchas did not go out to try and shishkabob a sinner . Rather , he saw a breach in Torah observance that was causing an obvious plague and he set out to stop it. If he couldn't get the people to listen he would act! But how would he get every one's attention? How could he even get people's ears?
The opportunity came with zimri . Zimri was the chief of the tribe of Shimon . He thought that by bringing the harlot before the elders and challenging them to find a prohibition would help in avoiding the execution of many thousands of the Shimonites for worshiping the Peor Idol upon their contact with the Midianite women.
Instead of pleading for mercy, claiming that the boys had become deranged, he proceeded to
trivialize their sins. This would only encourage further sins to take place and the slippery-slope downwards had already been set into motion.
Out of care and love for Israel , Pinchas acted , not out of violence but out of love for his Fellow.
The attack on Zimri wasn't out of hatred or jealousy as is often the case with zealots.
Since the motive was love for life, the violence of the act tempered Justice with Mercy. Justice ha d been meted out in order to spare the rest of the plague that would have destroyed everyone.
When someone reluctantly acts violently to save the innocent bystanders, it isn't an act of zealousness. It is tough love!
3 comments:
What did the Tselofchod daughter(s) do that the hishtarsherus eventually led to Ishamel's killing of Gedalia?
I meant to ask this question (which was a realization that I had a חידוש during the יז Tammuz fast - connection to the fast of Gedalia) within this main post.
There is a point which you elaborated on within your May 15th post on R. Eliezer.
One one hand the statement is true that Torah is not in Heaven but it is vested on the Sages. On the other hand, the whole idea of Yiddishkeit is that all the kindness, justice, knowledge, truth is G-d. The fact that he told us through Torah to listen to the sages, not to stray left or right, to do exactly what they say, thereby sanctifying Him, does not create a source of Ultimate Truth among flesh and blood.
In the Desert, we undoubtedly were on a higher madreyga than during the time of Gemorah. We wwere in a continuous contact with prophecy through Moshe, at least. I think we see a definite feedback from G-d that Pinchas is right.
In the case of R. Eliezer, the acts of Divine intervention do indicate a favor (for the lack of a better word) with R. Eliezer's view. More than that, it stands to reason that the matter of the oven is in the ritual purity, which rests entirely in G-d's infinite truths, that neither King Shlomo, nor we could ever comprehend the itnricacies of the subject, which defies all our preconceived notions of common sense, and rationales of kal v'chomer and reverse. Ritual purity is the only humanly readable Divine Science which cannot be comprehended, but is given to be followed without any deviations.
To make the point - the sages, trying to protect holy writings from unnecessary touching, declared that a toucher's hands must be ritually washed. However, by our own learning, we know that these hands never receive the d'oraisa impurity. The sages, of flesh and blood, cannot install d'oraisa impirity.
Therefore, regarding R. Eliezer, though the impressive wisdom of his critics did produce milestones in deriving halacho out of a challenging, non-linear-reason case, the sign from the heavens did attest to his adherence to pursuing halacho according to its hewn-in-stone, divine precepts. I think R' Eliezer had deserved to receive such signs, in the times when the prophecy had been withdrawn, which are equivalent of G-d rewarding Pinchas.
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai was on a higher spiritual level than his peers,yet the law is like his colleagues with the exception of Rabbi Meir. Thus spiritual standing is not the criteria for Halacha.
Furthermore Rambam In Hilchos Yesodey Hatorah Perek tet clearly says that a Prophet who ays in G-D's name that the Halachah is such is Chayov Miso.
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