Parashah 41: Pinchas (Phinehas) 25:10 –30:1(29:40)

¹⁰ Adonai said to Moshe, ¹¹ “Pinchas the son of El‘azar, the son of Aharon the cohen, has deflected my anger from the people of Isra’el by being as zealous as I am, so that I didn’t destroy them in my own zeal. ¹² Therefore say, ‘I am giving him my covenant of shalom, ¹³ making a covenant with him and his descendants after him that the office of cohen will be theirs forever.’ This is because he was zealous on behalf of his God and made atonement for the people of Isra’el.”

¹⁴ The name of the man from Isra’el who was killed, put to death with the woman from Midyan, was Zimri the son of Salu, leader of one of the clans from the tribe of Shim‘on. ¹⁵ The name of the woman from Midyan who was killed was Kozbi the daughter of Tzur, and he was head of the people in one of the clans of Midyan.

¹⁶ Adonai said to Moshe, ¹⁷ “Treat the Midyanim as enemies and attack them; ¹⁸ because they are treating you as enemies by the trickery they used to deceive you in the P‘or incident and in the affair of their sister Kozbi, the daughter of the leader from Midyan, the woman who was killed on the day of the plague in the P‘or incident.” ^19 (26:1) After the plague,

26 Adonai said to Moshe and El‘azar, the son of Aharon the cohen, ² “Take a census of the entire assembly of the people of Isra’el twenty years old and over, by their ancestral clans, all who are subject to military service in Isra’el.” ³ Moshe and El‘azar the cohen spoke with them on the plains of Mo’av by the Yarden across from Yericho, explaining, ⁴ “Those twenty years old and over who came out of the land of Egypt, as Adonai ordered Moshe and the people of Isra’el.”

(ii) ⁵ [The census results begin with] Re’uven, the firstborn of Isra’el. The descendants of Re’uven were: of Hanokh, the family of the Hanokhi; of Pallu, the family of the Pallu’i; ⁶ of Hetzron, the family of the Hetzroni; and of Karmi the family of the Karmi. ⁷ These were the the families of the Re’uveni; of them were counted 43,730.

⁸ The sons of Pallu: Eli’av; ⁹ and the sons of Eli’av: N’mu’el, Datan and Aviram. These are the same Datan and Aviram, men of reputation in the community, who rebelled against Moshe and Aharon in Korach’s group, when they rebelled against Adonai; ¹⁰ and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korach when that group died, and the fire consumed 250 men, and they became a warning sign. ¹¹ (However, the sons of Korach did not die.)

¹² The descendants of Shim‘on, by their families, were: of N’mu’el, the family of the N’mu’eli; of Yamin, the family of the Yamini; of Yakhin, the family of the Yakhini; ¹³ of Zerach, the family of the Zarchi; and of Sha’ul, the family of the Sha’uli. ¹⁴ These were the families of the Shim‘oni, 22,200.

¹⁵ The descendants of Gad, by their families, were: of Tz’fon, the family of the Tz’foni; of Haggi, the family of the Haggi; of Shuni, the family of the Shuni; ¹⁶ of Ozni, the family of the Ozni; of ‘Eri, the family of the ‘Eri; ¹⁷ of Arod, the family of the Arodi; and of Ar’eli, the family of the Ar’eli. ¹⁸ These were the families of the sons of Gad, according to those counted of them, 40,500.

¹⁹ The sons of Y’hudah: First ‘Er and Onan, but ‘Er and Onan died in the land of Kena‘an. ²⁰ The sons of Y’hudah who had descendants were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelani; of Peretz, the family of the Partzi; and of Zerach, the family of the Zarchi. ²¹ The sons of Peretz were: of Hetzron, the family of the Hetzroni; and of Hamul, the family of the Hamuli. ²² These were the families of Y’hudah, according to those counted of them, 76,500.

²³ The descendants of Yissakhar, by their families, were: of Tola, the family of the Tola‘i; of Puvah, the family of the Puni; ²⁴ of Yashuv, the family of the Yashuvi; and of Shimron, the family of the Shimroni. ²⁵ These were the families of Yissakhar, according to those counted of them, 64,300.

²⁶ The descendants of Z’vulun, by their families, were: of Sered, the family of the Sardi; of Elon, the family of the Eloni; and of Yachle’el, the family of the Yachle’eli. ²⁷ These were the families of the Z’vuloni, according to those counted of them, 60,500.

²⁸ The sons of Yosef, by their families, were M’nasheh and Efrayim. ²⁹ The descendants of M’nasheh were: of Makhir, the family of the Makhiri. Makhir was the father of Gil‘ad; of Gil‘ad, the family of the Gil‘adi. ³⁰ These are the descendants of Gil‘ad: of I‘ezer, the family of the I‘ezri; of Helek, the family of the Helki; ³¹ of Asri’el, the family of the Asri’eli; of Sh’khem, the family of the Shikhmi; ³² of Sh’mida, the family of the Sh’mida‘i; and of Hefer, the family of the Hefri. ³³ Tz’lof’chad the son of Hefer had no sons but daughters; the names of the daughters of Tz’lof’chad were Machlah, No‘ah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirtzah. ³⁴ These were the families of M’nasheh; of them were counted 52,700.

³⁵ These are the descendants of Efrayim, by their families: of Shutelach, the family of the Shutalchi; of Bekher, the family of the Bakhri; and of Tachan, the family of the Tachani. ³⁶ These are the descendants of Shutelach: of ‘Eran, the family of the ‘Erani. ³⁷ These were the families of the descendants of Efrayim, according to those of them that were counted, 32,500. These were the descendants of Yosef, by their families.

³⁸ The descendants of Binyamin, by their families were: of Bela, the family of the Bal‘i; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbeli; of Achiram, the family of the Achirami; ³⁹ of Sh’fufam, the family of the Shufami; and of Hufam, the family of the Hufami. ⁴⁰ The sons of Bela were Ard and Na‘aman; [of Ard,] the family of the Ardi; and of Na‘aman, the family of the Na‘ami. ⁴¹ These were the descendants of Binyamin, by their families; of them were counted 45,600.

⁴² The descendants of Dan, by their families, were: of Shucham, the family of the Shuchami. These are the families of Dan, by their families. ⁴³ All the families of the Shuchami, according to those of them that were counted, were 64,400.

⁴⁴ The descendants of Asher, by their families: of Yimnah, the family of the Yimnah; of Yishvi, the family of the Yishvi; and of B’ri‘ah, the family of the B’ri‘i. ⁴⁵ Of the descendants of B’ri‘ah: of Hever, the family of the Hevri; and of Malki’el, the family of the Malki’eli. ⁴⁶ The name of Asher’s daughter was Serach. ⁴⁷ These were the families of the descendants of Asher, according to those of them that were counted, 53,400.

⁴⁸ The descendants of Naftali, by their families: of Yachtze’el, the families of the Yachtze’eli; of Guni, the family of the Guni; ⁴⁹ of Yetzer, the family of the Yitzri; and of Shillem, the family of the Shillemi. ⁵⁰ These are the families of Naftali according to their families; those of them that were counted were 45,400.

⁵¹ Thus those who were counted of the people of Isra’el numbered 601,730.

(iii) ⁵² Adonai said to Moshe, ⁵³ “The land is to be parceled out among these as a possession to be inherited, according to the number of names. ⁵⁴ To those families with more persons you are to give a greater inheritance, and to those with fewer you are to give a smaller inheritance — each family’s inheritance is to be given according to the number counted in it. ⁵⁵ However, the land is to be awarded by lot. They will inherit according to the names of the tribes of their ancestors, ⁵⁶ but the inheritance is to be parceled out by lot between the families with more and those with fewer.”

⁵⁷ Those counted among the Levi, by their families, were: of Gershon, the family of the Gershuni, of K’hat, the family of the K’hati; and of M’rari, the family of the M’rari. ⁵⁸ These are the families of Levi: the family of the Livni, the family of the Hevroni, the family of the Machli, the family of the Mushi and the family of the Korchi. K’hat was the father of ‘Amram. ⁵⁹ The name of ‘Amram’s wife was Yokheved the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and she bore to ‘Amram Aharon, Moshe and their sister Miryam. ⁶⁰ To Aharon were born Nadav, Avihu, El‘azar and Itamar; ⁶¹ but Nadav and Avihu died when they offered unauthorized fire before Adonai. ⁶² Those males one month old or more counted of the Levi were 23,000. These were not included in the census of the people of Isra’el, because no land for inheritance was given to them among the people of Isra’el.

⁶³ These are the ones counted by Moshe and El‘azar the cohen, who took a census of the people of Isra’el in the plains of Mo’av by the Yarden across from Yericho. ⁶⁴ But there was not a man among them who had also been included in the census of Moshe and Aharon the cohen when they enumerated the people of Isra’el in the Sinai Desert; ⁶⁵ because Adonai had said of them, “They will surely die in the desert.” So there was not left even one of them, except Kalev the son of Y’funeh and Y’hoshua the son of Nun.

27 Then the daughters of Tz’lof’chad the son of Hefer, the son of Gil‘ad, the son of Machir, the son of M’nasheh, of the families of M’nasheh, the son of Yosef, approached. These were the names of his daughters: Machlah, No‘ah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirtzah. ² They stood in front of Moshe, El‘azar the cohen, the leaders and the whole community at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, ³ “Our father died in the desert. He wasn’t part of the group who assembled themselves to rebel against Adonai in Korach’s group, but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons. ⁴ Why should the name of our father be eliminated from his family just because he didn’t have a son? Give us property to possess along with the brothers of our father.” ⁵ Moshe brought their cause before Adonai.

(iv) ⁶ Adonai answered Moshe, ⁷ “The daughters of Tz’lof’chad are right in what they say. You must give them property to be inherited along with that of their father’s brothers; have what their father would have inherited pass to them. ⁸ Moreover, say to the people of Isra’el, ‘If a man dies and does not have a son, you are to have his inheritance pass to his daughter. ⁹ If he doesn’t have a daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. ¹⁰ If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. ¹¹ If his father doesn’t have brothers, give his inheritance to the closest relative in his family, and he will possess it. This will be the standard for judgment to be used by the people of Isra’el, as Adonai ordered Moshe.’”

¹² Adonai said to Moshe, “Climb this mountain in the ‘Avarim Range, and look out at the land which I have given the people of Isra’el. ¹³ After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, just as Aharon your brother was gathered; ¹⁴ because in the Tzin Desert, when the community was disputing with me, you rebelled against my order to uphold my holiness by means of the water, with them looking on.” (This was M’rivat-Kadesh Spring, in the Tzin Desert.)

¹⁵ Moshe said to Adonai, ¹⁶ “Let Adonai, God of the spirits of all human beings, appoint a man to be over the community, ¹⁷ to go out and come in ahead of them, to lead them out and bring them in, so that Adonai’s community will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”

¹⁸ Adonai said to Moshe, “Take Y’hoshua the son of Nun, a spiritual man, and lay your hand on him. ¹⁹ Put him in front of El‘azar the cohen and the whole community, and commission him in their sight. ²⁰ Delegate to him some of your authority, so that the entire community of Isra’el will obey him. ²¹ He is to present himself to El‘azar the cohen, who is to find out by means of the urim what Adonai’s will is for Y’hoshua’s decisions. Then, at his word they will go out, and at his word they will come in, both he and all the people of Isra’el with him, the whole community.”

²² Moshe did as Adonai had ordered him. He took Y’hoshua, put him before El‘azar the cohen and the whole community, ²³ laid his hands on him, and commissioned him, as Adonai had said through Moshe.

28 (v) Adonai said to Moshe, ² “Give an order to the people of Isra’el. Tell them, ‘You are to take care to offer me at the proper time the food presented to me as offerings made by fire, providing a fragrant aroma for me.’ ³ Tell them, ‘This is the offering made by fire that you are to bring to Adonai: male lambs in their first year and without defect, two daily as a regular burnt offering. ⁴ Offer the one lamb in the morning and the other lamb at dusk, ⁵ along with two quarts of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with one quart of oil from pressed olives. ⁶ It is the regular burnt offering, the same as was offered on Mount Sinai to give a fragrant aroma, an offering made by fire for Adonai. ⁷ Its drink offering is to be one-quarter hin for one lamb; in the Holy Place you are to pour out a drink offering of intoxicating liquor to Adonai. ⁸ The other lamb you are to present at dusk; present it with the same kind of grain offering and drink offering as in the morning; it is an offering made by fire, with a fragrant aroma for Adonai.

⁹ “‘On Shabbat offer two male lambs in their first year and without defect, with one gallon of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with olive oil, and its drink offering. ¹⁰ This is the burnt offering for every Shabbat, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

¹¹ “‘At each Rosh-Hodesh of yours, you are to present a burnt offering to Adonai consisting of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs in their first year and without defect; ¹² with six quarts of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering for the one ram; ¹³ and two quarts of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering for each lamb. This will be the burnt offering giving a fragrant aroma, an offering made by fire for Adonai. ¹⁴ Their drink offerings will be two quarts of wine for a bull, one-and-one-third quarts for the ram, and one quart for each lamb. This is the burnt offering for every Rosh-Hodesh throughout the months of the year. ¹⁵ Also a male goat is to be offered as a sin offering to Adonai, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

(vi) ¹⁶ “‘In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, is Adonai’s Pesach. ¹⁷ On the fifteenth day of the month is to be a feast. Matzah is to be eaten for seven days. ¹⁸ The first day is to be a holy convocation: do not do any kind of ordinary work; ¹⁹ but present an offering made by fire, a burnt offering, to Adonai, consisting of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs in their first year (they are to be without defect for you) ²⁰ with their grain offering, fine flour mixed with olive oil. Offer six quarts for a bull, four quarts for the ram, ²¹ and two quarts for each of the seven lambs; ²² also a male goat as a sin offering, to make atonement for you. ²³ You are to offer these in addition to the morning burnt offering, which is the regular burnt offering. ²⁴ In this fashion you are to offer daily, for seven days, the food of the offering made by fire, making a fragrant aroma for Adonai ; it is to be offered in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. ²⁵ On the seventh day you are to have a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work.

²⁶ “‘On the day of the firstfruits, when you bring a new grain offering to Adonai in your feast of Shavu‘ot, you are to have a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work; ²⁷ but present a burnt offering as a fragrant aroma for Adonai, consisting of two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs in their first year, ²⁸ and their grain offering — fine flour mixed with olive oil, six quarts for each bull, four quarts for the one ram, ²⁹ and two quarts for each of the seven lambs — ³⁰ plus a male goat to make atonement for you. ³¹ You are to offer these in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering (they are to be without defect for you), with their drink offerings.

29 “‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work; it is a day of blowing the shofar for you. ² Prepare a burnt offering to make a fragrant aroma for Adonai — one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs in their first year and without defect — ³ with their grain offering, consisting of fine flour mixed with olive oil — six quarts for the bull, four quarts for the ram, ⁴ and two quarts for each of the seven lambs — ⁵ also one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. ⁶ This is to be in addition to the burnt offering for Rosh-Hodesh with its grain offering, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to the rule for them; this will be a fragrant aroma, an offering made by fire to Adonai.

⁷ “‘On the tenth day of this seventh month you are to have a holy convocation. You are to deny yourselves, and you are not to do any kind of work; ⁸ but you are to present a burnt offering to Adonai to make a fragrant aroma: one young bull, one ram, and seven male lambs in their first year (they are to be without defect for you), ⁹ with their grain offering, fine flour mixed with olive oil, six quarts for the bull, four quarts for the one ram, ¹⁰ and two quarts for each of the seven lambs; ¹¹ also one male goat as a sin offering; in addition to the sin offering for atonement and the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

(vii) ¹² “‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you are to have a holy convocation. You are not to do any kind of ordinary work, and you are to observe a feast to Adonai seven days. ¹³ You are to present a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, bringing a fragrant aroma to Adonai. It is to consist of thirteen young bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs in their first year (they are to be without defect), ¹⁴ with their grain offering — fine flour mixed with olive oil, six quarts for each of the thirteen bulls, four quarts for each of the two rams, ¹⁵ and two quarts for each of the fourteen lambs; ¹⁶ also one male goat as a sin offering; in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

¹⁷ “‘On the second day you are to present twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs in their first year, without defect; ¹⁸ with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams and lambs, according to their number, in keeping with the rule; ¹⁹ also one male goat as a sin offering; in addition to the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and their drink offerings.

²⁰ “‘On the third day eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs in their first year, without defect; ²¹ with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams and lambs, according to their number, in keeping with the rule; ²² also one male goat as a sin offering; in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

²³ “‘On the fourth day ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs in their first year, without defect; ²⁴ with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams and lambs, according to their number, in keeping with the rule; ²⁵ also one male goat as a sin offering; in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

²⁶ “‘On the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs in their first year, without defect; ²⁷ with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams and lambs, according to their number, in keeping with the rule; ²⁸ also one male goat as a sin offering; in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

²⁹ “‘On the sixth day eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs in their first year, without defect; ³⁰ with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams and lambs, according to their number, in keeping with the rule; ³¹ also one male goat as a sin offering; in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

³² “‘On the seventh day seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs in their first year, without defect; ³³ with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams and lambs, according to their number, in keeping with the rule; ³⁴ also one male goat as a sin offering; in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offerings.

(Maftir) ³⁵ “‘On the eighth day you are to have a festive assembly: you are not to do any kind of ordinary work; ³⁶ but you are to present a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, giving a fragrant aroma to Adonai — one bull, one ram, seven male lambs in their first year, without defect; ³⁷ with the grain and drink offerings for the bull, the ram and the lambs, according to their number, in keeping with the rule; ³⁸ also one male goat as a sin offering; in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

³⁹ “‘You are to offer these to Adonai at your designated times in addition to your vows and voluntary offerings — whether these are your burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings or peace offerings.’”

30 ^(29:40) Moshe told the people of Isra’el everything, just as Adonai had ordered Moshe.

Haftarah Pinchas: M’lakhim Alef (1 Kings) 18:46–19:21

B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Pinchas: Mattityahu (Matthew) 26:1–30; Mark 14:1–26; Luke 22:1–20; Yochanan (John) 2:13–22; 7:1–13, 37–39; 11:55–12:1; 13:1; 18:28, 39; 19:14; Acts 2:1–21; 12:3–4; 20:5–6, 16; 27:9–11; 1 Corinthians 5:6 – 8; 16:8; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 11:28