A view from the Golan Heights, Israel summer 5769

Parsha Pinchas- an analysis for today, By Aharon
Moshe Sanders, July 2, 2010, 20 Tammuz, 5770-AhMbdvd.

Another piece inspired by a response to a Facebook thread. I will take my inspiration from whatever source it comes from. Part of the job that every Jews must do, is the raise the sparks of what is holy, from the very deeply embedded home which they have found on our very fallen earth, and elevate them back, back all the way home to G-d, because this is part of our job, the job that each and every one of us must do.

Thanks for tagging me in this note, I also do a great deal of writing on Torah related topics. Often I may be inspired by other who write in a voice which I am constantly seeking to develop. It takes a great deal of time to write a cogent well thought out piece on the parsha. When I rise to the task 100′s of words come to me talking around the main point that I want and need to make.

The frustrating or difficult thing is “trying to maintain the “party line” the treacherous path of not daring to deviate form the left or the right of of what can be viewed as an incredibly narrow path of orthodoxy. So I ask this question, right here and right now on Facebook? Can this concept that I choose to rename and wholeheartedly embrace as being a “Torah Observant Jew” be indeed so extremely narrow as to preclude any possibility of enabling independent thought, analysis and application of the eternal truths to the life that we are living today, in today’s world?

My reader should have already well imagined, that I have already formed my own personal conclusion which is indeed the ultimate salvation of my neshomah, what remain is my being able to prove my point beyond a shadow of a doubt.

What we have here, is a failure to communicate! Our leaders have not yet figured out what to do! It turns out that amongst the rank and file followers there are many, who have long known the simple answer. They simply have chosen not to act, because of fear. This fear is not the normal fear of failure, this fear is even greater, this is the true fear of success. Often I borrow a brilliant lyricists words, to help lead my reader to the conclusion that I have reached long ago but simply never announced. “You know when your wrong, but you don’t always know when your right”.-Billy Joel

Yes we need Chazal, and are our Mefarshim. We need those who have come before us to help point us in the right direction. However the right direction does not merely end by continuously, endlessly and eternally repeating the words of those who came before us, and ultimately forgetting that all those “stories” that we read in our Holy Torah are actually designed by an; infinitely wise and knowing creator-G-d, to effect a change within the very essence of our souls.

That change is supposed to lead us to action, to lead us to do the very thing that we might possibly fear most. That very thing, when done properly and wisely, in accordance with our precious guidelines which an infinitely wise and all knowing and all loving G-d has provided us with, will help us accomplish the purpose of creation.

When we each do this thing, which I grant you that even now, this thing may seem infinitely dangerous to even attempt. However once we begin, and start to do this thing, we will find that the full power and strength of our Holy and all loving creator is behind us and with us, urging us forward. We will have taken the entire world, one step closer to the ultimate redemption of the entire world, which we as Jews should no longer simply- “Wait for someone or something to show us the way”-[Pink Floyd one "ing" has been dropped and one "you" has been changed to "us"].

The time to act is upon us! The concept of waiting is behind us. If we do not actively choose forward now, we will certainly risk being stuck in the very same rut, which history has relegated to us, from the very beginning of our very long and winding road.

Sometimes the danger of waiting for some sort of solution, to some extremely complex problem, to simply fall down from heaven, can even often be far greater than simply acting with all the information of the complex situation that we are confronted with.

Acting and doing is essential for life, for life goes on with or without us. When the great train of life stops right in front of you, and opens it’s doors, all that is required is that you step on, because the great train of life, has many stops ahead, and many people to pick up along the way to eternity. This train can not simply wait an infinite amount of time while you endlessly run various cause and effect scenarios endlessly within the confines of your G-d given mind. When the time is upon us to act, act with alacrity we must, because even the right cause of action will not work out correctly if it is not done at the proper time.

The proper time is now, because we need to constantly ask ourselves, if not now then when?

The Vav is broken in the covenant of Shalom that G-d gives to Pinchas for his zealous defense of G-d in the matter of Baal Peor.

Because although the act itself that Pinchas correctly chose to do at the time was clearly not “the ideal” cause of action, two people were killed by the spear of Pinchas by his hand. G-d clearly shows us, that there can be times when even such an act is something that could under some circumstances be the proper thing.

G-d clearly praises Pinchas for his deed, and clearly Pichas is rewarded for his correct under the circumstances action. However we the learner of this lesson must realize that the Vav within the very Hebrew word which means both peace and completeness, is not “broken” of disconnected or incomplete for some random reason. One thing we can try to understand is that this covenant of Shalom (peace or completion) is indeed flawed or imperfect in some way.

If this particular situation. were to by some strange twist of fate come up again (for example in some future scenario that was foreseen in the mind of G-d, that we need to understand that there was some kind of flaw that was indeed corrected by the act of Pinchas.

However the very soul or neshomah of Pinchas himself may need to be repaired or corected (tikkun) this minor breach, or disconnect from G-d, must now also be repaired. For G-d does not want to mislead us, and tell us that us that it is indeed okay for one Jew to take the life of another Jew, or anyone for that matter is just any common random encounter.

While this may be my own specific interpretation of the broken Vav in Shalom, that was eternally given to Pinchas, I understand that there are many others, who have written about this very thing. These others may be far more learned in Torah then I. Although I do not know of their explanations, I did indeed attempt to utilize the proper method to try to gain at least a rudimentary understanding of the concept of the “broken or incomplete peace” that Pinchas accomplished was indeed a great thing. G-d tells us that it is great, however it must be noted, that this is not one of those things, that can be taken lightly for Hashem shows us that the covenant of Shalom that was given to Pinchas was diminished, lacking, or disconnected in some way. We can not simply use this as a good example of correct and proper behavior. This may have been the proper action at the time, but it also might be true that never again should such actions be simply believed to be the correct action.

If we understand that our Torah was given to us by our creator G-d, a kind and loving creator. We should also understand that the ways of the Torah are ways of peace, and it’s path is pleasant.

Let us all do our individual parts, as we play at our individual parts in this great drama that our eternal Creator has written for us. Let us not get caught in some endless loop of thought or inaction in an theoretically endlessly complex situation. Let us all move forward, and do the thing which we believe in our hearts and souls is the correct thing to do. However let us not act rashly, or do something which can cause us even greater harm than not acting. If our issues or matters are complex, it is a great thing to be able to consult with others and verify that our actions may be the right answer fo us. However the ultimate responsibility is with us, and in the end we must all answer for our actions.

Second sign off:
Aharon Moshe Sanders, July 2, 2010, 7;37Am, 27 Tammuz (after the breach) and my humble attempt to do my small part to repair that breach.

It is always my hope that my words will inspire others to learn their own truth and to help us all to make a better connection with G-d, so that we can continue to reveal His purpose and honor and help bring about Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, speedily in our day.

Amein, Amein, Amein,
AhMbdvd, 27 Tammuz 5770

Aharon Moshe Sanders, on Parsha Pinchas, only the details of the Parsha have been left out because they can be read in any correct translation or even in the original Hebrew words of our Holy Torah.

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