Zealotry can be a dangerous thing especially when it is expressed violently. Modern-day zealots who model themselves after Pinchas are forgetting one thing: the double slaying by his hand was motivated by his tremendous love for the klal after which Hashem restored his soul to its original state of wholeness and peace. Pinchas ben Elazar whom many modern-day zealots have unfortunately claimed as the role model for their violent acts merited a covenant of peace as a personal gift from HaKadosh Baruch Hu Himself. But what exactly is the meaning of this bris shalom?
In his Ha’amek Davar commentary on the Torah the Netziv of Volozhin explains: “After Pinchas’s act of zealotry HaKadosh Baruch Hu restored his neshamah to its original state of wholeness. Any act of violence even if done entirely l’Sheim Shamayim has a corrupting influence on the soul of the one who carries out the act; and HaKadosh Baruch Hu Who fathoms the full depth of human motives knew that Pinchas’s act stemmed purely from tremendous love of Klal Yisrael. Knowing that Pinchas’s intention in slaying the Midianite woman and the nasi of the Tribe of Shimon was purely to save the nation from sin and punishment and that this giant of a man gained no personal satisfaction whatsoever from it HaKadosh Baruch Hu deemed Pinchas worthy of this special treatment.”
Can the same be said for the self-styled kano’im of our times? Has HaKadosh Baruch Hu made any announcements recently about a bris shalom with them? Do they possess a Heavenly credit account that gives them carte blanche to perform acts of gross violence leaving no spiritual stain? Take for example the zealous fighter for holiness and modesty in Bnei Brak a few years back who saw a chareidi woman with a baby stroller talking with another woman who was not dressed in accordance with halachah. In the heat of his indignation he grabbed a discarded lightbulb from a trash container and hurled it in their direction. The shards of glass landed on the baby who certainly had done no aveirah. Was this man’s heart really free of impure motives of anger or other bad middos? After all he saw himself as a Pinchas valiantly fighting holy battles.
Those of us who live in Jerusalem are all too familiar with such displays of the Pinchas syndrome.
