PARSHAS PINCHOS
DID YOU KNOW? THE ‘ו OF THE WORD “שלום” IS CUT!
25:12 “לכן אמר, הנני נתן לו את בריתי שלום” Therefore, say, “Behold, I give him My covenant of peace.” Pinchos stood up from amongst Klal Yisroel and, with the middah of kano’us, killed Zimri and Kozbi and brought an end to the plague that was devastating Klal Yisroel. (Kiddushin 66b) From “בריתי שלום,” we learn that a kohen has to be “שלים,” “sholaim,” whole in body, without any defects, in order to perform the avodah. The Gemara asks: But the posuk says “שלום,” “sholom” (peace), not “שלים” (whole). The Gemara answers that the 'ו is severed so that it looks like a ‘י. We can learn from the posuk that a kohen needs to be a sholaim in order to do the avodah.
What aspect of “sholaim” applied to Pinchos? It says in the ילקוט שמעוני, Bamidbar 25:771: “פינחס הוא אליהו” – “Pinchos is Eliyahu.”
Generally, a kohen who spills the blood of another person cannot perform avodah in the Bais Hamikdash. The Torah is telling us that despite Pinchos spilling blood, in this case, because of his spilling blood, he was zoche to do the avodah in the Bais Hamikdash. The 'ו is cut so that the word is written as שלים, complete. This is to teach us that although Pinchos killed people, he was still a שלים, complete in every way. (רבינו אפרים)
Pinchos had everything to lose by killing Zimri and Kozbi. By killing people, one would think that he would cause more machlokes, the exact opposite of peace. But in fact, by killing Zimri and Kozbi, Pinchas brought peace between Hakodosh Boruch Hu and Klal Yisroel. The ‘ו is not replaced with a ‘י, but rather, the 'ו is cut so that we read it with a 'ו, though the written word is like it has a ’י. Pinchos was zoche to the bris of complete sholom. Pinchos/Eliyahu was zoche to the ultimate, to be alive eternally, so that he could always help protect Klal Yisroel. His actions demonstrated what it meant to be a true eved Hashem. He did not take into account the ramifications of his actions for himself; rather, his sole desire was for the honor of Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Whatever would happen to him because of his acting for the honor of Hashem was not relevant to him. Therefore, he was zoche to the highest accolade, the complete bris of sholom.
Eliyahu attends each and every bris milah. He is there for everyone to know that the bris milah is a bris between Hakodosh Boruch Hu and each Yid in Klal Yisroel. The bris milah is the first step in the covenant between us and Hakodosh Boruch Hu, but it is not yet complete. We must emulate the ways of Pinchos, and our actions must be for the sake of Hashem. If we act in that manner, we will also be zoche to have our bris be a complete bris. It is also Eliyahu Hanavi who will be the one to announce the end to this golus, for it is he who was zoche to a complete bris of sholom, one that we will all be zoche to with the coming of Moshiach. May we be zoche to hear the announcement of the coming of Moshiach from Eliyahu במהרה בימינו אמן!
The Power of Pesukei Tehillim
If you only knew, said the Tzemach Tzedek, the power of the pesukim of Tehillim and their effect in the highest Heavens, you would recite them constantly.
Know that the mizmorei Tehillim shatter all barriers; they ascend high upon high with no interference; they prostrate themselves, pleading before the Master of the worlds, and they affect and accomplish [our needs] with kindness and compassion.
==== Hayom Yom Shevat 24.
The Rebbe RaYYatz instituted a minhag to say the entire Tehillim before davening on Shabbos Mevorchim.
RABBI YAKOV YOSEF SCHECHTER
