Kineisee L’Hashem” [I was zealous in Your behalf]. At that point G-d told him “You are always acting the role of the zealot.” Pinchas and Eliyahu are the same. G-d told Eliyahu, “You were zealous at Shittim (during the incident mentioned in last week’s parsha). Here you are zealous, and there you are zealous — always acting with zealotry!”
Rav Mordechai Katz, of Blessed Memory, interprets the Medrash. Even though the acts of zealotry of Pinchas / Eliyahu were noble acts and in spite of the fact that Pinchas received the priesthood for it, the acts were not perfect acts. Pinchas / Eliyahu was too indicting and condemning of the Jewish people.
There was never a more ‘for the sake of Heaven’ zealot in the history of the world than Eliyahu the prophet. He is the paragon of the proper form of zealotry. G-d rewarded him for it. But even that zealot was less than perfect because at the same time that he defended the Honor of G-d, he was too harsh in his attitude toward the Jewish people. The Jews had to be admonished, true, but he was just a little too strong. He should not have said, “They have forsaken Your Covenant (Bris).”
We are told that Eliyahu the prophet attends every circumcision (Bris) of Jewish babies. Part of the ritual is to reserve a chair for Eliyahu. The reason why he must attend every Bris is a decree from G-d. Eliyahu must attend every Bris to recognize that he was wrong. Klal Yisrael does keep the Covenant (Bris).
Zealotry is such a dangerous trait that even the noble Pinchas-Eliyahu can overdo it by uttering just a single word that is too strong. This demonstrates how delicate and careful one must be when wielding the sword of zealotry.
