Behold I have given Pinchas the gift of peace, as a covenant for his generations from now till eternity.”
After witnessing a rebellious act – an unconscionable display of outward contempt for everything that is holy and pure, from one of the leaders of Israel, no less – Pinchas literally takes matters into his own hands and halts the display of impropriety by spearing the participants. For this, he is given the promise of peace, and all the goodness that flows through it.
This series of events is really an interesting study in contrasts – violence brings a gift of peace. But perhaps on a metaphysical level it does make sense. By bringing purity to the world that Hashem has created, we calm things down from a temporary state of restlessness. We can see this in our own world. Less arguments in a house make it easier to live in. Less fighting in society makes it more G-dly. But what exactly is the gift of peace? Is it a covenant for generations. And what are the real gains in it for us?
"לא מצא הקב"ה כלי מחזיק ברכה לישראל אלא השלום"
The Mishna explains the above maxim. “Peace amongst ourselves is not only beloved and desired by Hashem, it is THE vehicle by which He blesses us with all we need.”
We must ask ourselves – is peace just the absence of fighting, or is the real definition of peace true closeness, love, and concern for one another? And if we do achieve real peace, what is our reward? What blessings can we expect?
The parable is told of a family whose grown siblings were all gifted businessmen. And no wonder. The father and patriarch of the clan himself was beyond successful, accumulating tremendous wealth in his lifetime. The children all had competitive natures, but their behavior went way beyond normal competition. They quarreled constantly, trying to outdo each other, with the express intention of “getting ahead” in order to show their father how capable they were, and gain his approval and respect. Nothing stood in their way if it would show their father how expert they were, but yet, their assets did not grow as much as they wanted them to.
A wise man pointed out the folly of their ways: “Your father’s wealth is enormous, capable of supporting all of you and your future generations. Yet by fighting with each other, you are all depriving him of the only thing that gives him joy. If you cease your competitive strife and cruel competitiveness and come together in love, all your needs will be taken care of. You can have everything you desire.”
So too, we, children of our Father in heaven, must realize that more than anything else, Hashem wants us to live in harmony with each other. If we make it a point to relate to everyone we deal with respect and love, instead of arguing, fighting and being condescending to one another, if we make sure to be honest in business, even when it appears as if we might “lose” in the process, our Father will make sure that we get all we need.
Hashem controls all the blessings in the world. Let us show our Father that we truly love His children so we may taste all the gifts of peace.
Written by R’ Avrohom Hillel Reich based on a lesson and story by Harav Ben Tziyon Sneh Shlita
