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Why did Pinchas wait to act until everyone was crying about Zimri's public transgression? The shiur explains that Pinchas needed two conditions: the people had to recognize the wrongness of what was happening, and his act had to be public enough to change everyone's behavior. The word "besocham" reveals his strategic wisdom.
This shiur explores a puzzling word in Parshas Pinchas that reveals the strategic nature of Pinchas's zealous act. The Torah (תורה) states that Pinchas turned away God's anger 'b'kano es kinasi besocham' - when he was zealous for My zealousness 'in their midst.' Rabbi Zweig asks why the word 'besocham' (in their midst) appears to be superfluous - we already know where the story took place. The key insight emerges from analyzing the previous week's events. When Zimri publicly took the Midianite woman and challenged Moshe about whether it was permitted, the Torah emphasizes that 'v'heima bochim' - and they were crying. Rabbi Zweig explains that this crying wasn't mere emotion but revealed that the entire nation understood at some level that what was happening was wrong. They lacked the courage to act, but their collective conscience was troubled.
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Parshas Pinchas 25:11
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