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Why did Pinchas receive Brit Shalom as a reward for killing Zimri, seemingly the opposite of what such an act deserves? The shiur develops that kanos is not hot-headed vengeance but protective action for society's welfare. True kanos means reluctantly harming individuals to preserve the community - making Brit Shalom the perfect reward.
The shiur analyzes the narrative of Pinchas killing Zimri and the subsequent divine reward of Brit Shalom, addressing several fundamental questions that emerge from the text. Rabbi Zweig begins by establishing the dramatic context: 176,000 people had already been executed for idolatry, yet in this catastrophic setting, Zimri brazenly took a Midianite woman publicly. A central question drives the analysis: why does Pinchas receive Brit Shalom (a covenant of peace) as his reward? This seems illogical - if someone performs an act of zealous killing, why should the reward be peace rather than something reflecting the zealous characteristic that motivated the action? This contradiction forces a reexamination of what kanos (zealousness) truly means.
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Why does the Torah say we'll tell our children about the Exodus and then know God—shouldn't knowledge come first? The shiur distinguishes between remembering (zachor as passive recall of the past) and commemorating (zachor as bringing past experience into the present). Life-cycle events like the Seder require celebration because their transformative impact continues beyond the initial moment.
Why is Pesach called "Chag HaMatzos" — the holiday of matzah, the bread of slavery — rather than the holiday of freedom? The shiur develops a profound yesod: we must embrace our painful past, not deny it. The Jewish training in slavery taught service beyond self-interest. Taking the Egyptian wealth wasn't about compensation but about internalizing that experience and transforming suffering into strength.
Parshas Pinchas 25:10-13
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