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Why does kanos (zealotry) only apply when catching someone in the act, not through court proceedings later? The shiur develops that kanos removes free choice rather than punishing wrongdoing. Pinchas had to surrender his own free will while limiting others', partially rectifying Adam's original sin by acting from compulsion rather than choice.
This shiur explores the philosophical underpinnings of kanos (zealotry) through analyzing the gifts given to Kohanim in Parshas Shoftim and their connection to Pinchas's zealous act. Rabbi Zweig begins by questioning why all Kohanim receive the foreleg, jaw, and stomach of slaughtered animals as rewards for Pinchas's individual act of killing Zimri and Kozbi. The core insight develops around understanding what kanos truly represents. Unlike normal judicial processes where punishment follows wrongdoing, kanos operates by removing a person's ability to choose - it stops the act rather than punishing it afterward. This explains the halachic anomaly that kanos only applies when catching someone in the act, not through later court proceedings.
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Parshas Shoftim 18:3
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What is the primary purpose of the cities of refuge - protecting the accidental killer or something else? The shiur argues that creating respect for law takes precedence over providing sanctuary. True deterrence comes from recognizing the gravity of murder itself, not fear of punishment.
