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Why does the Torah (תורה) reward Pinchas for an act of zealotry that seems to contradict normal judicial process? A true kanoi acts from divine compulsion, not moral choice - he's sick to his stomach while doing what must be done. This transforms our understanding of kehunah and the judicial system in Eretz Yisrael.
The shiur addresses fundamental questions about the mitzvah (מצוה) of Zroa Lachayim v'Keiva (giving parts of slaughtered animals to Kohanim) that appears in Parshas Shoftim, seemingly unrelated to the parsha's judicial themes. The Gemara (גמרא) in Chulin explains these gifts commemorate Pinchas's zealous act - the foreleg for his hand that held the spear, the jaw for his prayer, and the stomach for where he struck Kozbi. However, this raises difficult questions: Why do all Kohanim receive this reward when only Pinchas acted? Why does this mitzvah appear in Shoftim rather than in Parshas Korach where other priestly gifts are mentioned? What was Pinchas's controversial prayer that the angels wanted to reject? The shiur develops a fundamental yesod about the nature of kanos (zealotry) based on the primordial relationship between Adam and Hashem (ה׳). Originally, Hashem intended humans to act not from moral choice but from divine compulsion - to be extensions of God's will like the hand follows the brain's commands. Adam's sin was choosing to become 'yodea tov v'ra' (knowing good and evil), preferring to make independent moral decisions rather than simply responding to divine will. This rectification occurred at Matan Torah (תורה) with 'Na'aseh v'Nishma' - accepting divine command before understanding.
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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.
