NUM314 Only someone with Ahavas Yisroel can be a kanoi (zealous for God's honor). The Torah traces Pinchos' lineage to Aharon, his grandfather. This is to teach us an important lesson. Only someone who is a true lover of the Jewish people, such as Aharon who loved peace and pursued it, can react with zealousness. Because Zimri brazenly committed an immoral act with a Midianite in public, Pinchos killed him. Pinchos' reaction might appear cruel, and could conceivably have been motivated by a tendency toward violence or by personal hatred. If one is a true Ohaiv Yisroel, however, as Pinchos was, we can be sure that he is motivated solely by his great love for the Almighty which transcends all other loves. (Rabbi Chayim Shmuelevitz). Rabbi Chayim of Brisk once said about zealousness: "Both the owner of a house and a cat want to destroy mice. The sole difference lies in their attitudes. The owner really wants to be rid of them. But the cat wants to have mice to attack. The same applies to protests against misdeeds. One must sincerely not want the misdeeds. One should not just use the misdeed as an opportunity to engage in protesting. (Bayos Hazman, p. 58)