NUM321 See [[NUM310]] Numbers 25:8 stabbed AMEMEI 15

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NUM322 The word zealous is defined in the dictionary as "filled with or inspired by intense enthusiasm or zeal; ardent; fervent." But the term zealot is also somewhat negatively defined as "fanatical or extreme adherence to a cause, especially a religious one." In The Biblical Hebrew, the same word is used for both jealousy and zealotry (Kana). In fact, the Greek origin for both words jealous and zealous is "Zelotes," which connotes "emulation, admirer, or follower." Are these two concepts connected? And if so, how? One commentary explains that zealousness is another form of positive jealousy -- jealousy for God, in which the zealot will defend God's name and honor whenever it is threatened (Pele Yo'etz on "Jealousy"). Pinchas is called a zealot by God (Numbers 11-13), as he is praised by the Almighty for killing two people who publicly worship idols, thereby desecrating God's name. Their actions brought about a plague upon the followers of the idol worship, while Pinchas' deed stopped the plague after 24,000 people were killed, and he is rewarded by God. Elijah is also called a zealot when he confronted the idol worshipers in his time (I Kings 19:10-14). Moses, too, was called a zealot by the sages, when he gathered the Levites to smite the three thousand idol worshipers of the Golden Calf (Midrash, Pesikta Rabbati 4:3). Like the jealousy describing God, it seems that zealotry on behalf of [God] in the Bible relates exclusively to idol worship. However, we also see that the commentators did not wholeheartedly support the notion of zealotry. Elijah seems to be castigated by God for being "too" jealous. In addition to the perpetual priesthood for all his descendants, Pinchas is given the gift of "Brit Shalom-Covenant of Peace." One modern commentary explains what this reward actually was and suggests that the quality of zealousness for God by Pinchas was appropriate in that particular instance, but only as a one-time act (Ha'aek Davar on Numbers 25:12). God was afraid that Pinchas might become emboldened by this action and use zealotry again in subsequent activities. God, therefore, changed the personality of Pinchas to make him a peaceful man (Covenant of Peace), never to use the trait of zealousness again. Thus, while zealousness and zealotry maybe appropriate in certain situations, it is not positive if it is an ongoing character trait. Later on in the Torah, when God commands the Jewish people to utterly destroy a city whose Jewish population was worshiping idols (Deuteronomy 13:13-17) -- an act of zealotry on behalf of God--the "reward" these destroyers received was the gift of mercy and peace from God, to ensure that this would be a one-time action only (Deuteronomy 13:18).

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NUM323 R. El'azar haKappar said: Envy, inordinate desire, and [the search for] glory remove a man from the world. Pirkei Avot, Perek IV, mishnah 28. … Envy, strong desire, and honor can be constructive or destructive elements. But then the question arises: why does our Sage utterly condemn them? For our answer let us look again at the mishnah; we may find that the words denote both directions of interpretation. These three ways of perceiving or being, says our text, "remove, or rather, take a man from the world." But what is a man's "world?" It is his local area of day-by-day living; the ongoing normal, ordinary level of his life and activity. Once he is stimulated and impelled by such strong emotions as jealousy, desire, or the wish for esteem, he is jolted out of the level of the ordinary and the everyday. He is forced to leave his "world" as he knows it, for it will never again be the same. Such strong emotions bring inner revolution: he will now be catapulted into either the Divine or the demonic. It is as though a car receives a new surge of power which forces it to accelerate, so that the driver must leave the local lane for an express highway; but it is for him to choose the highway. Much will depend on the person's basic values. Does he find he is violently jealous by nature, little able to bear in others what he finds disturbing or threatening? Pinchas (Phineas) "was jealous for his God" [this verse]: when he saw flagrant immorality that others watched passively, helplessly, he took a violent action; but as the Almighty testified, "he was jealous with My jealousy," [ibid., 10; verses 6-8). And his action brought peace where disaster threatened. He channeled a destructive emotion into a Godly purpose.

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NUM324 See [[EXOD622]] Exodus 22:1 bloodguilt AMJV 119

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NUM325 Causing someone to sin is worse than killing him. The Midrash notes that while there is a positive command to oppress the Midianites, who caused the Jewish people to sin, there is a prohibition against abhorring the Egyptians, although they tried to destroy the Children of Israel. From here we learn the principle that is worse to cause someone to sin than to kill him. If someone kills another person, he takes away life in this world. But if someone causes another person to sin, he takes away eternal life in the world to come. (Bamidbar Rabbah 21:4)

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NUM326 Greater is Torah than the cohen's realm and than royalty: for royalty is acquired with thirty attainments, and the cohen's realm with twenty-four, while the Torah is acquired by forty-eight things. And they are: [21] by long-suffering patience; Pirkei Avot, Perek VI, mishnah 6. Whether you are a learner or a teacher, this quality is greatly needed. When a passage in the Talmud is perplexing, do not give up at once, in exasperation or despair. Try a little patience and persevere: go over it again and again; look up additional commentaries. Have patience, and you will ultimately see the light of understanding. Similarly, a teacher should never lose his aplomb or patience with his students. Often they can irritate and infuriate. Yet he should be ready to repeat his lesson again and again until it has been understood. It was Hillel, himself sweet-tempered, who warned in the second perek (mishnah six) that "a quick-tempered person cannot teach." ... Scripture tells: When the Hebrew soldiers returned, having vanquished the Midianites, "Moses was angry with the officers," etc. for sparing the enemy's treacherous women. Then, we find, El'azar the cohen explained to the soldiers the Divine laws for cleansing both war-booty metals and themselves from ritual impurity. Moses could not state these laws, says the Talmud: In his anger he forgot them! (Numbers 31:12-24. T.B. Pesahim 66b). And anger does worse things to the ordinary man: "He who has long-suffering patience," counsels the wise Solomon, "has great understanding; but a short-tempered person exults folly" (Proverbs 14:29).

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NUM327 R. Chisda said: If one argues with his teacher, it is as if he would argue with the Shechinah, as it is written: who strove against Moses and Aaron … when they strove against the Lord" (Sanhedrin 110a)

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NUM328 [O]n a personal level, each person has to choose the path he or she wants to lead as a Jew. Just because parents have told children what is right and set an example for them is no guarantee that children will follow. At one point everyone must decide for himself or herself. This is expressed in the Mishnah, which says that the Torah is not an automatic inheritance (Avot 2:12). There are those who do not follow in the Torah path even if their parents did. Even in the Bible, many great leaders (Moses, Joshua, Samuel) had children that were nothing out of the ordinary and did not follow the greatness of their parents. But it works both ways. The sons of Korach did not follow in the evil ways of their father, who rebelled against Moses, as they repented and did not die [this verse]. King David even composed a psalm said by or in honor of the sons of Korach (Psalm 48). This idea, that there are no guarantees that children will follow in the religious path of their parents, is alluded to in an enigmatic phrase of the beginning words of every Amidah prayer. The prayer begins by saying that we bless our God and the God of our fathers. Since Judaism believes in only one God, this double phrase must refer to the same God. Why not suffice with just "our God"? It has been said that this shows that each person has a dual relationship with God. A parent who teaches a child to believe in God and follow Jewish tradition is represented by "God of our fathers." But there comes a time in every Jew's life when he or she must make a choice to accept God for himself or herself. This is "our God." Hence, each person has to make his or her own moral choices in life, irrespective of upbringing.

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NUM329 Despite the unity of Jacob's family, the rivalry and competition between the tribes did not diminish later in the desert. When Moses wished to appoint seventy new Judges to be the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish Court, he was fearful that if he appointed even one more judge from one tribe (six) while some of the other tribes have one judge fewer (five), those tribes would be angry at Moses and feel like losers of the competition. Since with exactly seventy judges not all the twelve tribes could receive six judges (two tribes would necessarily have five), Moses was forced to conduct a lottery so that the competition would be minimized and the appointment of judges would seem equitable to all, and not a decision by Moses, which would anger the less enfranchised tribes (Sanhedrin 17a). Similarly, in deciding which tribe would permanently receive which part of the land of Israel, there was great competition as well. God was aware of this competition and thus instructed Moses to conduct a lottery to determine not only which tribe would receive which section of land, but also which family within each tribe would receive which parcel of property [this and next verse; Midrash, Yalkut Shimoni, Beraishit 22:98].

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NUM330 See [[NUM168]] Numbers 15:32 man DORFFLOV 65

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