July 04, 2026 – Pinchas (“Phinehas”) – Parshat 41

• Torah: Numbers 25:10-30:1(29:40)
• Haftara: Jeremiah 1:1-2:3
• Brit Chadasha: Luke 13:1-10

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ פִּֽינְחָ֨ס בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָ֜ר בֶּן־אַהֲרֹ֣ן הַכֹּהֵ֗ן הֵשִׁ֤יב אֶת־חֲמָתִי֙ מֵעַ֣ל בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּקַנְא֥וֹ אֶת־קִנְאָתִ֖י בְּתוֹכָ֑ם וְלֹא־כִלִּ֥יתִי אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּקִנְאָתִֽי׃

Vayedaber Adonay el-Moshe lemor: Pinchas ben-El’azar ben-Aharon hakohen heshiv et-chamati me’al beney-Yisra’el bekan’o et-kin’ati betocham velo-chiliti et-beney-Yisra’el bekin’ati.

God spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Pinchas (a son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest) was the one who zealously took up My cause among the Israelites and turned My anger away from them, so that I did not destroy them in My demand for exclusive worship.

In Bamidbar 27:16 we see Moshe request a new leader to replace him, since Adonai has told him, he will not lead the children of Israel into the promised land. “May the LORD, the G-d of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation”. Not only was this a reasonable request on the part of Moshe, to request a leader for the conquest of Canaan, but the sages saw his request as one that portends the coming of Mashiach, because of the repeated request in Numbers 27:16&17 “Appoint a man over the congregation, who will lead them out and come in before them, who will lead them out and bring them in, so that congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep that have no Shepherd” Since the leader is mentioned twice they saw two events one with that generation, and one pointing to the final redemption from the exile, the final in-gathering under Mashiach.

“From a Messianic Jewish perspective, the story has obvious Messianic implications that point toward Yeshua of Nazareth. The appointment of Yehoshua as “the man over the congregation” alludes to the appointment of his namesake, Yehoshua of Nazareth, the Messiah and King of Israel, the head over the assembly.” [First Fruits of Zion-Shadows of the Messiah, Book 4,-Pg.860- Numbers Pinchas]

“This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses all the leaders that had been and all that were yet to be. For example, He showed him that Sampson would come forth from the tribe of Dan and Barak the son of Abinoam would come from Naphtali. He showed him every generation and it’s scholars, every generation and it’s judges, every generation and it’s leaders, every generation and it’s sinners, every generation and it’s righteous ones.” [Numbers Rabbah 23:5]

Each generation sinking deeper into depravity until Messiah comes, when He will restore righteousness.

in the words of the Rabbi Yeshayahu Horowitz “He asked the Blessed One to appoint one man and to reveal his identity. He also asked Him to reveal the secret of who He will appoint at the end of days. This is what he meant with the double statement “who will go out before them, and who will come in before them,” that is, he wanted to know who would lead them now and who will lead them in the future. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered with regard to both questions: “Take Joshua” (Numbers 27:18). Then he showed him all the generations until Messiah” [Rabbi Yeshayahu Horowitz, Shnei Luchot HaBrit in Yalkut Moshiach; Pinchas, 277-278 ∫∫ 169]

We are blessed as Messianic believers to see the teachings of the sages and scholars of the past point to our Messiah in the words of Torah. Mishlei (Proverbs) 25:2 “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”

Shalom Mish’pachah from Beth Hallel Lodi