A Breslov-Lurianic Reflection
By: Yisrael Yitzchak Rosenfeld
דרשה לפרשת פינחס
Our parashah opens with what appears to be a contradiction.
Pinchas acts with the greatest zeal, yet his reward is:
הִנְנִי נֹתֵן לוֹ אֶת־בְּרִיתִי שָׁלוֹם
“Behold, I give him My covenant of peace.”
(Bamidbar 25:12)
Why is it דווקא the man who acts with zeal who receives the covenant of peace?
The True Battle
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov zt”l teaches that the real battle is not fought against another human being, but against the evil within one’s own heart.
As King David, zt”l, declared:
סוּר מֵרָע וַעֲשֵׂה־טוֹב בַּקֵּשׁ שָׁלוֹם וְרָדְפֵהוּ
“Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”
(Tehillim 34:15)
According to Breslov, the first battle is always the one within.
Our enemy is not Zimri.
Nor is it Kozbi.
Rather, it is the mixture of truth and self-will within the human heart.
The ARI zt”l — Din Becomes Chesed
The great kabbalist Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (the ARI), zt”l, explains in Sha’ar HaPesukim on Parashat Pinchas that Pinchas reveals the power of
המתקת הדינים
—the “sweetening of judgments.”
Judgment does not disappear.
Rather, it returns to its Divine root and is transformed into compassion.
That is why the deed of Pinchas ends not with war,
but with Shalom.
(Sha’ar HaPesukim, Parashat Pinchas;
Etz Chaim, Sha’ar HaKelalim, on Hamtakat HaDinim)
The Secret of Sefer Yetzirah
In Sefer Yetzirah we read:
עשר ספירות בלימה
“Ten Sefirot of restraint.”
(Sefer Yetzirah 1:2)
Kabbalah explains that every Divine force knows its proper limit.
Chaos arises when every force seeks only to express itself.
Peace is created when every sefirah occupies its rightful place.
Pinchas restores that order.
The Zohar — Peace Unites Right and Left
The Zohar teaches in Parashat Pinchas that true peace is born
when the right and left sides—
Chesed and Gevurah—
are united through the middle line.
Therefore, although Pinchas acts מתוך Gevurah, he is rewarded with Shalom.
(Zohar III, Parashat Pinchas 217a–220a)
Rabbi Nachman zt”l
Rabbi Nachman reveals:
“Every person possesses at least one good point through which he can return to HaShem.”
(Likkutei Moharan I:282 — Azamra)
The Yetzer Hara says:
“You are either perfect—or you are lost.”
Rabbi Nachman answers:
“Search for that one good point.”
That is the spear of Pinchas.
Not directed against people—
but against despair.
Pinchas and Eliyahu
The Kabbalistic tradition identifies Pinchas with Eliyahu HaNavi.
That is why Eliyahu is present at every Brit Milah.
The Brit removes what is unnecessary in order to reveal what is holy.
Pinchas accomplished the very same thing on the level of the soul of Israel.
(Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, ch. 47;
Zohar III, Parashat Pinchas)
The Broken Vav in the Word Shalom
In the Torah, the letter ו in the word
שָׁלוֹם
is written split.
The Sages saw in this a profound message:
Perfect peace belongs to the World to Come.
In this world, Shalom means
serving HaShem despite all brokenness.
According to Breslov, it is precisely the broken heart that becomes the vessel for closeness to HaShem.
As King David, zt”l, declared:
לֵב נִשְׁבָּר וְנִדְכֶּה אֱלֹהִים לֹא תִבְזֶה
“A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”
(Tehillim 51:19)
Pinchas Asks Us
Where do I mix holiness with my own self-will?
Where do I fight other people instead of my own Yetzer Hara?
Where can I transform Din into Chesed today?
When a person undertakes this inner work, the promise of the Torah is fulfilled:
הִנְנִי נֹתֵן לוֹ אֶת־בְּרִיתִי שָׁלוֹם
“Behold, I give him My covenant of peace.”
(Bamidbar 25:12)
Not external peace first.
But peace between the mind and the heart.
Between Heaven and earth.
Between the soul and its Creator.
Amen.
