Pinchas opens with God blessing the parashah’s namesake. What did Pinchas do to earn this divine favor? He plunged a spear through the Israelite Zimri and his Midianite lover, skewering them together. This one zealous act is credited with putting a stop to the Israelites’ descent into idolatry (precipitated by alluring Midianite women), and halting the plague that was their divine punishment. God’s praise of Pinchas is unequivocal: “Behold, I give him My covenant of peace … because he was zealous for his God and atoned for the Israelites” (Numbers 25:12–13).
One might conclude that the Torah ascribes positive, even superlative value to acts of zealotry committed in the name of God. The sages of the Talmud, however, are cautious and even suspicious of zealotry. They do not regard Pinchas as exemplary, and do not counsel imitation of his approach (Sanhedrin 81–2). Similarly, they express ambivalence about the prophet Elijah who, in a similarly furious incident, killed 450 idolatrous prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18).
The comparison between Pinchas and Elijah is well established in Jewish tradition. In fact, a famous midrash identifies them as one and the same person (Yalkut Shimoni, 771). Although the Bible itself speaks positively about Elijah (and Pinchas), the sages repeatedly assert that the prophet’s act of violent zealotry was the reason he was “dismissed” from his post as prophet, and his protege Elisha appointed in his stead (see, for example, Mekhilta de’Rabbi Yishmael, Pischa 1:17). The sages are attuned to the danger inherent in zealotry.
If the Torah lauds zealotry and the sages of the Talmud loathe it, where does the Zohar stand? The Zohar offers a more complex and surprising perspective. Here is what it says on the subject of Elijah finishing his career (and life on earth) by being taken up into Heaven in a whirlwind:
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Come and see what is written: “And behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire …” (2 Kings 2:11) — for then the body parted from the spirit, and he ascended not in the manner of other people of the world, and he remained a holy angel like the other holy beings above, performing missions in the world …
And (God) said: What are you doing here, Elijah?
And he said: I have been very zealous.
The Blessed Holy One said to him: Until when will you be zealous on My behalf? You have closed a door that death can no longer hold dominion over you in the world, and the world can no longer bear you among human beings …
Come and see what that thing of Elijah brought about, as it is written: “Yet I have left Me 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19:18)
The Blessed Holy One said to him: From now on as the world can no longer bear you among human beings, you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat, of Abel-meholah, as prophet in your place; he shall be another prophet to human beings, and you shall ascend to your proper place.
And come and see: Any person who is zealous on behalf of the Blessed Holy One — the angel of death cannot have dominion over him as over other people, and peace shall be established in him; and this has already been established, as has been said concerning Pinchas: “Therefore say: Behold, I give him My covenant of peace” (Numbers 25:12)
Zohar 1:209a-b
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Does the Zohar see zealotry as a sublime value, in line with the biblical telling of the stories of Pinchas and Elijah? Or does it, consistent with the talmudic sages, harbor deep reservations about it? The answer is both. On the one hand, in accordance with the earlier midrash, the Zohar frames the directive to anoint Elisha as the result of Elijah’s removal from office due to his zealotry. On the other hand, the Zohar clearly regards Elijah’s zealotry as the reason he gets to ascend to Heaven and avoid death. Because of his zealotry, Elijah was removed from his post on earth, but he also merited eternal life.
The Zohar rejects normative zealotry — not because it is inherently evil, but because its aims cannot be realized in this world and do not accord with human nature. Extreme zealotry is understood here as an “inhuman” trait — but not necessarily a negative one. On the contrary, it is a “superhuman” trait belonging to other planes of existence, which is why Elijah is relocated to Heaven. In the Zohar’s eyes, zealotry is an expression of religious perfection, which in itself is a sublime and exalted thing, Yet, it has no place in the earthly world, populated by fragile and flawed human beings. Zealotry is a ticket to eternal life, to cleaving to God, but it is also a ticket off the face of the earth. It is a noble and sublime religious expression, but it is also destructive and lethal.
What applies to zealots also applies, in some measure, to mystics. There is an important parallel between mystical devotion to God and zealous campaigns for divine causes. Mystical striving, like zealotry, can lead to behavior that is out of step with social norms. One who pursues these paths may find themselves placed outside, or perhaps beyond, normal social roles. Conversely, one who wishes to integrate into this world, to participate in and shape human society, must restrain their religious fervor and zealotry — and perhaps even their mystical pursuits.
This piece was originally published as part of A Year of Zohar: Kabbalah for Everyone, an original series produced by My Jewish Learning and Sefaria. Sign up for the entire series here.
