Parashat Pinchas

(Phinehas)

Numbers 25:10 - 30:1

Jeremiah 1:1 - 2:3 | Pinchas occurring after 17 Tammuz

In this week’s Torah portion, God gives Phinehas a covenant of peace. God explains the apportionment of the Land of Israel. The daughters of Zelophehad petition to inherit their father’s portion. Moses appoints Joshua as his successor.

FULL SUMMARY

HAFTARAH SUMMARY

What Makes a Family?

The Torah offers several models of familial connection that depart from the standard model.

More on this Torah Portion

Meet the Torah’s Bold Band of Status Quo-Challenging Sisters

 In this busy portion, the daughters of Zelophehad succeed in staking claim their father’s land — sort of.

The Daughters of Zelophehad: Power and Uniqueness

Zelophehad's daughters call to us to take hold of life with our own hands.

Heroic or Sinful?

Zealous acts are not always heroic.

Land Distribution — Then and Now

As Jews, we must express our religious imperative to ensure equal access to land.

Dispossession of Women’s Land

The audacity of the request of Zelophehad's daughters.

Sustenance from the Source

City living can cause social fragmentation and environmental degradation.

The Pinchas Problem

Not everyone is happy with Pinchas' action and its reward.

The Limits Of Leadership

Pinchas' violent act raises questions about the extent of any leader's authority.

Who’s Next? The Change And Challenge Of Leadership

The transition in leadership from Moses to Joshua provides us with a model for contemporary changes in leadership.

Crimes of Passion

Only a passionate zealous act can respond adequately to sins and crimes of passion.

Zeal And Peace

How can we reconcile Pinchas' act of zealous violence and the covenant of peace he receives?

The Search for Moses’ Successor

In identifying Moses' successor, God emphasizes that inspiration, not passion or popularity, makes a successful leader.

Pinchas and Intermarriage

The Torah portion deals with intermarriage, a phenomenon with contemporary resonance.

The Daughters Of Zelophehad

Just as God advocated for the property rights of Zelophehad's daughters, we should work to create economic opportunities for those who have lacked them.

A Time For Zeal

People who translate zeal for God into violence must normally possess the qualities and ethics worthy of a covenant of peace.

A Count Of Love

The census that occurs immediately after the plague for the sin with Midian reassures the Children of Israel that they are still God's partners in the covenant.

Parashat Pinchas: Transitions and Transmissions

This Torah portion focuses on teachings and transmissions through generations.

Standing Up for One Self

Pinchas: A resource for families.

Parashat Pinchas Quiz

Learn more about the weekly Torah portion.

Parashat Pinchas: Summary

God gives Pinchas a covenant of peace; God explains the apportionment of the Land of Israel; the daughters of Tzelophechad petition to inherit their father's portion; Moses appoints Joshua his successor.