Why does the Torah insert the word "Lachein"?
Rashi (in Chukas, 20:12) and Targum Yonasan: "Lachein is an expression of Shevu'ah. 1
Ba'al ha'Turim: Because it has the same Gematriyah as 'Midah be'Midah' (measure for measure). 2
Why does the Totah insert the (otherwise superfluous) word "Emor"?
Ramban: Hashem was instructing Moshe to tell Yisrael that Pinchas had become a Kohen permanently.
Targum Yonasan: Hashem was instructing Moshe to tell Yisrael that He would turn Pinchas into an angel 1 who would live forever and inform them of the Ge'ulah at the end of days. 2
Da'as Zekenim: It implies 'Tell them so they should not hate him for killing a Nasi. Because he dispelled My anger, and I did not annihilate Yisrael!'
Oznayim la'Torah: It was a command to inaugurate Pinchas into the Kehunah - to inform him that Hashem was conferring upon him the status of Kehunah. 3
What are the implications of "B'risi Shalom"?
Rashi It implies ?My covenant, which is Shalom?. 1
Seforno: It implies 'free from the Mal'ach ha'Maves' 2 ? since death is the reult of discord (among the various parts of a person)
Da'as Zekenim and Hadar Zekenim (in Pasuk 11): He need not worry about the relatives of Zimri, nor of Kozbi, who was a princess. 3
Rosh: It implies that he will never die. 4
Riva: Pinchas was afraid that, since a Kohen who kills is not permitted to perform Birkas Kohanim. he had lost his Kehunah; so Hashem reassured him that he had not.
Kidushin, 66b: Refer to 25:12:4:1.
Targum Yonasan: He became a living angel (Eliyahu) who would never die and who was destined to inform Yisrael that the redemption from Galus had arrived.
Sanhedrin, 82b #2: It implies that Pinchas merited an eternal B'ris Shalom because his deed atoned forever. 7
Oznayim la'Torah: He blessing him with Shalom, in order to prevent his opponents - the tribe of Shimon the people who had begun to mock him, from avenging the death of Zimri.
See Mishnah Uktzin, 3:12.
Seforno: As in Iyov "Oseh Shalom bi'Meromav". And indeed, we find that Pinchas was still alivein at the time of Pilegesh be?Giv?ah (in Shoftim, 11:26) ? and certainly according to those who maintain that he was Eliyahu.
See Peirush Yonasan there.
Rosh: As the Pasuk writes in Mal'achi, 2:4 "B'risi Haysah Ito ha'Chayim ... ".
As the Mishnah states in Eduyos, 8:7. See Torah Temimah, citing Sanhedrin, ibid. and note 23.
Torah Temimah: As opposed to Moshe Rabeinu, who saved Yisrael only temporarily - as Hashem said in Ki Sisa, 32:34 "u've'Yom Pokdi u'Fakadti" - and who therefore did not merit a B'ris Shaslom.
Why is the 'Vav' in Shalom broken?
Ba'al ha'Turim #1: To teach us that a Kohen may only serve in the Beis-ha'Mikdash when he is whole (without blemish), 1 but not when he is a Ba'al-Mum. 2
Ba'al ha'Turim #2: Because Hashem gave Pinchas a complete 3 gift consisting of ten Matnos Kehunah in the Beis-Hamikdash and ten in the Medinah (in all other areas of Eretz Yisrael).
Moshav Zekenim: This teaches that he is Shalem 6 in his Kehunah, and need not worry about punishment for killing a Nasi.
Oznayim la'Torah: Shalom - the Name of Hashem - is broken because Hashem is pained when someone dies, even if that someone is a Rasha. 7
As if the 'Vav' was erased, in which case the word reads 'Shalem' ? complete.
Da'as Zekenim: Who renders the Avodah invalid.
See answer #1, note 1.
Refer to 25:12:4:1*.
See Ba'al ha'Turim.
Refer to 25:12:4:1*.
See Oznayim la'Torah DH 'Shalom' #1.
Why did Pinchas receive the rewards listed here, something that Moshe and Aharon, who saved Yisrael on a number of ocasions, did not merit?
Torah Temimah: Refer to 25:12:3:6*.
Oznayim la'Torah #1 (in Pasuk 11): Because whereas Moshe and Aharon were merely performing their duty in their capacity as leaders of Yisrael, Pinchas was, up until now, an ordinary citizen, who would naturally have hesitated to perform such a brazen act, and had to fight his Yeitzer ha'Ra to stand up and act.
