July 19, 2025: Torah Portion Parashat Pinchas - "Phinehas"

In this study, we will explore the Torah Portion Pinchas - "Phinehas"

• Torah Portion: Numbers 25:10-30:1

• Haftarah: 1 Kings 18:46-19:21, Jeremiah 1:1-2:3

• Brit Chadashah (New Testament): Romans 11:2-32; Revelation 1:5-6, 5:10; 1 Peter 2:5,9; Hebrews 13:5

Pinchas - "Phinehas"

📜In this Parashah, we are introduced to a man named Pinchas (Phinehas), the son of Eleazar the priest (and grandson of Aaron), who, during the rebellion at Baal Peor, zealously removed evil from Israel by driving a spear through a tribal prince who was fornicating with a Midianite princess.

On account of Pinchas' zeal, ADONAI stopped the plague and Israel was delivered from the curse of destruction.

The LORD rewards Pinchas by granting him a "covenant of peace" (brit ha shalom), and the covenant of perpetual priesthood (brit kehunat olam).

The Parashah begins:

This promise was remarkable because Pinchas was technically not qualified to be a priest, since he was already born when the original promise was given to Aaron and his sons, and since his father Eleazar was married to an "outsider" – a Gentile bride. Eleazar married a Midianite daughter of Jethro namely, the daughter of Jethro called Putiel (Exodus 6:25).

When Pinchas risked his life by killing Zimri the nassi (prince) of the tribe of Simeon, the LORD rewarded him by making him a kohen (priest) and promising him a "covenant of peace."

The LORD further promised him - and his descendants after him - brit kehunat olam, a covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his ADONAI and made atonement (kafar) for the people of Israel.

"He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites."

Numbers 25:13

This is a clear picture of YESHUA the MESSIAH and His greater priesthood! His descendants of whom He is Firstfruit:

"But each in its own order: Messiah the firstfruits; then, at His coming, those who belong to Messiah;" 1 Corinthians 15:23

The broken Vav and YESHUA...

Soferut, which are the laws concerning the scribal arts of writing a Torah scroll, requires that all Hebrew letters be "well-formed" - that is, no letters can touch other letters and no letters can be malformed, broken, or otherwise illegible. However, there is a strange exception to these rules, regarding the Vav that appears in this particular word "shalom", in this particular passage of Numbers 25:12:

In a typical Torah scroll, the word shalom for this particular case, is actually written with what is called a broken Vav (this is the only time in Torah we see a broken Vav):

On a deeper level we can further think of this broken Vav as a picture of the brokenness of the MESSIAH for our ultimate deliverance.

How so?

Well, since Vav represents the number for Man, the broken Vav represents a man that is broken. In this particular verse, the man has been broken for the sake of a covenant of peace that brought atonement to Israel - a clear picture of YESHUA HA'MASHIACH and His ultimate deliverance for us.

Note further that the broken word shalom could also be read as שׁלים (pronounced shalim), meaning "complete," indicating that the covenant is one of completion, finality, and perfection.

As Messianic believers in MESSIAH YESHUA, we understand that the promise to Pinchas was actually a foretelling of the glory of the greater priesthood of YESHUA; indestructible and everlasting!

It is His resurrection glory that is revealed to those whom the Father calls, and who searches for Him, as for hidden treasures!

"3 indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,

4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,

5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of ADONAI.

6 For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7 He holds success in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, 8 for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones." Proverbs 2:3-8

May the LORD God of Israel open the eyes of our heart, illuminating the understanding of our hearts, to see this treasure! And not only us, but that the LORD would reveal His treasures to ALL of Israel, so that His promise might be fulfilled, in Romans 11:

"²⁵ I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, ²⁶ and in this way all Israel will be saved.

As it is written:

“The deliverer will come from Zion;  He will turn godlessness away from Jacob." Romans 11:25-26

We call forth the removal of that partial blindness from the eyes of our people Israel, in YESHUA'S MIGHTY NAME!! Amen!

After Pinchas was honored before the people of Israel, the LORD commanded Moses and Eleazar to conduct another census of the people (this was 39 years after the Exodus from Egypt), with the result of 601,730 men between the ages of twenty and sixty (1,820 less than when the original census had been taken, at the start of the journey).

Moses was then instructed on how the land was to be divided by lottery among the tribes and families of Israel. The daughters of Zelophehad then petitioned Moses that they be granted the portion of the land belonging to their father, who died without sons, and God accepted their claim and incorporated it into the laws of inheritance.

The LORD then commanded Moses to climb up mount Abarim to see the land which He have given to the children of Israel:

"¹² Then ADONAI said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range and look at the land that I have given to Bnei-Yisrael. ¹³ When you have seen it, you will be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother was gathered."

Numbers 27:12-13

Moses was forbidden to enter into the Promised Land, because he struck the rock twice at Kadesh. God then told Moses to appoint Joshua ben (son of) Nun as his successor who would lead the Jewish people into the Promised Land.

Parashat Pinchas (like Parashat Emor in Leviticus) also includes mention of all of the sacrifices of the mo'edim (holidays) given to Israel in Numbers 28.

These include the daily, weekly Shabbat, monthly Rosh Chodesh (New Moon) sacrifices, as well as the sacrifices assigned to the special holidays: Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hoshannah (Terumah), Yom Kippur, and Sukkot.

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Haftarah Reading Overview:

The haftarah for Pinchas is from 1 Kings 18:46-19:21.

The prophet Elijah's earlier power encounter with the false prophets of Baal was reported to evil Queen Jezebel, who then issued a death warrant for his life.

Elijah ran all the way to Beersheba and then went into the desert. Exhausted and forlorn, he asked the LORD to take his life and then went to sleep.

But the Angel of the LORD twice came to Elijah's aide and gave him food and drink, and he then rose up and traveled "in the strength of that food" forty days and nights to Mount Sinai (Horeb), where he sought the LORD.

At Sinai, Elijah found a cave and waited there. After awhile, there was a great and strong wind, but the LORD was not in the wind; a little later, there was an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake; later still, there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire...

Finally, Elijah heard the sound of a whisper - and the prophet knew it was the voice of the LORD:

"¹⁰ “I have been very zealous for ADONAI TEZ'VAOT,” he said, “for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and slain Your prophets with the sword—and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it!”

¹¹ Then He said, “Come out and stand on the mount before ADONAI.” Behold, ADONAI was passing by—a great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and shattering cliffs before ADONAI. But ADONAI was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but ADONAI was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake a fire, but ADONAI was not in the fire. After the fire there was a soft whisper of a voice. ¹³ As soon as Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, went out and stood at the entrance of the cave." 1 Kings 19:10-13

After pouring out his lament, the LORD commissioned Elijah to anoint Hazael as king of Syria, Jehu as king of Israel, and Elisha to succeed him as prophet.

"Whoever escapes the sword of Hazael shall be slain by Jehu, and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu shall be slain by Elisha."

However, the LORD would leave in Israel a chosen remnant of 7,000:

"Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him." 1 Kings 19:18

The haftarah ends with Elijah finding Elisha and throwing his cloak upon him - a token that he had been chosen as Elijah's successor.

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