Pinchas

How Shall We Read Torah?

Shortly after the Israelites get in trouble for worshipping a Moabite God, Pinchas follows an Israelite man and a Midianite woman into a private place. Pinchas pierces them both with a spear and they die. Moshe rewards Pinchas' action by appointing Pinchas and his descendants to the priesthood forever. How are we to understand this story?

Should we think of Torah as a historical record of Jewish political conflicts? Perhaps later in Israelite history, a group of zealous isolationists made a claim to the priesthood. Perhaps a scribe tried to write into the Torah a story justifying (or condemning) their claim.

Should we read Torah ironically? Perhaps Moshe, aghast at Pinchas' crime, tried to figure out the most graceful way to isolate Pinchas. As a priest, Pinchas' entire life would be subject to strict controls: where he pitched his tent, what he wore, what he ate, who he could marry, how and when he worked.

Should we read Torah as a tapestry of layered literary metaphors? Perhaps the Torah is asking us to rethink what we mean by a "crime of passion." Perhaps there are connections between different kinds of piercing, different kinds of passionate love, birth and death, the conception of new life and the eternal chain of future descendants, religious office and social control.

Should we read the Torah as a reminder that there is no escape from difficult political and social questions? In our time, the world is filled with isolationist religious zealots set against one another. Many believe they will be rewarded for their violent acts. Whether we want to or not, we take a stand on these issues by the way we vote, the way we pray, what we believe, and who we befriend.

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