Bostoner Torah Insights: Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English and Hebrew: Parshas Pinchas – 19 Tamuz 5786
Bostoner Torah Insights - Yerushalayim
Bostoner Torah Insights
Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English
Parshas Pinchas – 19 Tamuz 5786
Bostoner Rebbe shlit’a – Yerushalayim
Secretariat Email: bosto...@gmail.com
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My father, the Rebbe zt"l, would often repeat the following adage: "When Pinchas is 'in his place,' it does not bring joy. But when Pinchas is 'out of his place,' joy is found."
He was referring to the unique way Parshas Pinchas appears in the Jewish calendar. As a weekly Torah portion, it is always read at the beginning of the Three Weeks — the period of national mourning between the Seventeenth of Tammuz and Tisha B'Av — when we commemorate the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash. Yet the section of Parshas Pinchas that describes the Musaf offerings of the festivals is read again throughout the year on those very festivals marked by joy and celebration.
Perhaps it is fitting that the Torah gathers all of the festival Musaf offerings into Parshas Pinchas, for the letters of the name Pinchas (פינחס) allude to the Jewish festivals themselves.
The letter Peh (פ) represents Pesach. The Yud (י) corresponds to Yom Kippur. Skipping the Nun (נ) momentarily, the Ches (ח) stands for Chodesh ("month"), alluding both to Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of each new month, and to Rosh Hashanah, the New Year. Finally, the Samech (ס) represents Sukkos. If one suggests that Shemini Atzeres is considered a festival in its own right, the letter Ches, whose numerical value is eight, would allude to this ‘eighth day’ that follows Sukkos.
(Although Chanukah and Purim do not have Musaf offerings because they are Rabbinic rather than Biblical festivals, they may also be hinted to by the letters Peh and Ches of Pinchas.)
This leaves the letter Nun, whose numerical value is fifty and naturally corresponds to Shavuos. Unlike the other pilgrimage festivals, the Torah assigns Shavuos no fixed calendar date. Instead, it is defined as the fiftieth day after the bringing of the Omer offering. As the Torah instructs:
One festival remains unaccounted for: Shabbos. Its Musaf offering does not appear to be represented by any letter of Pinchas. Perhaps this omission is intentional.
Ideally, one might have expected the Musaf passage for Shabbos to be read each week as the Maftir. However, the Torah's description of the Shabbos Musaf consists of only two Pesukim (Bamidbar 28:9–10), while every aliyah in the public Torah reading must contain at least three Pesukim. For that reason, the Sages instituted that three or more verses from the conclusion of the weekly Torah portion (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 283) should act as the Maftir reading.
Eliyahu also has another role: he is destined to announce the coming of Mashiach. Rabbeinu Bachya comments on Bamidbar 25:13, "Pinchas brought lengthened days and years to the people of Israel from that time until the end of time...Therefore, measure for measure, he merited to live forever, for Pinchas is Eliyahu."
Pinchas was granted the privilege of accompanying the Jewish people throughout the entirety of their history, witnessing their trials and triumphs until the ultimate redemption. This is why we open the door for Eliyahu at the Pesach Seder, expressing our hope that just as Hashem redeemed us from Egypt, so too may He soon bring the final redemption.
In truth, every festival contributes to that redemptive journey. Each festival presents its own mitzvos, spiritual opportunities, and unique relationship with Hashem. Together they form a progression that lifts us from the darkness of exile toward the day when the Beis HaMikdash will be rebuilt and Hashem's presence will once again be fully revealed in the world.
It is therefore especially appropriate that the Musaf offerings of the festivals appear in Parshas Pinchas. Pinchas—who lives on as Eliyahu HaNavi—accompanies the Jewish people throughout the entire cycle of the year, waiting patiently alongside us until Hashem sends him on his final mission: to herald the coming of the Geulah Sheleimah, the complete redemption, speedily in our days.