Pinchas
Numbers 25:10 – 30:1
God rewards Pinchas with a covenant of peace and eternal priesthood for his zealous act that halted the plague at Baal-Peor. A second census is taken in preparation for entering the Land, yielding 601,730. The daughters of Zelophehad — Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah — petition for their father's inheritance since he left no sons, and God affirms their claim, establishing a precedent in inheritance law. Moses ascends Mount Abarim to view the Land he will not enter and commissions Joshua as his successor. The parasha concludes with the detailed calendar of communal offerings — daily, Sabbath, new moon, and festival sacrifices.
Key figures
- Pinchas (Phinehas) — Rewarded with the covenant of peace and eternal priesthood
- The daughters of Zelophehad — Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah petition for inheritance rights
- Moses — Conducts the second census, sees the Land from afar, commissions Joshua
- Joshua bin Nun — Commissioned as Moses's successor by the laying on of hands
Famous verses
- 25:12-13 Therefore say: Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace;
- 27:7 "The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: you shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brothers; and you shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.
- 27:16-17 "Let Hashem, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,
Haftarah: {'ref': 'I Kings 18:46-19:21', 'connection': "Elijah's zealousness for God parallels Pinchas's zeal; the rabbis identify Pinchas with Elijah, and both act decisively when Israel strays into idolatry."}
Total gematria 590,670 is divisible by 18, the number of life (chai).