We want inner peace now
Parasha and its implementation - Parshat Pinchas 5783
Rabbi Eliezer Haim Shenvald
Parshat Pinchas will be read two days after the 17th of Tammuz. The beginning of three weeks of mourning from the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av, days of soul-searching and mourning, restricting pleasant activities in commemoration of the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the Holy Temple. Sages revealed to us the reason for the destruction of the Second Temple:
אֲבָל מִקְדָּשׁ שֵׁנִי שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹסְקִין בְּתוֹרָה וּבְמִצְוֹת וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, מִפְּנֵי מָה חָרַב? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיְתָה בּוֹ שִׂנְאַת חִנָּם.
"However, considering that the people during the Second Temple period were engaged in Torah study, observance of Mitzvot, and acts of kindness and that they did not perform the sinful acts that were performed in the First Temple, why was the Second Temple destroyed? It was destroyed because there was wanton hatred during that period". (Yoma 9b:8).
These days, we learn the lesson from the destruction in a very tangible way:
ואם נחרבנו, ונחרב העולם עמנו, ע ל ידי שנאת חנם, נשוב להבנות, והעולם עמנו יבנה, על ידי אהבת חנם
"And if we were destroyed and the world with us was destroyed by baseless hatred – Sinat Chinam, we will rebuild ourselves and the world with us by Ahavat Chinam - unwarranted love " (Rabbi Kook - Orot HaKodesh 3:3:4).
A few decades ago, the phrase "You don't make peace with friends. You make it with very unsavory enemies" was common. But the Torah teaches that before everything "Peace must be made with our brothers!" Not with brothers who think in a similar way and agree with each other, but rather between brothers who disagree with each other:
עִקַּר הַשָּׁלוֹם הוּא לְחַבֵּר שְׁנֵי הֲפָכִים. עַל־כֵּן אַל יְבַהֲלוּךָ רַעְיוֹנֶיךָ אִם אַתָּה רוֹאֶה אִישׁ אֶחָד שֶׁהוּא בְּהִפּוּךְ גָּמוּר מִדַּעְתְּךָ, וְיִדְמֶה לְךָ שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר בְּשׁוּם אֹפֶן לְהַחֲזִיק בְּשָׁלוֹם עִמּוֹ, וְכֵן כְּשֶׁאַתָּה רוֹאֶה שְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים שֶׁהֵם שְׁנֵי הֲפָכִים מַמָּשׁ, אַל תֹּאמַר שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לַעֲשׂוֹת שָׁלוֹם בֵּינֵיהֶם, כִּי אַדְּרַבָּא, זֶהוּ עִקַּר שְׁלֵמוּת הַשָּׁלוֹם לְהִשְׁתַּדֵּל שֶׁיִּהְיֶה שָׁלוֹם בֵּין שְׁנֵי הֲפָכִים
"The real meaning of peace is to fit together two opposites. So you shouldn’t be disturbed when you come across someone who is the exact opposite of yourself and thinks the exact opposite. Do not assume you will never be able to live amicably with him. And similarly, if you see two people who are completely opposite types, you should not decide it is impossible to make peace between them. Quite the contrary! Perfect peace is achieved through the effort to make peace between two opposites" (Rabbi Nachman of Breslav Likutei Etzot Peace).
Everything depends in the inner peace, so one should invest on it!
שֶׁמָּא תֹאמְרוּ, הֲרֵי מַאֲכָל וַהֲרֵי מִשְׁתֶּה, אִם אֵין שָׁלוֹם אֵין כְּלוּם, תַּ"לֹ אַחַר כָּל זֹאת "וְנָתַתִּי שָׁלוֹם בָּאָרֶץ"; מִכָּאן שֶׁהַשָּׁלוֹם שָׁקוּל כְּנֶגֶד הַכֹּל
"Perhaps you will say, “Well, there is food and there is drink; but if there is no peace, then all this is nothing!” Scripture therefore states after all these promises “I will give peace in the land”. Hence we may learn that peace counterbalances everything" (Sifra, Bechukotai 1:8).
This is the reason why the Torah commandment to make peace is different from the rest of the commandments:
גָּדוֹל שָׁלוֹם שֶׁכָּל הַמִּצְוֹת כְּתִיב בְּהוּ: 'כִּי תִּרְאֶה', 'כִּי תִּפְגַּע', 'כִּי יִקָּרֵא', אִם בָּאַת מִצְוָה לְיָדְךָ אַתָּה זָקוּק לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ וְאִם לָאו אִי אַתָּה זָקוּק לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ, בְּרַם הָכָא: 'בַּקֵּשׁ שָׁלוֹם וְרָדְפֵהוּ' בַּקְּשֵׁהוּ לִמְקוֹמְךָ וְרָדְפֵהוּ לְמָקוֹם אַחֵר"
"Great is peace, for all the commandments are written this way: "When you see" (Shmot 23:5), "when you encounter" (Shmot 23:4), "when you come across" (Devarim 22:6). If a commandment comes to you, you are bound to do it, but if not, you are not bound to do it. But here it says "Seek peace and pursue it" (Psalm 34:15) – seek it for your place, and pursue it for other places". (Vayikra Rabbah 9:9).
Every mandatory mitzvah or affirmative commandment in the Torah is obligatory when they come incidentally, and there is no obligation to create situations in order to make them. To keep the mitzvah of making peace one must 'pursue' and initiate its existence.
In our Parasha, Pinchas receives an extraordinary reward for saving the people of Israel from a plague:
פִּֽינְחָ֨ס ... הֵשִׁ֤יב אֶת־חֲמָתִי֙ מֵעַ֣ל בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל ... וְלֹא־כִלִּ֥יתִי אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּקִנְאָתִֽי. לָכֵ֖ן אֱמֹ֑ר הִנְנִ֨י נֹתֵ֥ן ל֛וֹ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י שָׁלֽוֹם׃
"Pinchas … has turned back My wrath from the Israelites … so that I didn't consume the Children of Israel in my jealousy. Say, therefore, ‘I grant him My pact of friendship". (Bamidbar 25:11-12)
Pinchas was awarded the "Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood", and for that, most of the great priests were from his lineage. But what is the 'covenant of peace' that Pinchas merited? And what is its value? There are many interpretations of this.
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explained: "G-d hands over the realization of this supreme peace harmony to those with thoughtless actions and attitudes, which call themselves "peace lovers" in a developing world, but like to be described as "peace disturbers". "Peace" is a precious asset, and a person must sacrifice everything for it, all of one's rights and properties, but should never sacrifice the rights of others, or the right of goodness and divine truth. True peace between mankind depends on everyone being at peace with G-d. He who dares to fight with the enemies of divine goodness and truth is in fact one of the warriors of the covenant of peace in Israel. Anyone who dares to fight with those who are hostile to divine good and truth amongst men is in the middle of the fight and therefore considered a fighter for the Brit Shalom on earth… Pinchas' brave act saved the people and restored peace with G-d and His Torah, thereby restoring the foundation for true peace."
Pinchas merited to bless Israel with the Priestly Benediction, the blessing of peace:
יִשָּׂא ה' פָּנָיו אֵלֶֽיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם:
"Hashem turn His countenance toward you and grant you peace".
We also finish our daily Prayers with a prayer for inner peace:
שִׂים שָׁלוֹם טוֹבָה וּבְרָכָה, חַיִּים, חֵן וָחֶסֶד, צְדָקָה וְרַחֲמִים, עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמֶּךָ. וּבָרְכֵנוּ אָבִינוּ, כֻּלָּנוּ כְאֶחָד בְּאוֹר פָּנֶיךָ...
"Establish peace, good, & blessing, life, grace & kindness, & compassion upon us & upon all Israel, Your Nation, & bless us our Father all of us together with the light of Your countenance…"
ה' עֹ֭ז לְעַמּ֣וֹ יִתֵּ֑ן ה' יְבָרֵ֖ךְ אֶת־עַמּ֣וֹ בַשָּׁלֽוֹם׃
"May Hashem grant strength to His people; may Hashem bestow on His people wellbeing". (Psalms 29:11)