Rabbi Frand on Parshas Pinchas
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of RabbiYissochar Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tapes on the weekly Torahportion: Tape #64, The Yarmulka: At Home and In the Office. Good Shabbos!
The Double Vov:Sometimes a Vov of Connection; Sometimes a Vov of Division
Parshas Pinchas begins with the conclusion to the incident at the end of Parshas Balak. At the end of last week's portion, Pinchas, in an act of zealous jealousy for G-d (Kanaim pog'im bo) killed both the Jewish tribal leader and the Midianite woman who were publicly engaged in an act of sexual immorality.
In the beginning of this week's portion, the Torah grants Pinchas "The Covenant of Peace" (es Brisi Shalom), as a reward for his action. The letter "vov" in the word Shalom is split (vov k'tiah), as if there are two vovs, one on top of the other. What is the symbolism behind this?
Chazal point out that in the description of the second day of Creation, when G-d split the waters [Genesis 1:6] (between the waters above and below the "Rakiah" -- the firmament), the Torah omits the comment "And the L-rd saw that it was good" that we typically find everywhere else throughout the Creation story. The Rabbis say the reason for this omission is that the splitting of the waters marked the first time in history that there was division (machlokes). Prior to this act there was Unity in the world; now there was Division. Regarding "Division" we can never say "It was good".
Chazal go on to elaborate: If this original Division which was for the welfare and the establishment of the world, could not be described as "Ki Tov" (it was good), then certainly, regular disputes (regardless of how noble the motives) cannot be described as "Ki Tov".
Yet, one may ask, do we not find a contradiction to this Chazal from the very same parsha in Bereishis? In that same portion we also find that G-d divided between the Light and the Darkness, and the verse there immediately goes on to say "And the L-rd saw that it was good" [Genesis 1:18].
Rav Shlomo Breuer resolves this contradiction with a beautiful insight: He quotes the verse "...Truth and Peace you shall love" [Zechariah 8:19]. We have to love Peace. But there is something that comes before Peace... and that is Truth. As much as we emphasize the importance of Shalom, in the final analysis Shalom is important up to a certain point -- and that is the point of Emes. If making Shalom is going to compromise the Emes, making one throw out his priniciples and values which he knows to be the Emes, then one should not make Shalom.
The Mishneh [Uktzin 3:12] states "G-d did not find any vessel to hold Blessing, other than the vessel of Peace". Shalom is the receptacle; it is the vessel that holds everything; but a person sometimes has to look; has to ask himself, "What am I left holding?" If I compromise everything in the name of Shalom, then what is this vessel of Shalom holding in the end? It's holding nothing. Yes, Peace, but remember the sequence of the verse: Truth and (then) Peace you shall love.
With this we can understand the difference between the Separation between "the waters and the waters" and the Separation between "Light and Darkness". In the case of the Rakiah, there was no real difference between the waters above and the waters below, it was just a division for the sake of division, so there we cannot say "Ki Tov". But separation between the Light and the Darkness -- between something that's good and something that's bad; between something that's right and something that's wrong -- that is a division about which we can indeed say "Ki Tov".
Pinchas did not seek out compromise with Zimri and Kozbi, in the name of Peace. Pinchas knew that there is a point at which a person must draw the line and say "here, and no further!". That is an example of "between Light and Darkness".
Now we can understand why the vov of Shalom is split: Yes, Shalom is important, but there are two kinds of Shalom. The "vov" can sometimes be a "vov haChibur" -- a vov which connects and sometimes the "vov" can be used as a letter which divides, a vov of "machlokes", of separation.
That is why the "vov" of Shalom is split. A person must remember, that in pursuing the cause of Shalom there are two vovs. Sometimes he must go with the "vov haChibur" and say "Yes, here it is worthwhile to compromise"; but sometimes he must go with the "vov of chiluk", of division. Sometimes in the name of Shalom, a person has to say "No, better machlokes than Shalom at any price".
The Chasam Sofer points out that the language of the Mishneh [Avot 1:12] is "Loving Peace and Pursuing (Rodef) Peace". Usually the connotation of the word Rodef means one who pursues (for the sake of harming). The Chasam Sofer notes that sometimes in the name of Peace, we have to be a Pursuer of Peace. Pinchas, when he was trying to kill Zimri was indeed Rodef (a pursuer), but that is sometimes what is in fact needed in the name of
Glossary
Shalom -- Peace
Machlokes -- Argument
Ki Tov -- "It was good"
Rodef -- Pursuer, (usually connotes the intent to harm)
vov haChibur -- the vov (sixth letter of Hebrew alphabet) used as a conjunctive "and"
vov haChiluk -- the vov used for distinction or division
Personalities & Sources:
Rav Shlomo Breuer -- (1850-1926) Son-in-law of R. Samson Raphael Hirsch and father of the late R. Joseph Breuer of the "Breuer's Community" in Washington Heights. R. Shlomo Breuer learned in the Pressburg yeshiva under the Kesav Sofer and held a rabbinic position in Papa, Hungary before succeeding his father-in-law in Frankfort.
Chasam Sofer -- (1762-1839) Rabbi Moses Sofer (Schreiber), Rabbi of Pressburg and acknowledged leader of Hungarian Jewry who led the battle against Reform. Known by the title of his 7 published volumes of Responsa.
