From Zeal to Zealotry

In the opening of yesterday’s Torah portion, Parshat Pinchas, we read: “The Eternal spoke to Moses, saying, “Pinchas, son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the Israelites by displaying among them his passion for Me, so that I did not wipe out the Israelite people in My passion. Say, therefore, ‘I grant him My pact of friendship. It shall be for him and his descendants after him a pact of priesthood for all time, because he took impassioned action for his God, thus making expiation for the Israelites.’ ” (Num. 25:10-13)

This passage has long puzzled commentators.  The Torah states that Pinchas is rewarded with Brit shalom – God’s eternal covenant of peace (which JPS translates as “pact of friendship”).  Some see in Pinchas’ actions bravery, courage and valor.  Others see it as an act of zealotry, in which Pinchas arrogated to himself the role of judge, jury and executioner as he killed the Israelite Zimri, and his Midianite consort, Cozbi. As the highly regarded medieval French commentator Rashi often says, “this passage cries out – darshaini – “Explain me!”

I was reminded of this passage more than once over the two weeks since I arrived in Israel. No matter which way Pinchas’ actions are read, for good or as an act of arrogance, they are always linked with the concept of zeal, or zealotry. One dictionary defines zeal as “fervor for a person, cause, or object.” Zealotry as “fanatical and uncompromising pursuit of religious, political, or other ideals; fanaticism.”  I suppose that one’s view will almost always be based on one’s perspective or views.

I believe that we have seen more than a few examples of abundant zeal, and even zealotry in recent weeks.  I’ll mention just two.  I’m not equating them per se. I offer these two as a reminder that zealotry comes in different forms.  (I could easily select other examples from home in the US.) The first follows upon actions taken by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in cancelling the agreement from nearly 18 months ago wherein a compromise was struck regarding access to the Kotel (Western Wall) for Jewish streams from across the spectrum, from liberal to orthodox.  In face of a threat by his Ultra-Orthodox coalition partners to leave the government and thereby cause it’s collapse, Netanyahu cancelled the agreement. Coincident with that decision, leaders of the Haredi community pushed forward with a bill to change Israeli law as regards conversion to Judaism. There has been a ramping up of denouncements of Reform and Conservatives from haredi leaders. A week or so ago a “Black List” of Diaspora Rabbis, compiled by the office of Israel’s Chief Rabbi from around the globe was published. Some of my colleagues have taken umbrage that they were not included on the list. Others have declared the list meaningless. Virtually all of us see these actions as a form of religious zealotry in which the Ultra-Orthodox community here in Israel is attempting to consolidate its political clout and arrogate to themselves all decisions as regard all Jews, wherever they may live. This string of pronouncements and acts have driven a deep wedge into the heart of our Jewish people. How we step back from this precipice, or can we do so, remains to be seen. In spite of the cause, and potential outcome as regards the Kotel and the Conversion bill, I do take some comfort that an unusually broad coalition of Jewish organizations, who often find themselves at odds, have in this instance aligned to prevent this from going any further.

Zeal and zealotry are hardly limited to the realm of words and pronouncements.  This past Friday, like the Israelis around me  I was stunned to learn of the horrific events in and around the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City.  Three Arab-Israeli cousins from the Israeli-Arab village of Umm al-Fahm, burst out of the Temple Mount complex guns blazing. They killed two Israeli Border Police officers and wounded another. Israeli police officers responded quickly and ultimately cornered and killed the attackers who’d fled back into the Temple Mount complex from which they launched their attack in the first place.  The initial terrorist act has rattled Israelis – Jews and many Arabs.  There is an uneasy pall today as the Temple Mount complex will be reopened for Muslim worshippers.  I’ll leave the varying responses from Israel’s Arab neighbors, the Arab League and others aside for this moment. Certainly we can debate what caused these three young men to act as they did. But what they did was an act of terrorism. The Israeli police below the Temple Mount complex were doing their job in responding to their attack. There seems to be some evidence that the three Arab cousins sought to ignite a broader Middle Eastern conflict by their actions. There is can be no question that this awful chapter was set in motion by the zealotry of three cousins from an Israeli-Arab city.  These were not attackers from beyond Israel’s borders but rather Israeli-Arab citizens.  Only time will tell whether Israeli, Palestinian and other leaders can calm the waters and use this moment as a possible opening to addressing the ongoing grievances of both sides, or if a new round of violence is about to erupt. I pray for peace and calm with leadership on all sides.

Zeal and zealotry have been a part of the human behavioral and attitudinal repertoire for a long time. Yesterday’s Torah reading is a reminder of that.  Be it the Ultra-Orthodox Rabbis here in Israel, young Arab men from an Israeli-Arab town, or even political leaders here in in Israel or back home in the US, there must be a way to channel passions so they do not cross the line from zeal to zealotry.

One last note:  Commenting on Pinchas’ act, my colleague Rabbi Micky Boyden from Hod HaSharon here in Israel, responding to recents events notes: On the face of it, Pinchas is awarded with "a covenant of peace" (b'rit shalom) for his act of religious zealotry. However,” in the Babylonian Talmud, “Rav Nachman points out that the Vav in the word "shalom" is broken in the middle because Pinchas was not shalem (whole) but chasseyr (lacking). The same can be said of Israel's religious and political establishment, but our love of Israel is not conditional upon their behavior.”

In the aftermath of these recent weeks, we as a people are not shaleym – we are not whole. That’s not exactly new. But we need to find a way towards a great sense of wholeness with and in regard to one another – as a Jewish people, as co-inhabitants of this fragile planet, and its nations.