Crazy About G-d’s Honor and Reputation

     The scene in the Torah portion today doesn't play well on our modern stage.  (Actually, the episode with Pinchas (Phinehas) starts in last week's portion).  Here's a wild-eyed fanatic clutching a spear, stalking a couple of lovers, following them to the man's tent and skewering them with his spear as they are in love's embrace. What's more, the L-rd finds his action so praiseworthy that He holds it up as a model for all to follow (Numbers 25:7-8).  We don't get it, at first.  

     What's going on here? Let's follow the strands of the action (25:1-6).  The Moabites sent their young women to invite the men of Israel to a celebration in honor of their god Baal. This was not an ordinary party, but was more like an orgy sanctioned by the religion of the Moabites. They offered sacrifices to Baal, then ate, drank, and paired off with the Moabite women (31:17 supports this view). The L-rd's reaction? He was burning hot—the men of Israel committed adultery against their wives, but the worst part of it, they committed adultery against Him by worshiping Baal.  The L-rd declared that these men should die for their sin.  

     The entire community of Israel is gathered around the tent of the meeting, weeping, and who comes strolling by? Zimri, the son of a leading family of the Simeonites, walking hand in hand with his Midianite mistress Cozbi, on their way to his tent. Do you get the picture? Zimri was thumbing his nose at the G-d of Israel and showing gross insensitivity to the loss that Israel was about to experience (24,000 men to be exact).  There is another major issue here: Pinchas was zealous for G-d's honor among the people of Israel.  

     Let's put it in human terms for a minute. The L-rd felt the way a husband or a wife feels when their spouse flaunts a love affair in their face—extreme shame and anger. We don't need to go to the extreme that Pinchas did—we better not plan on skewering anyone. Yet, we need to imitate his attitude of concern for the L-rd's honor.  

     If we truly love the L-rd, can we remain indifferent when the L-rd has to suffer shame by His bride's behavior? There are many people running around, claiming to be believers who live like the Midianites in Pinchas' time, and who bring much shame to the L-rd's reputation. In other words, because of them, the L-rd looks ridiculous. G-d may or may not lead us to confront them. In the very least, we must guard our own lives so that we bring honor to the L-rd, and not shame.