I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July! We didn’t do much, since it fell over Shabbos (and don’t forget the oppressive heatwave / and raging thunderstorms, to boot), though I really loved that the big 250 coincided with Shabbos, because it gave us time to reflect, pause, and express gratitude to Hashem for this glorious country, who has been so good to us. Think for just a moment about how good an American Jew has it, the opportunity, the freedom. I thought a lot about both my grandfathers upbringings; one born in Czechoslovakia, and the other a first generation American. How radically different their first 24 years of life were. Either way, they each raised their children here, on American soil, and after tons of hard-work, determination, perseverance, gratitude, and a bit of Hashems charm, they rest easy, knowing how much better they had it than their grandfathers. We are so lucky to be Americans, thank you Hashem, for this miracle of a country.
This weeks Parsha is Pinchas. Which doesn’t have a very clear arc, it seems to be a bit all over the place, but it does hold several interesting themes nonetheless. It opens with violence (which ends up being rewarded), a new census taken, leadership being appointed, land about to be divided, the festival calendar repeated, daughters asking for inheritance. Let’s dive in!
About the Good of the People
It’s always been hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that Moses, MOSES, of all people would not be allowed to step foot inside the Promised Land. He was instructed to view the land from a very high mountain, and then once he got a glimpse, he too would die. But why? Why couldn’t Moses, after all, he sacrificed to help God with His plan to take Israel out of Egypt, develop radical monotheism, and usher them into a land He’s been talking about since the days of Abraham, not be allowed in Eretz Yisroel? HOW could this be?
What I find so interesting is that God actually explains it to him (27:14). And instead of arguing, or begging, or getting defensive, the last words recorded of Moses speaking to God (27:15-17) is Moses’ concern for the people, they need a new leader: “so that the Lord’s community may not be like sheep that have no shepherd.” Moses truly is the most humble person to ever grace Gods earth.
The last thing I want to say about Moses’ death, comes from the book The Chosen by Chaim Potok, which I actually just finished yesterday evening:
Reuven, do you know what the rabbis tell us God said to Moses when he was about to die? He said to Moses, ‘You have toiled and labored, now you are worthy of rest.'”
I really love that. It was Reuven’s father, explaining to his son, why working very hard is important to him, why filling his time with meaningful work is important. Because he too, wants to be worthy of rest, when his time comes. I feel the same way. Right now, as a SAHM to four kids under seven, my toiling and laboring is here at home. With raising up the next generation of Torah-observant Jews.
Preparing for Tomorrow
Pinchas seems to be about everything that has to be put in place before a new beginning. Before Israel enters the land, God slows them down. He counts the people. He settles questions of inheritance. He appoints a new leader. He reminds them of the festivals they will celebrate year after year.
We often imagine that the exciting part of life is arriving somewhere new. And it can be. But God seems just as interested in what will sustain us after we arrive. I spend so much of my life doing ordinary things that feel invisible—meal planning, folding laundry, cleaning up toys, repeating bedtime routines, keeping track of appointments. Sometimes it feels like all I do is prepare for tomorrow.
But maybe preparation isn’t the thing before the real work. Maybe preparation is the real work?
Pinchas reminds me that faith isn’t built only in miraculous moments. It’s built in the small rhythms that carry a family from one generation to the next.