And Israel settled in Shittim. Balak and all his people of Pethor took counsel and said, "We have no choice but to seek the advice of Balaam." Balaam... Balaam gave his advice. Balak came to curse the people of Israel. It is written in one place (Joshua 24:9), "And he fought against Israel." And in another place (Judges 11:17), "If we fight with them." But he came to fight, and it did not go well. Immediately they went and entrusted their daughters, as our sages said regarding the "remembered above" matter. Therefore, it is said, "And Israel settled in Shittim, and the people began to commit sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab." And it says (Numbers 31:16), "These caused the children of Israel to sin." Weren't they brought from Midian? Rather, it teaches us that Midian and Moab were in this advice that Balaam gave in order to cause Israel to stumble. When Israel saw that Balaam had no power to curse them, they immediately fell into immorality, and 24,000 of them perished. "In Shittim" means that they engaged in foolishness. As it is also said (Proverbs 7:7), "The adulterous woman lacks sense." Another interpretation: "And Israel settled in Shittim." Whenever the term "settling" is mentioned, it is a language of distress. It is said regarding Cain (Genesis 4:16), "And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod." (Genesis 37:1) "And Jacob settled." Joseph was sold. (Exodus 32:6) "And the people sat down to eat and drink." And they handed over Joseph. (Exodus 32:6) "And the people sat down to eat and drink, and they got up to play." And Israel settled in Shittim, and there were deaths, and the people began to commit sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab. They made profane what was once holy. "The daughters of Moab" refers to the plains of Moab on the eastern side of the Jordan. For the wilderness of Jeshimon is to the west of the land of Moab, close to the Jordan, as it is a day's journey.

And they called the people." It was taught: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said, "Regarding the Israelites who were outside the land [of Israel], how were they allowed to interact with idolaters in a state of purity? For example, a Canaanite who made a feast for his son and invited the Jews in his city, although they ate and drank from their own [kosher food], and their own servant stood and poured for them as if they had eaten from the sacrifices of the dead, as it is stated, 'They joined themselves to Baal Peor and ate sacrifices to the dead.' But if you say that they only ate, why does it say 'and you shall eat'? What does the verse mean by 'and you shall eat'? From the moment of the invitation. 'And the people ate and bowed down to their gods.' Since he [the idolater] would entice her [the Jewish woman] with Ammonite wine, which is beautiful and entices the body to immorality, he would say to her, 'Listen to me,' and she would take out idolatry from her bosom and say to him, 'Bow down to this [idol],' and I will listen to you.

And Israel joined themselves to Baal Peor." At first, they would enter modestly, and afterwards, they began to enter in pairs, like the coupling of cattle. Another interpretation: "And Israel joined themselves" means they were joined together like a bracelet on the hand. "To Baal Peor" refers to idol worship, where they would eat and drink before it and then defecate there. This is what the sages said: "One who throws a stone at Merkulis, this is his worship." One who defecates before Baal Peor, this is his worship. The rabbis taught: There was a story with a Jewish man who hired his donkey to a Canaanite woman. When she arrived at Peor, she said to him, "Wait until I go in and come out." After she came out, he also went in and defecated in front of it, wiping himself with a reed. The priests would ridicule him, saying, "There was never a person who served him like this." Rav Yehuda said that Rav Ma'aseya related a story about a Canaanite woman who fell ill and said, "If you stand by me in my illness, go and serve every foreign worship in the world." When she arrived at Peor, she asked the priests how they worshiped it. They told her to descend and drink wine and then defecate in front of it. She said, "It is better to return to my illness and not serve idolatry in this way." But Israel "joined themselves" to Baal Peor, and the anger of the Lord burned against Israel.

"And the Lord said to Moses, 'Take all the leaders of the people and hang them before the Lord, facing the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.'" If the people sinned, what was the sin of the leaders? Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, "Appoint many courts for them, so that the anger of the Lord will subside, and hang them before the Lord." How do we know that hanging is meant? As it is stated, "And hang them before the Lord in the valley of the shadow of death." Opposite the sun. From here we learn that judgments regarding capital offenses are not held at night. Opposite the sun, based on witnesses. Similarly, it is stated, "If the sun has risen upon him, he shall be guilty." Another interpretation: Opposite the sun, so that the sun does not shine upon them. And similarly, it says, "His carcass shall not remain overnight upon the tree." Another interpretation: Opposite the sun, so that every cloud departs from it, and the sun shines upon it.

"And Moses said to the judges of Israel, 'Each of you slay his men who were joined to Baal Peor.'" His own tribe, the tribe of Shimon, approached Zimri son of Salu and said to him, "They are passing judgment on us for capital punishment, and you are sitting silently!" He immediately arose and gathered one thousand members of the tribe of Shimon and went to Kozbi daughter of Zur. He said to her, "Listen to me." She replied, "I will only listen to a distinguished person who is like Abba." He said to her, "Even I am the prince of a tribe, and not only that, but my tribe is greater than the tribe of Moses, for it is the second in birthright." Moses's tribe is third in birthright. Immediately, she consented, as it is stated, "And behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel." Zimri came to Moses and asked him, "Son of Amram, is this permitted or forbidden?" And if you say it is forbidden, who permitted you to marry the daughter of Jethro, who is a daughter of a Midianite priest? At that moment, the halacha (Jewish law) was concealed from Moses our teacher, as it is stated, "And they were weeping at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting." Everyone began to weep in mourning.

And Pinchas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, saw. What did he see? He saw an act and remembered the halacha (Jewish law). When someone commits a forbidden relationship with a non-Jewish woman, zealots may strike him. Alternatively, he saw that no one was standing up to zealously act for the sake of God's name. He said, "Is there no one here who will take action and execute judgment?" As it is stated, "Judah is a lion's cub" (Genesis 49:9). "Dan shall be a serpent by the way" (Genesis 49:17). "Benjamin is a wolf that tears" (Genesis 49:27). However, since he saw that everyone remained silent, Pinchas immediately arose and took action, for no one showed concern for the honor of their Creator. Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, a righteous son of a righteous father. Alternatively, "And Pinchas saw" - Reuben was suspected of a matter, but they did not judge or testify against him, as it is stated, "And he lay with Bilhah" (Genesis 35:22). All of Simeon was guilty, and the matter depended solely on Levi. Moses said to Pinchas, "My father's brother, did you not learn that when someone commits a forbidden relationship with a non-Jewish woman, zealots may strike him?" He said to him, "A messenger of the letter should be for him a horseman." Immediately, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand. He arose from the Sanhedrin of Moses and took a spear in his hand. He removed the spearhead and placed it in his armpit, and it was fixed and stayed on his staff. They said to Pinchas, "Where are you going?" He said to them, "And who is greater than Shimon?" They said, "Let him be." He even went to attend to his needs. The Sages allowed the matter to proceed.

And another Israelite came after them to the tent. He was coming and going after Zimri to the tent, and he pierced both the Israelite man and the woman through their stomach. The place of the stab was deliberate. Come and see this one miracle: If those who opposed Pinchas had cried out, they would have killed him. The second miracle is that they did not separate from each other. The third miracle is that in his memory, the man's genitals and the woman's vaginal cavity, which had been seen in the tent, were visible to everyone, and they saw and believed. The fourth miracle is that the spear extended to pierce both of them. The fifth miracle is that Pinchas was given strength in his arm to lift them both. The sixth miracle is that the tree bore the weight. The seventh miracle is that they were not removed from the spear to expose their disgrace to all. The eighth miracle is that the angel turned them upside down, so that the man was above and the woman was below. The ninth miracle is that blood did not drip so that Pinchas the priest would not be defiled. The tenth miracle is that they did not die until they were taken out of the tent, so that Pinchas would not become impure inside the tent. The eleventh miracle is that the angel raised the curtain so that both of them would come out when he carried them on his shoulders. The twelfth miracle is that as soon as they came out, the plague began from Balak's people, so that they would not rise up against Pinchas. He came and beat them before the Lord, and he said before Him, "Master of the Universe, let twenty-four thousand of Israel fall because of these." Immediately, he stood in prayer, as it is stated, "And Pinchas stood and prayed, and the plague was stopped" (Psalm 106:30-31), and it was counted to him as righteousness for generations.

"The one who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and the one who rules his spirit is better than one who captures a city." (Proverbs 16:32)

Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, is praised for his actions and is described as having good patience. He saw and said (Proverbs 21), "There is no wisdom, no advice, and no understanding against the Lord." He stood up and zealously acted for the sake of the Lord, restraining his anger until he reached the presence of the Lord. Had he cried out and insulted them, those who came against him, they would have killed him. Immediately, the tribe of Simeon stood by him, for he waited until their strength weakened, until they were like a dried-out fig, withered and full of water. "Capturing a city" refers to the fact that one who captures a city may not possess it, but Phinehas achieved it for himself and his generations, as it is said, "It shall be for him and his descendants after him" (Numbers 25:13). The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Take vengeance for the children of Israel," as the people were murmuring and saying, "Do you see this son of Puti? He will kill a prince of the tribe of Israel." His mother's father, Jethro, used to worship idols, as it is said, "And Eleazar, Aaron's son, took to himself a wife from the daughters of Putiel" (Exodus 6:25). They say it was the daughter of Jethro. When the Lord saw that they disdained him, He began to associate Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, with their families and ancestral houses. He made them my relatives and attributed them to the families of their ancestors. I repaid them goodness for their goodness, as I turned away my anger from the children of Israel. They held him in high regard, for he turned away my anger from them. No one was as zealous as him, except for him. It is fitting for him to be zealous, as he is a descendant of zealous ones from the tribe of Levi, who was zealous for the incident of the calf. The one who turns away anger is the son of one who turns away anger, the son of Aaron, as it is said, "And he put on the incense and atoned for the people" (Numbers 17:12). And I have not stopped teaching that, had it not been for Phinehas, there would have been destruction. Concerning him, Solomon said (Proverbs 16:14), "The wrath of a king is like messengers of death, but a wise person will appease it."

Therefore, say: "Behold, I grant him My covenant of peace. No one shall dispute the priesthood, as the congregation of Korah did." And it is said (Malachi 2:5), "My covenant was with him, life and peace." Great is the peace that was bestowed upon Phinehas through the covenant. Great is the peace that was given to him, so that future generations would receive it. May it be that people greet one another with peace in the morning and evening.

And it shall be to him and his descendants after him an everlasting covenant of priesthood. These are the twenty-four priestly gifts, in return for his zeal (Isaiah 33:12), "In return for his fervor, he made atonement for his people." It is not only said "made atonement," but "made atonement for the children of Israel." "Made atonement" is mentioned until now, indicating that it continues to atone even for the deceased.

And the name of the Israelite man was published by the Scripture to make known the praise of Pinchas, that he did not shrink back in his zeal for his God. Zimri was called Zimri due to the act that was done swiftly and strangely.