Moses ascends to the summit of Mount Nebo and gazes upon the splendid Promised Land
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribahin Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. And Moses spake unto the LORD, saying, Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation” Numbers 27: 12 – 19
- Moses sees the land of Israel and is informed that he and Aaron will not enter it. Both are bound to die without ever seeing the Promised Land – a consequence of their sin at “the waters of Merivah.” We must be wary and not miss the appropriate time to ascend – because the opportunity may not present itself again. In these situations, swiftness should not be regarded as rashness – but rather as an expression of desire to attain spiritual perfection. We must be wary and seize every chance. Every moment is fleeting and fragile and every good action or spiritual ascent must be performed wholeheartedly – with pure thoughts and intentions. The greater our devotion during their execution, the greater the leap will be.
- The land of Israel is the ultimate dwelling place of the divine presence. This concept is stressed throughout the entire Torah and specifically in the passages describing God’s promises.
Pinhas is awarded eternal priesthood
“Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood” Numbers 25:12 – 13
- After Phineas courageously kills Zimri for the purpose of protecting the Tabernacle, God grants him an eternal state of priesthood . Since Phineas is a priest by birth, he has effectively risked being disqualified from performing his duties due to this act. However, his actions are an extraordinary display of his unyielding fervor of the divine. Phineas sets his personal concerns aside and forfeits great spiritual rewards – all for the sake of stopping the plague that has spread across Israel’s camp. Through his actions, Phineas puts the interests of others before his own – thus embodying the true meaning of devotion and determination.
Pearls of Divine Wisdom: “Phineas”
- We shouldn’t settle for anything less than our mission and destiny. We must constantly work to achieve our highest goals.
- Spiritual healing can be achieved when we improve ourselves and those around us. Once we control ourselves and are wary of our ego, we can go on to fulfill our mission.
- We need to leave our material state of mind and embrace a spiritual one. This will allow us to engage both body and soul – and reach higher levels of existence.
- We must be wary and not miss the appropriate time to ascend spiritually – because the opportunity may not present itself again. Every moment is ephemeral and delicate. Promptness therefore symbolizes the pursuit of perfection.
- The land of Israel is the ultimate dwelling place of the divine presence. This concept is stressed throughout the entire Torah – and specifically in the passages describing God’s promises.
- We need to set aside our personal interests and make compromises for the sake of the many. Sacrifice and devotion always elicit blessings.
Restraint is the time taken after an impulse to restrict negative thoughts and behaviors.
