Parshas Pinchas: Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

The Torah portion this week, Pinchas: Bamidbar (Numbers) 25:10-30:1, opens as God expresses great pleasure with Pinchas for his bold action against shameless indecency within the community. Though Pinchas has his critics, God rewards him for showing initiative and self sacrifice sufficient to stop a plague that kills 24,000 and threatens future generations.

Only Caleb and Joshua survive the original exodus from Egypt nearly 40 years ago. God orders another headcount to facilitate territory possession in the Promised Land, along with divinely determined lots and equity of inheritance for men and women. Joshua assumes the leadership position over the Jews. The portion closes with a detailed account of the ritual sacrifices and festival observances that will be required once the people are settled in their new home.

Times of great confusion and existential threat require unconventional remedies. Pinchas acts to stop seriously egregious, life threatening practices as religious leaders and trusted elders stand by doing nothing. Not only does he act against a very powerful family who can exact retribution upon him, he also acts against prevailing social mores and political power. Though viewed by his peers as zealous and unbalanced, God judges him righteous, a fearless defender of holiness, blessing him and his descendants with the priestly mantle.

Jewish civilization regularly faces external threats to its survival; however, internal moral collapse poses the greatest danger. Pinchas recognizes the menace and saves Jewish society from itself. Our biblical history chronicles many periods marked by indecency, idolatry, and immorality, with prophets warning us and calamitous events befalling us. 

Modern Jewish culture faces great danger from external attacks as well as internal moral disintegration due to secularization bolstered by decades of misinterpreted Jewish law by many religious leaders who claim false legal authority. These influencers turn Torah inside out and upside down, rendering negative commandments allowable and portraying positive commandments as irrelevant. For most Jews, modern Halacha now differs significantly from the original ethical and moral legal structure given to us at Mt Sinai.

The Haftarah portion for Pinchas, Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) 1:1-2:3, showcases the undeniably valuable human being in the womb. When Jeremiah objects to his prophetic appointment, God reassures him, saying, “When I had not yet formed you in the womb, I knew you, and when you had not yet emerged from the womb, I had appointed you; a prophet to the nations I made you.” 

Throughout his lifetime, Jeremiah prophesied that moral decline within the nation of Israel would end with national disintegration and destruction. Ignored, demonized, and persecuted, he was jailed as a traitor for daring to warn against idolatry and child sacrifice, as in Jeremiah 7:30. “For the Children of Judah have done that which is evil in My sight, saith the Lord; they have set their detestable things in the house whereon My name is called, to defile it. And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and daughters in the fire which I commanded not, neither came it into my mind.” 

When Jerusalem falls and the Jews exiled to Babylon, Jeremiah encourages them to maintain fidelity to God and Torah, promising redemption for past errors, renewed protection and care from Heaven, and a return to holy worship in Israel.

Judaism was the first religion in human history to prohibit child sacrifice. Now, nearly 90% of Jews believe that abortion is morally acceptable at all stages of pregnancy as a reasonable form of birth control and a guaranteed healthcare provision. Many of our most respected rabbinical spokesmen who remain uneducated about safe, compassionate, life saving solutions for pregnancies that pose a threat to the mother's life, still recommend dangerous abortions that cause a painful death to an innocent child and pose a real danger to a woman'e life.

This advocacy for abortion to one degree of another across the spectrum of Jewish culture presents an existential threat to Judaism’s moral foundation, demographic continuity, and spiritual survival. Thousands of Jewish babies die by painful abortion every year, their mothers exploited, manipulated, and damaged; their fathers deprived of responsibility and the joy of parenthood.

At best, our community and religious leaders say nothing; at worst, they encourage it. We understand the intimidating obstacles they encounter should they attempt to stop the insanity. Retribution as cancel culture and loss of social and professional standing endanger lifelong careers, financial security, and donor support for cherished projects. Recently, I had a conversation with a representative from Students for Life about bringing our educational materials to campus Hillel chapters, The effort might succeed if the Hillel donor base doesn't threaten to withhold funding. We shall see.

Jeremiah serves as our example of the Jewish pro-life activist. A minority within a minority, the Jewish Pro-Life Foundation provides much needed Torah based pro-life education, Jewish friendly pregnancy care and adoption referrals, and healing after abortion. Thank you, Jeremiah, for your example which strengthens us and inspires us everyday, 

Cecily Routman

May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and good life upon us and upon all Israel. Amen.