Parshas Pinchas: Stop the Plague of Abortion For God's Sake!

The Torah portion this week, Pinchas: Bamidbar (Numbers) 25:10-30:1, opens as God expresses great pleasure with Pinchas for his bold action to stop a plague ravaging the Jewish community.

Only Caleb and Joshua survive the original exodus from Egypt nearly 40 years ago. In the Pinchas reading, God orders another census to facilitate territorial possession in the Promised Land, along with divinely determined lots and equity of inheritance for men and women. Joshua assumes the leadership position.

The portion closes with a detailed account of the ritual sacrifices and festival observances that will be required once the people settle in their new home.

Pinchas

Pinchas is a well connected, high ranking priest in the Israelite governing establishment. Aaron is his grandfather. Moses is his granduncle. He has a deep concern for the Jews and their future wellbeing.

In last week's Torah portion, Pinchas disregards official channels when he slays a Simeon tribal leader and his Midianite paramour. His action saves Jewish lives in two ways. First, the plague stops. Second, God withdraws his intention to destroy everyone in order to stop the wickedness of Baal worship in the society. 

Pinchas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked. This was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come. Psalm 106:30-31. 

Pinchas' critics view him as zealous and unbalanced. They accuse him of using a crises to override official authority and gain personal attention. However, God approves of him.  Pinchas receives God's everlasting blessings of peace and priesthood for his fearless defense of holiness motivated by love and concern for his people. 

Elijah 

Pinchas reappears 400 years later as Elijah in our regular Haftorah this week, I Kings 18:46-19:21. Elijah represents Jewish leadership at its best - bold, self-sacrificing, and faithful to God. 

Elijah preaches during the reign of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, who oversee the moral disintegration of Jewish culture through their promotion of Baal worship in the northern kingdom of Israel. Again, national endorsement advances child sacrifice at this time in Jewish history.

Elijah predicts severe drought as consequence for the wicked policies in Israel. He proves the Almighty's supremacy in a face off against deep state actors posing as prophets of Baal. Then he leads a successful offensive to eliminate them. Jezebel issues a bounty on Elijah's head.

God protects and guides Elijah as he represents the faithful minority in Israel and continues his bold action against evil in his time. Elijah appoints Elisha as his successor. Elijah eventually escapes capture when God transports him up to Heaven in a whirlwind.

Jeremiah

Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) 1:1-2:3 is our special Haftarah portion this week due to the start of a three week period of mourning commemorating Jewish catastrophes throughout our history. The reading this Saturday falls on the 17th day of Tammuz, the day in 69 CE when the Romans breeched the second temple.

Jeremiah lives during the twilight years of Judah, approximately 200 years after Elijah. Jeremiah gets the call to serve when still a young man. He questions his ability to withstand the certain trials and rejection he anticipates. God reassures him of his appointment in a way that showcases the value of human beings in the womb, each with a unique  purpose. 

“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.”  Jeremiah 1:5.

Jeremiah receives much encouragement and strength from God's endorsement. Contrast this with the treatment he gets from his fellow Jews and the Jewish leaders whose authority he repudiates. They dismiss his teaching and ignore his message. His lifetime effort falls to avert disaster. 

Jeremiah steadfastly transmits God's prophesy where and when and how he is instructed. He warns of a Babylonian invasion due to Baal worship and child sacrifice in Judah. To silence him. the justice department of Judah declares him an enemy of the state. He is hunted down, prosecuted and imprisoned.

Especially irritating to the government authorities is the message he delivers 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.” 

Like Pinchas and Elijah before him, Jeremiah loves his people. He wants to help redeem them. When Jerusalem falls to Babylon, Jeremiah encourages the exiled Jews to maintain fidelity to God and Torah. He promises them redemption for past errors, renewed protection and care from Heaven, and a return to holy worship in Israel.

The Plague of Abortion

Today, the plague of abortion ravages nations across the globe. Rarely do government officials and religious leaders take action to stop this deliberate and unwarranted destruction of human beings in the womb. When they do, their critics accuse them of pandering to pro-life constituents and risking election losses. 

Yet, Divine principles apply in all generations. Any nation or community in any era that endorses, legalizes, allows child sacrifice exhibits a degree of wickedness and evil that invites curses from Heaven. The world today is full of curses, to be sure.

This week, the Jewish Pro-Life Foundation launched our Jewish Leadership Educational Outreach Program. This is an effort to educate rabbis, Knesset members, and community leaders about the evil of abortion, why our Torah prohibits it, and how we can restore Israel's reputation and security by stopping it.

Perhaps our efforts will motivate another courageous hero to risk his reputation to save Jewish lives from a plague that kills thousands of innocent children every year. No actual spear skills involved. Requirements include a heart full of love for God's children and the Jewish people, courage to act against establishment paralysis, and anticipation of blessings for peace and prestige everlasting.

Outreach letters in English and Hebrew can be found on our blogs. Please share them.

English letter to Rabbis

English letter to Members of Knesset

English letter to Community Leaders

Hebrew letter to Rabbis on our Israel website blog

Hebrew letter to Member of Knesset on our Israel website blog

Hebrew letter to Community Leaders on our Israel website blog

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

Cecily Routman

Cecily Routman is the founder and president of the Jewish Pro-Life Foundation. She opposes abortion homicide in general and among Jews in particular and laments secular policy making in Israel that results in loss of Jewish life and delays the messianic redemption. Cecily envisions a Torah based holy Land of Israel and a world that respects the life of every human being from conception.

Please visit our Hebrew blog on our Israel website.