The Price of Apathy
Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son Aharon, the kohen, turned away my anger from Bnai Yisrael through being zealous on My behalf. And I did not destroy Bnai Yisrael in my zealousness. (Sefer BaMidbar 25:11)
I. The sin of Bnai Yisrael and Pinchas’ action
Parshat Pinchas continues the narrative that began at the end of Parshat Balak. Men from Bnai Yisrael entered into intimate relations with women from Moav. These women persuaded their paramours to join them in worship of the god of Moav. Hashem brought a plague upon Bnai Yisrael. Also, he commanded Moshe to assemble the leadership of the nation. The leaders should judge and execute the idolaters. Suddenly, in defiance of Moshe and the leaders, Zimri, a prince within the tribe of Shimon, comes forward. He publicly liaisoned with Kazbi, a princess of Midyan. Pinchas arose from among the people and executed Zimri and Kazbi. This ended the plague.
In the opening of Parshat Pinchas, Pinchas is rewarded for his zealousness on behalf of Hashem. Hashem explains that Pinchas’ action brought an end to the plague before it destroyed the nation.
This is an outline of the events. Many details are not provided by the Torah. Also, the sequence of events is not clearly presented. Let’s consider the Torah’s presentation of the events more carefully.
| Passages | Content |
| BaMidbar 25:1-3 | The men of Bnai Yisrael and the women of Moav enter into relationships. The men worship of god of Moav. |
| BaMidbar 25:3 | Hashem is angry. |
| BaMidbar 25:4 | Hashem tells Moshe to assemble the judges, try, and execute the offenders. These measures will mitigate Hashem’s anger. |
| BaMidbar 25:5 | Moshe instructs the judges. |
| BaMidbar 25:6 | Zimri and Kazbi come forward in defiance of Moshe and the judges. |
| BaMidbar 25:7-8 | Pinchas takes action. The plague ends. |
| BaMidbar 25:9 | The Torah reports that 24,000 perished in the plague. |
| BaMidbar 25:10-11 | Hashem tells Moshe that Pinchas is responsible for mediating His anger with Bnai Yisrael. He saved the people from destruction. |
II. Missing details and additional information
A number of details are missing from the Torah’s account:
- The plague ended with Pinchas executing Zimri and Kazbi but when did it begin?
- Did the judges take action or did the courts suspend action with the ending of the plague?
- The Torah tells us that the plague took 24,000 lives. Did the judges execute anyone? If they did, how many idolaters were tried and punished?
- The plague was ended by Pinchas’ intervention and not by the death of every idolater. If the courts did not take action, then what happened the surviving idolaters?
It seems that the final question is partially answered in Sefer Devarim. There the Torah explains that all those who served Ba’al Pe’or – the deity of Moav – were destroyed.[1] However, it is not completely clear from the passage whether those idolaters who did not die in the plague were executed by the courts of died in some other manner.
Also, according to the Talmud, more than 150,000 members of the nation were executed by the courts.[2] This means that they convened and acted. The immense number of violators who were tried and executed suggests that the courts conducted their trials after the plague ended. In other words, even after Hashem’s anger subsided, the courts executed their responsibility to punish the violators.
With these additional details a more complete account to the events can be constructed. The plague began before Moshe convened the courts. Before the courts could completely carry out their task, or perhaps, before they began, Zimri and Kazbi defied them and Moshe. Throughout these events the plague raged among the people. Pinchas came forward and executed Zimri and Kazbi. This ended the plague. At this point, the courts either continued or began their work. They tried and executed those idolaters who had survived the plague. Over 175,000 perished either in the plague or through the actions of the courts.
III. Many questions
A number of questions emerge:
- First, Hashem directed Moshe to convene the courts. He told him that this would extinguish His anger and, presumably, end the plague. If the lives of the sinners were being taken by the plague, then why were the courts needed? The courts would only do the work that was already being performed by the plague.
- Second, in the above passage, Hashem explains that the courts should be convened in order to arrest Hashem’s anger. Is this the purpose of the courts? Is not their purpose to try and execute those guilty of idolatry?
- Third, if the only purpose of the courts was to suspend Hashem’s anger and end the plague, then why did the courts continue to try and execute idolaters even after the plague ended.
- Fourth, Pinchas arose, killed Zimri and Kazbi, and ended the plague. Hashem told Moshe that His anger and the plague would end with the action of the courts. How did Pinchas’ action suffice to end the plague?
IV. Plagues are indiscriminate
Ramban – Nachmanides – addresses the first above question. He explains that there is an important difference between the consequences of a plague and the actions of the courts. The courts investigate, try, and punish only those who are found guilty of a crime. A plague is a natural phenomenon. When a plague is released upon a people, it cannot target the guilty and spare the innocent. It is indiscriminate in choosing its victims.[3] Hashem told Moshe to convene the courts and to identify and punish the guilty. This would spare the innocent endangered by the plague.
V. The passivity of Bnai Yisrael
The remaining questions strongly suggest that the plague was not a response to the idolatry of the sinners but to the passivity of the “innocent”. In other words, the plague certainly punished the sinners but it was primarily a response to the failure of the rest of the nation to not oppose the idolatry taking place in its midst.
This interpretation answers all remaining questions. Hashem told Moshe that the courts must be convened and must take vigorous action against the idolaters. The transformation from passive observers into active opponents would end the plague. However, this does not suggest that with the ending of the plague the work of the courts would be completed. Even after the abating of the plague, the courts must carry-out their work of identifying and punishing those guilty.
Because the plague was a response to the passivity of the people, the impact of Pinchas’ action is understood. When Kazbi and Zimri defied Moshe and the courts, Pinchas emerged from the people and acted. He shook off the passivity that paralyzed his peers and declared that no member of the nation may tolerate this open demonstration of defiance. His rejection of passivity and bold action ended the plague.
VI. Responding to evil and honoring personal freedom
Passivity or apathy in the face of evil brought a plague upon the people. The lesson is obvious. We cannot be passive when confronted by behaviors that are unequivocally evil. We should be very slow and careful in judgment. Most often, we should withhold judgement. But when we are clearly observing evil, we cannot ignore it or merely leave it to others to respond.
This issue is complicated by the values of our contemporary culture. In his work, On Liberty, John Stuart Mills formulated and presented a theory on the extent and limits of personal liberty that has been widely adopted by our contemporary culture. Mills insisted that “it is imperative that human beings should be free to form opinions, and to express their opinions without reserve.” Mills then took up the issue of freedom of action and asserted that our freedom of action should be limited only by the harm it may cause to others. In other words, one’s actions should not be limited or constrained by society unless they threaten another’s welfare.
The result of our culture’s subscription to this principle is that we too – the members of the Torah community – are reluctant to judge those whose acts do not overtly harm others. This means that even if one is engaged in activities that are clearly contrary to the values of the Torah we refrain from judging these actions and certainly will not condemn them. In our passivity we imitate the behavior of our ancestors in the above account.
VII. Contemporary conundrums
Our passivity reflects our conflation of two completely separate issues. We do not want to reject those whose practices do not conform to our standards. If we alienate those who reject some of the Torah’s mitzvot or values, then we add to their estrangement. We make it difficult for these individuals to reconsider their positions and to sustain a relationship with the Torah. Furthermore, we must always respect our fraternal relationship and responsibilities even to those who are not observant. However, this does not mean that we cannot and should not unequivocally reject behaviors that conflict with the Torah’s clearly stated values.
In our own minds, we must be clear in our commitment to the truth of the Torah’s values. Also, we must also be willing to openly assert the validity of these values. This means shedding passivity and sometimes taking unpopular or controversial stands.
[1] Sefer Devarim 4:3. The passage describes Hashem destroying the idolaters. It is not clear whether this means that He destroyed them through the courts or directly.
[2] Masechet Sanhedrin 18a. Ramban (Sefer Devarim 25:5) insists that the Talmud is not suggesting the courts actually executed 150,000 people guilty of idolatry. He explains that it is not reasonable to assume that a quarter of the nation was involved in this sin. Also, he argues that if this large number of people was executed, it would be reflected in the census taken after the incident. He believes that it is not reflected. In his opinion, the Sages are communicating that a large number of people were guilty of idolatry. They were not all executed. Once, the plague ended the courts did not conduct cases against the idolaters. Instead, their lives were taken by Hashem over the course of the following months.
[3] Rabbeinu Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban / Nachmanides), Commentary on Sefer BaMidbar 25:5.