“Pinchas, the son of Elazar… turned My wrath away from the children of Israel by zealously taking up My cause among them…

Therefore,… I have granted him a covenant of peace. He and his descendants will possess an eternal covenant of priesthood,

because he zealously acted on behalf of his God.”

(Numbers 25:11-13)

“Pinchas did not consider the danger to himself. What concerned him was the spiritual danger facing the Jewish people, and he was willing to risk his life to eliminate the threat.

…

What motivated Pinchas?…He understood what had to be done to accomplish this goal, and was willing to take any risks involved.

This is zealousness: putting one’s own welfare both spiritual and material to one side, and making an unbounded commitment to carry out God’s will. When a person makes a genuine commitment of this nature, the inner Godly spark which every one of us possesses is given expression.

Similarly, such an approach evokes an unbounded response from God. For when man goes beyond his natural limits in his Divine service, God grants him rewards that are not confined by nature. For this reason, Pinchas could be granted the status of a priest.

…

Pinchas was not the leader of the Jewish people… Yet when the need arose, Pinchas did not wait for the leaders’ guidance, but seized the initiative himself.

The same applies with regard to every individual today, for every one of us has a unique contribution to make. With the confidence that comes from the truth of one’s inner conviction, we must all take the initiative and spread good and peace.”