Parshas Pinchas starts off where last week’s parsha finished. Moses sends Pinchas and the rest of Bnei Yisrael to war against the Midianites. We read about the act of Zimri and the response of Pinchas. The episode is described as follows:

"Adonai  spoke to Moses, saying, 11 "Phinehas, son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the Israelites by displaying among them his passion for Me, so that I did not wipe out the Israelite people in My passion. 12 Say, therefore, ‘I grant him My pact of friendship. 13 It shall be for him and his descendants after him a pact of priesthood for all time, because he took impassioned action for HaShem, thus making expiation for the Israelites.’" [Bamidbar 25:10-13]

This week’s reading shows that Pinhcas and his descendants enjoyed the pact of friendship with HaShem due to his passionate actions for Him!!  This begs the question, are we as believers passionate for HaShem?  Do we long for the coming of Moshiach?  Do we yearn for the re-building of the Beit HaMikdash (The Holy Temple)?

We must all answer these questions for ourselves.  I sometimes think that we are not as passionate for the things of God as we should be.  It is easy to say the prayers asking for the coming of Moshiach or the rebuilding of the Temple.

The difference is Pinchas took action to diffuse the wrath of Hashem.  What actions are we willing to take to bring about the coming of the Messiah?  HaShem offered a pact of friendship to Pinchas due to the passion that he showed.

I wonder how amazing it would be to be friends with God?  We will only find out if we develop a Passion for HaShem.

Shiviti Hashem L’Negdi tamid! | I Set God Always Before Me | שִׁוִּיתִי יְהוָה לְנֶגְדִּי תָמִיד