Awakening From Below
סמיכות פרשיות הללו כהונת פינחס וצרור את המדינים והמנין ופטירת משה רבינו ע"ה
The juxtaposition of these parshiyos: the priesthood of Pinchas, the command to harass the Midianites, the census, and the passing of Moshe Rabbeinu, alav hashalom.
The Sfas Emes opens by noting that several seemingly unrelated topics are placed side by side in the parshah, and asks what connects them.
הענין הוא כי עתה התחיל להיות הנהגה אחרת של דור באי הארץ
The matter is that now a different mode of conduct was beginning for the generation that would enter the Land.
He answers that a new kind of Divine conduct was beginning specifically for the generation that would enter Eretz Yisrael.
לכן הי' מנין חדש
Therefore there was a new census.
Because a new era was beginning, a fresh census was taken to mark it.
וכמו בדור המדבר ניתן להם אהרן הכהן כך בדור זה הי' כהונת פנחס
And just as in the generation of the wilderness Aharon HaKohen was given to them, so too in this generation there was the priesthood of Pinchas.
Each generation receives its own Kohen: Aharon for the wilderness generation, Pinchas for the generation entering the Land.
רק מקודם הי' במעלה עליונה למעלה מהטבע בכחו של מרע"ה ולכן כהונת אהרן הי' מתנה משמים
Only that beforehand it was on a lofty plane, above nature, through the power of Moshe Rabbeinu, alav hashalom, and therefore the priesthood of Aharon was a gift from Heaven.
Aharon's priesthood came as a Heavenly gift because the wilderness generation lived above nature through the spiritual power of Moshe Rabbeinu.
ופנחס בדין זכה לכהונתו כי הי' לפי השתנות הדור שהתחיל עתה להיות עבודת האדם והתעוררות שלמטה בחי' תורה שבע"פ
But Pinchas merited his priesthood through law, for it was in accordance with the change of the generation, in which the avodah of man and an awakening from below were now beginning to take hold, the aspect of Torah she'be'al peh, the Oral Torah.
Pinchas, by contrast, earned his priesthood through halachic merit, fitting the new era in which human avodah and arousal from below take center stage, the realm of Torah she'be'al peh.
וזה עצמו ענין קנאין פוגעין בו
And this very matter is the meaning of "zealous ones may strike him down" (kana'in pog'in bo).
The halacha that zealots may strike down one who acts as Zimri did illustrates this very shift toward human initiative.
שהוא אינו בר מות בסנהדרין שעפ"י הדין א"י להמיתו, ורק מי שמקנא לה' נשתנה הדין להורגו שכן דין התורה
For he is not liable to death through the Sanhedrin, since according to the law they cannot put him to death; only one who is zealous for Hashem alters the law to kill him, for such is the law of the Torah.
Such a person could not be sentenced to death by the court under normal law; only the zealous act of one acting for Hashem's honor alters the legal outcome, and that itself is the Torah's law.
נמצא שבנ"י משנים במעשיהם כל הנהגות התורה
It emerges that Bnei Yisrael, through their deeds, effect change in all the modes of conduct of the Torah.
This shows that the deeds of Bnei Yisrael actually shape and activate the workings of the Torah.
וזה ענין תורה שבע"פ שהכל ניתן מסיני רק שבנ"י צריכין להוציאו מכח אל הפועל
And this is the matter of Torah she'be'al peh, the Oral Torah, that everything was given from Sinai, only that Bnei Yisrael must bring it forth from potential into actuality.
This is the essence of the Oral Torah: everything was given at Sinai, but Bnei Yisrael must draw it out from potential into actual practice.
ומה שמרע"ה לא הרג את זמרי רק פינחס לא הי' פחיתות למרע"ה רק שבא פינחס ונטל את שלו ובאמת דורו של משה רבינו ע"ה ע"י שהיו גבוהים מאוד לא הי' ההנהגה בכח האנשים רק בהנהגה עליונה
And the fact that Moshe Rabbeinu, alav hashalom, did not slay Zimri but rather Pinchas did, was no diminishment of Moshe Rabbeinu, alav hashalom; rather Pinchas came and took what was his. For in truth, the generation of Moshe Rabbeinu, alav hashalom, because they were so very lofty, was not conducted through the power of the people but through a supernal conduct.
It was no slight to Moshe that Pinchas, not he, killed Zimri; Pinchas simply claimed his rightful portion, because Moshe's lofty generation was governed by supernal conduct rather than human action.
שבטל שכל וכח השגת האדם במדריגה רמה כזו
For in such an exalted level the intellect and the power of man's attainment are nullified.
At so exalted a level, human intellect and effort are effectively set aside before the Divine.
ואח"כ שנשפלו הדורות ניכר ונצרך התעוררות התחתונים כנ"ל
And afterward, when the generations became lowered, the awakening of those below became recognized and required, as mentioned above.
As the generations declined, the arousal of the lower world, human effort, became both visible and necessary.
וכמו שנתבטל מאור הלבנה כלפי השמש
And this is like the light of the moon, which is nullified before the sun.
He compares this to the moon, whose light is overshadowed and nullified when set against the sun.
ולכן כתיב צרור את המדינים כו'
Therefore it is written, "Harass the Midianites" (Bamidbar 25:17) and so forth.
This is why the Torah commands Bnei Yisrael themselves to harass the Midianites, demanding their active involvement.
עליכם לאייב אותם
It is upon you to make them into enemies.
The verse charges Bnei Yisrael to actively regard the Midianites as enemies.
כלומר שהי' הכאת המדינים בצירוף שנאת בנ"י
That is to say, that the striking of the Midianites was in conjunction with the hatred of Bnei Yisrael.
The defeat of Midian was meant to come together with the active hatred and involvement of Bnei Yisrael.
הן הדברים שכתבנו שהתחיל התנהגות בהתעוררות התחתונים
These are the words we have written, that a mode of conduct was now beginning through the awakening of those below.
This confirms his theme that a new mode of conduct, driven by arousal from below, was now beginning.
ומלחמות הראשונות הי' הכל רק בנפלאות הבורא בלבד
Whereas the earlier wars were all solely through the wonders of the Creator alone.
By contrast, the earlier wars were won entirely through the open miracles of the Creator, with no human exertion.
ואדרבא כתיב ואתם תחרישון [וי"ל בזה ג"כ הפי' וידבר משה ואלעזר כו' צריכים אתם להמנות
And on the contrary, it is written, "And you shall be silent" (Shemos 14:14). [And one may explain in this manner as well the meaning of "And Moshe and Elazar spoke" (Bamidbar 26:3) — you are required to be counted,
Indeed, at the sea Bnei Yisrael were told to be silent and do nothing; and likewise the command to be counted in the census reflects the new requirement of human participation.
פי' שהמנין הי' ע"י התעוררות עצמות נפשותיהם כנ"ל]:
meaning that the census was through the awakening of the very essence of their souls, as mentioned above.]
The census itself drew upon the inner essence of each soul, expressing the new era of arousal from below.
Summary: The Sfas Emes asks why the priesthood of Pinchas, the war against Midian, the census, and the passing of Moshe Rabbeinu are juxtaposed in the parshah. He explains that with the generation entering Eretz Yisrael, a new mode of Divine conduct began, one in which human avodah and arousal from below, the realm of Torah she'be'al peh, take the leading role. Whereas the wilderness generation lived above nature through the power of Moshe Rabbeinu, so that Aharon's priesthood was a Heavenly gift and their wars were won through open miracles while they stood silent, the new generation must draw the Torah from potential into actuality through their own deeds. This is why Pinchas earned his priesthood through halachic merit, why zealots themselves enact the law against one like Zimri, and why Bnei Yisrael are commanded to actively harass Midian and to be counted, each soul contributing from its own essence. As the generations descended, like the moon overshadowed by the sun, the arousal of those below became both visible and indispensable.