Pinchas in a Nutshell

The name of the Parshah, "Pinchas," refers to Phineas, who zealously avenged G‑d’s name, and it is found in Numbers 25:11.

Aaron’s grandson Pinchas is rewarded for his act of zealotry in killing the Simeonite prince Zimri and the Midianite princess who was his paramour: G‑d grants him a covenant of peace and the priesthood.

A census of the people counts 601,730 men between the ages of twenty and sixty. Moses is instructed on how the Land is to be divided by lottery among the tribes and families of Israel. The five daughters of Tzelafchad petition Moses that they be granted the portion of the land belonging to their father, who died without sons; G‑d accepts their claim and incorporates it into the Torah’s laws of inheritance.

Moses empowers Joshua to succeed him and lead the people into the Land of Israel.

The Parshah concludes with a detailed list of the daily offerings, and the additional offerings brought on Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh (first of the month), and the festivals of Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret.

Learn: Pinchas in Depth
Browse: Pinchas Parshah Columnists
Prep: Devar Torah Q&A for Pinchas
Read: Haftarah in a Nutshell
Play: Pinchas Parshah Quiz

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D.S. Baird Indiana July 21, 2025

Forgot to mention that in G-d's good and clever humor with languages and words, that the Midian woman, whose name he actually has mentioned , "Cosby or Kosbi" was for the reason that Hebraically reading from right to left, "She Be the Cause" or " Be-cause" and the sin of her intervention Be She! ...... Also, Pinchas is a Pinch of correction or pain, compared to all Israel being lost, and a Sprirtual Refiner is Phinehas or Finey Hoss, a major setting of things straight was he.
At last the Master of Words our G-d how amazing and blessed is he! Reply

Fruma Brooklyn July 16, 2025

My second question is about the census of the b' nei Yisroel they were commanded to carry out ( Perek 26, Pasuk 2). Since in Parshas Ki Sisah, they were told to donate a shekel and the shekels were counted instead of the b'nei yisroel being counted directly, how was the census carried out in this Parsha? Also with shekalim? Thank you very much! Reply

Eliezer Zalmanov for Chabad.org July 17, 2025

in response to Fruma:

Although it doesn't say so clearly here, it's safe to assume that the instructions in Parshas Ki Sisa to count coins instead of people applied to all future censuses too. Reply

Fruma Mohrer Brooklyn July 18, 2025

in response to Eliezer Zalmanov:

Dear Rabbi Zalmanov, Thank you very much for your response! If you could refer me to a source. I have a Mikro'os Gedolos ( menukod) with meforshim and in Perek 26 Posuk ב, Unkeles translates the command to count into Aramaic and in the Biur Unkeles at the bottom of the page, there is a reference to Rashi, Shemos, Perek ל, posuk י"ב, the original place in parshas כי תשא, where Hashem requires counting the bnei yisroel via donations of shekolim in order to prevent a plague due to ayin hora or similar reason. But despite this reference to Rashi's remark in כי תשא, my question still is whether such an important principle is formulated as a permanent principle pethaps by a commentator or the Gemara or in a Midrash. Thank you very much! Thank you for providing this educational service to study the Parsha, Fruma Mohrer Reply

Fruma Brooklyn July 16, 2025

Question: As a grandson of Aharon, wasn't Pinchas automatically a priest- kohen? Thank you! Reply

Eliezer Zalmanov for Chabad.org July 17, 2025

in response to Fruma:

Since he was born before Aharon was chosen to be Kohen, Pinchas wasn't automatically included (only the grandchildren born after the selection were automatically Kohanim). Reply

Fruma Mohrer July 18, 2025

in response to Eliezer Zalmanov:

Thank you very much! Reply

Marion E Arthur Ottawa July 14, 2025

Such an interesting parsah- especially regarding the inclusion of women as rightful heirs. Of course, I'm assuming in ancient times this just meant 'if there are no men, the women get it" . One thing I am curious about in judaism is why the religion is considered passed down through the matrilineal line when it is the men only who were originally counted? Anyone have thoughts on that? Reply

Eliezer Zalmanov for Chabad.org July 15, 2025

in response to Marion E Arthur:

When people were counted, they weren't necessarily counted as individuals, but as heads of families. So when a man was counted, automatically his wife and children were included in the count as well. Reply

Yehudah San Diego July 17, 2022

With regard to Pinchas, whatever happened to the commandment, "Thou shall not kill? Reply

Eliezer Zalmanov for Chabad.org July 18, 2022

in response to Yehudah :

Please see this article for a discussion on this topic. Reply

Paul Boston July 22, 2022

in response to Yehudah :

This is a misreading of the Hebrew. The commandment is Thou shalt not murder. Big difference. Reply

Dr Haar UK May 4, 2024

in response to Yehudah :

The commandment is thou shalt not murder in Hebrew. Not to kill. Execution and prosecution in a just war is allowed. Reply

Rob Aiken SC July 2, 2021

When do we read the Torah readings? Do we read numbers 25:10 to 30:1 in it's entirety? New to this and am trying to get it right. Reply

Gidon Ariel DN HAR HEBRON July 3, 2021

in response to Rob:

In the synagogue Saturday mornings. Split into seven sub portions according to a set division. If you are not in the synagogue, there's no set tradition as far as I know Reply

Eliezer Zalmanov for Chabad.org July 5, 2021

in response to Rob:

The portion as a whole is read from an actual Torah scroll in the synagogue on Saturday morning. But in the build up to Shabbat, we study one section a day every day of the week (each portion is divided into 7 sections/aliyahs). Check out chabad.org/dailystudy. Reply

Rob Aiken July 4, 2021

in response to Gidon Ariel:

Thank you. I read it all on Shabbat morning, after searching online for the answer. I'm not apart of a synagogue so we do it in our home. Thank you again for responding. Reply

Okwara Ibusa July 27, 2024

in response to Gidon Ariel:

Please can you enlighen more of the issues of split ,how do you mean when you said split? Reply

Lee Margulies July 9, 2020

How many times per calendar year is parshah Pinchas read? Reply

Azariah Benyisrael NYC July 3, 2021

in response to Lee Margulies:

Pinchas is read Once a year, the parshahs are designed to be read throughout a one year period from the Shabbat after the Simchat Torah holiday in the autumn. Reply

Gidon Ariel DN HAR HEBRON July 3, 2021

in response to Lee Margulies:

The full parshah, once a year. Parts of it, great trivia question:-) probably more than any other parshah by far Reply

Gidon Ariel Maale Hever July 3, 2018

I am looking for a source for the upper limit of the counted for the census. The verses clearly say from age twenty and above, but I cannot find the upper limit of sixty that you mention here. Reply

Yehuda Shurpin for Chabad.org July 5, 2018

in response to Gidon Ariel:

There is actually a difference of opinion in the commentaries on whether there was an upper limit of sixty.

This short synopsis seems to follow the commentary of Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (Nachmonidies) on Numbers 28:64 that above sixty wasn't counted. This would partially be based on the verse (ibid 26:2) " Take a census of the whole Israelite community from the age of twenty years up, by their ancestral houses, all Israelites able to bear arms." i.e. they only counted those who would bear arms which is between the ages of 20-60. Reply

Rabbi EK for Chabad.org July 6, 2018

in response to Gidon Ariel:

The Ramban on 26:64 notes that the count was only until Sixty. There he also cites the Talmud Bava Batra 121b where there is an exegesis from Vayikrah 27:7 that clarifies this point. Reply

Gidon Ariel Pnei Hever July 11, 2020

in response to Rabbi EK for Chabad.org:

thank you! Reply

Toby Sohn July 15, 2017

Thankyou 👍👍🔯🔯 Reply

Anonymous new york, new york July 13, 2012

pinchas that was good but tell us what to say if we were to give oral summary of this summary Reply

Airon US November 18, 2023

in response to Anonymous:

Slow third person descriptions of builds and the intensity of reactions.

20-60 different “shades” 🤔 Reply

Oluyemi Akinlolu Issachar Lagos, Nigeria October 6, 2011

Phineas (Pinchas) A fantastic summary Reply

Numbers 25:10–30:1

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