PARASHAT PINCHAS

Covenant & Conversation – Rabbi Jonathan Sacks with Rabbi Daniel Rose

The Israelites began mixing with Moabite women and we soon worshipping their g-ds. A plague raged and 24 000 Jewish men died. A leading Israelite, Zimri, brought a Midianite woman, Kozbi, and sinned with her in full view of Moshe and the people. It was the most shameless act of rebellion against G-d. Pinchas took a spear and killed them both, and the plague immediately ended.

 

Was Pinchas a hero or a murderer? On the one hand, he saved countless lives: no more people died from the plague. On the other hand, did he know that in advance? To any onlooker, he might have seemed like a man of reckless violence, caught up in anger. In our parasha G-d announces: “Pinchas, son of Elazar, son of Aharon the priest, has turned back My anger from the Israelites by being zealous among them on My behalf, so that I did not wipe out the Israelite people in My zeal. Therefore … I am making with him My covenant of peace” (Bemidbar 25:11 – 12).

 

G-d declared Pinchas a hero. He had saved the Israelites from destruction by showing passion for G-d that was the antidote to the people’s faithlessness, and as a reward, G-d honoured him. Pinchas acted correctly in G-d’s eyes.

 

The Rabbi’s of the Talmud tell us that the halakha sees things differently. Firstly, they rule that if Zimri had turned and killed Pinchas in self-defence, he would declared innocent in a court of law. Secondly, they rule that if Pinchas had killed Zimri and Kozbi just before or after they were engaged in the sin, he would have been guilty of murder. Thirdly, had Pinchas checked with a beit din as to whether he should act as he did, the answer would have been no. This is one of the rare cases where we say, “Halakha ve’ein morin kein” – “It is the law, but we do not teach people to act like this.” While the Torah gives us an answer about Pinchas’s act, rabbinic halakha teaches us that this is not the kind of behaviour we can follow.

 

But G-d was pleased with Pinchas, so why do the Rabbis criticise his actions? How can he have been both right and wrong? It helps to look at the story from two different perspectives. From an individual, moral perspective, Pinchas should not have done what he did. He took the law into his own hands. But from a political perspective, he showed true leadership and protected his people – he stopped the plague and was blessed by G-d.

Announcements | PINCHAS |

The Executive and Committee wish you Shabbat Shalom.

The Executive and Committee wish you Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Sam Thurgood will officiate over Shabbat and will be our Baal Koreh

Please note our shul cellphone and WhatsApp number is 060 764 6017.

As from this Sunday 20^th July, weekday Mincha moves to 17:45.

We thank our brocha ladies on duty this Shabbat Peta Feldman and Bev Shrand.

Upcoming Events:

Rabbi Shalom Hammer will be with us over Shabbat Hazon, Devarim and Tisha B’ Av.

Yeshiva of Cape Town Community Shabbaton 8-10 August 2025. Please see poster for more information.

Please note that Morasha welcomes sponsorships towards our Kiddush Brachot.

“Junie Punie” Children’s service (ages 1-6) takes place at 10h15 on Shabbat Morning.

“Dream Team Activities” Older kids and early teens activities are from 10h15 – 11h00 on Shabbat Morning

“Toddler Time” For the Tiny Tots on Shabbat at 17h30pm. Please bring your kids and have some fun!!

Morasha Wi-Fi code is “Morasha Guest”, and the password is We@rehome31

Parashat Balak	Artscroll	Steinsaltz	Living Torah	Hirsch
Torah	876	883	798	686
Maftir	896	903	822	698
Haftarah	1192	1247	1212	710

Earliest Candle Lighting	16:54
Latest Candle Lighting	17:40
Mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat	17:30
Shacharit	08:45
Latest time for morning Shema	10:20
Mincha	17:00
Shabbat Ends	18:34

 

Day	Time	Topic	Speaker	Place
Shabbat	Morning	Shiur after Brocha	Rabbi Sam Thurgood	Shul
Shabbat	Mincha / Seuda	Shiur and Quiz	Rabbi Sam Thurgood	Shul
Monday	After Shacharit	25/30 Minute Parsha	To be advised	Shul
Sunday	Pre Mincha	25 Minute Halacha/ Gemara	To be advised	Shul

 

Please be so kind as to return siddurim, chumashim and library books to our bookshelves.

Please take note: The Yahrzeit begins the evening before the date listed below

Name	Yahrzeit for	Date
Glenda Galansky	Father	Saturday 19 July
Karen Kellmann	Grandfather	Sunday 20 July
Marian Mirvish Marks	Aunt	Sunday 20 July
Gillian Cress	Aunt	Sunday 20 July
Zane Lynton Lurie	Grandfather	Monday 21 July
Jillian Chipkin	Husband	Monday 21 July
Zillah Kudo	Husband	Monday 21 July
Ross Kudo	Father	Monday 21 July
Sharon Mamulis	Father	Monday 21 July
Hyman Kestan	Sister	Monday 21 July
Tarna Klitzner	Mother	Tuesday 22 July
Benjamin Friedman	Mother	Tuesday 22 July
Phillip Weinstein	Mother	Tuesday 22 July
Stan Miller	Brother	Wednesday 23 July
Adrian Chiger	Father	Thursday 23 July
Joan Zieff	Aunt	Thursday 23 July
Jeff Scher	Mother	Friday 24 July
Muriel Levin	Father	Saturday 25 July
Joan Fisher	Father	Saturday 25 July
Larry Forman	Grandfather	Saturday 25 July

Anniversaries
Birthdays
Lara Greenblatt	Saturday 19 July
Coby Kudo	Saturday 19 July
Dion Levin	Saturday 19 July
Adaya Naomi Landau	Sunday 20 July
Natan Michael Landau	Sunday 20 July
Yair Elkanah Landau	Sunday 20 July
Amnon Melzer	Sunday 20 July
Tristan Jake Goldstein	Monday 21 July
Nadia Saban	Tuesday 22 July
Joseph Melzer	Wed 23 July
Stan Miller	Wed 23 July
Reuven Silberstein	Wed 23 July
Sharon Mamulis	Thursday 24 July
Liam Amsdorf	Friday 25 July
Selwyn Furman	Friday 25 July
Talya Bachmann	Saturday 26 July
Yanir Grindler	Saturday 26 July
Kim Kapeluschnik	Saturday 26 July
Leora Sternberg	Saturday 26 July