במדבר, פרק כ״ה, פסוק ח׳

In a moment of profound crisis, a singular act of zealotry halts divine wrath through immediate physical intervention. Risking his own life, Phinehas enters the very place of the sin to strike the transgressors while the act is taking place, thereby sanctifying God's name and saving the entire nation from destruction. The primary approach among commentators is that the scene unfolds within a small, private tent or inner chamber [רש״י, רשב״ם, אבן עזרא, רש ר הירש, ביאור שטיינזלץ, נתינה לגר].

The exact nature of the physical strike is a subject of discussion. Some sources suggest the weapon pierced the woman's belly or the cavity of her intestines [רשב״ם, רש ר הירש, נתינה לגר], while another perspective maintains that the strike was aimed simply at the tent itself [אבן עזרא]. However, a prominent view asserts that Phinehas directed his spear precisely at the reproductive organs of both the man and the woman [רש״י, שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ, חזקוני]. This precision ensured that everyone would clearly witness the undeniable nature of the sin and their impurity, preventing any accusations that Phinehas killed them without cause or out of personal hatred. The identity of the male transgressor is heavily emphasized to highlight the severe injustice and sharp contrast of the act, namely a forbidden union between an Israelite and a Midianite. Alternatively, this emphasis teaches that even a person who publicly desecrates God's name remains a part of Israel [ברכת אשר על התורה]. As for the woman, one might wonder why she was subjected to death, given that as a non-Jew, she was not bound by Torah law and did not incur a formal death penalty for this specific sin. She was ultimately judged under the legal principle applied to an animal used in a transgression, which must be put to death [אור החיים]. The Israelites had not harmed her earlier because they likely failed to identify her as a Midianite due to her clothing, which resembled that of Moabite women, or because they had not yet formally offered peace to Midian, a required step before initiating hostilities [אור החיים].

Although not explicitly detailed in the narrative, a significant number of sources focus on the numerous miracles that accompanied this bold action. These miracles were essential to prove that the execution occurred precisely during the act of sin, as Jewish law only permits a zealot to strike a sinner at that exact moment. Had Phinehas acted even moments later, he would have been considered a murderer liable to the death penalty [מלבי״ם, גור אריה]. The supernatural events demonstrated that the act was guided directly by God rather than being a random occurrence [גור אריה]. Miraculously, the transgressor did not separate from the woman or cry out to his tribe for help. At the same time, Phinehas's arm was infused with supernatural strength, his spear lengthened without breaking, and the sinners remained suspended upon it without slipping off. An angel raised the lintel of the tent so Phinehas could carry them out upright for all to see, while another angel struck the people to keep the members of the tribe of Simeon occupied, preventing them from attacking Phinehas in retaliation. Furthermore, their blood miraculously did not drip onto Phinehas, and they did not die immediately while in his hands, protecting him from ritual impurity [רש״י, רא״ש, שפתי חכמים, מזרחי, גור אריה]. Some note that even if he had become impure, it would not have been a violation, as Phinehas had not yet been appointed as a priest at that time [חזקוני].

The immediate result of this decisive action was the cessation of the plague. The physical strike successfully halted the divine punishment that had already been decreed against the people [ספורנו, רש ר הירש, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Ultimately, Phinehas's profound self-sacrifice for the honor of God, combined with his earnest prayer and cry to heaven regarding the fate of the Israelites, turned back the divine wrath and saved the entire congregation from annihilation [רא״ש, מלבי״ם, ברכת אשר על התורה].