תהלים, פרק ק״ו, פסוק ל״א

A single act of intense devotion can sometimes break the bounds of standard law and earn a reward that lasts forever. When Phinehas took sudden action to stop a devastating plague, his behavior was highly unusual from a legal standpoint. He carried out a killing without receiving permission from the Sanhedrin court [מאירי]. Furthermore, he issued a legal ruling in the presence of his teacher, an offense that typically carries the death penalty [אלשיך]. Despite breaking these strict rules, his bold move was fully credited to him as a profound act of righteousness and immense merit [מצודת דוד, מאירי].

God even combined Phinehas's good intention with the act itself. The plague actually stopped the very moment he stood up to judge the wrongdoers, well before he carried out the physical killing [אלשיך].

The primary approach among commentators is that this great merit took the form of a lasting covenant of priesthood granted to him and his descendants. God promised that the main line of the High Priesthood would stem from him and remain secure for all time. At the same time, this eternal promise is also understood as a direct, personal gift to Phinehas. Because of his righteous act, he was spared from death and granted eternal life. He lived on earth through many generations before finally being taken up to heaven in a storm, much like the prophet Elijah, continuing to live forever [אלשיך].