Daf 57b (דַּף נ״ז ע״ב)

From where do we learn this? (מְנָא לָן). As it is written: and El'azar the son of Aharon took for himself a wife from the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Pinchas — these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites, according to their families (דִּכְתִּיב, וְאֶלְעָזָר בֶּן אַהֲרֹן לָקַח לוֹ מִבְּנוֹת פּוּטִיאֵל לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה, וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ אֶת פִּנְחָס, אֵלֶּה רָאשֵׁי אֲבוֹת הַלְוִיִּם לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָם) (Exodus 6).

“Eleh [These]” — but was not Pinchas alone? (אֵלֶּה, וְהָא פִּנְחָס בִּלְחוֹדוֹי הֲוָה). And it is written: the heads of the fathers of the Levites (וּכְתִיב, רָאשֵׁי אֲבוֹת הַלְוִיִּם). Therefore: the death of their bodies they died, but the death of their souls they did not die (בְּגִין כָּךְ, מִיתַת גַּרְמֵיהוֹן מִיתוּ, מִיתַת נַפְשָׁהוֹן לָא מִיתוּ).

Rabbi El’azar said: indeed, the word “these” implies something, and the word “heads” implies something (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וַדַּאי מַשְׁמַע אֵלֶּה, וּמַשְׁמַע רָאשֵׁי). And for this reason it is written: Pinchas the son of El’azar the son of Aharon the priest (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב, פִּנְחָס בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן) (Numbers 25). And it is written again: and Pinchas the son of El'azar the son of Aharon the priest was priest in those days (וּכְתִיב, וּפִנְחָס בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן הָיָה כֹּהֵן בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם). It should have said simply: Pinchas the son of El’azar the priest (פִּנְחָס בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ).

But in every place where Pinchas is mentioned (אֶלָּא בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּאָתָא פִּנְחָס), it is written: “the son of Aharon the Kohen [Priest]” (בֶּן אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן כְּתִיב), and it is not written: “the son of El'azar” (וְאֶלְעָזָר לָא כְּתִיב), but rather: “El'azar the Kohen [Priest]” (אֶלָּא אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן). As it is written: “before El'azar the Kohen [Priest]” (וְלִפְנֵי אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן) (Bemidbar 27:21), and it is written: “And El'azar the Kohen [Priest] said...” (וַיֹּאמֶר אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן וְגוֹ׳) (Bemidbar 31:21). Therefore (וְעַל דָּא), the death of their bodies they died (מִיתַת גַּרְמֵיהוֹן מִיתוּ), but the death of their Nefashot [Souls] they did not die (מִיתַת נַפְשָׁהוֹן לָא מִיתוּ).

And we have learned in the secret of the Mishnah (וְתָנֵינָן בְּרָזָא דְּמַתְנִיתִין): two joined together—Pin-Chas (תְּרֵי זוּג, פֶּן־חָס). And it has already been taught (וְהָא אִתְּמַר): the small Yod among the letters of Pinchas (יוֹ״ד זְעֵירָא בֵּינֵי אַתְוָון דְּפִנְחָס). For this Yod includes two as one (דְּהַאי יוֹ״ד כָּלִיל תְּרֵי כַּחֲדָא), and this is the secret of the matter (וְדָא הוּא רָזָא דְּמִלָּה), and this has already been established (וְהָא אִתְּמַר).

Rabbi El'azar asked his father (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר שָׁאִיל לַאֲבוּי). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): Behold, these were two, and they were two (וְהָא תְּרֵי אִינּוּן וּתְרֵי הֲווֹ); why then are they not found as two? (אֲמַאי לָא אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ תְּרֵי). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): They were two halves of one body (תְּרֵי פַּלְגֵּי גוּפָא הֲווֹ), for they did not marry (דְּהָא לָא אַנְסִיבוּ), and therefore they were included as one (וּבְגִין כָּךְ בְּחַד אִתְכְּלִילוּ). As it is written: “And she bore him Pinchas” (וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ אֶת פִּנְחָס), “These are the heads...” (אֵלֶּה רָאשֵׁי וְגוֹ׳) (Shemot 6:25).

And the Yod of Pinchas was not given into his name to join the letters together (וְיוֹ״ד דְּפִנְחָס לָא אִתְיְיהִיב בֵּיהּ לְחַבְּרָא אַתְוָון), except at the time when he was zealous for Kudsha Berikh Hu (אֶלָּא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקַנֵּי לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and came to straighten what had become crooked (וְאָתָא לְיַשְּׁרָא עֲקִימָא), for he saw that Ot Berit Kaddisha [the Sign of the Holy Covenant] (דְּחָמָא דְּהַאי אָת בְּרִית קַדִּישָׁא), Zimri had brought into another domain (עָיֵיל זִמְרִי בִּרְשׁוּתָא אָחֳרָא). In that very matter which had first been perverted, it was rectified here (וּבְמָה דְּאִתְעַקָּם בְּקַדְמִיתָא אִתְתָּקַן הָכָא). Through the foreign woman it had first been perverted (בְּנוּכְרָאָה אִתְעַקָּם בְּקַדְמִיתָא), as it is written: “When they offered foreign fire” (בְּהַקְרִיבָם אֵשׁ זָרָה) (Vayikra 10:1). Here, through the foreign woman, it was rectified (הָכָא בְּנוּכְרָאָה אִתְתָּקַן), as it is written: “And married the daughter of a foreign god” (וּבָעַל בַּת־אֵל נֵכָר) (Malakhi 2:11).

Just as there it was Esh Zarah [Foreign Fire] (מַה לְהַלָּן אֵשׁ זָרָה), so here also it was a foreign woman (אַף כָּאן נָמֵי אִשָּׁה זָרָה). What was revealed here? (מַאי אִתְחֲזֵי הָכָא). Rather (אֶלָּא), at first they brought near that which was distant (בְּקַדְמִיתָא רְחִיקָא קְרִיבוּ), as it is written: “When they offered foreign fire” (בְּהַקְרִיבָם אֵשׁ זָרָה) (Vayikra 10:1). So too here, Zimri brought near that which was distant (אוּף הָכָא זִמְרִי הֲוָה קָרִיב רְחִיקָא), bringing the Name of the King near to that which was distant (שְׁמָא דְּמַלְכָּא הֲוָה קָרִיב גַּבֵּי רְחִיקָא). Immediately (מִיַּד): “And Pinchas the son of El'azar, the son of Aharon the Kohen [Priest], saw, and arose from among the congregation” (וַיַּרְא פִּנְחָס בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן־אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן וַיָּקָם מִתּוֹךְ הָעֵדָה) (Bemidbar 25:7). Here he rectified the crookedness of before (הָכָא אַתְקִין עֲקִימָא דְּקַדְמֵיתָא).

Then the Yod was given into his name to join the letters together (כְּדֵין אִתְיְיהִיב יוֹ״ד בִּשְׁמֵיהּ לְחַבְּרָא אַתְוָון כַּחֲדָא), and he was rewarded with peace (וְאִתְבְּשַׂר בְּשָׁלוֹם), as it is written: “Therefore say: Behold, I give him My covenant of peace” (לָכֵן אֱמוֹר הִנְנִי נוֹתֵן לוֹ אֶת בְּרִיתִי שָׁלוֹם) (Bemidbar 25:12). “My covenant” (בְּרִיתִי)—truly (מַמָּשׁ). What is Shalom [Peace] here? (מַאי שָׁלוֹם הָכָא). Rather (אֶלָּא), in that Keter [Crown] they sinned at first (בְּהַהוּא כִּתְרָא חָבוּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא); in that Keter [Crown] they first aroused strife (בְּהַהוּא כִּתְרָא אַתְעֲרוּ קְטָטוּתָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא), and now that it has been rectified (וְהַשְׁתָּא דְּאִתְתְּקַן), it is written: “Behold, I give him My covenant of peace” (כְּתִיב הִנְנִי נוֹתֵן לוֹ אֶת בְּרִיתִי שָׁלוֹם) (Bemidbar 25:12). “My covenant” (בְּרִיתִי)—truly (מַמָּשׁ)—shall be with him in peace (תְּהֵא עִמֵּיהּ בְּשָׁלוֹם). Therefore the small Yod was given in his name (וּבְגִין כַּךְ אִתְיְיהִיב יוֹ״ד זְעֵירָא בִּשְׁמֵיהּ), for it is one of the small letters (דְּהָא מֵאַתְוָון זְעִירָאן הִיא), to show that what had first been perverted has now been rectified (לְאַתְחֲזָאָה דְּהָא אִתְתַּקַּן מַה דְּאִתְעַקָּם בְּקַדְמִיתָא), and that perfection was completed through him (וְהָא אַשְׁלִימַת עִמֵּיהּ).

Rabbi El'azar came and kissed his hand (אָתָא רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְנָשִׁיק יְדוֹי). He said (אָמַר): Blessed is the Raḥamana [Merciful One] (בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא), that I asked this matter (דְּשָׁאִילְנָא הַאי מִלָּה), and it was not withheld from me (וְלָא אִתְאֲבִיד מִנַּאי).

It was taught: Rabbi Yosei said (תָּאנָא אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): On this day of Yom Kippur (בְּהַאי יוֹמָא דְּכִפּוּרֵי), it was ordained to read this portion (אִתְתְּקַן לְמִקְרֵי פַּרְשְׁתָּא דָּא), to effect atonement for Yisrael in exile (לְכַפְּרָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא). Therefore (בְּגִין דָּא), the order of this day was arranged here (סִדְרָא דְּיוֹמָא דָּא הָכָא אִתְסַדַּר), because the death of the sons of Aharon atones for Yisrael (וּבְגִין דְּמִיתַתְהוֹן דִּבְנֵי אַהֲרֹן מְכַפְּרָא עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל).