Phinehas
Pinchus refers to the man whose righteous example of purging evil from Israel’s ranks moved Abba YHWH to stop a plague that would have otherwise destroyed all Israel. More than that, the portion starts with Pinchus getting a particularly high honor from Abba YHWH, the covenant of peace that rests on him alone and ensures his progeny the high priesthood.But with the population of Israel decimated by the plague, a new census had to be done in chapter 26. When that counting was concluded, Moshe is then given a very interesting issue to deliberate on: Should women be allowed to inherit their father’s estate under certain special circumstances? Abba YHWH’s answer back to Moshe and Israel then shows us literally the most progressive law regarding women’s rights in the entire ancient world!
