‘The still, small voice’

The Torah reading and the Haftarah following it speak about two men who are the seeming heroes of the events that befell them. Indeed, the Talmudic sages sensed an affinity of spirit that animated both of them. They are Pinchas, the grandson of the High Priest Aaron, and — some 500 years later — the Prophet Elijah. “Pinchas is Elijah” we read in the Aggadic work Yalkut Shimoni. Both were impassioned idealists. Both were confronted with severe challenges to their ideals by the willful practice of evil behavior. Both Pinchas and Elijah reacted violently to these challenges by means of the flaming sword. They have been acclaimed spiritual heroes by Jewish tradition.

Yet, I believe that both were gently but firmly rebuked for their violence. The third verse of this week’s Sidra seems to me most significant in God’s citation of merit to Pinchas — “Wherefore say: ‘Behold I give unto him my covenant of peace.’ ” (Numbers, 25:12) Your zeal, Pinchas, the Torah would seem to be saying, is commendable; your tactics are not. It is highly to be hoped that henceforth you will combat evil by invoking God’s covenant of peace, something your grandfather Aaron invoked through all the years of his life.

As for the fiery, tempestuous Elijah, who ordered the slaughter of the 400 false prophets of Ba’al — the chief deity of the Canaanites — he is involved in one of the pinnacles of our Bible’s narrative. Standing upon the mount of the Lord — Horeb — he views an unusual parade. In a rapid, dramatic procession there pass before his eyes first a powerful mountain-rending, stone-smashing wind. This is followed by a violent earthquake and then by a veritable hell of a fire. In none of these is God to be found.

“But after the fire there came a voice of gentle calm.” And the message of God to Elijah emerged from that voice of gentle calm.“Ve’aharai ha’raash, kol demama daka.” The message is not spelled out in the Book of Kings where the story is told. The story speaks for itself. It is saying: No, no, no, Pinchas-Elijah. Violence is no deterrent to violence. Only the “still small voice” offers the hope of putting an end to the cacophony of terror.

We have not yet learned this lesson. In the meantime, time is running out on all of us, and we are still living in a mean time. Still we must not despair. “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains,” sang the Psalmist, “whence shall my help come? My help shall come from God, creator of heaven and earth. … The keeper of Israel neither slumbers or sleeps.”
It is we who must wake up.

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