DRASH – PINCHAS
Rabbi Allison RH Conyer
Senior Rabbi, Temple Beth Israel, Melbourne
Parshat Pinchas:
Broken Peace, Restored Dignity
Rabbi Allison RH Conyer
Temple Beth Israel, Melbourne
This week, I had the privilege of serving as one of the keynote speakers at an interfaith conference hosted by Trinity College Theological School, affiliated with the University of Melbourne. The conference theme, The Dignity We Share: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives on Faith, Identity, and Human Worth, invited each speaker to explore the theological foundations of human dignity while reflecting on the challenges of living out those ideals.
Our conversation quickly moved beyond the concept of inherent human worth to the more difficult question of human dignity in action. We acknowledged the often-wide gap between what our traditions teach and what we actually practise.
The Torah teaches that humanity was created b’tzelem Elohim—in the image of God[1]. From the very beginning, Judaism affirms that every human being possesses intrinsic worth because each person carries within them a reflection of the Divine essence.
We all enter and leave this world the same way “G-d giveth and G-d taketh away.”[2] What we do in between, the choices we make with what life has thrown at us, determine if we honour the dignity within ourselves and recognise, nurture, and affirm it in others.
This week’s parashah, Pinchas, offers three examples that either challenge or uphold the concept of human dignity. The parsha commences with the response to Pinchas’ misguided violent act from last week’s parsha – killing an Israelite man and a Midianite woman. Pinchas is rewarded with a brit shalom—a covenant of peace. The rabbinic commentators point out that the Hebrew letter “vav” in the word “shalom” is broken in the Torah text. They understood this as a subtle critique. While Pinchas’ desire to protect the covenant may have been sincere, the means by which he acted fractured the very peace he sought to preserve. Violence can never be the foundation of genuine peace.
Acts of violence become possible only when we cease to see the humanity of another. Whether through physical harm, hateful speech, intimidation, or contempt, whenever ideology eclipses our ability to recognise another person’s humanity, dignity is diminished. The Talmud reminds us, “Whoever destroys a single life, it is as though they have destroyed an entire world”[3]. A peace built upon fear or dehumanisation is, like the broken “vav”, ultimately incomplete.
The second lesson in the parsha comes from the daughters of Zelophechad, who courageously petitioned Moses to recognise their right to inherit their father’s land. Their appeal was fundamentally about dignity the desire to be seen not merely as daughters, but as full members of the covenantal community. God heard their plea, saw them on their terms, and the law was changed. While total gender equality remained incomplete, this moment marked a significant step toward recognising the daughters’ dignity that had previously been overlooked or denied.
Finally, Moses modelled dignity through humility. Knowing that his own leadership was ending, he publicly appointed Joshua as his successor. No doubt, stepping down as leader just prior to entering the Promised Land was not an easy task for Moses. However, Moses understood that leadership is not about personal status but about the best way to serve the community at a given time in different circumstances. Moses was no less valuable because the time of his leadership was coming to an end. Joshua was not more valuable because he was to be the next leader. Each had a unique purpose, each created in the image of God to fulfill their unique role.
Human dignity is ultimately found in the choices we make: to see and honour the Divine image within every person, even amid disagreement or difference. The dignity we share is not rooted in sameness, nor in being right, but in recognising the Divine spark that shines uniquely in every human soul.
[1] Genesis 1:27
[2] Job 1:21
[3] Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5