Numbers Chapter 25 May Be Disturbing to Some Readers Thus Discretion is Advised

Your Behavior Matters In The Eyes Of Hashem

Forget in the eyes of men, where you can show-off admirable qualities and hide the opposite.

For Hashem sees both in public and in secret when no one is watching.

*Some parts in this chapter may be gruesome. But this is to show how much G-d hates those who disobey His commands.

“Balaam’s Plot”
“Zealotry of Phinehas”

Israel settled in Shittim and the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of Moab.
25:1
They invited the people to the feasts of their gods; the people ate and prostrated themselves to their gods.
25:2
Israel became attached to Baal-peor, and the wrath of Hashem flared up against Israel.
25:3
Hashem said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people. Hang them before Hashem against the sun – and the flaring wrath of Hashem will withdraw from Israel.”
:4
Behold! a man of the Children of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman near to his brothers in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the entire assembly of the Children of Israel; and they were weeping at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
:6
Phinehas son of Elazar son of Aaron the Kohen saw, and he stood up from amid the assembly and took a spear in his hand.
:7
He followed the Israelite man into the tent and pierced them both, the Israelite man and the woman into her stomach – and the plague was halted from upon the Children of Israel.
:8
Hashem spoke to Moses, saying: “Phinehas son of Elazar son of Aaron the Kohen, turned back My wrath from upon the Children of Israel, when he zealously avenged My vengeance among them, so I did not consume the Children of Israel in My vengeance.
:10-11
Therefore, say: Behold! I give him My covenant of peace.
:12
And it shall be for him and his offspring after him a covenant of eternal priesthood, because he took vengeance for his God, and he atoned for the Children of Israel.”
:13
Hashem spoke to Moses, saying: “Harass the Midianites and smite them;
:16-17
for they harassed you through their conspiracy that they conspired against you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague, in the matter of Peor.”
:18

1 Israel settled in Shittim, and the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of the Moabites.
2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and prostrated themselves to their gods.
3 Israel became attached to Baal Peor, and the anger of the Lord flared against Israel.
4 The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and hang them before the Lord, facing the sun, and then the flaring anger of the Lord will be removed from Israel.
5 Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you shall kill the men who became attached to Baal Peor.
6 Then an Israelite man came and brought the Midianite woman to his brethren, before the eyes of Moses and before the eyes of the entire congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
7 Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the kohen saw this, arose from the congregation, and took a spear in his hand.
8 He went after the Israelite man into the chamber and drove [it through] both of them; the Israelite man, and the woman through her stomach, and the plague ceased from the children of Israel.
9 Those that died in the plague numbered twenty four thousand.
10 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
11 Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the kohen has turned My anger away from the children of Israel by his zealously avenging Me among them, so that I did not destroy the children of Israel because of My zeal.
12 Therefore, say, “I hereby give him My covenant of peace.
13 It shall be for him and for his descendants after him [as] an eternal covenant of kehunah, because he was zealous for his God and atoned for the children of Israel.”
14 The name of the Israelite man who was killed, who was slain with the Midianite woman was Zimri the son of Salu, the chieftain of the Simeonite paternal house.
15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, a national leader of a paternal house in Midian.
16 The Lord spoke to Moses saying:
17 Distress the Midianites, and you shall smite them.
18 For they distress you with their plots which they contrived against you in the incident of Peor and in the incident of Cozbi their sister, the daughter of the Midianite chieftain, who was slain on the day of the plague [that had come] because of Peor.