What are the implications of "Ve'haysah lo u'le'Zar'o Acharav ... "?
Yevamos, 100b: It implies that a Kohen must know who his father is. Consequently, if a Kohen separates from a group of ten and has relations with a woman who bears a son and one doesn?t know which of the ten men is his father, the son is disqualified from the Din Kehunah. 1
Kidushin, 66b: "Zar'o" incorporates Zera Kasher and Zera Pasul. Consequently, if a Kohen who is serving on the Mizbe'ach discovers that his mother is a Gerushah or a Chalutzah, his Avodah is valid. 2
What are the ramifications of "B'ris Kehunas Olam"?
Rashi: Now (after he killed Zimri) Pinchas was granted a permanent lease of Kehunah for himself and for his descendants. 1
Targum Yonasan: 'Because they denigrated him by calling him the son of Puti the Midyanite, 2 I will attribute his Yichus to the Kohen Gadol - and because he took the spear with his arm, struck the Midyanite woman in her womb and prayed with his mouth on behalf of the people of Yisrael, the Kohanim will receive the three gifts [from a slaughtered Chulin Behemah] - the right foreleg, the jaws and the stomach', and it will be for him and his children after him an everlasting covenant because ehe was zealous on behalf of his G-d and atoned on behalf of B?nei Yisrael?.
Hadar Zekenim: He became the Mashu'ach Milchamah from now on.
Menachos, 20a: It teaches us that there can be no Korbanos without Kohanim. 3
Yerushalmi Sanhedrin, 9:7: Had Hashem not interjeted with ?Vehaysah lo ? B?ris Kehunas Olam?, the Chadchamim would have placed Pinchas in Cherem ? because the Halachah of 'Kana'im Pog'in bo' is not with the wishes of the Chachamim. 4
See Torah Temimah Vayikra, 2:13, citing Menachos, 20a.
See Torah Temimah, note 31, who elaborates, and who explains that, in the current case, it came to prove, either that Pinchas was a true Kana'i, or that he was not guilty of issuing a Halachah in front of his Rebbe.
Seeing as Pinchas was the son of Elazar ha'Kohen, why was he not a Kohen before he killed Zimri?
Rashi: Because he was already born when Aharon and his sons were chosen to become Kohanim, and it was only their subsequent offspring who continued the line of Kehunah. 1
Da'as Zekenim and Hadar Zekenim (in Pasuk 14): The Milu'im (the inauguration ceremony) was confined to Aharon and his sons (but not his grandsons), and the Bigdei Kehunah were made only for them - as the Torah describes in Tetzaveh and Pikudei. See Torah Temima,note 30, as to why Pinchas? appointment to the Kehunah was postponed until now.
What is the meaning of " ... asher Kinei le'Elokav"?
Rashi: It means 'because he was zealous on behalf of 1 his G-d'.
Rashi: As in Beha'aloscha, 11:29 and in Zecharyah, 9:2.
What is the connection between Pinchas' zealousness on behalf of his G-d and the B'ris Shalom that he received as a reward?
Seforno: Since Pinchas quarreled Hashem's quarrel, Hashem saved him from the quarrel of competing forces. 1
Toldos Yitzchak: Because having killed esteemed people from great families his life could have been in jeapordy. The B'ris Shalom therefore assured him that he was safe.
Seforno: Which is the essence of peace. Refer also to 25:12:1:2*.
What is the significance of the statement "Vayechaper al B'nei Yisrael"? What sort of Korban did Pinchas bring?
Seforno: Because he atoned for Yisrael, by killing the sinners in public, in order that the people should receive atonement by not objecting 1 to his actions, he received the Kehunah, granting him a mandate to atone for the people.
Rosh: It teaches us that if someone kills Resha'im, it is as if he offered a Korban.
Da'as Zekenim: It teaches us that he became worthy to make other Kaparos (to offer Korbanos) on behalf of Yisrael.
Oznayim la'Torah: He was zealous on behalf of his G-d and he atoned for Yisrael. That is why he merited to become a Shali'ach of Hashem and a Shali'ach of Yisrael 2 to perform the Avodah in the Mishkan and in the Beis-Hamikdash.
We find that people were taunting him for killing Zimri, and a miracle was done to prevent B'nei Shimon from killing him (refer to 25:11:1:1, 25:8:2:1)! Even though they were a minority, since most of Yisrael did not object, this would not have helped him had they ganged up on him and killed him.
See Oznayim la'Torah DH 'Tachas asher Kinei l'Elokav' #1.
Why does the Torah say here "B'ris Kehunas Olam" and "B'risi Shalom", when regarding Aharon, it says "Lo u'le'Zar'o Acharav Kehunas Olam"?
Moshav Zekenim: Because Pinchas received "B'risi Shalom" - a B'ris with Shalom attached, as a reward for his zealous act, whereas Aharon had received the Kehunah "le'Chavod u'le'Sifares. (Sh'mos 28:2)."
