The Zohar explains what should have been a commandment for great priesthood, as it is written, “for he was zealous for his God,” since any priest who kills a soul is forever disqualified for priesthood, for he clearly disqualifies the degree of those.

The Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar] interprets that priesthood is Hesed [mercy], and killing a soul is its opposite. And because Pinhas killed Zimri and Cozbi, he was disqualified by law from being a priest. And because he was zealous for the Creator, He had to give him once again everlasting priesthood, to him and to his descendants (Item 21).

We should understand this. If a priest is the degree of Hesed, because he should engage in sacrifices, to bring atonement for each and every one from Israel, since all the sins come from the vessels of reception. Hence, the priest, who is the quality of Hesed, whose interest is only to bestow, for this reason, he has the power to install nearing, called “equivalence of form,” so the sinner will acquire for himself the quality of Hesed through the acts of sacrificing. This is not so when a priest kills a soul, since any murder comes specifically by wanting to take revenge on someone who afflicts him.

Moreover, death is the opposite of life. Kedusha [holiness] is called “life.” When one performs an act that is the opposite of life, he is attached to the Klipa [shell/peel]. Thus, how can he bring a sinner close to Kedusha, which is life?

Since all the atonement that one brings is only to adhere to the Life of Lives, which is the matter of equivalence of form, we should understand why then was he later given the priesthood because he was zealous for the Creator, though the quality of Hesed was blemished in him.

We should interpret that here, for he was zealous for the Creator, he knew that he was meant to be a priest, for he was the son of Eliezer, son of Aaron the priest, and the importance of the priest is something very high, for we see that the priest can make an intention for the Name in the Holy of Holies, unlike any other person.

This is the unification of ASHAN—Olam [world], Shanah [year], Nefesh [soul]. It is known that Olam is a place, which is precisely the place of the Holy of Holies. Shanah means “time,” which is specifically the Day of Atonement. Nefesh is the high priest. Precisely by uniting Olam, Shanah, Nefesh, he could make an intention for the explicit Name. There are also many advantages to the high priest.

When Pinhas saw what was happening in Israel, he engaged in the quality of Hesed, which is the quality of “priest,” whose aim was only to bestow, although he knew that he would lose the priesthood. Even his physical life was in danger, but he performed an act of bestowal for the sake of the general public so the public will be saved from the danger it was in at the time.

It therefore follows that precisely then he engaged in acts of bestowal and not of reception. This is why he was given it back, since the killing was not an act of disparity from the Life of Lives. Rather, through the act of Hesed, everyone would see and learn from him to adhere to the Life of Lives. This is the meaning of “for he was zealous for his God.”